Verb Tenses

Verb tenses
Simple Present
Formation : Subject + verb + (object/complement)

ex: I walk to school each morning.
Note : 3rd person singular takes an ‘s’ ex: He eats lunch at noon every day.
Interrogative construction: Do you walk to school each morning?

Does he eat lunch at noon every day?
Negative construction: I don’t walk to school each morning.

He doesn’t eat lunch at noon every day.
Conditions of use:
1. For general statements of fact/eternal truths
ex: The earth is round.
2. To express habits/routines
ex: Dean spends hours shining his head every day.
3. To indicate a situation that exists at the moment of speaking
ex: He needs a pen right away.
4. To express likes/dislikes
ex: Most people love chocolate.
5. To demonstrate possession
ex: Susan has three cats.
6. To describe someone/something
ex: My English teacher is tall, dark, and incredibly handsome.
7. To express the future
ex: We plan to see a movie tomorrow night.
8. Reported speech
ex: Peter said that he thinks Anne is the cat’s pyjamas.
9. To explain procedures
ex: Insert Part A into slot B.
10.To quote or paraphrase
ex: Microsoft claims their phone is better than Apple’s.
Key words: every, each, sometimes, never, rarely, always, often, etc.
Simple Past
Formation: Subject + verb+ed + (object/complement)

(exception: irregular verbs)
Ex: Sam walked his sister to school yesterday.
Ex Frank ate 8 hot dogs for supper last night! (Irregular)
Interrogative construction: Did Sam walk his sister to school yesterday?

Did Frank eat 8 hot dogs for supper last night?
Negative construction: Sam didn’t walk his sister to school yesterday.

Frank didn’t eat 8 hot dogs for supper last night.
Conditions of use:
1. To indicate that an activity began and ended at a particular time in the
past. Ex: The package arrived at 4:59.
2. To indicate a repeated action which no longer happens
Ex: He smoked for over twenty years.
3. When using reported speech
Ex: Ariane asked if I had already read that book.
Key words: yesterday, last (week, month, year, etc.), ago

Simple Future
Formation: Sub. + will + verb + (obj./compl.)

Ex: It’s cold in here. I’ll close the window.
Interrogative construction: Will you close the window?
Negative construction: I won’t close the window.
Alternative formation: Sub. + to be (Present) +going to + verb + obj./compl.

Ex: Jo-anne is going to visit her cousin this week-end.
Interrogative construction: Is Jo-anne going to visit her cousin...?
Negative construction: Jo-anne isn’t going to visit her cousin...
Conditions of use:
1. To express an activity that will take place sometime in the future.
Ex: I will finish my homework in a few minutes.
Will vs. Going to

Will is usually used in more formal writing.
Ex: In the coming months, our company will explore all of our options.
Will is used when something is spontaneous.
Ex: Joey: I feel sick. Steve: Lie down. I’ll get you some aspirin.
Going to is used when writing informally.
Ex: In my next letter, I’m going to tell you all about my trip.
Going to is used when an activity is planned.
Ex: Next year, we’re going to travel to Disneyland.
Key words: tomorrow, next (week, month, year, etc.)

Present Perfect
Formation: Sub. + to have (Present) + Past Participle + (Obj/Compl.)

Ex: He has completed the assignment.
Interrogative construction: Has he completed the assignment?

Negative construction: He hasn’t completed the assignment.
Conditions of use:
1. to express an activity that began in the Past and continues to the
Present
ex: I have waited here since 7 o’clock.
2. to express an action which occurred at an unspecified time in the Past
(often with a link to the Present).
ex: I have already seen that movie.
3. to indicate the repetition of an activity before now at an unspecified
time
ex: Annie has flown on an airplane many times.
Key words: for, since

Past Perfect
Formation: Sub. + to have (Past) + Past Participle + (Obj.)

Ex: Pierre had known her for many years before she became famous.
Interrogative construction: Had Pierre known her for many years ...?
Negative construction: Pierre hadn’t known her for many years ....
Conditions of use:
To indicate that one action occurred before another in the Past.
Ex: Paris Hilton was released after she had spent 4 days in jail.
Note: Sometimes Simple Past may be used when it is clear which action
happened first.
Future Perfect
Formation: Sub. + will +have + Past Participle + (Obj.)

Ex: I will have been married for 32 years this October.
Interrogative: Will you have been married....?

Negative: I won’t have been married .....
Conditions of use:
To refer to something in the Past from some point in the Future
Ex: I’m sure the gift will have arrived by Tom’s birthday.
Key words: by
Present Progressive
Formation: Sub. + to be (Present) + verb+ing (+ obj.)

ex: John and Mary are talking on the phone.
Interrogative: Are John and Mary talking on the phone?

Negative: John and Mary aren’t talking on the phone.
Conditions of use:
1. To express an activity that is in progress at the moment of speaking.
ex: Samuel is sleeping right now.
2. To express an activity that is in progress around now.
ex: She is reading a really good book.
ex: I am playing basketball again this season.
3. To express a future action anticipated now.
ex: We are leaving for Florida on Friday.
Note: Certain verbs do not usually take the –ing form and so are
expressed using the Simple Present. These verbs include:
The senses Emotional Mental Possession Existence
feel* amaze believe belong appear*
hear appreciate desire have* be*
see* astonish doubt* own consist of
smell* care* feel* possess contain
taste* dislike forget* cost*
know envy imagine* exist
fear know include*
hate mean* look*
like realise matter
love recognise owe
mind remember* resemble
need suppose seem
please think* sound
prefer understand weigh*
surprise want*
want*
*Depending on the context, may sometimes be used with –ing.
Key words: now, right now, immediately, as, while

Past Progressive
Formation: Sub. + to be (Past) + verb+ing (+ obj.)
ex: Catherine was watching TV last night.
Interrogative: Was Catherine watching TV last night?

Negative: Catherine wasn’t watching TV last night.
Conditions of use:
1. To indicate an activity in progress at a particular time in the past.
ex: At 8 o’clock last night, Marie-Pier was working on her personal project.
2. To indicate that one activity was in progress when another action
occurred. The second action is in Simple Past
ex: I was taking a shower when the telephone rang.
3. To indicate that two actions are in progress simultaneously.
ex: While Jean was studying, Sarah was watching a movie.
Key words: as, while, when
Future Progressive
Formation: Sub. + to be (Future) + verb+ing (+ obj.)

ex: Joey will be visiting his sick uncle next week-end.
Interrogative: Will Joey be visiting his sick uncle next week-end?

Negative: Joey won’t be visiting his sick uncle next week-end.
Conditions of use:
To indicate that an activity will be in progress at a particular time in the
Future.
ex: Alexandre will be playing guitar in the concert on Thursday.

Verb Tenses

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Verb Tenses

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Verb tenses

Formation : Subject + verb + (object/complement)

Interrogative construction: Do you walk to school each morning?

Negative construction: I don’t walk to school each morning.

Formation: Subject + verb+ed + (object/complement)

Interrogative construction: Did Sam walk his sister to school yesterday?

Negative construction: Sam didn’t walk his sister to school yesterday.

Key words: yesterday, last (week, month, year, etc.), ago

Formation: Sub. + will + verb + (obj./compl.)

Interrogative construction: Will you close the window?

Negative construction: I won’t close the window.

Alternative formation: Sub. + to be (Present) +going to + verb + obj./compl.

Interrogative construction: Is Jo-anne going to visit her cousin...?

Negative construction: Jo-anne isn’t going to visit her cousin...

Will vs. Going to

Key words: tomorrow, next (week, month, year, etc.)

Formation: Sub. + to have (Present) + Past Participle + (Obj/Compl.)

Interrogative construction: Has he completed the assignment?

Key words: for, since

Formation: Sub. + to have (Past) + Past Participle + (Obj.)

Formation: Sub. + will +have + Past Participle + (Obj.)

Interrogative: Will you have been married....?

Formation: Sub. + to be (Present) + verb+ing (+ obj.)

Interrogative: Are John and Mary talking on the phone?

*Depending on the context, may sometimes be used with –ing.

Key words: now, right now, immediately, as, while

Interrogative: Was Catherine watching TV last night?

Key words: as, while, when

Formation: Sub. + to be (Future) + verb+ing (+ obj.)

Interrogative: Will Joey be visiting his sick uncle next week-end?

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