2. Otherwise known as the
Timeless Present

3.  When you are referring to habitual actions--
actions that you always or never do
 When you are referring to unchanging truths
 When you are making general statements of
fact
 When you talk about scheduled events in the
near future

4.  (habit) He always comes late to class.
 (unchanging truth) The sun rises in the east.
 (general statement of fact) They are friendly.
 (talks about scheduled events in the near
future.) The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.
simple present tense

5. Always Whenever Everyday
Usually Often Frequently
Sometimes Rarely Occasionally
never
simple present tense

6. I study I wait
You study You wait
S/he/it studies s/he/it waits
We study we wait
They study they wait
simple present tense

7. simple present tense

8. I play tennis.
She does not play tennis.
Does he play tennis?
The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
The train does not leave at 9 AM.
When does the train usually leave?

9. ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs
such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You only speak English.
Do you only speak English?
ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Once a week, Tom cleans the car. ACTIVE
Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. PASSIVE

12.  When an activity or situation began and
ended at a particular time in the past--in
other words, when an activity or situation is
completed in the past
 To refer to past habits
 can also be used to describe past facts or
generalizations which are no longer true.

13.  (Completed action in the past) He was late to
class yesterday.
 (Completed action in the past) We arrived
three weeks ago.
 (Past habit) She always wrote a letter to her
mother on Sunday night.
 (past facts or generalizations which are no
longer true.) She was shy as a child, but now
she is very outgoing.
Simple Past Tense

14. Last night, week, year, month, Saturday,
semester, etc.
Yesterday
ago
Simple Past Tense

15. I studied I waited
You studied You waited
S/he/it studied S/he/it waited
We studied We waited
They studied They waited
Simple Past Tense

16. Simple Past Tense

17. Sandy studied Japanese for five years.
Al studied French when I was a child.
Mark played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.
Did you play a musical instrument when you
were a kid?
He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
People paid much more to make cell phone
calls in the past.

20.  To indicate that an activity or event will take
place at a time in the future

21.  When I’m retired, I’m going to travel.
 Next week, we will work on punctuation.
 He is going to get his car fixed tomorrow.
 Our plane departs at noon next Friday.
Future

22. Tomorrow
Next Saturday, week, month, year, etc.
Future

23. I will stay I'll stay
You will stay You'll stay
S/he/it will stay S/he/it'll stay
We will stay We'll stay
They will stay They'll stay
Future

24. I am going to stay I'm going to stay
You are going to stay You're going to stay
S/he/it is going to stay S/he/it's going to stay
We are going to stay We're going to stay
They are going to They're going to stay
stay
Future

25. Sometimes the simple present tense or the
present progressive tense are used to express a
future meaning. Usually these tenses are used
when scheduled events are being discussed.
I arrive I am arriving
You arrive You are arriving
S/he/it arrives S/he/it is arriving
We arrive We are arriving
They arrive They are arriving
Future Tense

26. Future

29.  When an activity happened at an unspecified time in
the past (before the present)
 When an activity has been repeated several times
before now
 When an activity was very recently completed before
now
 When an activity is not completed in the past
 to list the accomplishments of individuals and
humanity.
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time
before now. The exact time is not important.
You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as:
yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that
moment, that day, one day, etc.
We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never,
once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

30.  (unspecified time before now)
They have already seen that movie.
 (repeated activity before now)
We have visited New York City many times.
 (an action has recently been completed
before now)
I have just eaten.
 (action not completed in the past)
I have studied Spanish for many years.
Present Perfect Tense

31. Before Ever Never
So far Already Yet
Just Recently For
since
Present Perfect Tense

32. I have studied . . . I have seen . . .
You have studied . . . You have seen . . .
S/he/it has studied . . S/he/it has seen . . .
We have studied . . . We have seen . . .
They have studied . . . They have seen . . .
Present Perfect Tense

33. I've walked . . . I've grown . . .
You've walked . . . You've grown . . .
S/he/it's walked . . . S/he/it's grown . . .
We've walked . . . We've grown . . .
They've walked . . . They've grown . . .
Present Perfect Tense

34. Present Perfect Tense

35. Present Perfect Tense

36. I have seen that movie twenty times.
I think I have met him once before.
There have been many earthquakes in California.
You have grown since the last time I saw you.
The government has become more interested in
arts education.
Man has walked on the Moon.
Scientists have split the atom.

39.  This tense is not used a lot.
It can often be
used interchangeably with the simple past
because these tenses do not differ much in
meaning. The past perfect tense refers to
activities that happened before a specific
time in the past.
 Example, He had visited her many times before
she died.
 Form: had + past participle

40.  (something occurred before another action in
the past) I did not have any money because
I had lost my wallet.
 She had never seen a bear before she moved
to Alaska.
 She had visited her Japanese relatives once
in 1993 before she moved in with them in
1996.
 She only understood the movie because
she had read the book.

41. The examples below show the placement for
grammar adverbs such as: always, only,
never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
 You had previously studied English before
you moved to New York.
 Had you previously studied English before
you moved to New York?

42.  Completed Action Before Something in the
Past

45.  The future perfect expresses the idea that an
activity will occur before some future time.
 Example: She will have finished dinner before
the game starts.
 Form: will + have + past participle

46.  You will have perfected your English by the
time you come back from the U.S.
 You are going to have perfected your
English by the time you come back from the
U.S.
NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to"
to create the Future Perfect with little or no
difference in meaning.

47.  The Future Perfect expresses the idea
that something will occur before
another action in the future. It can also
show that something will happen
before a specific time in the future.

48.  By next November, I will have received my
promotion.
 By the time he gets home, she is going to
have cleaned the entire house.
 I am not going to have finished this test by 3
o'clock.
 Will she have learned enough Chinese to
communicate before she moves to Beijing?

50. Sometimes called the
Present Continuous Tense

51.  When an activity is in progress now at the
moment of speaking
 When an activity began before now and
continues into the future without stopping.
 When an activity is temporary.
 When an activity is developing and changing.

52.  I’m explaining something to the class right
now.
 He’s taking 16 credits this semester.
 She is understanding English more and more
because she moved into the dorm.
Present Progressive Tense

53. Right now, at this Still
moment
This year, week, As we speak
month, etc.
Present Progressive Tense

54. I am studying I'm studying
You are studying You're studying
S/he/it is studying S/he/it's studying
We are studying We're studying
They are studying They're studying
Present Progressive Tense

55. Present Progressive Tense

57.  This tense is used to refer to activities
continuously in progress around a time in the
past.
 Example: They were eating when the taxi
arrived.
 Form: was or were + verbing

58.  This tense is used when an activity was
continuously in progress before a specific
time in the past.
 Example: I had been thinking about her before
she called.
 Form: had + been + verbing

59.  This tense is used to describe actions that
have been continuously in progress before
now. These actions are not completed.
 Example: I have been waiting here for the last
two hours.
 Form: have or has + been + verbing

60.  This tense is used to refer to activities that
will be continuously in progress around some
future time.
 Example: We will be flying over New York at
noon tomorrow.
 Form: will + be + verbing

61.  This tense is used to refer to activities that
will be continuously in progress before a
future time.
 Example: He will have been working for 3
hours before you arrive.
 Form: will + have + been + verbing

62.  
PRESENT PERFECT (have or has + past FUTURE PROGRESSIVE (will or
participle of verb) shall +be + "ing" form of main verb)
I have studied English.
He has studied English. I will be studying English.
 He will be studying English.
PAST PERFECT (had + past participle of PRESENT PERFECT
verb) PROGRESSIVE (have or has +
I had studied English. been + "ing" form of main verb)
He had studied English. I have been studying English.
He has been studying English.
FUTURE PERFECT (will or shall + have +
past participle of verb)
I will have studied English. PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
He will have studied English. (had + been + "ing" form of main
verb)
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (form of "be" I had been studying English.
verb + "ing" form of main verb) He had been studying English.
I am studying English.
He is studying English. FUTURE PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE (will or shall +
PAST PROGRESSIVE (past tense of have + been + "ing" form of main
form "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)
I was studying English. verb)
He was studying English. I will have been studying English.
He will have been studying
English.

63.  The charts in this presentation were adapted
from the work of Betty Schrampfer Azar. She
is the author of Understanding and Using
English Grammar and many other useful ESL
texts.