2- The Simple Past :
*** Structure : - Regular verbs : bare infinitive + (ed)
- Irregular verbs: should be learnt by heart.
*** Use: For actions finished in the past: (signal words: yesterday, last…, …ago, the
previous…)
Ex: He worked in the production department last year.
Auxiliary: Did + bare infinitive
The negative form: subject + aux (did) + not + bare inf.
The question form: aux (did) + subject + bare inf.
Ex: He worked in the production department last year.
He didn’t work in the production department last year.
Did he work in the production department last year?
3- The simple future:
*** Structure: will + bare inf. (or) (am / is / are + going to + bare inf.)
*** Use: For actions which will happen in the future. (signal words: tomorrow, next…,
the following…, in two days…)
Ex: We will launch the new model next month.
Auxiliary: will + bare inf.
The negative form: subject + aux (will) + not + bare inf.
The question form: aux (will) + subject + bare inf.
Ex: We will launch the new model next month.
We won’t launch the new model next month.
Will you launch the new model next month?
4- The present progressive / continuous:
*** Structure: (to be in the simple present) + verb + (-ing)
(am, is, are) + verb + (-ing)
N.B: If the word has 1 syllable and ends in vowel + consonant, we double the consonant at
the end.
Ex: stop p pp stopping
plan n nn planning
*** Use: For actions that are happening at the time of speaking: (signal words: now, at the
moment, at present…)
Ex: Don’t bother me. I’m working now.
N.B: The following verbs are not normally used in continuous tenses:
like depend hear understand consist
know love seem smell taste
belong hate realize believe possess
prefer want suppose remember see
need mean contain
Auxiliary: (am, is, are) + verb + (-ing)
The negative form: subject +aux. (am, is, are) + not + verb + (-ing)
The question form: aux. (am, is, are) + subject +verb + (-ing)
Ex: She is working now.
She isn’t working now.
Is she working now?
5- The past progressive / continuous:
*** Structure: to be (in the simple past) + verb + (-ing)
(was, were) + verb + (-ing)
*** Use: For continuous actions in the past interrupted by something.
Ex: I was speaking to the MD when my portable phone rang.
N.B: (action 1): continuous action + when + (action 2): interrupting / putting an
(in the past) end to (action 1)
(past continuous) + when + (simple past)
( action 1) (action 2)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Past continuous (simple past)
Auxiliary: (was, were) + verb + (-ing)
The negative form: subject + aux. (was, were) +not + verb + (-ing)
The question form: aux. (was, were) +subject + verb + (-ing)
Ex: She was working.
She wasn’t working.
Was she working?
6- The present perfect:
*** Structure: to have (in the simple present) + past participle
(has, have) + past participle
*** Use: For actions which began in the past and are still continuing (going on) in
the present. -----------------------
(signal words: just, already, not…yet (until now), so far, recently, ever,
never, since (+ precise date), for (+ period)….
Ex: He has worked in a factory for 3 years.
Auxiliary: (has, have) + past participle
The negative form: subject + aux. (has, have) + not + past participle
The question form: aux. (has, have) + subject + past participle
Ex: He has worked in a factory for 3 years.
He hasn’t worked in a factory for 3 years.
Has he worked in a factory?
N.B: Compare the present perfect and the simple past.
- He has lived in Tunisia since 1970.
----------------------------------------------------------
(1970) (2011)
- He lived in Tunisia since 1970.
(1970)
7- The past perfect:
*** Structure: to have (in the simple past) + past participle
(had) + past participle
*** Use: For two successive actions in the past: one action came before the
other: a past (past perfect) before another past (simple past)
(signal words: after + past perfect
Before + simple past
Ex: After I had finished, I went outside.
(action 1: past perfect) (action 2: simple past)
Auxiliary: (had) + past participle
The negative form: subject + aux. (had) + not + past participle
The question form: aux. (had) + subject + past participle
to sum up:
Tenses Auxiliaries Verb forms
simple present does / do bare infinitive
simple past did bare infinitive
simple future will bare infinitive
present progressive am, is, are verb + (-ing)
past progressive was, were verb + (-ing)
present perfect has, have past participle
past perfect had past participle
Put each verb in the right tense:
- A liar is someone who (not / tell)………………………… the truth.
- A vegan (not / eat)……………………………….meat at all.
- (you / listen)………………………………….to the radio every day?
- They (hold)……………………….a meeting once a week.
- Let’s go out. It (not/ rain)…………………………..now.
- She (have)……………………….a bath at the moment. Can you phone later?
- I (not/ speak)………………………to him about it yet.
- I (learn)…………………………...English for six months.
- I (already / do)………………………………the washing up.
- I (go)…………………..to Rome last month.
- What you (do)………………………… yesterday?
- We (watch)………………………..T.V when somebody (knock)………………..at the
door.
- I (have)……………………….a bath when the phone (ring)………………………
- After she (make)……………………..the coffee, she (sit)………………….down.
- He (live)……………………in Tunisia before he (move)………………….to France.
- She (teach)…………………tomorrow from 2:00 till 4:30.
