University of Duhok

College of Basic Education - Amedi

English Department

Title:

English Tenses

Prepared by:

Sterin Dildar

Supervised by:

Mr. Adil Ahmed Abdulazeez

Academic Year

(2023 – 2024)
 Table of Contents
English language tenses.............................................................................................1
1. Present...................................................................................................................3
1.1. Present simple.....................................................................................................4
1.2. Present continuous..............................................................................................7
1.3. Present perfect....................................................................................................9
1.4. Present perfect continuous................................................................................13
2. Past:.....................................................................................................................18
2.1. Past simple........................................................................................................19
2.2. Past continuous.................................................................................................23
2.3. Past perfect.......................................................................................................26
2.4. Past perfect continuous.....................................................................................31
3. Future...................................................................................................................35
3.1. Future simple....................................................................................................36
3.2. Future continuous.............................................................................................38
3.3. Future perfect....................................................................................................42
3.4. Future perfect continuous.................................................................................45
English language tenses
Verb tenses in the English language differ in their form and intended meaning.
Some of them talk about the past, some talk about the future, and some talk about
the present.

Verb tenses are divided into three main sections, which are:

1. past

2. present

3. future verb tenses

The present tense verb tenses are:

1. present simple

2. present continuous

3. present perfect

4. present perfect continuous

For the past tenses, they are:

1. past simple

2. past continuous

3. past perfect

4. past perfect continuous

1
For the future, they are:

1. future simple

2. future continuous

3. future perfect

4. future perfect continuous

2
1. Present
1. Present simple

2. Present continuous

3. Present perfect

4. Present perfect continuous.

3
1.1. Present simple
The present simple tense is used to talk about general truths, habits, routines,
and permanent situations.

Or…The simple present is a verb tense with two main uses. We use the
simple present tense when an action is happening right now, or when it happens
regularly (or unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes called present indefinite).
Depending on the person, the simple present tense is formed by using the root form
or by adding s or es to the end.

The structure of present simple sentences. In the affirmative form, we use

the subject followed by the base form of the verb.

-Subject + Verb(s) + complement…

For example:

1-"I eat breakfast every morning."

2-” She works at a hospital."

3-"They live in London."

In the negative form, we add the auxiliary verbs "do" and “does” (in the present
simple) before the subject, followed by "not," and then use the base form of the
main verb.

1- [ Dont=I, you, we, they]

2-[ Does=he, she, it]

S + do, does(not)+ verb+ complement

4
For example:

1-"I do not(don’t)like spicy food."

2-"He does not (doesn’t)watch TV in the morning."

3-"We do not (don’t)play soccer on Sundays."

To form questions in the present simple, we inverted the subject and the auxiliary
verb "do."

Do, does+ s+ v+ complement+?

For example:

1-"Do you speak Spanish?"

2-"Does she play the piano?"

3-"Do they live nearby?”

Now, let's talk about the various uses of the present simple tense:

1. General truths and facts: We use the present simple to state facts that are
generally true and not specific to a particular time. For example:

1-"The sun rises in the east."

2-"Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

3-"Cats are mammals."

2. Habits and routines: We use the present simple to talk about repeated actions or
habits. For example:

5
1-"I go for a run every morning."

2-” She brushes her teeth before going to bed."

3-"They always take the bus to work."

3. Scheduled events: We use the present simple to talk about future events that are
part of a fixed schedule or timetable. For example:

1-"The train departs at 8:00 AM

tomorrow."

2-"The concert starts at 7:30 PM next Friday."

4. Narration and instructions: The present simple is often used in storytelling,

jokes, and instructions. For example:

1-"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a village."

2-"Two men walk into a bar and order drinks."

3-"First, you mix the ingredients, then you bake the cake."

6
1.2. Present continuous
The present continuous tense, also known as the present progressive tense, is used
to describe actions happening at the time of speaking or actions that are currently
in progress.

Or…The present continuous, also called the present progressive or present

imperfect, is a verb form used in modern English that combines the present tense
with the continuous aspect. It is formed by the present tense form of being and the
present participle of a verb. The present continuous is generally used to describe
something that is taking place at the present moment and can be employed in both
the indicative and subjunctive moods. It accounts for approximately 5% of verbs in
spoken English.

It is formed using the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, are) followed by the
present participle (the base form of the verb + "-ing").

Subject + be(am, is, are) + verb(infinitive) + ing + …

be = [ am—> I ] or [ is—> he, she, it] or [ are—> we,you,they ]

For example:

•“I am reading a story right now”

• "I am studying for my exam." (action happening at the time of

speaking)

• "She is working on a project." (action currently in progress)

The present continuous tense can also be used to describe future actions or plans
when there is a fixed arrangement or an intention to do something.

7
For example:

• "I'm meeting my friend tomorrow." (future action with a fixed

arrangement)

• "We are going to the concert tonight." (future action as part of a plan)

To form the present continuous negative, we add "not" after the verb "to be."

[ am —> am not ] [ is —> isn’t ] [ are —> aren’t]

For example:

- "They are not listening to music." (negative statement)

- “ I am not reading a story now.”

- “ Layla isn’t making dinner for us.”

When asking questions in the present continuous tense, we invert the subject and
the verb "to be."

For example:

• "Are you watching a movie?" (Yes/No question)

• "What are you doing?" (Wh-question)

• “ Is Layla making dinner for us?”

Some verbs cannot be attached to -ing, but rather they are always in the simple
present tense:

1. Love

2. Like

8
3. Hate

4. Want

5. Need

For example:

- “I love my cat.” (correct)

“I am loving my cat.” (incorrect)

It's important to note that the present continuous tense is used for temporary
actions or situations. It emphasizes the duration or ongoing nature of an action,
which may not be permanent or habitual.

1.3. Present perfect

What is the present perfect tense?

The present perfect tense is one of the common verb tenses in English, used to
show an action that happened in the past that is directly related to the present, such
as actions that are continuing or that indicate a change over time.

Or…Present perfect is a verb tense used to express an action or state that is

completed in the past but has a connection to the present. It is formed by using the
auxiliary verb "have" or "has" followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Or…The present perfect is a grammatical combination of the present tense and

perfect aspect that is used to express a past event that has present consequences.
The term is used particularly in the context of English grammar to refer to forms
like "I have finished". The forms are present because they use the present tense of
the auxiliary verb have, and perfect because they use that auxiliary in combination
with the past participle of the main verb.

9
How do you use the present perfect tense?

In the present perfect tense, the main verbs always use the auxiliary verbs (helper
verbs) has, or have. The main verb takes a participle form, specifically the past
participle. The past participle is often the same form as the simple past form of the
verb unless it’s an irregular verb, which each has its own unique past participle
form.

Only the auxiliary verbs are conjugated to fit the subject-verb agreement in the
present perfect tense; the past participle of the main verb remains the same no
matter what the subject is. Generally, you use have for all subjects except the
singular third-person, which instead uses has.

First-person: I have come a long way.

Second person: You have come a long way.

Third-person plural: They have come a long way.

Third-person singular: He/she/it has come a long way.

The present perfect tense has specific constructions for standard statements,
negatives, and questions, explained below.

The present perfect tense for statements

For general statements, the most common use of the present perfect, use have or
hasplus is the past participle form of the main verb.

[have/has] + [past participle]

-Subject + have/has + past participle + (object)

10
-Charlotte has become friends with Wilbur.

-We’ve broken up before, but this time feels different.

⁃ I have finished my homework.

⁃ She has visited Paris.

The present perfect tense for negatives

To use the present perfect tense in the negative, simply add the negative word (like
not or never) after the auxiliary verb but before the past participle.

[have/has] + [negative] + [past participle]

Subject + have/has + not + past participle + (object)

-I have not slept well since exams started.

-My Midwestern friend has never seen the ocean.

⁃ They have not seen the movie.

⁃ He has not completed the project.

Note that it's clearest to avoid contractions when using the present perfect tense
with the negative, at least in American English.

-I’ve not seen the Eiffel Tower. (incorrect)

-I have not seen the Eiffel Tower. (correct)

The present perfect tense for questions

When asking a question in the present perfect tense, the auxiliary verb comes first,
followed by the subject, and then the past participle of the main verb. This follows

11
a similar construction as questions with the auxiliary verb do, which also comes
before the subject.

[have/has] + [subject] + [past participle]

Have/Has + subject + past participle + (object)+?

-Have you eaten dinner yet?

-Has the party started?

⁃ Have you ever been to Japan?

⁃ Has she finished her work?

How to use the present perfect tense with adverbs

Although you can still use adverbs after the verb (as you do normally), with the
present perfect tense you can also place the adverb between the auxiliary verb and
the past participle.

[have/has] + [adverb] + [past participle]

-They have gradually advanced their career from cashier to senior manager.

-All the guests have already arrived.

The present perfect tense is often used in the following situations:

1. To talk about experiences or actions that happened at an unspecified time in the

past:

- "I have visited Paris." (At some point in the past, but the specific time is not
mentioned.)

2. To discuss actions that started in the past and continue up to the present:

12
- "He has lived in New York for five years." (He moved to New York five years
ago and still lives there.)

3. To express actions that have recently occurred:

- "They have just arrived at the airport." (They arrived very recently.)

4. To talk about past actions that have a result or impact in the present:

- "I have lost my keys." (The keys are still missing.)

5. To discuss actions that have occurred multiple times before the present:

- "We have seen that movie three times." (We watched the movie on three different
occasions.)

It's important to note that the present perfect is used to discuss past events with a
connection to the present, while the simple past tense is used for actions completed
at a specific time in the past. Additionally, the specific time or duration of the
action is not always mentioned in sentences that use the present perfect tense.

1.4. Present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous (also known as the present perfect progressive) is a
verb tense used to talk about something that started in the past and is continuing at
present.

Or…The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions or

situations that started in the past and continue up to the present moment. It is
formed by combining the present perfect tense of the verb "to have" (have/has)
with the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.

For example:
13
 • "I have been studying English for two hours." (The action of
studying started in the past and is still ongoing at the time of speaking.)

• "She has been working on that project all day." (The action of
working started in the past and is still in progress.)

How to form the present perfect continuous

The formula for the present perfect continuous tense Has/have been + [present
participle (root form of verb + -ing)].

-Subject + have/has + been + verb-ing

Recently and lately are words that we often find with verbs in the present perfect
continuous tense.

Example:

• “Mia has been competing in flute competitions recently.” (and she will continue
to do so).

• “I haven’t been feeling well lately.”

•” Recently, I’ve been misplacing my wallet and keys.”

-Not all verbs are compatible with continuous action. Verbs that describe states and
conditions, such as to be and to own, for example, do not make sense in the present
perfect continuous tense. When you want to show that what is being described by
one of these verbs continues up to the present, you use the regular present perfect
tense.

Incorrect

I have been owning my Mazda since 2007.

14
Correct

I have owned my Mazda since 2007.

Incorrect

Gus has been late for work recently.

Correct

Gus has been late for work recently.

Correct

Gus has been arriving late for work recently.

To make the present perfect continuous tense in negative form, We use this
formula: Has/Have + not + been + present participle.

-Subject + have/has + not + been + verb-ing

Examples:

•” She hasn’t been practicing her pronunciation.

•” He has not been feeling well.”

•” Julie has not been taking her dog to the park lately.”

Asking a Question

When asking a question in the present perfect continuous tense, use the formula:
Has/Have + subject + been + present participle.

-Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing?

Examples:

• Have you been feeling well?

15
• Has she been talking to her mother?

• Have they been practicing their steps?

- The present perfect continuous tense emphasizes the duration or length of time an
action has been happening. It is often used to talk about recent or current activities,
habits, or temporary situations. It is not commonly used with stative verbs (verbs
that express a state or condition rather than an action).

Here are a few key points to remember when using the present perfect continuous
tense:

1. Subject + have/has + been + verb (ending in -ing).

2. Use "have been" for first-person pronouns (I, we) and "has been" for
third-person pronouns (he, she, it, they).

3. Use "been" to indicate the ongoing nature of the action or situation.

4. Time expressions such as "for," "since," and "how long" are often
used to indicate the duration of the action or situation.

Here are a few more examples:

• "We have been waiting for the bus for half an hour."

• "They have been living in Paris since last year."

When To Use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Use #1

When describing an action that began in the past and has continued into the present
(not completed) with a specified duration.

Examples:

16
• He has been working in the garden for the past 30 minutes.

• She has been typing her paper for the last hour.

•Timmy has been standing in the corner for the past two hours.

Use #2

When describing an action that began in the past and has continued into the present
(not completed) without a specified duration.

However, when using this tense without a specific duration, ‘lately’ or ‘recently’
are implied. When you review the examples, add those time indicators in your head
either before or after the sentence to see how they make sense.

Examples:

• I’ve been feeling down.

• I haven’t been feeling like myself.

• She has been running all over the place.

•Have you been watching too much news?

•Bart hasn’t been practicing his skateboarding skills.

When Not to Use It

Don’t use this tense with a non-continuous verb.

• He has been being angry lately. – Incorrect

• He has been angry lately. – Correct

17
The present perfect continuous tense allows us to connect the past and the present,
highlighting the ongoing nature of an action or situation. It is a useful tense for
expressing activities that have a direct relevance to the present moment.

2. Past:
1. Past simple

2. Past continuous

3. Past perfect

4. Past perfect continuous.

18
2.1. Past simple
The past simple, also known as the simple past tense, is a verb tense used to talk
about completed actions or states in the past. It is one of the basic tenses in English
grammar. Let's dive into the key aspects of the past simple tense:

1. Formation: The past simple tense is typically formed by adding the suffix "-ed"
to regular verbs. For example:

"walk" becomes "walked," "jump" becomes "jumped," and so on. However,

irregular verbs have their own unique past simple forms, such as "go" becoming
"went" or "eat" Becoming "ate."

2. Use:

• Completed actions: The past simple tense is used to talk about

actions that happened and were completed in the past. For example: "I walked to
the park yesterday."

• Past habits: It can also be used to express past habits or repeated

actions. For example: "She always played the piano when she was young."

• Sequential events: When narrating a sequence of past events, the past

simple tense is often used. For instance:

"First, he arrived at the airport. Then, he checked in and boarded the plane."

19
- Reported speech: When reporting or recounting something someone said in the
past, the past simple tense is used.

For example: "She told me she loved the movie."

3. Time markers: The past simple tense is often used with time markers that
indicate a specific past time or time duration. Examples include "yesterday,"

"last week," "in 1999," or "for three years."

How to form the simple past

For regular verbs, add –ed to the root form of the verb (or just –d if the root form
ends in an e):

Play→Played

Type→Typed

Listen→Listened

Push→Pushed

Love→Loved

For irregular verbs, things get more complicated. The simple past tense of some
irregular verbs looks exactly like the root form:

Put→Put

Cut→Cut

Set→Set

Cost→Cost

20
Hit→Hit

For other irregular verbs, including to be, the simple past forms are more erratic:

See→Saw

Build→Built

Go→Went

Am/Is/Are→Was/Were

The good news is that verbs in the simple past tense (except for to be) don’t need
to agree in number with their subjects.

Example:

• Wolfgang polished his medal. The other winners polished their medals too.

How to make the simple past negative

Fortunately, there is a formula for making simple past verbs negative, and it’s the
same for both regular and irregular verbs (except for the verb to be). The formula is
did not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the contraction didn’t instead of did
not.

Example:

• Wolfgang did not brag too much about his hula hoop skills.

• Wolfgang’s girlfriend didn’t see the contest

For the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. When the subject of the
sentence is singular, use was not or wasn’t. When the subject is plural, use Were
not or Weren’t.

Example:
21
•The third-place winner was not as happy as Wolfgang.

•The fourth-place winner wasn’t happy at all.

•The onlookers were not ready to leave after the contest ended.

How to ask a question

The formula for asking a question in the simple past tense is did + [subject] + [root
form of verb].

Example:

• Did Wolfgang win the gold medal or the silver medal?

•Where did Wolfgang go to celebrate?

•Did the judges decide fairly, in your opinion?

When asking a question with the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. The
formula is was/were + [subject].

Example:

•Was Wolfgang in a good mood after the contest?

•Did people take lots of pictures?

22
23
2.2. Past continuous
What is the past continuous tense?

The past continuous tense shows a continuous action that began in the past. It is the
past tense version of the present continuous, which also describes ongoing actions.
The present and past continuous are very similar, but the past continuous uses were
and were, the past tense of to be.

Past continuous tense formula

The past continuous tense formula involves the past tense of to be (was or were)
and the present participle of the verb, the –ing form.

[was/were] + [present participle]

-Subject + was/were + verb-ing

Example:

•While I was studying, my friends were playing.

To make an affirmative (positive) statement negative, add "not" before the verb + -
ing. You can also use a contraction (wasn't / weren't). We use contractions
frequently in spoken English.

-Subject + was/were not + verb-ing

Examples:

• I was not going to bed. / I wasn't going to bed.

• You were not doing your homework.

• The children weren't sleeping during the drive home.

24
Past continuous yes/no questions (positive)

-Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

Affirmative question: Was I sleeping? (to make a question, the verb form "was"
comes first then the subject "I").

Examples:

• Was I snoring?

• Was he studying all night again?

• Was the baby crying a lot today?

Wh- questions past continuous

Examples:

• Where was he going?

• Where were they flying to?

• How were your children getting along?

• Why were the buses running late?

25
26
2.3. Past perfect
-The past perfect tense, also known as pluperfect, is a verb tense used to describe
an action that happened before another action in the past. It is formed by using the
auxiliary verb "had" followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Let's consider an example to understand how the past perfect tense is used.
Imagine you are narrating a story about a trip you took last week.

You can say, "By the time we arrived at the hotel, I realized that I had left my
suitcase at the airport." Here, the past perfect tense "had left" is used to indicate
that the action of leaving the suitcase happened before the main action of realizing
it was left behind.

Or…Imagine waking up one morning and stepping outside to grab the newspaper.
On your way back in, you notice a mysterious message scrawled across your front
door: “Tootles was here.” When you’re telling this story to your friends later, how
will you describe this moment? You might say something like:

•I turned back to the house and saw that someone named Tootles had defaced my
front door!

In addition to feeling indignant on your behalf, your friends will also be able to
understand that Tootles graffitied the door at some point in the past before the
moment this morning when you saw their handiwork, because you used the past
perfect tense to describe the misdeed.

The Structures of Past Perfect Tense

POSITIVE FORM (+):

• Subject + HAD ( auxiliary verb- have ) + V3 ( third form of main verb

– past participle )

27
NEGATIVE FORM (-):

• Subject + HAD ( auxiliary verb- have ) + NOT + V3 ( third form of

main verb – past participle )

QUESTION FORM (?):

• HAD ( auxiliary verb- have ) + Subject + V3 ( third form of main verb

– past participle )

SHORT ANSWER FORM (?):

• YES/NO + Subject + had / had not

Positive Sentences ( Sbj + had + V3 )

Examples:

• I went there after I had completed the task.

• She had come late to the school.

• Until he went to England, he had never spoken English.

• If you had studied hard last year, he would have passed all his exams.

Negative Sentences ( Sbj +had + not + V3 )

Examples:

• I had not (hadn’t) completed the task.

• She had not (hadn’t) come late to school.

28
 • They had not (hadn’t) been married when I was born.

Question Sentences ( Had + Sbj + V3 )

Examples:

• Have you completed the task?

• Had she come late to the school?

• Had they been married when I was born?

• Had he spoken English until he went to England?

• Had she done her homework?

The past perfect tense is commonly used in the following situations:

1. Sequencing of events: When you want to show the chronological

order of past events, you can use the past perfect tense for the earlier action. For
example, "She had already completed her homework when her friends arrived."

2. Reported speech: When reporting something that was said or done in the past,
you can use the past perfect tense to refer to an action that occurred before the
reported speech or action. For instance, "He told me that he had already seen the
movie.

3. Hypothetical situations: The past perfect tense can be used to discuss

hypothetical or unreal conditions in the past. For example, "If I had known about
the party, I would have attended."

It's important to note that the use of the past perfect tense is not always necessary
in every situation. It depends on your intended meaning and the context of your

29
sentence. However, when you want to emphasize the order of events in the past, or
when there is a need to establish the timing of actions, the past perfect tense can be
quite useful.

30
2.4. Past perfect continuous
The past perfect continuous (also known as the past perfect progressive) is a verb
tense that shows that an action that started in the past continued up until another
time in the past.

How to form the past perfect continuous:

The formula for the past perfect continuous tense is had been + [present participle
(root form of verb + -ing)].

For example, let's take the sentence:

•"She had been studying all night before the exam."

In this sentence, the action of studying started in the past and continued for some
time until another point in the past, which is the exam. The past perfect continuous
tense helps us emphasize the duration of the action.

Here are some other examples:

• We had been walking on the path when a deer crossed in front of us.

• He had been practicing for months when he finally got the call for the audition.

• Jared had been pitching the entire game before his arm finally gave out.

31
[When, for, since, and before] are words that you may see used alongside the past
perfect continuous tense.

For example:

•Martha had been walking three miles a day before she broke her leg.

•The program that was terminated had been running smoothly since 1945.

•Anh Ngoc had been playing the piano for thirty-five years when she was finally
asked to do a solo with the local orchestra.

To make the past perfect continuous tense in negative form, use this formula: Had
+ not + been + present participle.

Examples:

• I had not been studying English for very long before I moved to America.

• He hadn’t been working there very long before they decided to lay off 1,000
workers.

• Sarah hadn’t been attending class very often when the accident happened.

Asking a Question

When asking a question in the past perfect continuous tense, use the formula: Had
+ subject + been + present participle.

Examples:

• Had you been waiting long when he arrived?

•Had she been speaking for a while when they showed up?

• Had Joey been attending class very often when the accident occurred?

32
Here are a few key points to remember about the past perfect continuous tense:

1. Usage: We use the past perfect continuous tense to talk about an ongoing action
that happened before another past action or point in time. It expresses the duration
of the action.

1. Structure: The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is "had

been" + present participle (-ing form of the verb).

2. Examples: "I had been working for ten hours when he called me."
(The action of working started in the past and continued for ten hours before he
called.) "They had been living in that house for five years before they decided to
move." (The action of living started in the past and continued for five years before
they decided to move.)

3. Signal Words: Signal words such as

"for," "since," "all day," "all night," "the whole time," or "how long" often indicate
the use of the past perfect continuous tense.

When To Use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is very similar to the present perfect continuous tense because they both
start with an action that begins in the past. However, to use the past perfect
continuous tense, the action must have ended at a certain point in the past.

Use #1

When describing an action that began in the past and continued to another point of
time in the past.

Examples:

• She had been speaking for nearly an hour before her father arrived.

33
• They had been working for three days before they were fed.

• We had been walking for five miles before we noticed we had forgotten my little
brother.

Use #2

When describing the cause and effect of something from the past.

• Grandma was tired because she had been watching the kids all day.

• Terry was bored because he had been typing for 4 hours.

• He did well on his exam because he had been studying for months.

When Not to Use It

Continuous tenses can’t be used with non-continuous verbs. However, there are
many verbs that can be both in different situations.

• She had been wanting to leave until Jenny showed up. – Incorrect

• She had wanted to leave until Jenny showed up – Correct

Also, it’s important to note that without a time duration, most speakers will use the
past continuous tense instead of the past perfect continuous. However, this can
change the meaning of the sentence.

The past continuous is used to emphasize an interrupted action in the present, but
the past perfect continuous is used to emphasize the duration of time before
something else that happens. Look at these examples:

• She was exhausted because she was working so much.

This sentence implies that she is exhausted because she is working at the moment.

• She was exhausted because she had been working so much.

34
This sentence implies that she is exhausted because she had been working over a
period of time. She could still be working or she could be finished.

It's important to note that the past perfect continuous tense is used less frequently
than other tenses, but understanding its usage can help you express more nuanced
ideas about the past.

3. Future
1. Future simple

2. Future continuous

3. Future perfect

4. Future perfect continuous

35
3.1. Future simple
The future simple tense, also known as the simple future, is used to express actions
or events that will occur in the future.

The future simple tense is often used when making predictions, stating intentions,
or talking about future plans. It can also be used to offer assistance, make
promises, or express Willingness.

Here are a few more examples:

• "I think it will rain later today."

• "I will help you with your homework."

• "He will call you when he arrives."

How to form a simple future

-Subject + will + base form of the verb

The formula for the simple future is will + [root form of verb].

For example:

• "I will study for the exam tomorrow."

• "She will travel to Europe next month."

• "They will complete their project by the end of the week."

36
How to make the simple future negative

To make the simple future negative, the formula is will + not + [root form of verb].

-Subject + will not (won't) + base form of the verb

Example:

• Jen will not quit before she reaches her goal.

• Make sure you arrive on time tomorrow because • the bus will not wait for you.

• He will not say anything bad about his boss.

How to ask a question in the simple future

To ask a question in the simple future, the formula is will + [subject] + [root form
of verb].

-Will + subject + base form of the verb

Example:

• Will Jen finish War and Peace over the summer?

• Will I have the discipline to study Spanish every day?

• What will you buy with the money you find?

In summary, the future simple tense is a useful tool for discussing future actions,
plans, predictions, intentions, promises, and offers. It allows us to convey our
thoughts about what will happen in the time ahead.

37
3.2. Future continuous
The future continuous tense is a verb tense that shows an action happening over a
while in the future. “I will be dancing all night” is an example of the future
continuous tense, as it indicates an action continuing over a specific future period.
Compare it to this sentence, written in the simple future tense: “I will dance.”
Although this example indicates an intention to dance in the future, it does not
refer to a continuous action over a specific period in the future.

What is the future continuous tense?

The future continuous tense, also known as the future progressive tense, is a verb
tense that shows an ongoing action in the future. It is the future version of the
present continuous tense, which uses a similar construction.

38
Future continuous: I will be watching my shows from lunch until dinner.

Present continuous: I am watching my shows.

It is helpful to use the future continuous tense when describing:

multiple actions happening in the future

planned or confirmed future events taking place at a specific time

Although the future continuous tense is often confused with the simple future
tense, there are some key differences between the two. The future continuous tense
is usually used with a specified time, whereas the simple future tense can be used
with or without an exact time.

Future continuous tense formula

Subject + Will /(be) going to + be + ing + …

Is going to —> he, she, it

Am going to —> I

Are going to—> you, we, they

In the case of negation, it becomes

Isn’t going to —> he, she, it

Am not going to —> I

Aren’t going to —> you, we, they

39
Example:

•” Ali will be sleeping at 10:00 a.m.”

• I will be writing the letter tomorrow.

• The baby will be playing the whole night.

• I will be helping my mother to make breakfast.

Negative:

• They will not be doing any work tomorrow.

• He will not be listening to the music.

• She will not be feeling good due to her illness.

• He will not be driving carefully.

To form Wh- questions in Future Continuous Tense, we use the following

structure: Wh- question word + Will + Subject + Be + Verb – ing + Rest of the
sentence (verb in simple present)?

Example:

• I will not be working (I won't be ..)

• you will not be reading (you won't be ..)

• he will not be cooking (he won't be ..)

When to use the future continuous tense, with examples:

There are a few particular instances when the future continuous tense is preferable
over the other future tenses.

40
1. To describe a future action happening during a specific time

As we talked about above, the future continuous tense is often used with specified
times.

•” We will be watching horror movies from dusk until dawn.”

•” The museum will be hosting a special tour at 8 p.m.”

2. To describe multiple future actions happening at the same time

When more than one action is happening in the future and at least one action is
ongoing, use the future continuous tense.

•” My brother will be babysitting while I'm at work.”

•” I'll be playing basketball on Sunday, and my partner will be playing tennis.”

3. To describe a future action interrupted by another action

In a situation involving multiple future actions and one action interrupting another,
use the future continuous tense for the action being interrupted, and use the simple
present for the action that interrupts.

This construction is often used with a subordinate clause beginning with when.

•” I will be taking a shower when the guests arrive.”

•” When the clock strikes midnight, we will be drinking champagne.”

4. To describe likely hypothetical situations in the future

All future events are hypothetical, so you can use any future tense to describe
them.

However, use the future continuous tense for hypothetical events that seem likely
—or that you want to seem likely.
41
3.3. Future perfect
The future perfect is a verb tense used for actions that will be completed before
some other point in the future.

Or…The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we
use this tense we are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back
at an action that will be completed some time later than now.

The future perfect tense is for talking about an action that will be completed
between now and some point in the future. Imagine that your friend Linda asks you
to take care of her cat for a few days while she goes on a trip. She wants you to
come over today at noon so she can show you where to find the cat food and how
to mash it up in the bowl just right so that Fluffy will deign to eat it. But you’re
busy this afternoon, so you ask Linda if you can come at eight o’clock tonight
instead.

The future perfect formula

Subject + will / (be) going to + have + verb( past participle)

Is going to —> he, she, it

Am going to —> I

Are going to—> you, we, they

Example:

• We will have moved to Texas by next spring.

• I will have finished this project by Friday.

• I will have cooked dinner by 6 pm tonight.

How to make the future perfect negative

42
Subject + will + not + have + third form of the verb + object.

Example:

• I will not have finished this book

• You will not have studied the English tenses

• She will not have cooked dinner

• He will not have arrived

The formula for asking a question in the future perfect tense is will + [subject] +
have + [past participle]

Example

•” Will you have eaten lunch already when we arrive?

•” Will they have finished decorating the float before the parade?

When to use the future perfect tense:

Sometimes, you can use the future perfect tense and the simple future tense
interchangeably. In these two sentences, there is no real difference in meaning
because the word before makes the sequence of events clear:

Example

• Linda will leave before you get there. Linda will have left before you get there.

But without prepositions such as before or by the time that makes the sequence of
events clear, you need to use the future perfect to show what happened first.

Example

43
• At eight o'clock Linda will leave. (This means that Linda will wait until 8 o'clock
to leave.) At eight o'clock Linda will have left. (This means Linda will leave before
8 o'clock.)

When not to use the future perfect tense:

The future perfect tense is only for actions that will be complete before a specified
point in the future. In other words, the action you're talking about must have a
deadline. If you don't mention a deadline, use the simple future tense instead of the
future perfect tense.

Correct

Linda will leave.

Incorrect

Linda will have left.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

You will have arrived You won't have arrived Will you have arrived?

He will have arrived He won't have arrived Will he have arrived?

We will have arrived We won't have arrived Will we have arrived?

They will have arrived They won't have arrived Will they have arrived?

44
3.4. Future perfect continuous
The future perfect continuous, also sometimes called the future perfect progressive,
is a verb tense that describes actions that will continue up until a point in the
future. The future perfect continuous consists of will + have + been + the verb’s
present participle (verb root + -ing).

When we describe an action in the future perfect continuous tense, we are

projecting ourselves forward in time and looking back at the duration of that
activity. The activity will have begun sometime in the past, present, or the future,
and is expected to continue in the future.

Example:

• In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

• At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.

• When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.

NEGATIVE SENTENCES:

Subject + will not have been + (1st form of verb + ing) + since/for time. Examples:
She will not have been working in the factory since 30th November. He will not
have been earning money for six months.

• This summer they'll not have been living here for even a year.

• They will not have been cooking for very long.

• I'll not have been running long enough to try a marathon this year.

•I will not be smoking for a year at the end of September.

45
To form an interrogative sentence in Future Perfect Continuous Tense, we use the
formula will + subject + have + been + v-ing or will + subject+ not + have + been
+ v-ing

Example:

• How long will you have been living here at the end of the year?

• What will the professor have been teaching by the mid-term?

• Who will they have been training before the conference?

46