English tenses 1

Past simple
Structure: subj/verb+ed
e.g. I lost my keys.
Use: 1. Completely finished past action – no effect now!2. Past sequence, one action after the other.3. Always with an indication of past time(Not present perfect simple).
Present perfect simple
Structure: subj/have(has)/past particple
e.g. I have lost my keys.
Use: 1. Completely finished past action 2. Effect now!3. Life history - have you ever?

Past continuous
Structure: subj/was(were)/verb + ing
Use: Describing a past continuous action in the middle of it.
Two options:1. Interruptione.g. While I was walking down the street I met Mary
2. Simultaneouse.g. I was making the dinner while Mary was watching TV.

Present perfect continuous
Structure: subj/have(has)/been/verb + ing
Use: An action that started in the past and:
1. Continues to now
e.g. I have been learning English for 10 years since 2004.
2. Just before now
e.g. You look out of breath.I have been running for the past hour.

Past perfect simple
Structure: subj/had/Past Participle
Use: Two past actions one before the other.
e.g. When I arrived at the cinema the film had already begun. (I was late)

Past perfect continuous
Structure: subj/had been/verb + ing
Use: Two past actions – one continues to the other.
e.g. Before I moved to Ireland, I had been living in Poland for 20 years.


Used to/Would*
Structure: subj/used to(would)/verb
Use: Repeated past action, two options:1. No longer continues2. Frequency is different
e.g. I used to play soccer every weekend. We used to live in New York when I was a kid.

* Very good memoriese.g. Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride. My teachers would always say “Sit down and shut up!”