ENGLISH TENSES TIMELINE CHART

This timeline tenses chart provides a handy reference sheet to English tenses and their relationship to one another and
the past, present and future. Conjugated verbs are highlighted in bold. Tenses which are rarely used in everyday
conversation are marked by an asterik (*).
 (PROGRESSIVE) CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)
SIMPLE ACTIVE SIMPLE PASSIVE
ACTIVE CONTINUOUS PASSIVE
PAST TIME
^
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|
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|

^
The house had been being
The painting had been sold |
She had already eaten I had been waiting for four painted for over a month
twice before it was PAST
when I arrived. hours when he finally arrived. before they began to decorate
destroyed. PERFECT
the interior. *
|
|

^
The problem was being
I bought a new car last The book was written in | I was watching TV when she
solved when I arrived late for
week. 1876 by Mark Garland. PAST arrived.
class.
|
|

^
The company has been | The students have been
She has lived in She has been working at
managed by Neil Haines for PRESENT being taught for the last four
Somerset for many years. Countdown for six months.
the last two years. PERFECT hours. *
|
|

^
He works five days a Those shoes are made in | The work is being done by
I am working at the moment.
week. Poland. PRESENT Radek.
|
|

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|
PRESENT
MOMENT
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|

|
FUTURE The reports are going to be
They are going to fly to London
INTENTION completed by the marketing
tomorrow.
| department.
TIMELINE
 Tabla tiempos verbales

TIEMPO USO AFIRMATIVA NEGATIVA INTERROGAT. TRADUCCIÓN

PRESENT Acciones que realizamos I eat I don’t eat Do I eat ?Does she Yo como
habitualmente eat ?
SIMPLE
She eats She doesn’t eat Ella come
PRESENT acciones que estamos I am eating I’m not eating Am I eating ?Is she Estoy
realizando ahora eating ? comiendo
CONTINUOU She is eating She isn’t eating
Ella está
S
comiendo
PAST acciones que se realizaron I / She ate I / She didn’t eat Did I / she eat ? Yo comí
en el pasado y ya han

SIMPLE terminado Ella comió

PAST acciones que se estaban I was eating I wasn’t eating Was I eating ? Yo estaba
realizando durante un período Were you eating ? comiendo
CONTINUOU
de tiempo en el pasado You were eating You weren’t eating
S Tú estabas
comiendo
PRESENT acciones pasadas que no han I have eaten I haven’t eaten Have I eaten ? Yo he comido
terminadoo han ocurrido

PERFECT recientemente He has eaten He hasn’t eaten Has he eaten ? Él ha comido

PAST acciones realizadas antes I / He had eaten I / He hadn’t eaten Had I / he eaten ? Yo / Él había
que otras en el pasado comido

PERFECT
FUTURE Predicciones para el futuro. I / She will eat I / She won’t eat Will I / she eat ? Yo comeré

WILL
Ella comerá
FUTURE Planes e intenciones I am going to I am not going to Am I going to eat? Yo voy a comer
eat eat Is he going to eat?

GOING TO Él va a comer
He is going to He is not going to
eat eat

PRESENT CONTINUOUS vs PRESENT SIMPLE

Activity 1

Activity 2

Fill in the blanks with am/is/are/do/don’t/does/doesn’t

1. Excuse me _____ you speak English?

2. Have a cigarette. No, thank you. I _____ smoke.
3. Why ____ you laughing at me?
4. What ____ she do? She’s a dentist.
5. I ____ want to go out. It_______ raining.
6. Where ____ you come from? From Canada.
7. How much ____ it cost to send a letter to Canada?
8. I can’t talk to you at the moment. I ______working.
9. George is a good tennis player but he _____ play very often.

Put the verb in present continuous or present simple

1. Excuse me, ______________ (you/speak) English?
2. Tom _________________ (have/shower) at the moment.
3. They _____________ (not/watch) television very often.
4. Listen! Somebody _______________ (sing)
5. She’s tired. She ___________(want) to go home.
6. How often ____________________ (you/read) a newspaper?
7. Excuse me, but you __________________ (sit) in my place. Oh I’m sorry.
8. I’m sorry. I ___________________ (not/understand). Please speak more slowly.
9. Where are you Roy? I am in the office. I ___________________ (read)
10. What time __________________ (she/finish) work every day?
11. You can turn off the radio. I ____________________(not listen) to it.
12. He ____________________ (not/usually/drive) to work. He usually ________ (walk)

Present Perfect or Past Simple? (pre-intermediate level)

Use correct forms:

1 Tony (never, be) to this country before.

2 I (never, see) this film before. (you, see) it?

3 (you, be) to the United States? - Yes, I (go) there last year.

4 (your sister, meet) my friend? - No, she (not meet) him yet.

5 (you, ever, talk) to an Eskimo? - No, I (not meet) one yet.

6 (father, ever, visit) the National Gallery?

7 When (he, go) there? - He (go) there last January.

8 Yesterday I (see) a big blue Ford parking in front of our house.

9 The children (not play) cricket yet. But I (play) twice since last May.

10 We (not go) out last Sunday because it (rain).

11 Is the window open? - Yes, this boy (just, open) it.

12 Where is Mary-Joe? - She (go) to the shops.

13 Is Dora in? - Yes, she (be) to the bank, but she (just, come) back.

14 Have we got anything to eat? - No, I (not be) to the shops yet.

15 Where are the children? - They (go) to the park a minute ago.

16 How long (you, live) in this street? - We (move) here two years ago.

17 The Tucks (not have) a holiday by the seaside for seven years.

18 He (be) at the cinema last night but I (not see) him ever since.

19 I (be) to the market and (bring) some vegetables, here they (be).

20 Tony (not be) at home now, he (go) to the post office.

Use the correct forms:

1 The carpenter (finish, just) the roof when the chimney (fall) down.
2 (your sister, buy) all the food for the party?
3 The children (learn) French since father (go) to Paris.
4 (you, go) to the seaside tomorrow? � Yes, I (go) there once a week.
5 The Tucks (not have) a holiday by the seaside for seven years.

6 Who (be) that? � Sheila's boyfriend (stand) at the door.

7 The watchman (notice) the burglar as he (try) to open the back door.
8 Where (be) the guinea-pig? � Aunt Lucy (take) him out to the garden.
9 Lots of mosquitoes (fly) around the lamp so we (turn) it off.
10 you (wash) the car yet? � No, but I already (fill) the tank.

11 Mary-Joe (sit) on the balcony when Aunt Lucy (arrive).

12 Peggy (clean) the living-room. � When (she, clean) it?
13 She's busy. She (make) a cake. She often (make) cakes.
14 By the end of next month he (be) here for ten years.
15 you (read) Mary Poppins? � I (begin) it last week and I just (finish) it.

16 I'm rather fat, but I know what to do. I (sell) my car and (buy) a bike.
17 When we (see) the policeman we quickly (run) behind a tree.
18 Dora (go) to see her friend last night, and she (not come) back yet.
19 What you (do) tomorrow? � I (help) mummy with the housework.
20 Is Dora in? � Yes, she (be) to the bank, but she (just, come) back.

21 (you, see) that picture? It (be) on this wall for many years.
22 Tomorrow I (invite) Cathy to a drink, then I (tell) her I (love) her.
23 you (hear) the latest news? Peter (marry) the Simpsons girl yesterday.
24 By the time we (get) there somebody (take, already) the documents.
25 you (wait) long for me? � No, I (come) just now.