​Tenses

№

Tense

Formation

Time Expression

1.

Present Simple

• habituality
• permanence
• regularity
• timetables
• repeatability for long-lasting situations
• general truths, facts and scientific laws
• current habits
• travel plans
• instructions
• directions
• telling jokes, informal stories
• live sport commentary
• reviews and summaries
• stative verbs
• conditional and time clauses

Active:

no-action

Subject am / is / are + noun / adjective / adverb.

am / is / are Subject noun / adjective / adverb?

Subject am / is / are + not + noun / adjective / adverb.

Subject verb + (s)

Do / Does Subject verb?

Subject do / does not verb.

Passive:

Subject+am/is/are+V ed/V3d column.

am/is/are+Subject+V ed/V3d column?

Subject+am/is/are+ not+V ed/V3d column.

Usually, regularly, often, frequently, always, generally, commonly, ordinarily, normally, sometimes, at times, on occasion(s), occasionally, rarely, infrequently, seldom, never (i.e. zero regularity), whenever, from time to time, every now and then, most/much of the time, all hours, every day / week / month / year, daily, monthly, etc., in the mornings / afternoons / evenings, at nights, at the weekends, on Mondays / Tuesdays… etc, on weekends, once /twice / etc. a month / week / etc., during the day, hardly ever, once in a while, every now and again, once a fortnight (fortnight = two weeks)

2.

Present Continuous

• actions happening now or around now
• temporary situations and series of actions
• changing and developing situations
• annoying or amusing habits (usually with always)
• temporary or new habits
• current trends
• definite future arrangements
• situation which is slowly changing

Active:

Subject + am / is / are + Ving.

am / is / are + Subject + Ving?

Subject + am / is / are + not + Ving.

Passive:

Subject + am / is / are + being + Ved / V3.

am / is / are + Subject + being + V ed / V3?

Subject + am / is / are + not being + Ved / V3.

Now, right now, for now, currently, at the / this moment, for the time being, at present, presently, these days, this week,… etc, still, nowadays, today, tonight, soon, just now, constantly, permanently, always, forever, while

3.

Present Perfect Simple

• situations and states that started in the past and are still true
• a series of actions continuing up to now
• completed actions at a time in the past which is not important or relevant
• completed actions were the important thing is the present result
• actions completed recently

Active:

Subject + have / has + Ved / V3.

have / has + Subject + Ved / V3?

Subject + have / has + not +Ved / V3.

Passive:

Subject + have / has + been + Ved / V3.

have / has + Subject + been + V ed/V3?

Subject + have / has + not + been +Ved / V3.

Since, for, It`s the first / second / etc time, before, already, yet, ever, never, just, still (in negations), recently, up to now, (up) until now, so far, always, today, this week / month, etc., how long, lately, of late, since when, since then, a week ago today, ever since, before, the last few nights, over the last few nights, for the last time, in the past year, over the past year.

4.

Present Perfect Continuous

• actions and situations, continuing up to the present or have just stopped and have a result

Active only:

Subject + have / has + been + Ving

have / has + Subject + been + Ving?

Subject + have / has + not + been + Ving.

Since, just, all day / week / etc., how long, lately, recently, so far, by now, for an hour, for a week, for 5 years, etc.

5.

Past Simple

• single completed actions
• repeated or habitual actions in the past
• general truths about the past
• permanent situations and states in the past
• for stories: lists of events
• details of news

Active:

no-action

Subject was / were + noun / adjective / adverb.

was / were Subject noun / adjective / adverb?

Subject was / were + not + noun / adjective / adverb.

Subject Ved / V2.

Did Subject verb?

Subject did not verb.

Passive:

Subject + was / were+Ved/V3.

was / were + Subject + Ved/V3?

Subject + was / were + not + Ved / V3.

Yesterday, yesterday afternoon / evening / morning / night / noon, then, when, How long ago…?, last night / week / month / year / Tuesday / etc., three days / weeks / etc., ago, in 1997 / etc., formerly, previously, in days / years / times gone by, in former times, in the (good) old days, in days of old, in olden times, once (upon a time); in days of yore, in yesteryear, in the past, a week, etc. ago

6.

Past Continuous

• actions in progress at a particular moment in the past
• temporary situations and series of actions in the past
• background information in a story

Active:

Subject + was / were + Ving.

was / were + Subject +Ving?

Subject + was / were + not + Ving.

Passive:

Subject + was / were + being + Ved / V3.

was / were + Subject + being + Ved / V3?

Subject + was / were + not being + Ved / V3.

While, when, as, all morning / evening / day / night / etc, at… o`clock yesterday, from… till… yesterday, the whole evening.

7.

Past Perfect Simple

• situations and states before the past
• completed actions before a moment in the past or where the important thing is the result at a moment in the past
• a series of actions continuing up to a moment in the past

Active:

Subject + had + Ved / V3.

had + Subject + Ved / V3?

Subject + had + not + Ved / V3.

Passive:

Subject + had + been + Ved / V3.

had + Subject + been + Ved / V3?

Subject + had + not + been + Ved / V3.

Before, after, already, just, for, since, till/until, by, by the time, never, when (in the meaning "before, after"), before last week, by 2 o'clock yesterday, by then, barely, scarcely, hardly, no sooner.

8.

Past Perfect Continuous

• actions and situations continuing up to a moment in the past

Active only:

Subject + had + been + Ving.

had + Subject + been + Ving?

Subject + had + not + been + Ving.

For, since, how long, before, until, by the time, after, when (in the meaning "before, after"), + for 2 hours, for a long time.

9.

Future Simple

• predictions
• future facts
• promises
• requests
• refusal
• willingness
• offers
• decisions made at the moment of speaking

Active:

no-action

Subject will / shall be + noun / adjective / adverb.

will / shall + Subject + be + noun / adjective / adverb?

Subject will / shall + not + be + noun / adjective / adverb.

Subject shall / will + verb.

Shall / will + Subject + verb?

Subject shall / will + not + verb.

Passive:

Subject + shall / will + be + Ved / V3.

shall / will + Subject + be + Ved / V3?

Subject + shall / will + not + be + Ved / V3.

Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, tonight, soon, next week / month / year, in a week / month / year, in two / three days / weeks, etc., from now on, in a few days, in 2015

10.

Future Continuous

• situations which will happen in the future in the normal course of events
• situations in progress at a certain time in the future
• habits or repeated actions at a point in the future

Active only:

Subject + shall / will + be + Ving.

shall / will + Subject + be + Ving?

Subject + shall / will + not + be + Ving.

At… o`clock tomorrow, from… till/to… tomorrow, this time next week / year / etc., 2 days from now, when

11.

Future Perfect Simple

• completed situations before a certain time
• continuing situations up to a certain time

Active:

Subject + shall / will + have + Ved / V3.

shall / will + Subject + have + Ved / V3?

Subject + shall / will + not + have / + V ed / V3.

Passive:

Subject + shall / will + have + been + Ved / V3.

Shall / will + Subject + have + been + Ved / V3?

Subject + shall / will + not + have + been + Ved/V3.

Before, by, by then, by the time, until / till, by 2015, by tomorrow, when (in the meaning "by the time").

12.

Future Perfect Continuous

Continuing situations up to a certain time (emphasizes duration)

Active only:

Subject + shall / will + have + been + Ving.

shall / will + Subject + have + been + Ving?

Subject + shall / will + not + have been Ving.

By… for, by the time; by 2015, by tomorrow, before, when (in the meaning "by the time"); + for two hours, for a long time