1 -1 The Simple Tenses

This basic diagram will be used in all tense descriptions.

past future

Tense Exam ples Meaning

Sim ple Present (a) It s n o w s in Alaska. In general, the simple present expresses
(b) Tom w a tc h e s J V every day. events or situations that exist always,
usually, habitually; they exist now, have
XXXXX XXXXX existed in the past, and probably will exist
in the future.

Sim ple Past (c) It s n o w e d yesterday. A t one particular time in the past, this
(d) Tom w a tc h e d T V last night. happened. It began and ended in the past.

------ X-------

Sim ple Future (e) It w ill s n o w tomorrow. A t one particular time in the future, this will
It is g o in g to s n o w tomorrow. happen.
(f) Tom w ill w atch T V tonight.
Tom is g o in g to w atch T V tonight.

Exercise 4. Lets listen and talk. (Chart l - i)

Listen to the sentences and write the words you hear. Are the sentences true for you? Choose
yes or no. Share your answers with the class, adding information if you like.
CD 1
T rack 2
Example: You will hear: I wore jeans to class yesterday.
You will write: I _____ wore_____ jeans to class yesterday. yes
You might say: I didnt wear jeans to class yesterday.
I wore a skirt.
1. my own dinner last night, yes no

2. a textbook yesterday. yes no

3. on the internet every day. yes no

4. ____ home tonight. yes no

5. I ____________________a movie this weekend. yes no

2 CHAPTER 1
 Exercise 5. Warm-up. (Chart 1-2)
Answer the questions.

1. What are you doing right now? Look around the room. What are your classmates doing
right now? What is happening outside the classroom right now?
2. Where were you at two oclock this morning? What were you doing?
3. Where will you be at two oclock tomorrow? What will you be doing?

1-2 The Progressive Tenses

Form: be + -in g ( present participle)
Meaning: The progressive ten ses* give the idea that an action is in progress during a particular time. T he tenses say
that an action begins before, is in progress during, and continues after another time or action.

Present Pro gressive (a) Tom is s le e p in g right now. It is now 11:00. Tom went to sleep at
__ _ un 10:00 tonight, and he is still asleep. His
o c
o cd sleep began in the past, is in progress at
o - the present time, and probably will
f i------------ continue.

Past Progre ssive (b) Tom was sle e p in g when 1 arrived. Tom went to sleep at 10:00 last night. I
o o arrived at 11:00. He was still asleep. His
o o
o ^ sleep began before and was in progress
a t a particular time in the past. It
V
continued after I arrived.

M - "

Future Prog ressive (c) Tom w ill be sle e p in g when we Tom will go to sleep at 10:00 tomorrow
o o arrive. night. W e will arrive at 11:00. T h e action
o o
of sleeping will begin before w e arrive, and
o ^
it will be in progress a t a p a rticular time in
V
the future. Probably his sleep will
continue.

*T h e progressive tenses are also called the continuous tenses: present continuous, past continuous, and future continuous.

Exercise 6. Lets listen and talk. (Chart 1-2)

Listen to the sentences and write the words you hear. Are the sentences true for you? Choose
yes or no. Share your answers with the class, adding information if you like.

1. At midnight last night, I yes no

2. Right now I about grammar. yes no

3. Tomorrow I in class at this time. yes no

4. Tonight at 9 :0 0 ,1 TV. yes no

5. Last night at 9 :0 0 ,1 TV. yes no

Overview of Verb Tenses 3

 Exercise 7. Warm-up. (Chart 1-3)
Answer the questions.

1. Have you eaten today? When did you eat?

2. Had you eaten before you went to bed last night?
3. Will you have eaten by the time you go to bed tonight?

1 -3 The Perfect Tenses

Form: have + past participle
M eaning: T he perfect tenses all give the idea that one thing happens before another time or event.

Present Per feet (a) Tom ha s already eaten. Tom finished eating sometime before now.
T he exact time is not important.

8
------------X 1
(time?)

Past Perfec (b) Tom h a d already eaten when his First Tom finished eating. Later his friend
0) friend arrived. arrived. Toms eating was completely
>
finished before another time in the past.
O Ctf
- x x

Future Perf<act (c) Tom w ill already have eaten when First Tom will finish eating. Later his friend
O his friend arrives. will arrive. Toms eating will be completely
>
11 E finished before another time in the future.
O 03
X X

Exercise 8. Lets listen and talk. (Chart 1-3)

* Listen to the sentences and write the words you hear. Are the sentences true for you? Choose
yes or no. Share your answers with the class, adding information if you like.
Track 4
1. I _____________________________ my homework already. yes no

2. Before I went to bed last night, I _____________________________ all

my homework. yes no

3. By the time I finish this chapter, I __________________________________

several verb exercises. yes no

4. I _____________________________ all the English verb tenses. yes no

5. Before I began this class, I _____________________________

all the English verb tenses. yes no

4 CHAPTER 1
 Exercise 9. Warm-up. (Chart 1-4)
Answer the questions.

1. What are you doing right now? How long have you been (doing it)?
2. What were you doing last night at nine oclock? What time did you stop (doing it)? Why
did you stop (doing it)? How long had you been (doing it) before you stopped?
3. What are you going to be doing at nine oclock tomorrow night? What time are you going
to stop (doing it)? Why? How long will you have been (doing it) before you stop?

1 -4 The Perfect Progressive Tenses

Form: have + been + -in g {present participle)
Meaning: T he perfect progressive tenses give the idea that one event is in progress im m ediately before, up to, until
another time o r event. T he tenses are used to express the duration of the first event.

Present Perfe5Ct (a) Tom has been s tu d y in g for two Event in progress: studying.
Progressive hours. W hen? Before now, up to now.
How long? For two hours.

-------- t !
2 hrs.

Past Perfect (b) Tom had been s tu d y in g for two Event in progress: studying.
Progressive hours before his friend came. W hen? Before another event in the past.
How long? For two hours.

- 1 = 3
2 hrs.

Future Perfe Dt (c) Tom w ill have been s tu d y in g for two Event in progress: studying.
Progressive hours by the time his friend arrives. W hen? Before another event in the future.
How long? For two hours.

2 hrs.

Li Exercise 10. Looking at grammar. (Chart 1-4)

Complete the sentences with your own words.

1. I m in class right now. I arrived in class today and sat down at ___________________
{time). Right now the time is ___________________ . T h at means that I have been sitting
in this seat for ___________________ minutes.

2. I had been sitting here f o r ___________________ minutes before class started.

3. By the time class finishes at ___________________ , I will have been sitting here for
_____________________minutes.

Overview of Verb Tenses 5

 1 - 5 Summary Chart o f Verb Tenses
Simple Present Present Progressive

\ / V \1 \/ \ / \ 1 V V \J V V V )J
A A A A A J\ A A A A A- ' 1
/
/
/
v j

Tom s tu d ie s every day. Tom is s tu d y in g right now.

Simple Past Past Progressive

v Y Y ,
----------- K-------------

X 7 1

Tom s tu d ie d last night. Tom w as s tu d y in g when the / came.

Simple Future Future Progressive

\/
-------------- n -------------------------------
--------- ------- 1

Tom w ill s tu d y tomorrow. Tom w ill b e s tu d yin g when t hey come,

Tom is g o in g to s tu d y tomo row. Tom is g o in g to b e s tu d y in i when they come.

Exercise 11. Looking at grammar. (Charts 1-1 -> 1-5)

Complete the sentences with a form of s tu d y and any words in parentheses. Then compare
your completions with the sentences in Chart 1-5.

1. Tom is a student. He _____stu die s _________________ every day.

2. Tom is at his desk. He _____________________________ right now.

3. Tom had some homework to do, so he _____________________________ last night.

4. Tom began studying at 7:00 last night. His friends came over around 7:30. Tom was still
at his desk when they arrived. In other words, Tom __________________________________
last night when his friends came over.

5. Tom __________________________________ tomorrow.

6. Tom is going to begin studying at 7:00 tomorrow. His friends are going to come over at
7:30. Tom ________________________________________when they arrive.

6 CHAPTER 1
Present Perfect Present Perfect Progressive

Y 'ii > v \'

A \ \ \

Tom h as already s tu d ie d Ch apter 1. Tom h as b e e n s tu d y in g for t n o hours.

Past Perfect Past Perfect Progressive

V
A V
A A
Y Y
/i\
i
^ i
i

Tom h a d already s tu d ie d Ch apter 1 before he Tom h a d b ee n s tu d y in g for t wo hours before his

began studying C hapter 2. friends came.

Future Perfect Future Perfect Progressive

A
Y A
Y AY Y
&
i
- i

Tom w ill already h ave stu d it id Chapter 4 before Tom w ill h a v e b e e n studying -j for two hours by the
he studies Chapter 5. time his roommate gets home

7. Tom is studying Chapter 2. H e (already) ________________________________________

Chapter 1.

8. Last week Tom finished studying Chapter 1. This week hes studying Chapter 2. He
(already) _______________________________________ Chapter 1 when he started Chapter 2.

9. Next week Tom will finish Chapters 4 and 5. Before Tom studies Chapter 5, he (already)
_________________________________________________ Chapter 4.

10. Today Tom began studying at 8:00. Now it is 10:00. Tom ______________________________
________________________ for two hours.

11. YesterdayTom began studying at 8:00. Tom s friends came over at 10:00. Before his
friends came, Tom __________________________________ for two hours.

12. Its 8:00. Tom s roommate gets home at 10:00. By the time Tom s roommate gets home,
Tom _________________________________for two hours.

Overview of Verb Tenses 7