Ultimate tenses

revision
PRESEN
T
TENSES
 Present simple
WE USE IT FOR: EXAMPLES:
- regular habits or routines You speak English.
- permanent situations, scientific Do you speak English?
facts or general truths
You do not speak English.
- personal facts or preferences
The train leaves every morning at 8
-state verbs (non-progressive verbs) AM.
- timetables, headlines, jokes He never forgets his wallet.
When does the train usually leaves?
SIGNAL WORDS

Always, never, usually, sometimes, often, hardly ever, seldom, rarely, on the whole, on Tuesdays, in the
mornings, at night, on Saturday afternoon, in summer, at New Year’s Eve; every… (day/Saturday/winter);
once a…./ twice a…./ three times a… (day/month/year)
 Present continuous
WE USE IT FOR:
- actions happening now or around
now.
- temporary actions EXAMPLES:
-actions in progress You are watching TV.
- annoying habits or complaints Are you watching TV?
(+always) You are not watching TV.
- fixed plans for near future I am studying to become a doctor.
Isn’t he coming with us tonight?
She is always coming to class late.

SIGNAL WORDS
At the moment, at present, now, right now, today, tonight, these days, this year, currently, tomorrow,
next month, at 5 o’clock, this afternoon, tomorrow morning; Listen!, Watch out!, Look!, Excuse me
 PRESENT PERFECT
SIMPLE
“
WE USE IT FOR:
-completed actions at not specific points in
EXAMPLES: the past
-completed actions that started in the past
She has written five letters.
and continued in the present OR that have
School has not started yet. a connection with the present
I have lost my key. -it expresses that the action is permanent
I have never been to Australia. (non-progressive verbs)
-completed action that led to a desired
result

SIGNAL WORDS
Already, yet, still, just, so far, lately, recently, for, since, never, ever, all my life, once, twice, 3 times….
 EXAMPLES:
They have been talking for the last hour.
What have you been doing for the last 30
minutes?
Lisa has not been practicing her English.
What have you been doing?

PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
WE USE IT FOR:
-expressing that the action is temporary
-expressing the action that had an unwanted
effect
SIGNAL WORDS
-it emphasizes DURATION
Since, for, all (day/ week/ morning), the
-it emphasizes continuous course of an action whole (day, week, night)
 Present tenses
1. The dog ______(dig) all the morning, but it ________(not find) any bones
yet.
2. How many books _______ (she/edit) so far?
3. He ________ (never/wear) a tie to work.
4. Dean _________(still/ not find) a job.
5. How long _________ (you/wait) for the bus? You ______ (look) really
annoyed.
6. Stop doing that! You ________ (not be) very silly today, Paul!
7. The coat ___________(not fit) me. I need a larger size.
8. Why _______ (you/look) at me like that? Have I done something wrong?
9. I _________(not decide) about buying a new bike yet. I _______(think)
about it.
10. Every Easter my granny _______(visit) us and my mum and she ______
PAST
TENSES
 PAST
SIMPLE
WE USE IT FOR: EXAMPLES:

★ An action that happened at a definite ★ Last year we bought a dog.

time in the past ★ Lou took a shower, brushed his teeth
★ Actions that happened immediately and went to bed
one after the other in the past
 EXAMPLES:

★ Yesterday at 4 I was talking to

Meg on the phone

PAST ★ Liz was vacuuming while her

sons were tidying their room
★ When I came in, Sue was reading
CONTINUO
WE USE IT FOR: US
★ An action that was in progress at a stated
time in the past
★ Two actions that were happening at the
same time
★ An action that was in progress (loger

PAST
PERFECT
WE USE IT FOR:
★ An action that happened before
another action in the past
★ Complete past action that had
visible results in the past
EXAMPLES:
★ Before we left, we had booked a hotel
room.
★ We felt relieved after they had arrived
safely.
★ I lost so much weight because I had
begun exercising.
★ I had already fallen asleep before ten
o’clock.
★ I had not told him the truth when he
asked me.
★ Had she prepared some food for the
kids?
 PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS EXAMPLES:

★ Pete had been working as a doctor

WE USE IT FOR: for 25 years before he retired last
year.
★ An action continuing over a period
★ Mark had been studying Spanish
up to a specific time in the past
for five years before he moved to
★ Action of certain duration that had
Toledo.
visible results in the past
★ Had they been playing tennins?
★ You had not studied hard.
★ Had she done her homework?
 Past tenses
1. By the time we ___(get) to the theatre, the play _____(already, start).
2. Last night I ____(dream) about going to the Moon.
3. My dad _____(paint) the living room for two hours before my brother______
(come) to help him.
4. Nora ____(sleep) in a hammock while Phil ______(weed) the garden.
5. Before the Smiths _____(buy) their new house, they _____(look) for a
suitable one for a year.
6. Laura ____(send) us a postcard from her holiday in Italy.
7. As Claire ______(dust) the furniture, she _____(break) her mum’s vase.
8. My sister ______ (never, be) to the circus before last week.
9. You _____(not, sleep) when I _____(return) last night.
10. We _____(never, see) the Pyramids before our trip to Egypt in 2007.
FUTURE
TENSES
 FUTURE SIMPLE
WE USE IT FOR:
★ Far future - you can’t do anything about it.
★ Personal opinions about the future
EXAMPLES:
★ Predictions without firm evidence
★ Spontaneous decisions or offers (while ★ She will buy a laptop tomorrow.
speaking) ★ I will give him a nice gift.
★ Future facts and first conditionals ★ They will not help you.
★ Requests, wishes, promises, hopes, threats ★ She will not go to a college.
★ Will she marry him?
★ Will he call me tomorrow?

SIGNAL WORDS
probably , maybe, perhaps, likely, one day, in the future, in 2050, I think/believe/expect, in my opinion, I’m sure,
I’m afraid, I hope, wish, promise...
 WE USE IT FOR:
★ Actions in progress at a specific or certain
time in the future - already planned or

FUTURE routines

CONTINUOUS
EXAMPLES:
★ They will be making preparations for their SIGNAL WORDS
exam (at) this time next (week), in (6
★ They will not be getting salary for their months’) time, next (weekend), at (8)
this (evening), in (20) years
job.
★ Will the boys be eating their meals?
★ Will you be cooking some food?
★ They will not be working there.
★ I will be writing a report.
 FUTURE PERFECT
EXAMPLES:
★ He will have completed his project by Saturday
★ The snow will have stopped by April.
WE USE IT FOR:
★ By tomorrow, their life will have changed
★ Actions completed completely.
by specific or ★ Next week you will have had this car for twenty
certain time in the five years!
future ★ Will you have perfected your English by the
time you come back from the U.S.?

SIGNAL WORDS
by 2030, by the end of (the year), by now, by then, by (five years), by the time (you)..., this time
tomorrow, in (ten years’) time, in (four months), soon
 Other ways to
express future

Present
Present simple Be going to
continuous
★ I’m visiting my ★ What time do you
★ Look! That car is
grandparents next finish tomorrow?
week. going to crash.
★ The conference
★ ★ She passed the
We’re playing video finishes at 2.30
games in Michael’s exam. She’s going
★ The play doesn’t
house. to university.
start until 10, so we
★ ★ I’m going to have
My dad and I are have plenty of time
watching the new dinner with my
TV series today. family tonight.
 Future tenses
1. I ______(not tell) anyone your secret.
2. In fifty years’ time this pond ______(disappear).
3. This time next month, we ______ (skii) in Italy.
4. My friends and I _______ (go) to the cinema at 6 p.m.
5. I don’t think there ______(be) flying cars in the future.
6. They ______(not hear) the news by then.
7. In twenty years, many animal species ______(become) extinct.
8. The weather forecast says it ________(snow) tomorrow night.
9. A: It’s so cold in here!
B: I _______(close) the window.
10. _____ you ______(go) to the shop with me?