English Grammar - Tenses overview - present, past, future, simple, conti...

English Grammar Lesson: Past Simple

Present simple vs Present continuous Grammar explanation

The Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

(also called the future perfect progressive)

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense isn't used very much in English and it is a little complicated to make. However, at higher levels it is great to understand it, and maybe use it sometimes too. It has a very precise meaning which can be convenient.

Positive Form	Positive Short Form
I will have been working	I'll have been working
You will have been sleeping	You'll have been sleeping
She will have been studying	She'll have been studying
He will have been cooking	He'll have been cooking
It will have been raining	It'll have been raining
We will have been exercising	We'll have been exercising
They will have been travelling	They'll have been travelling

Negative Form	Negative Short Form
I will not have been working	I won't have been working
You will not have been sleeping	You won't have been sleeping
She will not have been studying	She won't have been studying
He will not have been cooking	He won't have been cooking
It will not have been raining	It won't have been raining
We will not have been exercising	We won't have been exercising
They will not have been travelling	They won't have been travelling

'Yes / No' Questions
Will I have been working?
Will you have been sleeping?
Will she have been studying?
Will he have been cooking?
Will it have been raining?
Will we have been exercising?
Will they have been travelling?

Wh' Questions
Where Will I have been working?
Why will you have been sleeping?
Where will she have been studying?
What will he have been cooking?
How long will it have been raining?
Where will we have been exercising?
How long will they have been travelling? Future Perfect Continuous Use We use the future perfect continuous tense to: With a time word, to talk about an action which starts before a time in the future and continues up to that time. In April 2009, I will have been teaching here for two years. (=I started in April 2007 and still teach here now, probably I will continue after April 2009 but we are not sure) We often use this tense (instead of the present perfect continuous) because we like easy numbers. For example, imagine now it is March 2009. I started working in my job in April 2007. If you ask me: how long have you been working here?', I don't want to say '1 year and 11 months' because it's a bit long and complicated. I prefer to use the future perfect continuous so I can say 2 years, which is an easier number. So, instead of saying: I've been working here for 1 year and 11 months (using the present perfect continuous) I prefer: In April, I will have been working here for 2 years.

The Future Perfect

 Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect is made with the future simple of 'have' (will have) and the past participle. For regular past participles add 'ed' to the verb ('play' becomes 'played').

Here's the positive:
By six pm tonight:

• I will have finished this book
• You will have studied the English tenses
• She will have cooked dinner
• He will have arrived
• We will have met Julie
• It will have stopped raining
• They will have left Japan

For the short form, we change will to 'll. But, when we are speaking, we also make 'have' shorter, so it sounds like I'll've finished (don't write this!). Here are some examples for you to listen to.

• I'll have finished this book
  
• You'll have studied the English tenses
  
• She'll have cooked dinner
  
• He'll have arrived
  
• We'll have met Julie
  
• It'll have stopped raining
  
• They'll have left Japan
  

Here's the negative:
By next week,

• I will not have finished this book
• You will not have studied the English tenses
• She will not have cooked dinner
• He will not have arrived
• We will not have met Julie
• It will not have stopped raining
• They will not have left Japan

Here's the short form. 

• I won't have finished this book
  
• You won't have studied the English tenses
  
• She won't have cooked dinner
  
• He won't have arrived
  
• We won't have met Julie
  
• It won't have stopped raining
  
• They won't have left Japan
  

To make the question, just put 'will' before the subject:
'yes / no' questions:
By next year,

• will I have finished writing this book?
• will you have studied all the English verb tenses?
• will she have graduated?
• will he have got married?
• will it have got colder?
• will we have met your boyfriend?
• will they have left their jobs?

'wh' questions:

• When will I have finished writing this book?
• Why will you have studied all the English verb tenses by tomorrow?
• When will she have been here three weeks?
• Why will he have got married before June?
• Why will it have got colder by May?
• How will we have met your boyfriend by tonight?
• When will they have left their jobs

  Future Perfect Use:

  The future perfect tense in English isn't very common, but it is useful in some situations, and it's very important to understand it when you hear it. I recommend trying the exercises about how to make this tense first, as it's easy to get confused with all the different auxiliary verbs.
  
  Also it's good to listen to how to pronounce it - as this tense has so many auxiliary verbs, we usually shorten it when we speak.
  
  We use this English verb tense:
• With a future time word, ( and often with ‘by’) to talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future, but we don’t know exactly when.
  
  By 10 o’clock I will have finished my homework. (=I will finish my homework some time before 10, but we don’t know exactly when)
  By the time I’m sixty, I will have retired. (= I will retire sometime before I'm sixty. We don't know exactly when, but definitely before my sixtieth birthday)
• As the future perfect continuous, but with stative verbs.
 

 

 

 

The Future Continuous

Future Continuous Tense:

(or future progressive tense)

The future continuous tense isn't taught very much in English classes, but in fact, English speakers use it a lot. You will sound much more natural if you master this tense.

Here's how to make it:
The positive (will + be + verb-ing):
At 10 am tomorrow,

• I will be sleeping
• you will be working
• she will be studying
• it will be raining
• he will be cooking
• we will be eating breakfast
• they will be travelling

Like with the future simple, usually we use the short form ('ll be verb-ing) when we are speaking.
Sometimes students don't use the short form, because they are not sure how to pronounce it. Here are some examples to help.

• I'll be sleeping
  
• you'll be working
  
• she'll be studying
  
• it'll be raining
  
• he'll be cooking
  
• we'll be eating breakfast
  
• they'll be travelling
  

Here's the negative:
When John gets home,

• I will not be working (I won't be ..)
• you will not be reading (you won't be ..)
• he will not be cooking (he won't be ..)
• she will not be studying (she won't be ..)
• it will not be snowing (it won't be ..)
• we will not be watching TV (we won't be ..)
• they will not be sleeping (they won't be ..)

As with the positive, we usually use the short form (won't be verb-ing) when speaking.


Next, the question:
'yes / no' questions:
When arrives at the party,

• will I be cooking?
• will you be dancing?
• will she be singing?
• will he be eating?
• will we be drinking?
• will it be snowing?
• will they be talking?

'wh' questions:
Next weekend,

• what will I be doing?
• where will you be working?
• how will she be travelling?
• what will he be eating?
• why will we be studying?
• why will it be snowing?
• what will they be wearing?

  Future Continuous Use

  We use the future progressive tense for:

  1. A continuous action in the future which is interrupted by a time or by another action.
     I’ll be waiting when you arrive.
     At eight o’clock, I’ll be eating dinner.
     (see the past continuous which is used in a smiliar way)
  
  
  
  2. A complete action in the future that will happen in the normal course of events.
     The Government will be making a statement later.
     Because this talks about something that will happen if everything is as we planned, we often use this tense to ask politely about what someone is going to do.
     Will you be taking your car to the meeting? (=I'm asking very indirectly and politely - perhaps I want to get a lift)
  
  
  
  3. To make a guess about the present.
     My mother will be working now. (= I think she is working now, but I’m not completely certain)
  
  
  

The Simple Future

Simple Future Tense:

(or future with will)

 The simple future tense is very easy to make and is very useful. 

Here's the positive form (it's just 'will' + infinitive):

• I will meet him later (I'll ..)
• You will come (you'll..)
• It will rain tomorrow (it'll)
• She will be late (she'll..)
• He will help us later (he'll..)
• We will get married in September (we'll)
• They will cook dinner (they'll..)

The short form: 'll is very, very common, and is almost always used when speaking. It's really much more natural to say 'I'll' instead of 'I will'. Here's some help with the pronunciation:

• I'll meet him later
  
• You'll come
  
• It'll rain tomorrow
  
• She'll be late
  
• He'll help us later
  
• We'll get married in September
  
• They'll cook dinner
  

Next, here's the negative form (just add 'not' - remember will not = won't):

• I will not go (I won't ..)
• You will not be late (you won't ..)
• It will not snow tomorrow (it won't..)
• She will not get the job (she won't..)
• He will not pass the exam (he won't ..)
• We will not come (we won't..)
• They will not stop (they won't ..)

Finally, here's the question:
'yes / no' questions:

• Will I go?
• Will you come early?
• Will it be cold?
• Will she dance?
• Will he arrive soon?
• Will we cook?
• Will they leave?

'wh' questions:

• Where will I go?
• Why will you come early?
• When will it be cold?
• Who will she dance with?
• What time will he arrive?
• What will we cook?
• When will they leave?

  Simple Future Use:

  (Will) and 'Be Going To'

   We use the simple future for:

• A decision at the moment of speaking
  A: ‘I’m cold’
  B: ‘I’ll close the window.’
• Prediction based on opinion.
  I think the Conservatives will win the next election.
• A future fact.
  The sun will rise at 7am.
• Promises / requests / refusal / willingness
  I’ll help you with your homework.
  Will you give me a hand?
  I will give up smoking!
• In the same way as the future continuous, but with state verbs
  I'll be at the station when you arrive

‘Shall’ is used mainly in the forms ‘shall I ?’ and ‘shall we?’ in British English, when you want to get someone’s opinion, especially for offers and suggestions.

• Shall I open the window? (=do you want me to open the window)
• Where shall we go tonight? (=what’s your opinion?)

We use 'be going to' + infinitive for:

Look at those boys playing football! They’re going to break the window.
1. Future plans made before the moment of speaking.
   A: ‘We’ve run out of milk.’
   B: ‘I know, I’m going to buy some.’
2. Prediction based on present evidence.
3. Look at those boys playing football! They’re going to break the window.

The Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

Here's how to make the past perfect continuous. It's 'had' + been (the past participle of 'be')+ verb-ing

Firstly, let's look at the positive form:

• I had been living
• You had been going
• She had been sleeping
• He had been working
• It had been raining
• We had been studying
• They had been cooking

The short form is: 'd been verb-ing. Be careful, because the short form for 'would' is also 'd. However, 'would' is always followed by the infinitive, but 'had' is followed by the past participle.


Next, the negative form:

• I had not been trying (I hadn't been..)
• You had not been working (you hadn't been..)
• She had not been crying (she hadn't been..)
• He had not been shopping (he hadn't been..)
• It had not been snowing (it hadn't been..)
• We had not been reading (we hadn't been..)
• They had not been running (they hadn't been..)

It's pretty easy to make the question too.
'Yes / no' questions:

• Had I been working?
• Had you been sleeping?
• Had she been reading?
• Had he been watching TV?
• Had it been raining?
• Had we been drinking?
• Had they been eating?

'Wh' questions:

• Where had I been working?
• How long had you been sleeping?
• What had she been reading?
• How long had he been watching TV?
• How long had it been raining?
• What had we been drinking?
• Why had they been eating?

  Past Perfect Continuous Use:

  The past perfect continuous isn't the most common tense, but it's still useful to know.
• Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or event (tells us 'how long')
  She had been working at that company for a year when she met James. (This tells us how long something had continued before another event in the past. We usually use 'for' or 'since' in the same way as we do with the present perfect continuous)
  
• Cause of something in the past
  The pavement was wet, it had been raining. (It was raining before the time I'm describing in the past. We could see the result of the rain - compare with the present perfect continuous)

The Past Perfect

The past perfect Tense:

We don't use the past perfect a lot in English, but it is useful, and it sounds very good if you can use it correctly. Also, it's really easy to make - just the past simple of 'have' and the past participle.

The positive - make it with 'had' + the past participle (usually made by adding 'ed' to the infinitive, but a few verbs have irregular past participles):
(Also, here's some help if you are not sure how to pronounce '-ed' at the end of a verb).

• I had been (I'd been)
• You had gone (you'd gone)
• She had met (she'd met)
• He had played (he'd played)
• It had rained (it'd rained)
• We had bought (we'd bought)
• They had studied (they'd studied)

The short form for 'had' is 'd.
(Be careful not to confuse it with 'would'. Would is followed by the infinitive - 'I'd go', whereas had is followed by the past participle - 'I'd gone').
For the negative just add 'not':

• I had not been (I hadn't been)
• You had not gone (you hadn't gone)
• She had not met (she hadn't met)
• He had not played (he hadn't played)
• It had not rained (it hadn't rained)
• We had not bought (we hadn't bought)
• They had not studied (they hadn't studied).

And to make a 'yes / no' question put 'had' before the subject:

• Had I come?
• Had you eaten?
• Had she gone?
• Had it rained?
• Had he studied?
• Had we met?
• Had they left?

For 'wh' questions put the question word at the beginning:

• When had I come?
• Why had you eaten?
• Where had she gone?
• When had it rained?
• Why had he studied?
• How had we met?
• When had they left?

Past Perfect Use:

We use the past perfect tense fairly often in English.

1: A completed action before something else in the past.

• When we arrived, the film had started. (= first the film started, then later we arrived)

2: To explain or give a reason for something in the past.

• I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.
• It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.

3: Stative verbs only: something that started in the past and continued up to another action in the past.

• When he graduated, he had been in London for six years.
  
  (= he arrived in London six years before he graduated and lived there continuously until he graduated, or even longer)

4: As part of the third conditional.

 

If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.

The Past Continuous

Past continuous Form:

(or past progressive tense)

How can we make the past continuous? Firstly, check that you know how to make the past simple with 'be' (subject + was / were). Then just add verb-ing.

 Here's the positive form:

• I was sleeping
• you were working
• he was coming
• she was reading 'War and Peace'
• it was raining
• we were shopping
• they were watching a film

Next, here's the negative - it's very easy, just add 'not':

• I was not (wasn't) sleeping
• you were not (weren't) working
• he was not (wasn't) coming
• she was not (wasn't) reading 'War and Peace'
• it was not (wasn't) raining
• we were not (weren't) shopping
• they were not (weren't) watching a film

And, just like the past simple with 'be', to make a 'yes / no' question, put 'was / were' in front of the subject:

• Was I listening?
• Were you working?
• Was she working?
• Was he living in Paris at the time?
• Was it snowing when you arrived?
• Were we eating?
• Were they studying?

To make a 'wh' question (of course) put the question word at the beginning:

• Why was I working?
• Where were you living?
• How was she travelling?
• Where was he going?
• Why was it snowing in the summer?
• What were we eating?
• Why were they studying?

Past Continuous Use:

The past continuous tense in English is used quite often, especially when telling stories.

1	A continuous action in the past which is interrupted by another action or a time: I was taking a bath when the telephone rang. At three o’clock, I was working.
2	Background information, to give atmosphere to a story: It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafes people were laughing and chatting.
3	An annoying and repeated action in the past, usually with ‘always’: He was always leaving the tap running. (In the same way as the Present Continuous)
4	For two actions which happened at the same time in the past: I was watching TV and he was reading.

NB:Remember you can’t use this tense or any continuous tense with stative verbs.

 

 

The Past Simple Tense

Past Simple Tense form:

(also called the simple past tense)

It's similar to the present simple because it has different rules for the verb 'be', which becomes 'was' or 'were':

The Past Simple with 'be'

Here's how to make the positive:

Positive with 'be'

I was cold

you were tired

he was in the garden

she was late

it was sunny

we were on holiday

they were hungry

 to make the negative with 'be', just add 'not': 

Negative with 'be'	Negative Short Form
I was not sleepy	I wasn't sleepy
you were not on the bus	you weren't on the bus
he was not at school	he wasn't at school
she was not beautiful	she wasn't beautiful
it was not cold	it wasn't cold
we were not at work	we weren't at work
they were not tired	they weren't tired

To make a question, just like the present simple, we change the position of 'was / were' and the subject.

Here are the past simple 'yes / no' questions with 'be':

'Yes / No' Questions with 'Be'

was I sleepy?

were you late?

was he at the cinema?

was she kind?

was it hot?

were we hungry?

were they at work?

And the 'wh' questions with 'be' (the question word just goes at the beginning, everything else is the same):

'Wh' Questions with 'Be'

why was I sleepy?

where were you?

when was he at the cinema?

how was she?

how was it?

why were we hungry?

when were they at work?

The Past Simple (Simple Past) with Other Verbs

We make the past simple just like the present simple except we use 'did' instead of 'do / does'. It's really easy because 'did' doesn't change, even with 'he / she / it'.

The positive: 

We usually make the positive by adding '-ed' to the infinitive. For example, 'play' becomes 'played'. However, there are some irregular verbs, for example 'go' becomes 'went' and 'run' becomes 'ran'.

(Here's some help if you are not sure how to pronounce '-ed' at the end of a verb).

Positive with Other Verbs

I walked (regular)

you played (regular)

he cooked (regular)

she listened (regular)

it rained (regular)

we ate (irregular)

they drank (irregular)

In the negative there aren't any irregular verbs. All verbs use 'did not (didn't) + infinitive':

Negative	Negative Short Form
I did not walk	I didn't walk
you did not play	you didn't play
he did not cook	he didn't cook
she did not listen	she didn't listen
it did not rain	it didn't rain
we did not eat	we didn't eat
they did not drink	they didn't drink

Questions are also very easy. Just put 'did' before the subject, and the infinitive after it.

Here are the 'yes / no' questions: 

'Yes / No' Questions

did I walk?

did you play?

did he cook?

did she listen?

did it rain?

did we eat?

did they drink?

To make a 'wh' question, of course, put the question word at the beginning of the sentence:

'Wh' Questions

where did I go?

what did you play?

what did he cook?

why did she listen?

when did it rain?

where did we eat?

how did they Travel?

Past Simple Use:

When do we need to use the past simple tense in English? Remember, this is the basic past tense. We use it whenever we want to talk about the past and we don't have any special situation that means we should use the past perfect, present perfect, past continuous etc.

Here's when we use it:

1	Finished events in the past with no connection to the present: Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa. The Vikings invaded Britain.
2	With a finished time word (yesterday, last week, at 2 o’clock, in 2003): I went to the cinema yesterday. We visited Japan in 2007.
3	For stories / lists of events: He went to a café, sat down and lit a cigarette. Yesterday I went to the library, met a friend for lunch, and played tennis.
4	Details of news: I’ve hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was painting my bedroom. I've been on holiday. I went to Spain and Portugal.
5	As part of the second conditional: If I won the lottery, I would buy a house in Chelsea. If she knew his number, she would call him.

The Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous Form:

How good are you at the Present Perfect Continuous tense? It's not a very common tense, and often it's not taught in classes, but we do use it sometimes and it's very good to know how to make it, and to recognise it when other people use it.

Luckily, it's very easy to make. Here's the positive (it's the present perfect of 'be' + verb -ing):

Positive	Positive Short Form
I have been walking	I've been walking
you have been running	you've been running
he has been cooking	he's been cooking
she has been swimming	she's been swimming
it has been raining	it's been raining
we have been studying	we've been studying
they have been sleeping	they've been sleeping

To make the negative, just add 'not':

Negative	Negative Short Form
I have not been walking	I haven't been walking
you have not been running	you haven't been running
he has not been cooking	he hasn't been cooking
she has not been swimming	she hasn't been swimming
it has not been raining	it hasn't been raining
we have not been studying	we haven't been studying
they have not been sleeping	they haven't been sleeping

Can you guess how to make the question form of the present perfect continuous? It's not very difficult - just put 'have' or 'has' before the subject:

'Yes / No' Questions

have I been walking?

have you been running?

has he been cooking?

has she been swimming?

has it been raining?

have we been studying?

have they been sleeping?

For 'wh' questions put the question word first:

'Yes / No' Questions

what have I been doing?

where have you been running?

what has he been studying?

why has she been working today?

how long has it been raining?

how long have we been watching this film?

The Present Perfect Continuous Use: (Also called The present perfect continuous Progressive) Some people think the present perfect continuous is difficult to use, but really it's not very complicated, and it sounds very impressive when you use it correctly. There are two main times we use this tense. Remember we can't use it with stative verbs. 1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with for and since. (See the present perfect for the same use with stative verbs) I’ve been living in London for two years. She's been working here since 2004. We've been waiting for the bus for hours. 2: Actions which have just stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present (focus on action). (See the present perfect for a similar use which focuses on the result of the action) I’m so tired, I’ve been studying. I've been running, so I'm really hot. It's been raining, the pavement is wet. I've been reading your book, it's very good.

The Present Perfect

Present Perfect Form:

To make the positive present perfect tense, use:

• 'have' / 'has' + the past participle
• Make the past participle by adding 'ed' to regular verbs (for example, 'play' becomes 'played')
• There are a few verbs that change their spelling when you add 'ed' (for example, 'study' becomes 'studied')
• We also have some completely irregular verbs.

Positive	Positive Short Form
I have played	I've played
you have worked	you've worked
he has written	he's written
she has walked	she's walked
it has rained	it's rained
we have travelled	we've travelled
they have studied	they've studied

 

The negative is really simple too. Just put 'not' after 'have' or 'has':

Negative	Negative Short Form
I have not eaten breakfast today	I haven't eaten
you have not been to Asia	you haven't been
he has not seen the new film	he hasn't seen
she has not played tennis	she hasn't played
it has not snowed this winter	it hasn't snowed
we have not slept all night	we haven't slept
they have not tried the food	they haven't tried

To make a question, put 'have' or 'has' in front of the subject:

'Yes / No' Questions

have I missed the bus?

have you visited London?

has he worked as a waiter before?

has she met John?

has it been cold this week?

have we arrived too early?

have they studied English grammar before?

As you can imagine, for 'wh' questions, we just put the question word before 'have' or 'has':

'Wh' Questions

where have I left my umbrella?

what have you done today?

why has he gone already?

where has she been in the UK?

why has it rained so much this summer?

what have we done?

where have they learned English before?

 Present Perfect Use:

We use this tense for unfinished and finished actions:

Unfinished Actions

We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' an action or state has continued with 'since' and 'for'. Often, we use stative verbs in this situation: I’ve known Karen since 1994. She's lived in London for three years.

'Since' and 'For'

We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year, two hours ago). The fixed time can be another action, indicated with the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived): I've known Sam since 1992. I've liked chocolate since I was a child. She's been here since 2pm. We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months): I've known Julie for ten years. I've been hungry for hours. She's had a cold for a week.

Finished Actions

1: life experience (we don't say when the experience happened, just sometime in the past) I have been to Tokyo. She has lived in Germany. They have visited Paris three times. We have never seen that film. Have you ever read 'War and Peace'?

2: a finished action with a result in the present (focus on result) I’ve lost my keys (so I can’t get into my house) She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today) They've missed the bus (so they will be late) I've cooked dinner (so you should come and eat)

3: with an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today, in the last year) I haven't seen her this month. She's drunk three cups of coffee today. This week they've been shopping four times.

Note: We can’t use the present perfect with a finished time word:
(NOT) I’ve seen him yesterday.

'Been' and 'Gone'

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances.

Been

We use 'been' (often when we talk about 'life experience') to mean that the person being talked about has visited the place, and come back. Notice the preposition 'to': I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live) She has been to school today (but now she's back at home) They have never been to California.

Gone

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to mean that the person is at the place now: 'Where's John?' 'He's gone to the shops' (he's at the shops now) Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico) They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan)

Present Continuous

 Present Continuous Form

The present continuous (sometimes called the present progressive) tense in English is really easy to make and is the same for all verbs. We make it using the present simple of be+ verb-ing:

Here is how we make the positive:

Positive	Positive Short Form
I am sleeping	I'm sleeping
you are sleeping	you're sleeping
he is sleeping	he's sleeping
she is sleeping	she's sleeping
it is sleeping	it's sleeping
we are sleeping	we're sleeping
they are sleeping	they're sleeping

We can make the negative by adding ‘not’:

Negative	Negative Short Form
I am not sleeping	I'm not sleeping
you are not playing	you aren't playing
he is not reading	he isn't reading
she is not working	she isn't working
it is not raining	it isn't raining
we are not cooking	we aren't cooking
they are not listening	they aren't listening

Questions are also really, really easy. Just like we made the question with ‘be’ in the present simple, here we also put ‘am’, ‘is’, or ‘are’ before the subject to make a 'yes / no' question:

Yes / No Questions

am I eating chocolate ?

are you studying now ?

is he working ?

is she doing her homework ?

is it raining ?

are we meeting at six ?

are they coming ?

For ‘wh’ questions, just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
Why am I eating chocolate ?
What are you studying now ?
When is he working ?
What is she doing ?
Why is it raining ?
Who are we meeting ?
Present continuous Use: Now you can make the present continous tenses. But what about present continuous use? Here are some situations when we need this tense. look 4 examples: 1: we use it for things that are happening at the moment of speaking. I’m working at the moment. Please call back – we are eating dinner. Julie is sleeping. You are studying the present continuous. 2: We can also use this tense for temporary situations, when we feel something won't continue for a long time. She’s staying with her friend for a week. I’m living in London for a few months. John’s working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. I’m reading a really great book. Compare this with the present simple, which is used for permanent situations that we feel will continue for a long time. 3: We can use the present continuous for habits but they have to be temporary or new habits (for normal habits that continue for a long time, we use the present simple). He’s eating a lot these days. She’s swimming every morning (she didn’t used to do this). You’re smoking too much. They’re working late every night. 4: Another present continuous use is for annoying habits, when we want to show that something happens too often and we don't like it. In this case we need to use an adverb like ‘always’ / ‘forever’ / ‘constantly'. You’re always losing your keys! She’s constantly missing the train. He’s always sleeping in. They’re forever being late.

English Verb Tenses

Present Simple Form 

We need to use the Present Simple a lot in English, so it's really important to understand it well. Many people have problems with the form (or how to make it).

Simple Present Tense With "BE":

The verb ‘be’ is different from the other verbs in this tense. Let's look at ‘be’ first:

Here’s the positive form (positive means a normal sentence, not a negative or a question. This is
 sometimes called ‘affirmative’)

The verb ‘be’ is different from the other verbs in this tense. Let's look at ‘be’ first:

Here’s the positive form (positive means a normal sentence, not a negative or a question. This is sometimes called ‘affirmative’)

Positive			Positive Short Form
I am			I'm
you are			you're
he is			he's
she is			she's
it is			it's
we are			we're
they are			they're

Next, here's the negative. It's very easy. You only add ‘not’.

Negative	Negative short form
I am not	I'm not
you are not	you aren’t
he is not	he isn't
she is not	she isn’t
it is not	it isn't
we are not	we aren't
they are not	they aren't

And finally let's talk about the question form of the present simple with 'be'.
Firstly, here's the 'yes / no' question form:

Yes / No Questions

am I ?

are you ?

is he ?

is she ?

is it ?

are we ?

are they ?

If you'd like to make a ‘wh’ question, you just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
where	am I ?
what	are you ?
why	is he ?
who	is she ?
when	are we ?
how	are they ?

Present simple tense with other verbs

With all other verbs, we make the present simple in the same way.
The positive is really easy. It's just the verb with an extra ‘s’ if the subject is ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘it’. Let's take the verb ‘play’ as an example:

Positive (of 'play')
I play
you play
he plays
she plays
it plays
we play
they play

• Don't forget the ‘s’! Even really advanced students do this!
• For a few verbs, there is a spelling change before the ‘s’. For example, ‘study’ becomes ‘studies’
• There are also few verbs which are irregular in the present simple:
  1. 'have' becomes 'has'
  2. 'do' becomes 'does'
  3. 'go' becomes 'goes'

To make the negative form, you need to use ‘do not’ (don't) or ‘ does not’ (doesn't).

Negative (of 'play')
I do not play	I don't play
you do not play	you don't play
he does not play	he doesn't play
she does not play	she doesn't play
it does not play	it doesn't play
we do not play	we don't play
they do not play	they don't play

How about the question form of the present simple tense?
We use ‘do’ or ‘does’ before the subject to make the 'yes / no' question:

Yes / No questions

do I play ?

do you play ?

does he play ?

does she play ?

does it play ?

do we play ?

do they play ?

Just like with 'be', if you'd like to make a ‘wh’ question, you just put the question word at the front:

Wh Questions
where	do I play ?
what	do you play ?
why	does he play ?
who	does she play ?
when	do we play ?
how	do they play ?

                                                    Present Simple Use 

 now you know how to make present simple. But how do we use it? In fact, we use this tense in several different situations: heres 4 examples:



1: we use the Present Simple when something is generally true.

• The sun rises in the east.
• People need food.
• It snows in winter.
• The sky isn’t green.
• Water boils at 100°C.
• Plants die without water.
• Two and two make four.

2:  we need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent.

• Where do you live?
• She works in a bank.
• They love coffee.
• She has three children.
• I am married.
• I don't like mushrooms.

3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverds of frecuency in this  case.

• Do you smoke?
• I play tennis every Tuesday.
• We often go to the cinema.
• She gets up at seven o'clock every day.
• At the weekend, we usually go to the market.
• How often do you study English?
• I don't travel very often.

4: we use the Simple Present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or films:

• The hero dies at the end of the film.
• A young woman travels through Europe, where she meets different people, and 
• finally falls in love.
• In this book, an army invades Britain.
• The main character is very pretty and works in a bookshop.