English Tenses
Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future. The past is used to describe
things that have already happened. The present tense is used to describe things that
are happening right now, or things that are continuous. The future tense describes
things that have yet to happen.
Simple past tense
The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterit, is used to talk about a
completed action in a time before now. The simple past is the basic form of past
tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past
and action duration is not important.
You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it is
associated with certain past time expressions
Frequency: often, sometimes, always
I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.
A definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks
ago
We saw a good film last week.
Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work at seven o'clock
I went to the theatre last night
An indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago
People lived in caves a long time ago.
She played the piano when she was a child.
Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing the distance into the past. It is placed
after the period of time: a week ago, three years ago, a minute ago.
Forming the Simple Past Tense
Patterns of simple past tense for regular verbs
Affirmative
Subject + verb + ed
I skipped.
Negative
Subject + did not + infinitive without to
They didn't go.
Interrogative
Did + subject + infinitive without to
Did she arrive?
Interrogative negative
Did not + subject + infinitive without to
Didn't you play?
Simple past tense of to be, to have, to do
Subject Verb
Be Have Do
I was had did
You were had did
He/She/It was had did
We were had did
You were had did
They were had did
Notes on affirmative, negative, & interrogative forms
Affirmative
The affirmative of the simple past tense is simple.
I was in Japan last year
She had a headache yesterday.
We did our homework last night.
Negative and interrogative
For the negative and interrogative simple past form of "to do" as an ordinary verb, use
the auxiliary "did", e.g. we didn't do our homework last night.
The negative of "have" in the simple past is usually formed using the auxiliary "did",
but sometimes by simply adding not or the contraction "n't".
The interrogative form of "have" in the simple past normally uses the auxiliary "did".
Simple present:
The present tenses in English are used:
to talk about the present
to talk about the future
to talk about the past when we are telling a story in spoken English or when we are
summarising a book.
There are four present tense forms in English:
Tense Form
Present simple: I work
Present continuous: I am working
Present perfect: I have worked
Present perfect continuous: I have been working
We use these forms:
Present fact, example: The Earch goes around the sun.
Repeated actions, example : I ussually wake up at 6 :00 o’clock .
Future meaning like timetables , example : The train leavs tonight at 8 :30 pm.
Signal words:
Usually _ Sometimes_ every day/ week _ always _ often_ rarely _ never
Forms :
Simple present
Statement :
Subject+ basic form of the verb.
( Don’t forget to add « s » with : he , she ; it .
( verbs ending with « ch, sh , o , x » take « es » )
( verbs ending with « y » after a consonant become : « ies » )
. Every week, I visit the infirmary.
.Mohamed often teeters Quran , his voice is calming.
.You always help the others, you are a good person.
. Every day , my father pray at the Masjid one prayer at least.
Question :
Helping verb « did » + subject + basic form of the verb.
. Do you usually visit your family? Twice a week.
. Does he lie? How bad is that.
Present Continuous:
The present continuous tense is formed with the verb to be and the present participle (-ing
ending).
The negative question normally expresses a surprise isn’t he saying the truth?
Use:
The present continuous tense is used:
1. If we want to say that something is happening at the time of speaking. We often use it
with time expressions such as now or at the moment
.
I am doing housework at the moment.
You aren't listening to me now!
Look at him! What is he doing?
2. For temporary activities that are true now, but maybe not happening at the time of
speaking. Time expressions such as today, this week or these days are typical of this use.
I am in London. I am learning English here.
She can't go out today. She is preparing for an exam.
3. For planned future arrangements. The time of the action must be given in the sentence
(soon, tomorrow, on Monday, next week) , otherwise it is not clear that we talk about
future.
I am coming soon.
We are leaving on Monday.
She is starting next week.
4. With always to express the idea that something happens too often and it annoys the
speaker.
I am always forgetting my keys.
He is always smoking in the living room!
Simple future tense
Functions of the simple future tense
The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty. In this case
there is no 'attitude'.
The simple future is used:
To predict a future event:
It will rain tomorrow.
With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
To express willingness:
I'll do the washing-up.
He'll carry your bag for you.
In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money?
With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?
Note:In modern English will is preferred to shall. Shall is mainly used with I and we to make
an offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice (see examples above). With the other persons (you,
he, she, they) shall is only used in literary or poetic situations, e.g. "With rings on her fingers
and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes."
Forming the simple future
The simple future tense is composed of two parts: will / shall + the infinitive without to
Subject will infinitive without to
Affirmative
I will go
I shall go
Negative
They will not see
They won't see
Interrogative
Will she ask?
Interrogative negative
Won't they try?
Contractions
I will = I'll
We will = we'll
You will = you'll
He will = he'll
She will = she'll
They will = they'll
Will not = won't
The form "it will" is not normally shortened.
