The
meaning of tenses
A description or explanation of when an
event, and actions. Events or actions occur in a sentence: current – past – or
future. Or change the verb form in accordance with the time occurrence of an
event and change the time information.
Kind of
tenses
A. Present Tense
1.
Simple Present Tense
Ø
She writes some
letters now
Ø
He goes to campus
everyday
Ø
We have a picnic once
a month
Ø
I always love you
2.
Present Continuous
Tense
Ø
I am reading this
book now
Ø
It's raining now
Ø
Jack is sleeping now
Ø
Dewi is working on
that task
Ø
We were watching a
movie on TV
3.
Present Perfect Tense
Ø
She has written some
letters
Ø
You have not seen that movie many times.
Ø
I think I have met him once before.
Ø
Have you read the book yet?
4.
Present Perfect
Continuous Tense
Ø
They have
been talking for the last hour.
Ø
She has been
working at that company for three years.
Ø
What have you been
doing for the last 30 minutes?
Ø
James has
been teaching at the university since June.
B. Past Tense
1.
Simple Past Tense
Ø
I saw a
movie yesterday.
Ø
I didn't see a
play yesterday.
Ø
Last year, I traveled to
Japan.
Ø
Did you have dinner last night?
2.
Past Continuous Tense
Ø
I was
watching TV when she called.
Ø
When the phone rang,
she was writing a letter.
Ø
While we were
having the picnic, it started to rain.
Ø
What were you doing when
the earthquake started?
Ø
I was
listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
3.
Past Perfect Tense
Ø
I had never seen such
a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai.
Ø
I did not have any
money because I had lost my wallet.
Ø
Tony knew Istanbul so
well because he had visited the city several times.
Ø
Had Susan ever studied Thai before
she moved to Thailand?
4.
Past Perfect
Continuous Tense
Ø
They had been
talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.
Ø
She had been
working at that company for three years when it went out of business.
Ø
How long had you been
waiting to get on the bus?
Ø
Mike wanted to sit
down because he had been standing all day at work.
C. Future Tense
1.
Simple Future Tense
Ø
I will
send you the information when I get it.
Ø
I will
translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.
Ø
Will you help me move this heavy
table?
Ø
Will you make dinner?
2.
Future Continuous
Tense
Ø
I will be
watching TV when she arrives tonight.
Ø
I will be
waiting for you when your bus arrives.
Ø
I am going to
be staying at the Madison Hotel, if anything happens and
you need to contact me.
Ø
He will be
studying at the library tonight, so he will not see Jennifer when
she arrives.
3.
Future Perfect Tense
Ø
By next November,
I will have received my promotion.
Ø
By the time he gets home,
she is going to have cleaned the entire house.
Ø
I am not
going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.
Ø
Will she have learned enough Chinese
to communicate before she moves to Beijing?
4.
Future Perfect
Continuous Tense
Ø
They will
have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives.
Ø
She is going
to have been working at that company for three years when it
finally closes.
Ø
James will
have been teaching at the university for more than a year by the time
he leaves for Asia.
Ø
How long will you have
been studying when you graduate?
D. Past Future Tense
1.
Past Future Tense
Ø
She would write some
letters when you came
Ø
Judith would make a dinner
Ø
I knew you would help
him
Ø
He would send a
postcard from Egypt.
2.
Past Future
Continuous Tense
Ø
She would be writing
some letters on Monday last week
Ø
Judith would be making a dinner
Ø
I knew you would be
helping him
Ø
He would be sending a
postcard from Egypt.
3.
Past Future Perfect
Tense
Ø
She would have
written some letters if you hadn’t come here
Ø
Judith would have
made a dinner
Ø
I knew you would have
helped him
Ø
He would have sent a
postcard from Egypt.
4.
Past Future Perfect
Continuous Tense
Ø
She would have been
writing some letters by August this year
Ø
Judith would have
been making a dinner
Ø
I knew you would have
been helping him
Ø
He would have been
sending a postcard from Egypt
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