English - Prof. Dr. Márcio Luiz C. Vilaça – marcio.vilaca@unigranrio.edu.

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VERB TENSES

PRESENT

Simple Present

 Habits/Routines
 Facts and generalizations
 Historic Present – narration of sports, stories…
 To talk about occupations
 Facts and generalizations
 Captions and headlines

Present Continuos

 Actions in progress- You are studying English now.

 Temporary actions and states- Are you enjoying the class?

 Actions in progress but not at the moment of speaking - He is learning to sing.

 To describe changes and development- More and more people are giving up smoking.

Present Perfect

 To talk about an action beginning in the past and continuing up to the present or future

I have worked a lot

 With since and for (connecting past and present)- I have been married for 7 years/since 1999.

 Repeated action- I have read Shakespeare’s plays. – I have seen that movie twenty times.

 Past action with present consequence or relevance - Scientists have discovered ...

 Past action when time is not mentioned- Beth has passed seven exams.

 After conjunctions such as if, when, as soon as, before, and until to refer to the future
(also: simple present)
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I can help you when I have finished my homework.

OR
I can help you when I finish my homework.

Present Perfect Continuous

 Drawing conclusions based on some evidence – Her eyes are red. She has been crying.
 Repeated action – He has been phoning me every night for a week.
 Emphasis on continuity- He has been writing letters all day.
 To talk about an action beginning in the past and continuing up to the present or future
She has been studying English for 5 years.
 With for and since (connecting past and present) - They have been watching TV for 5 hours.

PAST

Simple Past

 The action happened in the past- I broke the window.

 The action/event is completed /finished at the time of speaking- I studied English.

 Single or repeated action in the past – I read short stories.

 Habit in the past – I played soccer a lot when I was very young.

Past Continuous

 An action in progress in a specific moment in the past - I was watching TV at 10.

 In the middle of happening/doing - She was studying when you called her.

 Activity over an extended period- I was working in the office all weekend.

 Frequently repeated action- He was always correcting people.

Past Perfect

 an action that happened before another action in the past.

She turned the TV on, but the show had finished.

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 To regret for failed plans and hopes

Peter had planned to become a soccer player.

 After some words like after, although, before, until, when, because.

She arrived late because her car broke down.

 with for and since

John met his old girlfriend in 1998.

He had not seen her for five years.

 with a time expression with by...

By 1990, Ben had won the championship ten times.

Past Perfect Continuous

 A continuous action that had been happening up to the time that something else happened

It had been raining for three hours. Then, the sun began to shine.

FUTURE

Will – Simple Future

 Decision at time of speaking- I forgot phoning Mary. I will phone her when I get home.

 Wish and intention in the future- Relax. I’ll mend your car.

 Prediction and supposition - Man will create a machine that will be able to think.

 Promising- I will pay you back on Friday.

 Offering- I will help you with the translation.

 Hopes, expectations, etc ( with assume, be afraid, be sure, believe, doubt, expect, hope, suppose, think)

I hope she will get the job she applied for.

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 Uncertainty about the future- with perhaps, probably, surely, possibly:

Ask her again. Perhaps she will change her mind.

Going to future

 You have already decided/arranged to do something- I am going to give a party.

 Immediate future- It is going to rain.

 When something is on the point of happening( almost starting/happening)

We are going to study…

The engine’s on fire. The plane’s going to crash.

Future Continuous

 This describes an action which will be in progress at a future point.

Come round in the morning. I’ll be painting the kitchen.

 It can also be used to refer to fixed arrangements and plans and timetabled

The band will be performing live in Paris this summer.

 Duration in the future

I will be studying from six to eight.

 Predict or imagine what someone is doing now

Don’t visit Jane now. She will be studying for the test.

Future Perfect

 completed action before something in the future

By next November, I will have received my promotion.

 duration before something in the future

I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave.

 an action that will occur at some time between and a future time

I’ll have changed my job by the end of next year.

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Future Perfect Continuous

• We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in the future.

I will have been working here for ten years next week.
He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been traveling for 24 hours.