Tenses Flashcards
(19 cards)
When to use Simple Present
We use the simple present when an action is happening right now;
Or when it happens regularly (or unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes called present indefinite).2
What is first person
It is the grammatical person used by a speaker in statements referring to himself or herself (first person singular) or to a group including himself or herself (first person plural).
The biggest clue that a sentence is written in the first person is the use of first person pronouns.
Singular first person pronoun:
I, me, myself, my and mine
Plural first person pronoun:
We, us, our, and ourselves
First person singular pronoun
I, me, my, mine, myself
First person plural pronoun
We, us, our, ourselves
What does present perfect tense refers to?
It refers to an action or state that either occurred at an indefinite time in the past or began in the past and continued to the present time
Example:
He has grown impatient over the last hour.
This tense is formed by have/has + past participle
When can’t you use Present Perfect Tense?
When you are specific about when it happened.
Example:
I have put away all the laundry this morning.
What does Simple Past Tense refers to?
It is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or existed before now.
You can also use the simple past to talk about a past state of being, such as the way someone felt about something.
How to formulate the Simple Past Tense?
For regular verbs, add -ed to the root form (or just -d if the root form already ends in an e).
How to make the Simple Past Negative?
Did Not + [root form of verb]
For the To Be verb, you don’t need the auxiliary did.
When the subject is singular, use was not.
When the subject is plural, use were not.
What does the Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) tense refers to?
It refers to an action that started in the past continued up until another time in the past.
How do you construct the Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) tense?
Had been + the root’s present participle (root + -ing)
Example:
He had been drinking milk out of the carton when Mom walked into the kitchen
What does the Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) tense refers to?
It refers to an an action that will continue up until a point in the future.
How do you construct the Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) tense?
Will + have + been + the verb’s present participle ( verb root + -ing)
Example:
In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.
What does the Present Continuous (Progressive) tense refers to?
It refers to an action or condition that is happening now, frequently, or may be ongoing.
It is used for firm future plans at a future time.
I am having dinner with a friend (tonight).
Action in progress at a certain future time.
I will be flying to New York then.
How do you construct the Present Continuous (Progressive) tense?
to be + (verb) + -ing
Or
Subject + will be + (verb) + -ing
What does the Present Perfect Continuous tense refers to?
It refers to an action that has started in the past and has continued up to the present moment.
It usually emphasises duration, or the amount of time that an action has been taking place.
How do you construct the Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense?
Has (have) + been + present participle + -ing
Example
You have been waiting here for two hours
Duration from the past until now
They have been talking for the last hour
She has been working at that company for three years
Recently, lately
She has been watching too much television lately
Nancy has been feeling a little depressed
What does the Past Continuous Tense refers to?
It refers to a continuing action that was happening at some point in the past.
It is often used to describe conditions that existed in the past.
As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.
It can also be used to describe something that was happening continuously in the past when another action interrupted it.
I was making dinner when she arrived.
It can shed light on what was happening at a precise time in the past.
At 6 o’clock, I was eating dinner.
It can also refer to a habitual action in the past.
She was talking constantly in class in those days.
How do you construct the Past Continuous (Progressive) tense?
Past tense of to be (was/were) + present participle + -ing
