VERBS :TENSE REVISION CHART
See also and
(to play) / Tense and related expressionsand signal words / Use / Example
I play/He plays/He finishes
Do I/Does he play?
I don’t/He doesn’t play / Present simplemore...
always, every…, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually, if sentences type I (If I talk,…) / ▪ Regular activities – routine( repeated) – habits
▪ General actions Permanent truths-actions
▪ Facts or generalizations
▪ To state scientific facts
▪ Scheduled event in the near future
▪ Now (Not Continuous verbs)
▪ To make suggestions
▪ With Time clauses
▪ With Conditional clauses
▪ To tell a joke or a story / ▪ Anne and Sophie playtennis on Saturday afternoons.
▪ Louise lives in Madrid.
▪ Cats like milk. Windows are made of glass.
▪ Water boils at 100ºC
▪ The train leaves tonight at 10.00
▪ I am here now. I don´t need help now
▪ Why don’t we go on a day-trip?
▪ When she comes, telephone me.
▪ If you study, you’ll pass
▪ The Englishman goes up to the Irishman and says...
I am playing
Am I playing
I am not playing / Present continuousmore...
at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now / ▪ Continuous action now or at the present time.
▪ Longer actions in progress now
▪ To talk about a current situation
▪ To talk about changing state
▪ Future arrangements (Fixed plan)
▪ Repetition and irritation with “always” / ▪Anne and Sophie are playing at the moment.
▪ I’m studying to become a doctor
▪ The phone isn’t working
▪ Now The world’s climate is getting warmer
▪ I’m meeting Tom tomorrow
▪ He’s always coming to class late
I have played
Have I played?
I haven’t played / Present Perfect Simple
more...
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now / ▪ Finished part of a continuous action
▪ Completed actions in an unfinished period of time
▪ Recent events (no time mentioned)
▪ Even more recent events
▪ Past action with a result in the present.
▪ Experiences (no time mentioned)
▪ With first time / ▪So far they have played two sets.
▪ They haveplayed several other matches this month.
▪ Their parents havearrived.
▪ Their parents havejustarrived
▪ Sophie hasbroken her racket so she's got to change it.
▪ They’ve played in many tournaments.Have you evertried this?
▪ It’s the first time (that) I’ve been abroad
I have been playing
Have I been playing?
I haven’t been playing / Present Perfect Continuous more...
all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week / ▪ Actions begun in the past which continue today.
▪ Actions begun in the past and may have recently finished
▪ To talk about a past activity recently finished, the result of which is evident / ▪ They have been playing tennis since 2 pm.
▪ It’s been raining quite hard during the night
▪ Have you been frying onions?
I played
Did I play?
I didn’t play / Past Simplemore...
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked,…) / ▪ Finished actions at a specific time in the past.
▪ To narrate events in sequence
▪ To express a past habit (also used to)
▪ With I wish/If only to express a regret about a present fact / ▪ Last Saturday Sophie played in another tournament.
▪ He got home, opened the door and sat down
▪ The never drank wine. I used to run here.
▪ I wish/If only I had a car!
I was playing
Was I playing
I wasn´t playing / Past Continuousmore...
when, while, as long as / ▪ Continuous actions at a specific time in the past.
▪ To talk about an interrupted event in the past
▪ To talk about two paralel actions in the past
▪ To express a future action in the past
▪ Give background to an event o narration / ▪ At 2.30 pm they were starting the second set.
▪ She phoned while I was having lunch
▪ I was cooking while she was ironing
▪ He was busy packing for he was leaving that night
▪ A woodfire was burning and a cat was sleeping in...
I had played
Had I played?
I hadn’t played / Past Perfect Simplemore...
already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day
if sentence type III (If I had talked,…) / ▪ For events happened before another event in the past
▪ After I wish/If only to express past regrets
▪ With Conditional clauses type III (impossible) / ▪ Before they arrived, two other people had played a match.
▪ I wish/If only she hadn’t come!
▪ If she had come, I would have gone with her
I had been playing
Had I been playing?
I hadn’t been playing / Past Perfect Continuousmore...
for, since, the whole day, all day / ▪ Past continuous actions / ▪ When he arrived, Johnhad been already trying a new car.
I will play
Will you play?
I will not play / Future simplemore...
in a year, next…, tomorrow
If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will help you.)
assumption: I think, probably, perhaps / ▪ Actions or Predictionswhich may (not) happen
▪Spontaneous decisions
▪ Things we’re not sure about or haven’t decided to do yet
▪ Offers, hopes, fears, promises, threats, warnings, requests / ▪ Sophie will win the match today.
▪ Since it’s getting dark, I’ll turnon the lights
▪She’llprobably be promoted
▪ I'll lend you my tennis racket!
I will be playing / Future continuous
in one year, next week, tomorrow / ▪ Future continuous actions at a stated future time
▪ Actions which are the result of a routine
▪ Politer questions
▪ When we aks politely about people’s arrangements to see if they can do sth for us or because we want to offer to do sth for them. / ▪ Next Saturday they will be playing in another town.
▪I’ll be seeing Tom tomorrow (We work at the same office)
▪ How will you be paying, sir?
▪Will you be going to the supermarket? Can you buy me some tea?
I will have played / Future perfect / ▪ Completed future action before a stated future time / ▪ By September, they will have played 12 matches.
I will have been playing / Future perfect continuous / ▪ Duration of an action up to a certain time in the future. / ▪ At 4 pm Anne and Sophie will have been playing for 2 hours.
I am going to play / “Going to” Future
in one year, next week, tomorrow / ▪ Actions intended to be performed in the near future
▪ Planned actions or intentions
▪ Evidence that something will definitely happen
▪Things we are sure about or we have already decided to do in the near future / ▪She’s going to visit her parents tomorrow
▪ Now they’ve got it, they’re going to have a party
▪ Ann is going to have a baby. Look at that cloud, it’s going to rain
▪He’s going to be promoted (The boss has decided to do it)
I was going to play / “Going to” Future in the past / ▪ To state failed planned actions or intentions in the past / ▪ She was going to visit her parents but, in the end, she didn’t go
I would play / Conditional Simplemore...
if sentences type II
(If I were you, I would go home.) / ▪ Probable action in an imaginary situation / ▪I would play tennis if I hada racket.
I would be playing / Conditional Continuous / ▪Continuous action in an imaginary situation. / ▪Anne would be playing tennis if you came on a Saturday afternoon.
I would have played / Conditional Perfect
if sentences type III
(If I had seen that, I would have helped.) / ▪Speculating about hypothetical situations in the past. / ▪I would have played yesterday if you had asked me.
I would have been playing / Cond. Perfect Continuous / ▪Continuous hypothetical situations. / ▪I would have been playing with Anne if I had won my last match.