ENGLISH TENSES TIMELINE CHARTThis timeline tenses chart provides a handy reference sheet to English tenses and their relationship to one another and

the past, present and future. Conjugated verbs are highlighted in bold. Tenses which are rarely used in everyday conversation are marked by an asterik (*).

SIMPLE ACTIVE SIMPLE PASSIVE(PROGRESSIVE) CONTINUOUS ACTIVE

(PROGRESSIVE) CONTINUOUS PASSIVE

PAST TIME^||||

She had already eaten when I arrived.

The painting had been sold twice before it was destroyed.

^|

PAST PERFECT

||

I had been waiting for four hours when he finally arrived.

The house had been being painted for over a month before they began to decorate the interior. *

I bought a new car last week.

The book was written in 1876 by Mark Garland.

^|

PAST||

I was watching TV when she arrived.

The problem was being solved when I arrived late for class.

She has lived in Somerset for many years.

The company has been managed by Neil Haines for the last two years.

^|

PRESENT PERFECT

||

She has been working at Countdown for six months.

The students have been being taught for the last four hours. *

He works five days a week.

Those shoes are made in Poland. ^

I am working at the moment. The work is being done by Radek.

|PRESENT

||

||

PRESENT MOMENT

||

|FUTURE

INTENTION||V

They are going to fly to London tomorrow.

The reports are going to be completed by the marketing department.

The sun will shine tomorrow.

The food will be brought later.

|FUTURE SIMPLE

||V

He will be teaching tomorrow at six o'clock.

The bread rolls will be being baked at two. *

I will have completed the course by the end of next week.

The translation will have been finished by tomorrow afternoon.

|FUTURE PERFECT

||V

She will have been working here for two years by the end of next month.

The house will have been being built for six months by the time they finish. *

FUTURE TIME||||V

  TIMELINE

 

Tabla tiempos verbales

TIEMPO USO AFIRMATIVA NEGATIVA INTERROGAT. TRADUCCIÓN

 PRESENT

SIMPLE

 Acciones que realizamos

habitualmente

 I eat

She eats

 I don’t eat

She doesn’t eat

 Do I eat ?Does

she eat ?

 Yo como

Ella come

 PRESENT

CONTINUOU

S

 acciones que estamos

realizando ahora

 I am eating

She is eating

 I’m not eating

She isn’t eating

 Am I eating ?Is

she eating ?

 Estoy

comiendo

Ella está

comiendo

 PAST

SIMPLE

 acciones que se realizaron

en el pasado y ya han

terminado

 I / She  ate  I / She didn’t eat  Did I / she eat ?  Yo comí

Ella comió

 PAST

CONTINUOU

S

 acciones que se estaban

realizando durante un

período de tiempo  en el

pasado

 I was eating

You were

eating

 I wasn’t eating

You weren’t

eating

 Was I eating ?

Were you

eating ?

 Yo estaba

comiendo

Tú estabas

comiendo

 PRESENT

PERFECT

 acciones pasadas que no

han terminadoo  han

ocurrido recientemente

 I have eaten

He has eaten

 I haven’t eaten

He hasn’t eaten

 Have I eaten ?

Has he eaten ?

 Yo he comido

Él ha comido

 PAST

PERFECT

 acciones realizadas antes

que otras en el pasado

  I / He had

eaten

  I / He hadn’t eaten   Had I / he

eaten ?

  Yo / Él había

comido

 FUTURE

WILL

 Predicciones para el futuro.  I / She will eat  I / She won’t eat  Will I / she eat ?  Yo comeré

Ella comerá

 FUTURE

GOING TO

 Planes e intenciones  I am going to

eat

He is going to

eat

 I am not going

to eat

He is not going

to eat

 Am I going to

eat?Is he going

to eat?

 Yo voy a

comer

Él va a comer

PRESENT CONTINUOUS vs PRESENT SIMPLE

Activity 1

Activity 2

Fill in the blanks with am/is/are/do/don’t/does/doesn’t

1. Excuse me _____ you speak English?2. Have a cigarette. No, thank you. I _____ smoke.3. Why ____ you laughing at me?4. What ____ she do? She’s a dentist.5. I ____ want to go out. It_______ raining.6. Where ____ you come from? From Canada.7. How much ____ it cost to send a letter to Canada?

8. I can’t talk to you at the moment. I ______working.9. George is a good tennis player but he _____ play very often.

Put the verb in present continuous or present simple

1. Excuse me, ______________ (you/speak) English?2. Tom _________________ (have/shower) at the moment.3. They _____________ (not/watch) television very often.4. Listen! Somebody _______________ (sing)5. She’s tired. She ___________(want) to go home.6. How often ____________________ (you/read) a newspaper?7. Excuse me, but you __________________ (sit) in my place. Oh I’m sorry.8. I’m sorry. I ___________________ (not/understand). Please speak more slowly.9. Where are you Roy? I am in the office. I ___________________ (read)10. What time __________________ (she/finish) work every day?11. You can turn off the radio. I ____________________(not listen) to it.12. He ____________________ (not/usually/drive) to work. He usually ________ (walk)

Present Perfect or Past Simple? (pre-intermediate level)

Use correct forms:

 1   Tony (never, be) to this country before.

 2   I (never, see) this film before. (you, see) it?

 3   (you, be) to the United States? - Yes, I (go) there last year.

 4   (your sister, meet) my friend? - No, she (not meet) him yet.

 5   (you, ever, talk) to an Eskimo? - No, I (not meet) one yet.

 6   (father, ever, visit) the National Gallery?

 7   When (he, go) there? - He (go) there last January.

 8   Yesterday I (see) a big blue Ford parking in front of our house.

 9   The children (not play) cricket yet. But I (play) twice since last May.

10   We (not go) out last Sunday because it (rain).

11   Is the window open? - Yes, this boy (just, open) it.

12   Where is Mary-Joe? - She (go) to the shops.

13   Is Dora in? - Yes, she (be) to the bank, but she (just, come) back.

14   Have we got anything to eat? - No, I (not be) to the shops yet.

15   Where are the children? - They (go) to the park a minute ago.

16   How long (you, live) in this street? - We (move) here two years ago.

17   The Tucks (not have) a holiday by the seaside for seven years.

18   He (be) at the cinema last night but I (not see) him ever since.

19   I (be) to the market and (bring) some vegetables, here they (be).

20   Tony (not be) at home now, he (go) to the post office.

 

 

Use the correct forms:

 1   The carpenter (finish, just) the roof when the chimney (fall) down. 2   (your sister, buy) all the food for the party? 3   The children (learn) French since father (go) to Paris. 4   (you, go) to the seaside tomorrow? � Yes, I (go) there once a week. 5   The Tucks (not have) a holiday by the seaside for seven years.  6   Who (be) that? � Sheila's boyfriend (stand) at the door. 7   The watchman (notice) the burglar as he (try) to open the back door. 8   Where (be) the guinea-pig? � Aunt Lucy (take) him out to the garden. 9   Lots of mosquitoes (fly) around the lamp so we (turn) it off.10   you (wash) the car yet? � No, but I already (fill) the tank. 11   Mary-Joe (sit) on the balcony when Aunt Lucy (arrive).12   Peggy (clean) the living-room. � When (she, clean) it?13   She's busy. She (make) a cake. She often (make) cakes.14   By the end of next month he (be) here for ten years.15   you (read) Mary Poppins? � I (begin) it last week and I just (finish) it. 16   I'm rather fat, but I know what to do. I (sell) my car and (buy) a bike.17   When we (see) the policeman we quickly (run) behind a tree.18   Dora (go) to see her friend last night, and she (not come) back yet.19   What you (do) tomorrow? � I (help) mummy with the housework.20   Is Dora in? � Yes, she (be) to the bank, but she (just, come) back.

 21   (you, see) that picture? It (be) on this wall for many years.22   Tomorrow I (invite) Cathy to a drink, then I (tell) her I (love) her.23   you (hear) the latest news? Peter (marry) the Simpsons girl yesterday.24   By the time we (get) there somebody (take, already) the documents.25   you (wait) long for me? � No, I (come) just now.