Tenses Chart

Normal Verbs
Simple Present

Summary of the tense forms in

The New CAMBRIDGE English Course

Simple Past
I do not (dont) play you do not (dont) play he etc. does not (doesnt) play we do not (dont) play you do not (dont) play they do not (dont) play I stopped you stopped he/she/it stopped we stopped you stopped they stopped did I stop? did you stop? did she etc. stop? did we stop? did you stop? did they stop? I did not (didnt) stop you did not stop she etc. did not stop we did not stop you did not stop they did not stop

I play do I play? you play do you play? he/she/it plays does he etc. play? we play do we play? you play do you play? they play do they play?

Do is used here as an auxiliary verb to form questions, negatives and short answers. We use the simple present to talk about things that are always true: Water boils at 100 degrees. things that happen more than once: Helen often wears red.

Did is an auxiliary verb which is used to form questions, negatives and short answers. The contracted form of did not is didnt. We use the simple past when we mention a finished time: I saw Carmen three years ago.

Present Progressive
I am (Im) eating you are (youre) eating he/she/it is (hes/shes/its) eating we are (were) eating you are (youre) eating they are (theyre) eating am I eating? I am (Im not) eating are you eating? you are not (arent) eating is he/she/it eating? he/she/it is not (isnt) eating are we eating? are you eating? are they eating? we are not (arent) eating you are not (arent) eating they are not (arent) eating

We use the Present Progressive for: temporary events that are happening just now, or around now: Helens wearing a lovely green dress today. plans for the future: Were leaving on Monday.

The Present Perfect

I have (Ive) seen you have (youve) seen he etc. has (hes) seen we have (weve) seen you have (youve) seen they have (theyve) seen have I seen? have you seen? has he etc. seen? have we seen? have you seen? have they seen? I have not (havent) seen you have not (havent) seen he etc. has not (hasnt) seen we have not (havent) seen you have not (havent) seen they have not (havent) seen

We use the Present Perfect When we are talking about an unfinished time period: I havent seen him since last Friday. When we mean at any time up to now: Have you ever been to Paris? Yes, I have./ No, I havent.

Note the difference between since and for: Since + the beginning of the period: Ive known Paul since he was 15. (since 1984; since Christmas, etc.) For + the whole period: Ive had my car for 5 years. (for two months; for a long time, etc.)

Talking about the future

Present Progressive (plans/appointments)
Im working (I work/I will work) on Thursday Were leaving on Monday. Are you doing anything this evening? Im meeting Jane tomorrow.

Be going + infinitive

(intentions)

(predictions)
Its going to rain. Shes going to have a baby. Predictions with going to + verb when we can see things coming when it is clear what is going to happen.

Im going to learn Chinese. This is going to be the kitchen.

Will

(predictions)
Tomorrow will be warm and sunny. I/you/he/etc. will (ll) go will I/etc. go? I etc will not (wont) go

I think Manchester will beat Liverpool 2-0.

Ernst Klett Verlag GmbH 1998 / Cambridge University Press 1999

Tenses Chart
Special Verbs
Be
Present
I am (Im) you are (youre) he/she/it is (hes/shes/its) we are (were) you are (youre) they are (theyre)

Summary of the tense forms in

The New CAMBRIDGE English Course

Past
am I? are you? is he/she/it? are we? are you? are they? I am (Im) not you are not (arent) he/she/it is not (isnt) we are not (arent) you are not (arent) they are not (arent) I was you were he/she/it was we were you were they were was I? were you? was he/she/it? were we? were you? were they? I was not (wasnt) you were not (werent) he/she/it was not (wasnt) we were not (werent) you were not (werent) they were not (werent)

Are you English? Yes, I am.

When you were a small child, were you happy?

Future
Tomorrow will be cold and wet. Ill be back home at about six oclock. Next year hell be 60 years old.

Present Perfect
I have been (Ive been) a teacher for ten years. Where has (Wheres) John been all day?

There is/There are

Present
there is (theres) there are is there? are there? there is not (isnt) there are not (arent)

Past
there was there were was there? were there? there was not (wasnt) there were not (werent)

There is/was is used with singulars. There is a swimming pool in the garden. There arent any cookies left.

There are/were is used with plurals. There was a cat in the kitchen. There were three cups on the table.

Have (got)
Present of Have got
I have (Ive) got you have (youve) got he, etc. has (hes) got we have (weve) got you have (youve) got they have (theyve) got have I got? have you got? has he got? have we got? have you got? have they got? I have not (havent) got you have not (havent) got he, etc. has not (hasnt) got) we have not (havent) got you have not (havent) got they have not (havent) got The form have got (have, possess) is common in British English and is mostly used in the present; in American English have is more common. Youve got beautiful eyes. Have you got a brother? Yes, I have./No, I havent. Weve got a new car. I havent got any money.

Have (= eat, take, etc.)

Present
I/you have he/she/it has we/you/they have do I/you have? I/you do not (dont) have does he/she/it have? he/she/it does not (doesnt) have do we/you/they have? we/you/they do not (dont) have Have (without got) is often used in the sense of eat, drink, take. In this case, questions and negatives are made with do. Have another sandwich! What time do you have lunch?

Past
I, you, he/she/it/we/you/they had did I, you, he/she/it/we/you/they have? I, you, he/she/it/we/you/they did not (didnt) have

Future
I think Ill have a bath now. I dont know if we will have enough time.

Present Perfect
I have had a lot of problems this year. How long have you had the car?

Ernst Klett Verlag GmbH 1998 / Cambridge University Press 1999 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge