Complete English Grammar: Tenses and Modals

Present Tenses

Present Simple

Examples: I go to work. You don’t go to work. Does he, she, or it go to work?

Time Expressions: Always, frequently, usually, often, rarely, never, sometimes, hardly ever, once a day, at night.

Present Continuous

Examples: I am watching TV. We, you, or they are not / aren’t watching TV. Is he, she, or it watching TV?

Time Expressions: At the moment, now, next week, this weekend, this month, tonight, tomorrow.

Past Tenses

Past Simple

Examples: I or we wrote a book. You or they did not / didn’t write a book. Did he, she, or it write a book?

Time Expressions: Ago, yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week, when.

Past Continuous

Examples: I was reading. They weren’t reading. Was I reading?

Time Expressions: At 10 am yesterday, last week, as, while.

Used To

Context: (quan era petit) I used to play football. They did not use to / didn’t use to play football. Did he, she, or it use to play football?

Future Tenses

Future Simple (Will)

Examples: I will swim. You or they will not swim. Will he, she, or it swim?

Time Expressions: This evening, later, tomorrow afternoon, tonight, soon, next week, in a moment, in the future.

Be Going To

Examples: I am going to study. We aren’t going to study. Is he going to study?

Time Expressions: This evening, later, tomorrow morning, tonight, next week, soon, in a moment, in the future, in an hour.

Future Continuous

Context: (voy a ir de compras) I will be shopping. They won’t be shopping. Will he, she, or it be shopping?

Time Expressions: At this time on Tuesday/next week, tomorrow afternoon, at seven o’clock, in an hour’s time.

Future Perfect

Context: (habré acabado) I will have finished the exam. You won’t have finished the exam. Will he have finished the exam?

Time Expressions: By seven o’clock tonight, by tomorrow, by then, by next week/month/year.

Perfect Tenses

Present Perfect Simple

Examples: I have heard the news. I haven’t heard the news. Have I heard the news?

Time Expressions: How long…?, ever, never, for, since, already, yet, just, for a long time.

Present Perfect Continuous

Examples: I have been downloading music. I haven’t been downloading music. Have I been downloading music?

Time Expressions: How long…?, for, since.

Past Perfect Simple

Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, or they had posted a film on the internet. I, you, he, she, it, we, or they hadn’t posted a film on the internet. Had I, you, he, she, it, we, or they posted a film on the internet?

Time Expressions: Already, after, before, by the time.

Past Perfect Continuous

Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, or they had been writing a blog. I, you, he, she, it, we, or they hadn’t been writing a blog. Had I, you, he, she, it, we, or they been writing a blog?

Time Expressions: When, for, since, by the time, all day long.

Time Expressions and Modals

Common Time Expressions: For, since, just, already, yet, by the time.

• Advice: should / shouldn’t
• Obligation: have to, must
• Prohibition: mustn’t