Simple Present: The Simple Future Is A Verb Tense That's Used To Talk About Things That Haven't Happened Yet
Simple Present: The Simple Future Is A Verb Tense That's Used To Talk About Things That Haven't Happened Yet
Simple Present: The Simple Future Is A Verb Tense That's Used To Talk About Things That Haven't Happened Yet
To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as
Past simple
Past Simple tense has different uses:
1. We use past simple to refer to events that took place in the past.
*Did you go to Munich last week? Yes, and I met Mr. Peter Losher, Siemen’s CEO.
2. We frequently use a time adverb to situate the event in finished past time.
* A few years ago, the City Plaza hotel was a leader in its segment of the market.
3. We use the past simple in annual reports to describe the company´s performance over the last
year.
*Last year was a good year for our group; the company sold 70% more than the last period.
*Sales rose by more than 11% and we made substantial gains in market share in a number of
countries.
Future sumple
The simple future is a verb tense that’s used to talk about things that haven’t
happened yet.
This year, Jen will read War and Peace. It will be hard, but she’s determined to do it.
Use the simple future to talk about an action or condition that will begin and end in
the future.
function of simple future is to tell someone about an activity that relates
with future action. example given is SHE WILL STUDY TOMORROW (dia
akan belajar besok)
function of future continuous is to tell someone about an activity that relates
with future action and is about to be in progress, example given is SHE
WILL BE COOKING TOMORROW (dia akan sedang masak besok)
function of future perfect is to tell someone about an activity that relates
with future action and is about to complete/finish at a certain time, example
given SHE WILL HAVE COME (dia akan sudah datang/akan hampir
datang
past continous
1: An action in the past which overlaps another action or a time. The action in the past
continuous starts before and often continues after the other shorter action or time.
I was walking to the station when I met John. (I started walking before I met John,
and maybe I continued afterwards.)
At three o'clock, I was working. (I started before three o'clock and finished after three
o'clock.)
2: In the same way, we can use the past continuous for the background of a story. (We often
use the past simple for the actions.) This is really a specific example of Use 1.
The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafés people were laughing and
chatting. Amy sat down and took out her phone.
3: Temporary habits or habits that happen more often than we expect in the past. We often
use 'always', 'constantly' or 'forever' here. This is the same as the way we use the present
continuous for habits, but the habit started and finished in the past. This thing doesn't
happen now.
4: To emphasise that something lasted for a while. This use is often optional and we usually
use it with time expressions like 'all day' or 'all evening' or 'for hours'.
present continous
The present continuous is used to talk about present situations.
Example:
We are using the Internet.
He is studying English grammar.
Example:
Is he still working for the same office?
More and more people are becoming vegetarian.
Example:
We’re going on holiday tomorrow.
I’m meeting my boyfriend tonight.
Are they visiting you next rainy season?
Example:
She usually plays the violin, but he’s playing bass guitar
tonight.
The weather forecast was good, but it’s raining at the
moment.
Future continous
1: We use the future continuous to talk about an action in the future that overlaps another,
shorter action or a time. The action in the future continuous usually starts before and might
continue after the second action or time. This is very similar to how we use the past
continuous in the past. The verb after 'when' is usually in the present simple.
2: We can use the future continuous to talk about something that will happen if everything
happens as we expect. This is sometimes called future as a matter of course. It's usually
possible to choose the future simple as well, but we often choose the future continuous
because then it's clear that we are not making a request or offer.
When will you be leaving? (This is more polite than 'when will you leave?' because it's
definitely not a request for you to leave.)
Remember, we can't use the future continuous with stative verbs, so if we want to use a
stative verb in one of the situations where we need to the future continuous, then we use the
future simple with 'will'.
Past perfect
1: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past.
The past perfect continuous tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect continuous, but
this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we
use 'for + time'. (We can also use the past perfect simple here, often with stative
verbs.)
She had been working at that company for a year when she met James.
I'd been walking for hours when I finally found the house.
We'd been living in Berlin for three months when we had to leave.
2: Something that finished just before another event in the past. This is usually used to show
a result at a time in the past. It's very similar to the present perfect continuous, but the
action finishes before another time in the past, rather than finishing before the present.
The pavement was wet, it had been raining. (The rain had finished before the time I'm
describing in the past. We could see the result of the rain.)
The children had been playing and so the room was a mess!
I'd been working before I saw you and that's why I was really tired.
Present perfect
1. Unspecified time
2. Repetition
3. Started in the past and continues until the present, may or may not continue into the
future (there just isn’t a short way to describe this function)
The Present Perfect can be used to describe something in the past when we don’t know
when it happened or when it happened is not important. For example, “I’ve traveled to
Brazil.”
Compare the Present Perfect usage to the Simple Past. “I traveled to Brazil in 2004.” The
Simple Past is used when a time is specified. The specified time could be "this morning,"
"yesterday," "at 6pm," "when I was a child," etc.
The "unspecified time" function of the Present Perfect tense is often confused with the
Simple Past tense.
Function 2: Repetition
The Present Perfect is used to describe something that has happened many (or a couple
of) times in the past. For example, “I’ve traveled to Brazil many times,” "I've eaten at
that restaurant twice," "John Grisham has written a few books."
Function 3: Started in the past, continues until now, and may or may not continue
into the future
For example, “I’ve watched All My Children since 1970.” This tense can often be replaced
with the Present Perfect Progressive when emphasizing duration. “I’ve been watching soap
operas since 1970.”
Note: This is a general overview of the three functions of the Present Perfect. Use a good
grammar textbook, such as Azar’s, Understanding and Using English Grammar, to fully
prepare your Present Perfect tense lesson plan.
You can also visit my ESL Verb Tenses page for more info about all English verb tenses.
Future perfect
Function
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we are
projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be completed some
time later than now. It is most often used with a time expression.
Examples
1: We use the future perfect to say 'how long' for an action that starts before and continues
up to another action or time in the future. Usually we need 'for'. We can also use the future
perfect continuous here so we often use the future perfect simple with stative verbs. If we
use 'when', we usually need the present simple.
When we get married, I'll have known Robert for four years.
At 4 o'clock, I'll have been in this office for 24 hours.
Sometimes we could also use the present perfect in the same situation. But we like to use
the future perfect to make the time an easy number.
I've lived here for 11 months and three weeks. (This is correct, but the time is not an easy
number.)
On Tuesday, I will have lived here for one year. (A much easier number.)
2: We use the future perfect with a future time word, (and often with 'by') to talk about an
action that will finish before a certain time in the future, but we don't know exactly when.
By 10 o'clock, I will have finished my homework. (= I will finish my homework some time
before 10, but we don't know exactly when.)
By the time I'm sixty, I will have retired. (= I will retire sometime before I'm sixty. Maybe when
I'm fifty-nine, maybe when I'm fifty-two.)
1: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past.
The past perfect continuous tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect continuous, but
this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we
use 'for + time'. (We can also use the past perfect simple here, often with stative
verbs.)
She had been working at that company for a year when she met James.
I'd been walking for hours when I finally found the house.
We'd been living in Berlin for three months when we had to leave.
2: Something that finished just before another event in the past. This is usually used to show
a result at a time in the past. It's very similar to the present perfect continuous, but the
action finishes before another time in the past, rather than finishing before the present.
The pavement was wet, it had been raining. (The rain had finished before the time I'm
describing in the past. We could see the result of the rain.)
The children had been playing and so the room was a mess!
I'd been working before I saw you and that's why I was really tired.
Unfinished actions
1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the
present. We often use this with 'for' and 'since' (see the the present perfect simple
page for more about 'for' and 'since').
This use is very similar to how we use the present perfect simple, and often it's possible to
use either tense. Of course, with stative verbs, we can't use the present perfect continuous.
2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and continues to the
present in the same way as with use number 1, but we don't answer the questions about
'how long' so clearly. Instead, we use a word like 'recently'.
They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
This is very similar to the use of the present continuous for temporary habits and often either
tense is possible.
Finished actions
3: Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and
have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present. We don't use a time word
here.
The present perfect simple has a very similar use, which focuses on the result of the action,
whereas the present perfect continuous focuses on the action itself. See my page
here about the difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect
continuous for more explanation.
Furure perfect continous
Ram starts waiting at 9am. I am late and cannot arrive before 10am.
Ram will have been waiting for an hour by the time I meet him.
Notice that the long action or state can start at any time in
the past, present or future, but of course it always ends in the future.
April will have been gossiping in the coffee shop before she
comes here.
Bob will have been studying in the library before he comes to
the class.
We will have been shopping in that market before you come
home.