VERB TENSES –

ENGLISH

ENGELS TIJDEN

WERKWOORDEN

By M. van Eijk/MA

PRESENT TENSE USED FOR PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE

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, film, play etc.

PRESENT TENSE

There are four present tense forms in English (to talk about the present):

Present simple: I work

Present continuous: I am working

Present perfect: I have worked

Present perfect continuous: I have been working -

Examples (to talk about the present):

He works at McDonald’s.

He is working at McDonald’s.

He has worked there for three months now.

He has been working there for three months now.

PRESENT TENSE USED TO SUGGEST THE PAST

1. The present tense can be used to suggest the past with what is sometimes called the fictional (or historic) present:

"We were watching the back door when, all of a sudden, in walks Jane."

2. With verbs of communicating, the present tense can also suggest a past action:

“Jane tells me that she took her brother to the dentist."

3. Most oddly, the present tense can convey a sense of the future, especially with verbs such as arrive, come, and leave that suggest a kind of plan or schedule:

"The train from Boston arrives this afternoon at two o'clock."

PRESENT TENSE USED TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE

to talk about the future:

The next train leaves this evening at 1700 hours.

I’ll phone you when I get home.

He’s meeting Peter in town this afternoon.

I’ll come home as soon as I have finished work.

You will be tired out after you have been working all night.

SIMPLE PRESENT

I play football.

She does not play basketball.

Does he play tennis?

The train leaves every morning at 7 AM.

The train does not leave at 8 AM

When does the train usually leave?

She Always forgets her umbrella.

He never forgets his wallet.

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual.

The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that

often happens.

It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

Examples:

SIMPLE PRESENT

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before,

is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact.

It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.

Examples:

•Cats like milk.

•Birds do not like milk.

•Do pigs like milk?

•California is in America.

•California is not in the United Kingdom.

•Windows are made of glass.

•Windows are not made of wood.

•New York is a small city. It is not important that this fact is untrue.

SIMPLE PRESENT

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most

transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

Examples:

•The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

•The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.

•When do we board the plane?

•The party starts at 8 o'clock.

•When does class begin tomorrow?

SIMPLE PRESENT

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening

or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain

Mixed Verbs.

Examples:

•I am here now.

•She is not here now.

•He needs help right now.

•He does not need help now.

•He has his passport in his hand.

•Do you have your passport with you?

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Though the simple present and present continuous tenses are used interchangeably, present continous usually defines an act that is going on at the time of speaking. The sentences with the present progressive tense are used when:

Something is taking place now, while speaking and has a definite end as well.

When something is already decided and arranged as well to perform it.

To indicate an undesirable habit.

Examples:

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

You are learning English now.

You are not swimming now.

Are you sleeping?

I am sitting.

I am not standing

Is he sitting or standing?

They are Reading their books.

They are not watching television.

What are you doing?

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PR

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US

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT CONTINUOUS OR SIMPLE PRESENT?

PRESENT PERFECT

PRESENT PERFECT

1. Use of the Present Perfect1.1. Result of an action in the past is important in the present

I have cleaned my room.

1.2. Recently completed action

He has just played handball.

1.3. State beginning in the past and still continuing

We have lived in Canada since 1986.

1.4. together with lately, recently, yet

I have been to London recently.

PRESENT PERFECT

2. Signal wordsjust

yet

never

already

ever

so far

up to now

recently

since

for

PRESENT PERFECT

3. Formhave/has + past participle *

PRESENT PERFECT

Long forms Contracted forms

I have cleaned my room. I've cleaned my room.

You have cleaned your room. You've cleaned your room.

He has cleaned his room. He's cleaned his room.

4.2 Examples

1. Affirmative sentences in the Present Perfect – regular verbs

PRESENT PERFECT – IRREGULAR VERB

Long forms Contracted forms

I have gone home. I've gone home.

You have gone home. You've gone home.

He has gone home. He's gone home.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Present Perfect Continuous

FORM

[has/have + been + present participle]

Examples:

You have been waiting here for two hours.

Have you been waiting here for two hours?

You have not been waiting here for two hours.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 1 Duration from the Past Until NowWe use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued

up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used

with the Present Perfect Continuous.

Examples:

•They have been talking for the last hour.

•She has been working at that company for three years.

•What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?

•James has been teaching at the university since June.

•We have been waiting here for over two hours!

•Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the last three days?

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 2 Recently, Lately

You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without the duration,

the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning.

Examples:

•Recently, I have been feeling really tired.

•She has been watching too much television lately.

•Have you been exercising lately?

•Mary has been feeling a little depressed.

•Lisa has not been practicing her English.

•What have you been doing?

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

IMPORTANT

Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the meaning of "lately" or "recently." If you use

the Present Perfect Continuous in a question such as "Have you been feeling alright?",

it can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question such as "Have you been smoking?"

can suggest that you smell the smoke on the person. Using this tense in a question suggests you can

see,smell,hear or feel the results of the action. It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Structure

HAS/HAVE + BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Use the first form of the verb + “-ing”

Singular subject (has been), plural subject or I (have been)

‘Since’ – if the pont of time id mentioned.

‘For’ – if the duration of time is specified.

SIMPLE PAST

SIMPLE PAST

Simple Past signal words

Signal words Simple Past: ago, an hour ago, one minute ago, in 2011

..., in 1999 ..., last month, last week, last year, last weekend, last

summer, yesterday, at 5 o'clock.

Examples:

I ate oranges last year.

We went to school eyery day in 1999.

He took his dog for a walk a month ago.

SIMPLE PAST

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

Examples:

•I saw a movie yesterday.

•I didn't see a play yesterday.

•Last year, I traveled to Japan.

•Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.

•Did you have dinner last night?

•She washed her car.

•He didn't wash his car.

SIMPLE PAST

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:

•I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

•He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

•Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and then add the eggs?

Structure: VERB + ED or Irregular verbs.

SIMPLE PAST

USE 3 Duration in Past The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:

•I lived in Brazil for two years.

•Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

•They sat at the beach all day.

•They did not stay at the party the entire time.

•We talked on the phone for thirty minutes.

•A: How long did you wait for them?

B: We waited for one hour.

SIMPLE PAST

USE 4 Habits in the Past The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the

same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Examples:

•I studied French when I was a child.

•He played the violin.

•He didn't play the piano.

•Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?

•She worked at the movie theater after school.

•They never went to school, they always skipped class.

SIMPLE PAST

USE 5 Past Facts or GeneralizationsThe Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to the expression "used to."

Examples:

•She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

•He didn't like tomatoes before.

•Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?

•People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

Structure: VERB + ED or Irregular verbs.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

A continuous action that was completed sometime in the past fallsunder past perfect continuous tense. Such sentences are framed by using the modal, ‘had’ + ‘been’ + the present participle of the verb (-ing)

Examples:

You had been waiting there for more than two hours.

Had you been waiting there for more than two hours when she finallyarrieved?

You had not been waiting there for more than two hours when shefinally arrived.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The

interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption

or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

•I was watching TV when she called.

•When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.

•While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.

•What were you doing when the earthquake started?

•I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.

•You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.

•While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.

•Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.

•While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.

•A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?

B: I was snowboarding.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past.

However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

•Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

•At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.

•Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea

that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

•I was studying while he was making dinner.

•While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.

•Were you listening while he was talking?

•I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.

•What were you doing while you were waiting?

•Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.

•They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 4 Atmosphere

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Example:

•When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always" The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something

irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used

to" but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be"

and "verb+ing.”

Examples:

•She was always coming to class late.

•He was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.

•I didn't like them because they were always complaining.

SIMPLE FUTURE

This tense is used for those sentences which refer to the actionswhich will occur later, in future. This requires a future tense auxiliary verb even though the verb would be unmarked.

Examples:

You will help him later.

Will you help him later?

You will not help him later.

Extructure: WILL + VERB - AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO + VERB

SIMPLE FUTURE

Structure

WILL+VERB

AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO + VERB

I will be there tomorrow

We will be there

I am going to leave

Am I going to leave?

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

This tense defines those acts wich will be continued at future

point of time. In order to form a future continuous tense

sentence, a future auxiliary verb is required followed by amain

verb that ends with – ing

Examples.

You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

Will you be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?

You will not be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Using the present continuous for the future The future continuous tense is the present continuous tense recycled. It is often used to

ask about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future

time, but you only use it when these arrangements are certain.

For example:

Q) What are you doing next week?"

A) "I'm working."

Q) What's he doing tomorrow?"

A) "He's playing tennis

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Using the present continuous for the future The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments

and arrangements using the words go or come....

For example:

Q) When are you coming to see me?"

A) "Next week."

Q) What are you doing tomorrow?"

A) "I'm going to the dentist." ...and using verbs of arrival and departure. "We're arriving in

London at 3.30." "The train leaving from platform one is the 3.45 to Edinburgh."

FU

TUR

E P

ER

FEC

T

FUTURE PERFECT

subject + auxiliary will +auxiliary

have+

main

verb

will havepast

participle

How do we make the Future Perfect Tense?

The structure of the Future Perfect tense is:

FU

TUR

E P

ER

FEC

T

How do we make the Future Perfect Tense? The first auxiliary verb (will) is invariable: will

The second auxiliary verb (have) is invariable in base form: have

The main verb is invariable in past participle form: -ed (or

irregular)

FUTURE PERFECT

subjectauxiliary

verb

auxiliary

verb

main

verb

+ I will have finished by 10am.

+ You will haveforgotte

n

me by

then.

- She will not have goneto

school.

- We will not have left.

? Will you have arrived?

? Will they have received it?

Look at these example sentences with the Future

Perfect tense:

FUTURE PERFECT

Structure in short:

WILL HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE --- with ‘will’.

The film will have started by the time we get there.

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

FU

TUR

E P

ER

FEC

TC

ON

TINU

OU

S

FU

TUR

E P

ER

FEC

TC

ON

TINU

OU

S

How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?The Future Perfect Continuous tense is like the Future Perfect tense, but it expresses longer

actions or states extending up to some specific event or time in the future.

For example:

Frank starts waiting at 9am. I am late and cannot arrive before 10am.

Frank will have been waiting for an hour by the time I meet him.

Other examples:

He'll be tired when he gets here. He'll have been travelling all day.

How long will Jo have been working when he retires?

Next month I'll have been studying Dutch for two years.

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Structure:

WILL HAVE BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE - with ‘will’.

AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO HAVE BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE -- with ‘be going to’.

Examples:

Next year I will have been working in the company for 25 years.

I won’t have been working in the company for 25 years.

LIST

IRR

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Infinitief Verleden tijd Voltooid deelwoord

Vertaling

Be Was/were Been Zijn

Beat Beat Beaten Slaan

Become Became Become Worden

Begin Began Begun Beginnen

Bend Bent Bent Buigen

Bet Bet Bet Wedden

Bite Bit Bitten Bijten

Bleed Bled Bled Bloeden

Blow Blew Blown Blazen

Break Broke Broken Breken

Bring Brought Brought Brengen

Build Built Built Bouwen

Burn Burned Burned Branden

Burst Burst Burst Barsten

Buy Bought Bought Kopen

Catch Caught Caught Vangen, halen

Choose Chose Chosen Kiezen

Come Came Come Komen

Cost Cost Cost Kosten

Creep Crept Crept Kruipen

ON

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Infinitief Verleden tijd Voltooid deelwoord

Vertaling

Cut Cut Cut SnijdenDeal Dealt Dealt DelenDig Dug Dug GravenDo Did Done DoenDraw Drew Drawn Trekken,tekenen

Dream Dreamt Dreamt DromenDrink Drank Drunk DrinkenDrive Drove Driven Rijden, besturen

Eat Ate Eaten EtenFall Fell Fallen VallenFeed Fed Fed VoedenFeel Felt Felt VoelenFind Found Found VindenFly Flew Flown VliegenForget Forgot Forgotten VergetenFreeze Froze Frozen VriezenGet Got Got Bekomen,worden

Give Gave Given GevenGo Went Gone GaanGrow Grew Grown GroeienHang Hung Hung HangenHave Had Had HebbenHear Heard Heard HorenHide Hid Hidden VerbergenHit Hit Hit SlaanHold Held Held HoudenHurt Hurt Hurt Bezeren

ON

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Infinitief Verleden tijd Voltooid deelwoord

Vertaling

Keep Kept Kept Houden

Kneel Knelt Knelt KnielenKnow Knew Known Kennen, weten

Lay Laid Laid LeggenLead Led Led Leiden

Learn Learnt Learnt LerenLeave Left Left Laten, verlaten

Lend Lent Lent LenenLet Let Let Laten, huren

Lie Lay Lain LiggenLight Lit Lit Aansteken

Lose Lost Lost Verliezen

Make Made Made MakenMean Meant Meant MenenMeet Met Met Ontmoeten

Mistake Mistook Mistaken Zich vergissen

Mow Mowed Mown MaaienPay Paid Paid BetalenPut Put Put ZettenRead Read Read Lezen

ON

REG

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Ride Rode Ridden Rijden

Ring Rang Rung Bellen

Rise Rose Risen Opstaan

Run Ran Run Lopen

Saw Sawed Sawn Zagen

Say said said Zeggen

See Saw Seen Zien

Seek Sought Sought Zoeken

Sell Sold Sold Verkopen

Send Sent Sent (Ver)sturen

Set Set Set Zetten, plaatsen

Shake Shook Shaken Schudden

Shine Shone Shone Schijnen

Shoot Shot Shot Schieten

Show Showed Shown Tonen

Shut Shut Shut Sluiten

Sing Sang Sung Zingen

Sink Sank Sunk Zinken

Sit Sat Sat Zitten

ON

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Sleep Slept Slept SlapenSlide Slid Slid GlijdenSmell Smelt Smelt RuikenSpeak Spoke Spoken SprekenSpell Spelt Spelt SpellenSpend Spent Spent UitgevenSpit Spat Spat SpuwenSplit Split Split SplitsenSpoil Spilt Spoilt VerspillenSpread Spread Spread SprijdenSpring Sprang Sprung SpringenStand Stood Stood StaanSteal Stole Stolen StelenStick Stuck Stuck KlevenStink Stank Stunk StinkenStrike Struck Struck SlaanSwear Swore Sworn ZwerenSweep Swept Swept VegenSwim Swam Swum ZwemmenSwing Swung Swung Schommelen

Take Took Taken NemenTeach Taught Taught OnderwijzenTear Tore Torn ScheurenTell Told Told ZeggenThink Thought Thought DenkenThrow Threw Thrown GooienUnderstand Understood Understood Begrijpen

ON

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Undertake Undertook Undertaken Ondernemen

Wake Woke Woken Wekken

Wear Wore Worn Dragen

Weep Wept Wept Wenen

Win Won Won Winnen

Wind Wound Wound Opwinden

Write Wrote Written schrijven

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