PRESENT TENSES

1. Present Simple (CEFR: A1; fully mastered by A2)

Examples:
• (+) She plays the guitar every evening.
• (–) She doesn’t play the guitar on Sundays.
• (?) Does she play the guitar?

Uses:
• Habits and routines (I get up at 7 every day.)
• General truths, facts, permanent states (The Earth goes around the Sun.)
• Narration in sports/commentary (He passes the ball, he scores!)
• **Timetables/schedules, even for the future (The train leaves at 9.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + base verb (+ -s / -es / -ies in 3rd person singular)
• Negative: Subject + do/does not + base verb
• Interrogative: Do/Does + subject + base verb

Important notes:
• 3rd person singular endings:
- Most verbs → + -s (play → plays)
- Verbs ending in -sh, -ch, -ss, -x, -o → + -es (watch → watches)
- Verbs ending in consonant + y → change y → i + -es (study → studies)
• Do/Does used in negatives/questions; main verb stays in base form.
• Short forms: don’t / doesn’t.
• Common mistake: “He don’t like” →“He doesn’t like”
Signal Words: adverbs of frequency, time elements
• Examples: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day/week, on
Mondays.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Often confused with Present Continuous:
- Present Simple = permanent/routine (I live in Madrid.).
- Present Continuous = temporary/now (I’m living in Madrid this year.).

2. Present Continuous (CEFR: A1; consolidated in A2)

Examples:
• (+) They are watching a film right now.
• (–) They aren’t watching a film.
• (?) Are they watching a film?

Uses:
• Actions happening right now (She is speaking to her teacher.)
• Temporary actions/situations (I’m staying with my cousin this week.)
• Changing or developing situations (It’s getting colder.)
• **Future arrangements (We’re meeting at 5 o’clock.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
• Negative: Subject + am/is/are not + verb-ing
• Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing

Important notes:
• Spelling for -ing:
- Most verbs → + -ing (play → playing)
- Final -e → drop -e + ing (make → making)
- Consonant + vowel + consonant → double final consonant (run → running)
 - Verbs ending in -ie → change to -y + ing (die → dying)
• Contractions: I’m, you’re, he’s, isn’t, aren’t.

Signal Words
• Examples: now, right now, at the moment, currently, today, this week, these days.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Present Simple vs Present Continuous:
- Present Simple = routine/permanent (She works in a bank.).
- Present Continuous = temporary/current (She’s working in London this
week.).
• Common mistake: Don’t use for permanent truths (She is knowing French →She
knows French).

3. Present Perfect Simple (CEFR: B1; introduced at A2, mastered

later)
Examples:
• (+) He has finished his homework.
• (–) He hasn’t finished his homework yet.
• (?) Has he finished his homework?

Uses:
• Life experiences (I’ve travelled to Japan.)
• Recent actions with present result (She has just finished her essay.)
• Actions continuing up to now (We’ve lived here since 2010.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle
• Negative: Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle
• Interrogative: Have/Has + subject + past participle
Important notes:
• Past participles:
- Regular verbs → -ed (work → worked)
- Irregular verbs → must be memorised (go → gone, eat → eaten).
• Contractions: I’ve, she’s, haven’t, hasn’t.

Signal Words
• Examples: already, yet, just, ever, never, for, since, so far, up to now, recently, lately.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Present Perfect vs Past Simple:
- Difference from Past Simple: Present Perfect links past with present. (I have
lost my keys = still lost vs I lost my keys yesterday = finished).
Present Perfect = no specific time / unfinished time period (I’ve seen that film
this week = the week hasn’t finished).
Past Simple = finished time / date (I saw that film last week).
• US English often uses Past Simple where UK uses Present Perfect (Did you eat
yet? vs Have you eaten yet?).
• Been vs Gone:
- She has been to London (experience, she came back).
- She has gone to London (she is still there).

4. Present Perfect Continuous (CEFR: B2)

Examples:
• (+) We have been waiting for an hour.
• (–) We haven’t been waiting very long.
• (?) Have you been waiting long?

Uses:
• Emphasises duration of an action until now (I’ve been studying for three hours.)
• Emphasises activity itself (unfinished or recently finished) (She’s been running,
that’s why she’s tired.)
Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + have/has been + verb-ing
• Negative: Subject + haven’t/hasn’t been + verb-ing
• Interrogative: Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing

Important notes:
• Continuous aspect = focus on activity/duration, not result.
• Often interchangeable with Present Perfect Simple, but nuance differs:
- I’ve read that book (focus = result).
- I’ve been reading that book (focus = process, maybe not finished).
• Contractions: I’ve been, you’ve been, hasn’t been, haven’t been.

Signal Words
• for, since, all day, how long, recently, lately.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous:
- Simple = result (I’ve painted the kitchen = it’s done).
- Continuous = duration (I’ve been painting the kitchen = I may still be doing it).
 PAST TENSES

5. Past Simple (CEFR: A1–A2)

Examples:
• (+) They visited Paris in 2019.
• (–) They didn’t visit Paris in 2019.
• (?) Did they visit Paris in 2019?

Uses:
• Completed actions/events in the past (I visited London last year.)
• Past habits/routines (When I was a child, we always played outside.)
• A sequence of events in the past (She opened the door, looked inside, and
screamed.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + verb-ed / irregular past form
• Negative: Subject + did not (didn’t) + base verb
• Interrogative: Did + subject + base verb

Important notes:
• Regular verbs: add -ed (walk → walked)
- If verb ends in consonant + y → change y to i + ed (study → studied)
- If verb ends in e → + d (love → loved)
- Double consonant for CVC (stop → stopped)
• Irregular verbs: must be memorised (go → went, buy → bought, have → had).
• Short forms: didn’t.

Signal Words: specific moments in the past

• Examples: yesterday, last week/month/year, two days ago, in 2010, then, when.
Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Confused with Present Perfect:
- Past Simple = finished time (I went to Paris last year).
- Present Perfect = no finished time (I’ve been to Paris).
• Common mistake: “He didn’t went” → “He didn’t go”

6. Past Continuous (CEFR: B1; introduced in A2)

Examples:
• (+) I was studying at 10pm.
• (–) I wasn’t studying at 10pm.
• (?) Were you studying at 10pm?

Uses:
• Actions in progress at a specific time in the past (At 8 o’clock, I was watching TV.)
• Interrupted actions (I was reading when the phone rang.)
• Background description in narratives (The sun was shining and the birds were
singing.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + was/were + verb-ing
• Negative: Subject + wasn’t/weren’t + verb-ing
• Interrogative: Was/Were + subject + verb-ing

Important notes:
• Singular subjects → was; plural → were.
• Backgrounding function → “set the scene” in stories.
• Often used with while and when to contrast two actions:
- She was cooking when I arrived.
• Contractions: wasn’t, weren’t.
Signal Words
• while, when, as, all evening, at that moment.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Past Simple vs Past Continuous:
- Past Simple = shorter, completed actions (I dropped my phone).
- Past Continuous = longer/ongoing action (I was walking when I dropped it).
• Common mistake: Confusing Past Simple and Past Continuous:
- When I watched TV, he called → When I was watching TV, he called

7. Past Perfect Simple (CEFR: B1+/B2)

Examples:
• (+) She had finished her homework before dinner.
• (–) She hadn’t finished her homework before dinner.
• (?) Had she finished her homework before dinner?

Uses:
• An action completed before another past action/event (She had left before I
arrived.)
• To show cause/effect in the past (He was angry because he had failed the exam.)
• Reported speech (She said she had seen him earlier.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + had + past participle
• Negative: Subject + had not (hadn’t) + past participle
• Interrogative: Had + subject + past participle
Important notes:
• Always used with a second reference point in the past (another past action or a
specific past time).
• Contractions: I’d, you’d, he’d, she’d, we’d, they’d; hadn’t.

Signal Words
• Examples: already, before, by the time, after, never, once, until that day.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Past Simple vs Past Perfect:
- Past Simple = action happened in the past (I ate dinner, then she arrived).
- Past Perfect = action happened before another past action (I had eaten
dinner before she arrived).
• Difference with Past Simple:
- She left before I arrived (order is clear by context).
- She had left before I arrived (emphasises the earlier action).

8. Past Perfect Continuous (CEFR: B2)

Examples:
• (+) They had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally arrived.
• (–) They hadn’t been waiting long when it started raining.
• (?) Had they been waiting long when the bus arrived?

Uses:
• To emphasise duration of an activity up to a point in the past (I had been studying
for two hours before he arrived.)
• To explain the cause of a past situation (He was tired because he had been working
all day.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + had been + verb-ing
 • Negative: Subject + had not been (hadn’t been) + verb-ing
• Interrogative: Had + subject + been + verb-ing

Important notes:
• Often combined with for / since.
• Shows ongoing action before another past action (contrast with Past Perfect
Simple, which focuses on completion).
• Common mistake: He had been worked all day → He had been working all day
• Often paired with Past Simple (She had been crying, so her eyes were red).
• Contractions: I’d been, you’d been, hadn’t been.

Signal Words
• Examples: for, since, how long, before, until, all day.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Past Perfect Simple vs Continuous:
- Simple = focus on result (She had read the book before the exam).
- Continuous = focus on duration/process (She had been reading for 2 hours
before the exam).
 FUTURE TENSES (and future uses of
present forms)

9. Will (Future Simple) (CEFR: A2)

Examples:
• (+) She will pass the exam.
• (–) She won’t pass the exam.
• (?) Will she pass the exam?

Uses:
• Predictions (I think it will rain tomorrow.)
• Spontaneous decisions (I’m thirsty — I’ll make some tea.)
• Promises and offers (I’ll help you with your homework.)
• Future facts (The sun will rise at 6:30.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + will + base verb
• Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) + base verb
• Interrogative: Will + subject + base verb

Important notes:
• No -s for 3rd person singular.
• Contractions: I’ll, you’ll, he’ll, she’ll, we’ll, they’ll (affirmative); won’t (negative)

Signal Words
• I think, I’m sure, probably, definitely, tomorrow, next week.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Often confused with going to →
- Will = spontaneous or uncertain.
 - Going to = intention or evidence.

10. Going to (Be going to) (CEFR: A2)

Examples:
• (+) We are going to visit Italy next summer.
• (–) We aren’t going to visit Italy next summer.
• (?) Are you going to visit Italy next summer?

Uses:
• Plans and intentions (I’m going to start a new hobby.)
• Predictions based on present evidence (Look at those clouds — it’s going to rain.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + am/is/are going to + base verb
• Negative: Subject + am not/isn’t/aren’t going to + base verb
• Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + subject + going to + base verb

Important notes:
• More common than will for talking about intentions.
• Gonna is informal spoken English (not exam-appropriate).
• Needs correct form of be (I’m, you’re, he’s).

Signal Words
• Examples: tomorrow, next week, soon, in a minute, later today.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Going to = planned/intended.
• Will = unplanned/spontaneous.
 11. Future Continuous (CEFR: B1+)
Examples:
• (+) He will be working late tonight.
• (–) He won’t be working late tonight.
• (?) Will he be working late tonight?

Uses:
• Actions in progress at a specific time in the future (This time tomorrow, I’ll be flying
to Paris.)
• Polite inquiries about plans (Will you be joining us for dinner?)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + will be + verb-ing
• Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) be + verb-ing
• Interrogative: Will + subject + be + verb-ing

Important notes:
• Focuses on process rather than completion.
• Useful for polite/less direct questions.

Signal Words
• this time tomorrow, at 10pm, soon, in two hours.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Not for timetables (that’s Present Simple).
• Not for personal arrangements (that’s Present Continuous).

12. Future Perfect Simple (CEFR: B2)

Examples:
• (+) They will have finished the project by Friday.
 • (–) They won’t have finished the project by Friday.
• (?) Will they have finished the project by Friday?

Uses:
• Actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future (By next year, she
will have graduated.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + will have + past participle
• Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) have + past participle
• Interrogative: Will + subject + have + past participle

Important notes:
• Focuses on completion.
• Often used with deadlines and “by” phrases.
• Contractions: ’ll have, won’t have.

Signal Words
• Examples: by, by the time, before, in + time expression/time period.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Different from Present Perfect → Future Perfect looks ahead to completion.

13. Future Perfect Continuous (CEFR: B2+)

Examples:
• (+) She will have been studying English for 5 years by June.
• (–) She won’t have been studying English for 5 years by June.
• (?) Will she have been studying English for 5 years by June?
Uses:
• Actions continuing up to a future point, emphasising duration (By next month, I will
have been working here for 10 years.)

Form / Structure:
• Affirmative: Subject + will have been + verb-ing
• Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) have been + verb-ing
• Interrogative: Will + subject + have been + verb-ing

Important notes:
• Focus on continuity/duration.
• Rare in everyday speech, common in academic/exam contexts.

Signal Words
• for, since, by, by the time, in + duration.

Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Different from Future Perfect Simple:
- Will have finished = result.
- Will have been studying = process.

14. Present Simple (Future meaning) (CEFR: A2/B1)

Examples:
• (+) The concert starts at 8pm.
• (–) The concert doesn’t start at 8pm.
• (?) Does the concert start at 8pm?

Uses:
• Fixed timetables/schedules (The train leaves at 9:30.)
• Official events/programmes (The exam starts on Monday.)
Form / Structure:
• Same as Present Simple (see present section).

Important notes:
• Not for personal plans (use Present Continuous).
• Needs a clear timetable context. Only for scheduled events.

Signal Words
• at (time), on (day/date), next week, tomorrow.

15. Present Continuous (Future meaning) (CEFR: A2/B1)

Examples:
• (+) We are having dinner with them on Friday.
• (–) We aren’t having dinner with them on Friday.
• (?) Are we having dinner with them on Friday?

Uses:
• Personal plans/arrangements (I’m meeting my friends tomorrow.)

Form / Structure:
• Same as Present Continuous (see present section).

Important notes:
• Needs a future time reference (e.g., tomorrow, next week).
• Stronger than going to for arrangements (implies it’s already decided).

Signal Words
• tomorrow, next week, at the weekend, tonight, soon.
Contrast/Confusion Notes
• Don’t confuse with Present Continuous for “now.”
• Needs context to show it refers to the future.