English Grammar
Tenses (Present and Past)
How to escape from learning English grammar? Through knowledge.
Learn it correctly one time and it will get easier for you until it won't be problem for you at all.
Below you can find all tenses of the present and past. Notice that the future tenses are not the subject here.
You can find 2 videos and written information on each tense.
You can whether use it for remembering the tenses or as a tiny summary.
Videos
Video 1
(Simple Present, Simple Past,
Present Progressive, Past Progressive)
Video 2
(Present Perfect Simple, Past Perfect,
Present Perfect Progressive, Past Perfect Progressive)
How to build the forms of the tenses:
Important:
- for he/she/it there are the following differences:
does/doesn't instead of do/don't (e.g. He doesn't like her. - not: He don't like her.)
has/hasn't instead of have/haven't (e.g. It has no color. - not: It have no color.)
infinitive with an added "s" (e.g. She loves food. - not: She love food.)
- you have to use one of the three verb forms
-> there are irregular and regular verbs
-> you either have to use the 2. verb form/past participle (3. verb form) or the verb + -ed
-> for a list of these verbs you can click on the button below
Simple Present
form: infinitive (he/she/it: infinitive + "s")
or don't/doesn't + infinitive
signal words: always, sometimes, usually, normally, often, never,
every ...
When used?
- for facts
- for things that happen regulary
Examples:
I play badminton every Friday.
We usually don't have breakfast on the weekend.
She doesn't like football matches.
Does he learn history with you?
Simple Past
form: 2. verb form / infinitive + -ed
or didn't + infinitive
signal words: ago, last ..., in 1950 (all kind of ways to express a time in the past that is over)
When used?
- for completed actions that are fully over and have no results to the present
Examples:
He moved to another country in 2005.
I didn't go to the doctor yesterday.
She didn't buy the ticket two weeks ago.
Did you buy a new car two years ago?
Exception:
- if something is said with emotions or feelings, you will have to use the Present Progressive
Examples:
I hate it! You are always coming late! (not you always come)
It can't be true! You are losing your keys so often! (not you lose)
-> With the expression as "I hate it!" you see that someone is upset about it and that shows an emotion
Present Progressive
form: am/is/are + verb + -ing
or am/is/are + not + verb + -ing
signal words: now, at the moment (also when someone says "Look!" or "Watch out!")
When used?
- things happening right in the moment
Examples:
I am writing a letter at the moment.
They aren't doing sports right now.
He isn't driving the car at the moment.
Is she having a shower at the moment?
Past Progressive
form: was/were + verb + -ing
or was/were + not + verb + -ing
signal words: when, while, yesterday at x'clock ...
When used?
- for actions that happened in the past at a certain time
- for actions in the past that got interrupted by shorter actions
-> longer action gets the Past Progressive
-> shorter action gets the Simple Past
Examples:
I was taking photos yesterday at 3 pm.
We were watching TV when my mother asked me for help.
I think you weren't helping cleaning up yesterday at 6 pm or were you helping?
Exception (for both Present Progressive and Past Progressive):
- some verbs are not used with an -ing form
e.g.: know, like, want, need, prefer, realize,
understand, recognize, believe, suppose,
remember, mean, contain, consist, seem
- for some verbs it depends on the meaning of it
e.g.: the verbs "to have" and "to own" in the sense of owning
something like a house or a car are not build with the -ing form
-> Then you have to use the form of the Simple Present
or Simple Past
Examples:
It is cold. I want a jacket. (not wanting)
Do you understand me? (not understanding)
She recognizes him right now. (not recognizing)
Present Perfect Simple
form: have/has + past participle
or haven't/hasn't + past participle
signal words: ever, never, yet, already, since, for ...
When used?
- for situations that happened in the past but have a present result or connection
- for life experiences
- for all things that you can still do in your life
Examples:
They have known each other since school.
He has lost his keys.
She hasn't been to Paris yet.
Have you ever tried sushi?
Past Perfect
form: had + past participle
or hadn't + past participle
signal words: before, after
When used?
- for situations, where two actions happened in the past, and one happened earlier than the second
-> the action that is longer ago gets the Past Perfect
-> the action that happened secondly gets the Simple Past
Examples:
They played tennis after they had driven to Munich.
Before they went to the party, they hadn't drunk anything.
Did she drive the car after she had drunk alcohol?
Present Perfect Progressive
form: have/has + been + verb + -ing
or haven't/hasn't + been + verb + -ing
signal words: all day, for ... days, for ... years
And the question: For how long?
When used?
- for actions happened in the past for a longer time and they are going to continue in the future
Examples:
She has been playing tennis for one year.
Have they been working for 3 years?
I have not been learning English for 6 years.
Past Perfect Progressive
form: had + been + verb + -ing
or hadn't + been + verb + -ing
signal words: all day, for ... days, for ... years
And the question: For how long?
When used?
- for actions that happened in the past and took place for a longer period of time, but they are already over
Examples:
She had been playing tennis for one year.
Had they been working for 3 years?
I had not been learning Englisch for 6 years.
Exception (for both Present Perfect Progressive and Past Perfect Progressive):
- some verbs are not used with an -ing form
e.g.: know, like, want, need, prefer, realize,
understand, recognize, believe, suppose,
remember, mean, contain, consist, seem
- for some verbs it depends on the meaning of it
e.g.: the verbs "to have" and "to own" in the sense of owning
something like a house or a car are not build with the -ing form
-> Then you have to use the form of the Present Perfect Simple
or Past Perfect
Examples:
He has had a car for 8 years. (not has been having)
They hadn't had a house for three years. (not hadn't been having)
Have you known him for 9 months? (not have been knowing)
Exercises - mixed tenses
1. Before Michael . . . . . . . . . . (know) where his brother is he . . . . . . . . . . (be) in New York.
2. He . . . . . . . . . . (visit) him in the prison yesterday.
3. How dare you! You . . . . . . . . . . (always + come) late.
4. Sara . . . . . . . . . . (not close) the door so it was possible for them to break out.
5. Sara and Michael . . . . . . . . . . (know) each other since he got into prison.
6. Lincoln hadn't liked T-Bag before he . . . . . . . . . . (change).
7. Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . (be) in prison for 6 months. (imagine he is still in prison)
8. Michael . . . . . . . . . . (have) a tattoo on his upper body.
9. Sara . . . . . . . . . . (not work) as a lawyer in the prison for 6 years. (imagine it's over)
10. They . . . . . . . . . . (flee) one week ago.
11. They . . . . . . . . . . (not be) in Panama yet.
12. During the escape he . . . . . . . . . . (lose) his finger.
13. They . . . . . . . . . . (run) to an abandoned house when they . . . . . . . . . . (hear) police cars.
14. Sara: "Oh no! I . . . . . . . . . . bad headaches." (have)
Michael: "Wait! Strangely enough, I . . . . . . . . . . an aspirin with me." (have)
15. T-Bag . . . . . . . . . . (climb) a tree yesterday and the police . . . . . . . . . . (not find) him.