English Verb Tenses and Relative Clauses Reference

English Verb Tenses and Time Expressions

Present Simple

Structure: I go / I don't go / Do I go?

Time expressions: always, usually, occasionally, frequently, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom, never, once a month, every week, in the morning, at three o'clock, at night.

Present Continuous

Structure: I am going / You aren't going / Are you going?

Time expressions: now, right now, at the moment, today, these days, this month, this year, at present, tonight, tomorrow, this afternoon, next Sunday, next week, next month.

Past Simple

Structure: I finished / He didn't finish / Did you finish?

Time expressions: yesterday, last year, two days ago, in 2004, when, then.

Past Continuous

Structure: I was writing / I wasn't writing / Was I writing?

Time expressions: last night, last week, last year, at nine o'clock, when, and, while, as.

Past Perfect Simple

Structure: I had stopped / I hadn't stopped / Had I stopped?

Time expressions: already, by the time, after, before, until, never, just.

Present Perfect Simple

Structure: I have lived / I haven't lived / Have I lived?

Time expressions: recently, ever, never, yet, just, already, lately, since, for.

Future Simple

Structure: I will work / I won't work / Will I work?

Time expressions: this evening, later, next month, soon, at eleven o'clock, in an hour, tomorrow, in a few weeks, in the future.

Be Going To

Structure: I am going to work / I am not going to work / Am I going to work?

Time expressions: this evening, later, next month, soon, at eleven o'clock, in an hour, tomorrow, in a few weeks.

Future Perfect

Structure: I will have finished / I won't have finished / Will I have finished?

Time expressions: by this time next week, by ten o'clock, by the end of, by then, by August, in two months.

Future Continuous

Structure: I will be working / I won't be working / Will I be working?

Time expressions: at this time tomorrow, at this time next week, on Thursday, in the next decades.

Relative Clauses

Defining Relative Clauses

• Who/That (people): I talked to a man who/that survived the earthquake.
• Which/That (objects): The medicines which/that we're using are from the Red Cross.
• When (time): It was in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina occurred.
• Where (places): Japan is a country where earthquakes are very common.
• Whose (possession): He's the boy whose mother saved many people's lives.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Note: 'That' cannot replace 'who' or 'which'.

• My brother, who lives in San Francisco, isn't afraid of earthquakes.
• Elephants, which are very heavy, can live for many years.