More than Just Lines on a Map: Best Practices for U.S Bike Routes
Bill Bradley's English Tenses (www.englischunterricht.de)
1. 1 2 3 4
Present Simple Present Continuous (am, Present Perfect Present Perfect
(Do/Does - Am, Is, Are) is, are – ing) (Have done/Has done) Continuous (Have been
doing/Has been doing)
Signal words: Often, Signal words: Now, at Signal words: This week, Signal words: For a long
occasionally, seldom, the moment, currently, this year, etc., today, time, all week, all year, for
usually, sometimes, today, this week, this year since, for, recently... four hours...
normally, always, never, etc.
every day, every week...
Does Bill Bradley work? Is Charlena laughing? Has Chantal worked? Has he been working?
1. Yes, Bill Bradley 1.Yes, she is. Yes, 1.Yes, she has. 1. Yes, he has.
works. Yes, he works. Charlena is. 2. Yes, she has worked. 2. Yes, he has been
2. Yes, he does. 2. Yes, she is laughing. 3. No, she has not. working.
3.Yes, he does work. 3.No, she is not. 4. No, she has not worked. 3. No, he has not.
4. No, he does not. 4. No, she is not laughing. (Has not = hasn’t, have 4. No, he has not been
5. No, he does not work. (he’s = he is, she’s = she not = haven’t...) working.
(does not = doesn’t / do is, they are = they’re...)
not = don’t)
I do, S/he does, it does, I am, s/he is, it is, You are, I have, it has, s/he has, I have, it has, s/he has,
you do, we do, they do/ they are, we are they have, you have, We they have, you have, we
Do I work? Does s/he / Am I? Is he? Are you have / Have I? Has he? have / Has he been
work... working now? Yes, I am Has she worked today? working long? Yes, he
Does he usually work? Yes, he working now... Yes, she has... has...
does usually work.
5 6 7 8
Past Simple (Did, Was, Past Continuous Past Perfect (Had done) Past Perfect Continuous
Were) (Was/Were – ing) (Had been doing)
Signal words: Yesterday, Signal words: While, Signal words: See Past Signal words: all day, for
last week, last month etc. during, when I saw you, Simple the last hour, how long,
ago, June, 1960, when, at this time yesterday, at recently, for years, since
8:00, Saturday etc. this time last week etc. Bill Bradley was 7 etc.
Did Ervin work? Were you sleeping during Had she already left. Had she been sleeping?
the meeting?
1. Yes, he did. 1. Yes, she had. 1. Yes, she had.
2. Yes, he worked. 1. Yes, I was. 2. Yes, she had already 2. Yes, she had been
3. Yes, he did work. 2. Yes, I was sleeping. left. sleeping.
4. No, he did not. 3. No, I was not. 3. No, she had not. 3. No, she had not.
5. No, he did not work. 4. No, I was not 4. No, she had not 4. No, she had not been
(did not =didn’t) sleeping. already left. (She had sleeping.
(were not = weren’t /was = she’d/he had
not = wasn’t) =he’d...)
Did I, s/he, it, they we, I was, it was, s/he was, I had done s/he had done, Feli had not been sleeping
you work? Yes, I did...yes they were, we were, you it had done, we had done, long when the door bell
they did. Was he? Yes, he were / Were you? Yes, we they had done, you had suddenly rang.
was. Were they? Yes, were. Were they? Yes, done...
they were. they were.
9 10 11 12
Future Simple (will Future Continuous (Will Future Perfect (Will have Future Perfect Continuous
do/going to do) Are you be doing) done) (Bill Bradley will have
going to do it? Yes, I am. been teaching)
Signal words: Signal words: Tomorrow Signal words: By next Signal words: By next
Tomorrow, next week, etc at this time etc. week at this time... week at this time..
Will it work? Will he be working? Yes, Will you have it done? Will not = Won’t
Yes, it will. he will. Yes, I will.
13 14 15 16
Conditional 0 Conditional 1 Conditional 2 Conditional 3
You get more, if you pay If you do more, you will If you did more, you If you had done more, you
more. get more. would get more. would have received
more.
Always true/sure Real possibility Imagined Not possible
Originally written by Bill Bradley in 2000. Latest Revision in 2008. www.englischunterricht.de