Verb Tense Overview with Examples

English Tenses L’Amour Dark 2015 Verb Tense Overview with Examples Simple Present I study English every day Present Continuous Simple Past Two years ago, I studied English in England Past Continuous I am studying English now I was studying English when you called yesterday Present Perfect Past Perfect I have studied English in I had studied a little several different English before I moved to countries the U.S Present Perfect Continuous I have been studying English for five years Past Perfect Continuous I had been studying English for five years before I moved to the U.S Simple Future If you are having problems, I will help you study English I am going to study English next year Future Continuous I will be studying English when you arrive tonight I am going to be studying English when you arrive tonight Future Perfect I will have studied every tense by the time I finish this course I am going to have studied every tense by the time I finish this course Future Perfect Continuous I will have been studying English for over two hours by the time you arrive I am going to have been studying English for over two hours by the time you arrive Simple Present FORM [VERB] + s/es in third person Examples: You speak English  Do you speak English?  You not speak English  Complete List of Simple Present Forms USE Repeated Actions Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not Examples:           I play tennis She does not play tennis Does he play tennis? The train leaves every morning at AM The train does not leave at AM When does the train usually leave? She always forgets her purse He never forgets his wallet Every twelve months, the Earth circles the Sun Does the Sun circle the Earth? USE Facts or Generalizations The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact It is also used to make generalizations about people or things Examples:         Cats like milk Birds not like milk Do pigs like milk? California is in America California is not in the United Kingdom Windows are made of glass Windows are not made of wood New York is a small city IT IS NOT IMPORTANT THAT THIS FACT IS UNTRUE USE Scheduled Events in the Near Future Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well Examples:      The train leaves tonight at PM The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM When we board the plane? The party starts at o'clock When does class begin tomorrow? USE Now (Non-Continuous Verbs) Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now This can only be done with NonContinuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs Examples:  I am here now      She is not here now He needs help right now He does not need help now He has his passport in his hand Do you have your passport with you? ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: You only speak English  Do you only speak English?  ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: Once a week, Tom cleans the car ACTIVE  Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom PASSIVE  Present Continuous FORM [am/is/are + present participle] Examples: You are watching TV  Are you watching TV?  You are not watching TV Complete List of Present Continuous Forms  USE Now Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment It can also be used to show that something is not happening now Examples:           You are learning English now You are not swimming now Are you sleeping? I am sitting I am not standing Is he sitting or standing? They are reading their books They are not watching television What are you doing? Why aren't you doing your homework? USE Longer Actions in Progress Now In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while eating dinner in a restaurant.)       I am studying to become a doctor I am not studying to become a dentist I am reading the book Tom Sawyer I am not reading any books right now Are you working on any special projects at work? Aren't you teaching at the university now? USE Near Future Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future Examples:  I am meeting some friends after work I am not going to the party tonight  Is he visiting his parents next weekend?  Isn't he coming with us tonight?  USE Repetition and Irritation with "Always" The Present Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happens Notice that the meaning is like Simple Present, but with negative emotion Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing." Examples: She is always coming to class late  He is constantly talking I wish he would shut up  I don't like them because they are always complaining  REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Present Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Present Examples: She is loving this chocolate ice cream Not Correct  She loves this chocolate ice cream Correct  ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: You are still watching TV  Are you still watching TV?  ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: Right now, Tom is writing the letter ACTIVE  Right now, the letter is being written by Tom PASSIVE  Present Perfect FORM [has/have + past participle] Examples: You have seen that movie many times  Have you seen that movie many times?  You have not seen that movie many times  Complete List of Present Perfect Forms USE Unspecified Time Before Now We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now The exact time is not important You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc Examples:         I have seen that movie twenty times I think I have met him once before There have been many earthquakes in California People have traveled to the Moon People have not traveled to Mars Have you read the book yet? Nobody has ever climbed that mountain A: Has there ever been a war in the United States? B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect? The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English learners It is best to associate Present Perfect with the following topics: TOPIC Experience You can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience It is like saying, "I have the experience of " You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event Examples:  I have been to France THIS SENTENCE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN FRANCE MAYBE YOU HAVE BEEN THERE ONCE, OR SEVERAL TIMES  I have been to France three times YOU CAN ADD THE NUMBER OF TIMES AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE  I have never been to France THIS SENTENCE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING TO FRANCE I think I have seen that movie before  He has never traveled by train  Joan has studied two foreign languages  A: Have you ever met him? B: No, I have not met him  TOPIC Change Over Time We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time Examples: You have grown since the last time I saw you  The government has become more interested in arts education  Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established  My English has really improved since I moved to Australia  TOPIC Accomplishments We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity You cannot mention a specific time Examples: Man has walked on the Moon  Our son has learned how to read  Doctors have cured many deadly diseases  Scientists have split the atom  TOPIC An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened Using the Present Perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen Examples: James has not finished his homework yet  Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate  Bill has still not arrived  The rain hasn't stopped  TOPIC Multiple Actions at Different Times We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times Present Perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible Examples: The army has attacked that city five times  I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester  We have had many major problems while working on this project  She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick  Time Expressions with Present Perfect When we use the Present Perfect it means that something has happened at some point in our lives before now Remember, the exact time the action happened is not important Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an experience We can this with expressions such as: in the last week, in the last year, this week, this month, so far, up to now, etc Examples:  Have you been to Mexico in the last year? If I went to Egypt, I would can learn Arabic Not Correct  If I went to Egypt, I could learn Arabic Correct  If she had time, she would may go to the party Not Correct  If she had time, she might go to the party Correct  The words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include conditional, so you cannot combine them with "would." Examples: If I had more time, I would could exercise after work Not Correct  If I had more time, I could exercise after work Correct  If he invited you, you really would should go Not Correct  If he invited you, you really should go Correct  Past Conditionals Past Real Conditional FORM [If / When Simple Past , Simple Past ] [ Simple Past if / when Simple Past ] USE The Past Real Conditional describes what you used to in particular real-life situations It suggests that your habits have changed and you not usually these things today Examples:  If I went to a friend's house for dinner, I usually took a bottle of wine or some flowers I don't that anymore  When I had a day off from work, I often went to the beach Now, I never get time off  If the weather was nice, she often walked to work Now, she usually drives  Jerry always helped me with my homework when he had time But he doesn't that anymore  A: What did you usually when it rained? B: I usually stayed at home IMPORTANT Used to The form "used to" expresses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the past This form is commonly used in Past Real Conditional sentences to emphasize that something was a habit The examples below have the same meaning as the examples above Examples:      If I went to a friend's house for dinner, I used to take a bottle of wine or some flowers I don't that anymore When I had a day off from work, I used to go to the beach Now, I never get time off If the weather was nice, she used to walk to work Now, she usually drives Jerry used to help me with my homework when he had time But he doesn't that anymore A: What did you usually when it rained? B: I used to stay at home IMPORTANT If / When Both "if" and "when" are used in the Past Real Conditional Using "if" suggests that something happened less frequently Using "when" suggests that something happened regularly Examples:  When I had a day off from work, I usually went to the beach I REGULARLY HAD DAYS OFF FROM WORK  If I had a day off from work, I usually went to the beach I RARELY HAD DAYS OFF FROM WORK Past Unreal Conditional FORM [If Past Perfect , would have + past participle ] [ would have + past participle if Past Perfect ] USE The Past Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the past You can describe what you would have done differently or how something could have happened differently if circumstances had been different Examples:        If I had owned a car, I would have driven to work But I didn't own one, so I took the bus She would have traveled around the world if she had had more money But she didn't have much money, so she never traveled I would have read more as a child if I hadn't watched so much TV Unfortunately, I did watch a lot of TV, so I never read for entertainment Mary would have gotten the job and moved to Japan if she had studied Japanese in school instead of French If Jack had worked harder, he would have earned more money Unfortunately, he was lazy and he didn't earn much A: What would you have done if you had won the lottery last week? B: I would have bought a house A: What city would you have chosen if you had decided to move to the United States? B: I would have chosen Seattle IMPORTANT Only use "If" Only the word "if" is used with the Past Unreal Conditional because you are discussing imaginary situations "When" cannot be used Examples: I would have bought that computer when it had been cheaper Not Correct  I would have bought that computer if it had been cheaper Correct  EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English: would have + can = could have would have + shall = should have would have + may = might have The words "can," "shall" and "may" cannot be used with "would have." Instead, they must be used in these special forms Examples: If I had gone to Egypt, I could have learned Arabic  If she had had time, she might have gone to the party  The words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include Conditional, so you cannot combine them with "would have." Examples: If I had had more time, I could have exercised after work  If he had invited you, you might have gone  Future Conditionals Future Real Conditional FORM [If / When Simple Present , Simple Future ] [ Simple Future if / when Simple Present ] Notice that there is no future in the if- or when-clause USE The Future Real Conditional describes what you think you will in a specific situation in the future It is different from other Real Conditional forms because, unlike the present or the past, you not know what will happen in the future Although this form is called "real", you are usually imagining or guessing about the future It is called "real" because it is still possible that the action might occur in the future Carefully study the following examples and compare them to the Future Unreal Conditional examples further down the page Examples:  If I go to my friend's house for dinner tonight, I will take a bottle of wine or some flowers I AM STILL NOT SURE IF I WILL GO TO HIS HOUSE OR NOT  When I have a day off from work, I am going to go to the beach I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I HAVE A DAY OFF  If the weather is nice, she is going to walk to work IT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER  Jerry will help me with my homework when he has time I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL HE HAS TIME  I am going to read if there is nothing on TV IT DEPENDS ON THE TV SCHEDULE  A: What are you going to if it rains? B: I am going to stay at home IMPORTANT If / When Both "if" and "when" are used in the Future Real Conditional, but the use is different from other Real Conditional forms In the Future Real Conditional, "if" suggests that you not know if something will happen or not "When" suggests that something will definitely happen at some point; we are simply waiting for it to occur Notice also that the Simple Future is not used in ifclauses or when-clauses Examples:  When you call me, I will give you the address YOU ARE GOING TO CALL ME LATER, AND AT THAT TIME, I WILL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS  If you call me, I will give you the address IF YOU WANT THE ADDRESS, YOU CAN CALL ME Future Unreal Conditional FORM (Most Common Form) [If Simple Past , would + verb ] [ would + verb if Simple Past ] Notice that this form looks the same as Present Unreal Conditional USE The Future Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the future It is not as common as the Future Real Conditional because English speakers often leave open the possibility that anything MIGHT happen in the future It is only used when a speaker needs to emphasize that something is impossible Because this form looks like Present Unreal Conditional, many native speakers prefer Form described below Examples:  If I had a day off from work next week, I would go to the beach I DON'T HAVE A DAY OFF FROM WORK  I am busy next week If I had time, I would come to your party I CAN'T COME  Jerry would help me with my homework tomorrow if he didn't have to work HE DOES HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW FORM [If were + present participle , would be + present participle ] [ would be + present participle if were + present participle ] USE Form of the Future Unreal Conditional is also used to talk about imaginary situations in the future Native speakers often prefer this form over Form to emphasize that the conditional form is in the future rather than the present Also notice in the examples below that this form can be used in the if-clause, the result, or both parts of the sentence Examples:  If I were going to Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba diving gear with me In if-clause and result I AM NOT GOING TO GO TO FIJI AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE MY SCUBA GEAR WITH ME  If I were not visiting my grandmother tomorrow, I would help you study In if-clause I AM GOING TO VISIT MY GRANDMOTHER TOMORROW  I am busy next week If I had time, I would be coming to your party In result I AM NOT GOING TO COME TO YOUR PARTY FORM [If were going to + verb , would be + present participle ] [ would be + present participle if were going to + verb ] USE Form of the Future Unreal Conditional is a variation of Form which is also used to talk about imaginary situations in the future Notice that this form is only different from Form in the if-clause Native speakers use Form to emphasize that the conditional form is a plan or prediction in the same way "be going to" is used to indicate a plan or prediction Examples:  If I were going to go to Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba diving gear with me I AM NOT GOING TO GO TO FIJI AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE MY SCUBA GEAR WITH ME  If I were not going to visit my grandmother tomorrow, I would help you study I AM GOING TO VISIT MY GRANDMOTHER TOMORROW IMPORTANT Only use "If" Only the word "if" is used with the Past Unreal Conditional because you are discussing imaginary situations "When" cannot be used Examples: I would buy that computer tomorrow when it were cheaper Not Correct  I would buy that computer tomorrow if it were cheaper Correct  EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English: would + can = could would + shall = should would + may = might The words "can," "shall" and "may" cannot be used with "would." Instead, they must be used in these special forms Examples: If I went to Egypt next year, I would can learn Arabic Unfortunately, that's not possible Not Correct  If I went to Egypt next year, I could learn Arabic Unfortunately, that's not possible Correct  The words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include conditional, so you cannot combine them with "would." Examples: If I didn't have to work tonight, I would could go to the fitness center Not Correct  If I didn't have to work tonight, I could go to the fitness center Correct  Future Real Conditional vs Future Unreal Conditional To help you understand the difference between the Future Real Conditional and the Future Unreal Conditional, compare the examples below: Examples:  If you help me move tomorrow, I will buy you dinner Future Real Conditional I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP ME  If you helped me move tomorrow, I would buy you dinner Future Unreal Conditional YOU CAN'T HELP ME, OR YOU DON'T WANT TO HELP ME Continuous Conditionals Those of you who have studied Englishpage.com's Verb Tense Tutorial should be familiar with continuous verb tenses such as Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Future Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, and Future Perfect Continuous The Verb Tense Tutorial gives you all the information you need to create continuous Real Conditional sentences But many English learners are not aware of the fact that we can use continuousness in imaginary situations as well Study the examples below to learn how to create continuous Unreal Conditional sentences that will make you sound like a native speaker Present Unreal Conditional + Continuous FORM If-clause: [were + present participle] Result: [would be + present participle] USE Present Unreal Conditional + Continuous is used to discuss imaginary situations which could be happening at this very moment Examples in the if-clause:  If the sun were shining, I would go to the beach UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS RAINING SO I CAN'T GO  If Sam were sitting here, we would be able to ask him the question ourselves BUT SAM IS NOT SITTING HERE HE IS SOMEWHERE ELSE  We would be able to go sailing if the wind were blowing BUT THERE IS NO WIND, SO WE CAN'T GO SAILING Examples in the result:  If I were in Hawaii, I would be lying on the beach BUT I AM NOT IN HAWAII  If my grandfather were here, he would be talking about the war BUT HE IS NOT HERE  I would be rafting down the Colorado River right now if my leg weren't broken BUT MY LEG IS BROKEN, SO I AM NOT THERE Past Unreal Conditional + Continuous FORM If-clause: [had been + present participle] Result: [would have been + present participle] USE Past Unreal Conditional + Continuous is used to discuss imaginary situations happening at a very specific time in the past or over a period of time in the past Examples in the if-clause:  If I had been talking to him when he said that, I would have punched him in the face BUT I WASN'T TALKING TO HIM WHEN HE SAID THAT  If he had been standing near the house when the wall collapsed, it would have killed him LUCKILY, HE MOVED AWAY BEFORE THE WALL FELL Examples in the result:  If you had gone to his house last night, he would have been sitting on his couch in front of the TV BUT YOU DIDN'T GO TO HIS HOUSE, SO YOU DIDN'T SEE WHAT HE WAS DOING  If she had missed her train, he would have been waiting for her at the station for hours LUCKILY, SHE CAUGHT HER TRAIN AND HE DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT NOTICE that the Past Unreal Conditional + Continuous can be used like the Past Continuous in imaginary situations to emphasize interruptions or parallel actions in the past Examples in the if-clause: If James had been crossing the street when the car ran the red light, it would have hit him  If Tom had been studying while Becky was making dinner, he would have finished his homework early and they could have gone to the movie  Examples in the result:  If James hadn't stopped to tie his shoe, he would have been crossing the street when the car ran the red light  If you had gone to their house last night, Bob would have been reading the newspaper, Nancy would have been talking on the phone and the kids would have been watching TV They always the same things NOTICE that Past Unreal Conditional + Continuous can also be used like Present Perfect Continuous or Past Perfect Continuous in imaginary situations to emphasize a duration of time Examples in the if-clause: Scott said he had been studying Greek for more than five years If he had been studying the language that long, I think he would have been able to interpret for us at the airport  Sarah claimed she had been waiting in the rain for more than twenty minutes by the time we arrived, but she wasn't even wet If she had been waiting that long, I think she would have been totally drenched by the time we arrived  Examples in the result: Terry's plane arrived ahead of schedule If I hadn't decided to go to the airport early, she would have been waiting there for more than twenty minutes before I arrived  At the travel agency yesterday, I waited for more than an hour for somebody to help me Finally, I got up and left If I hadn't decided to leave, I would have been sitting there forever  Future Unreal Conditional + Continuous FORM If-clause: [were + present participle] Result: [would be + present participle] USE Future Unreal Conditional + Continuous can be used like the Future Continuous in imaginary situations to emphasize interruptions or parallel actions in the future NOTICE The future form looks the same as the present form The future is indicated with words such as "tomorrow," "next week" or "in a couple of days." Examples in the if-clause:  If I were waiting there next week when he gets off the plane, he would be totally surprised BUT I WILL NOT BE WAITING THERE, SO HE WON'T BE SURPRISED  If he were staying in that hotel next week while the conference is being held, he might be able to meet some of the key speakers and tell them about our new product I DON'T THINK HE WILL BE ABLE TO STAY AT THE HOTEL, SO HE WON'T BE ABLE TO MEET ANYBODY THERE Examples in the result:  If I were able to go to the train station tonight to meet Sandra, I would be standing on the platform waiting for her when she arrives I WON'T BE ABLE TO GO TO THE TRAIN STATION, SO I WILL NOT BE STANDING THERE WHEN SHE ARRIVES  If you went over to Paul's house after work, he would probably be sitting there at his computer surfing the Internet BUT YOU WON'T GO OVER Mixed Conditionals Those of you who have been following the Conditional Tutorial should now be familiar with present, past and future conditional verb forms Sometimes Unreal Conditional sentences are mixed This means that the time in the ifclause is not the same as the time in the result Study the examples below to learn how to mix conditional verb forms like a native speaker Verbs in green are in the Present Unreal Conditional Verbs in red are in the Past Unreal Conditional Verbs in purple are in the Future Unreal Conditional Mixed Conditional Patterns PAST PRESENT Examples:  If I had won the lottery, I would be rich BUT I DIDN'T WIN THE LOTTERY IN THE PAST AND I AM NOT RICH NOW  If I had taken French in high school, I would have more job opportunities BUT I DIDN'T TAKE FRENCH IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I DON'T HAVE MANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES  If she had been born in the United States, she wouldn't need a visa to work here BUT SHE WASN'T BORN IN THE UNITED STATES AND SHE DOES NEED A VISA NOW TO WORK HERE PAST FUTURE Examples:  If she had signed up for the ski trip last week, she would be joining us tomorrow BUT SHE DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THE SKI TRIP LAST WEEK AND SHE ISN'T GOING TO JOIN US TOMORROW  If Mark had gotten the job instead of Joe, he would be moving to Shanghai BUT MARK DIDN'T GET THE JOB AND MARK IS NOT GOING TO MOVE TO SHANGHAI  If Darren hadn't wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas, he would go to Mexico with us next month BUT DARREN WASTED HIS CHRISTMAS BONUS GAMBLING IN LAS VEGAS AND HE WON'T GO TO MEXICO WITH US NEXT MONTH PRESENT PAST Examples:  If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday BUT I AM NOT CURRENTLY RICH AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T BUY THE FERRARI YESTERDAY  If Sam spoke Russian, he would have translated the letter for you BUT SAM DOESN'T SPEAK RUSSIAN AND THAT IS WHY HE DIDN'T TRANSLATE THE LETTER  If I didn't have to work so much, I would have gone to the party last night BUT I HAVE TO WORK A LOT AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T GO TO THE PARTY LAST NIGHT PRESENT FUTURE Examples:  If I didn't have so much vacation time, I wouldn't go with you on the cruise to Alaska next week BUT I DO HAVE A LOT OF VACATION TIME AND I WILL GO ON THE TRIP NEXT WEEK  If Cindy were more creative, the company would send her to New York to work on the new advertising campaign BUT CINDY IS NOT CREATIVE AND THE COMPANY WON'T SEND HER TO NEW YORK TO WORK ON THE NEW CAMPAIGN  If Dan weren't so nice, he wouldn't be tutoring you in math tonight BUT DAN IS NICE AND HE IS GOING TO TUTOR YOU TONIGHT FUTURE PAST Examples:  If I weren't going on my business trip next week, I would have accepted that new assignment at work BUT I AM GOING TO GO ON A BUSINESS TRIP NEXT WEEK, AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT NEW ASSIGNMENT AT WORK  If my parents weren't coming this weekend, I would have planned a nice trip just for the two of us to Napa Valley BUT MY PARENTS ARE GOING TO COME THIS WEEKEND, AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T PLAN A TRIP FOR THE TWO OF US TO NAPA VALLEY  If Donna weren't making us a big dinner tonight, I would have suggested that we go to that nice Italian restaurant BUT SHE IS GOING TO MAKE US A BIG DINNER TONIGHT, AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T SUGGEST THAT WE GO TO THAT NICE ITALIAN RESTAURANT FUTURE PRESENT Examples:  If I were going to that concert tonight, I would be very excited BUT I AM NOT GOING TO GO TO THAT CONCERT TONIGHT AND THAT IS WHY I AM NOT EXCITED  If Sandy were giving a speech tomorrow, she would be very nervous BUT SANDY IS NOT GOING TO GIVE A SPEECH TOMORROW AND THAT IS WHY SHE IN NOT NERVOUS  If Seb didn't come with us to the desert, everyone would be very disappointed BUT SEB WILL COME WITH US TO THE DESERT AND THAT IS WHY EVERYONE IS SO HAPPY Were To "Were to" in the Present FORM [If were to + verb , ] USE "Were to" can be used in the present to emphasize that the conditional form is extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible Notice that this special form is only used in the if-clause Examples:  If she were to be rich, she would be horribly obnoxious IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT SHE WOULD BE RICH  If I were to have no friends, who would I spend my time with? HAVING NO FRIENDS IS A HORRIBLE THOUGHT  If Nathan were to be my boss, this job would be intolerable NATHAN'S BEING MY BOSS IS A HORRIBLE CONCEPT "Were to" in the Future FORM [If were to + verb , ] USE "Were to" can be used in the future to emphasize that the conditional form is extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible Notice that this special form is only used in the if-clause Examples:  If I were to lose my job next year, I would probably not find a new one quickly LOOSING MY JOB WOULD BE TERRIBLE  If he were to fail his driving test tomorrow, he would have to take it again HE IS NOT LIKELY TO FAIL HIS DRIVING TEST  If Sarah were to show up late to the birthday party, it would ruin the surprise SARAH WILL SURELY COME ON TIME "Were to" in the Past FORM [If were to have + past participle , ] USE "Were to" can be used in the past to emphasize that the conditional form is extremely unlikely or unthinkably horrible Notice that this special form is only used in the if-clause Examples:  If the fire were to have destroyed the building, it would have been a tragic cultural loss THE THOUGHT OF SUCH A LOSS IS TOO HORRIBLE TO CONSIDER  If the dam were to have burst, the entire town would have been destroyed SUCH DESTRUCTION IS TOO HORRIBLE TO CONSIDER  If Sarah were to have failed the final test, she would have lost her scholarship SHE IS AN EXCELLENT STUDENT, AND IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT SHE WOULD HAVE FAILED THE TEST [...]... sentence Examples: I was studying when she called  While I was studying, she called  REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Past Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Past Examples: ... MOMENT OR THAT HE HAD JUST FINISHED REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Past Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Past Perfect Examples: The motorcycle had been belonging to George for... is going to make dinner Correct AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead of using Future Continuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Future Examples: Jane will be being at my house when you arrive Not... person Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear or feel the results of the action It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mixed Verbs It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses Instead... continuous tenses Instead of using Present Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Present Perfect Examples: Sam has been having his car for two years Not Correct  Sam has had his car for two years Correct  ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: You have only been waiting here for one hour  Have... "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: You have only seen that movie one time  Have you only seen that movie one time?  ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: Many tourists have visited that castle ACTIVE  That castle has been... Past Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs  IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect Although this is possible,... "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: You have only seen that movie one time  Have you only seen that movie one time?  ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: Many tourists have visited that castle ACTIVE  That castle has been... when she answered my question ADVERB PLACEMENT The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc Examples: You just called Debbie  Did you just call Debbie?  ACTIVE / PASSIVE Examples: Tom repaired the car ACTIVE  The car was repaired by Tom PASSIVE  Past Continuous FORM [was/were + present participle] Examples: You were studying when... time, so it requires Present Perfect Examples:  I went to Mexico last year I WENT TO MEXICO IN THE CALENDAR YEAR BEFORE THIS ONE  I have been to Mexico in the last year I HAVE BEEN TO MEXICO AT LEAST ONCE AT SOME POINT BETWEEN 365 DAYS AGO AND NOW USE 2 Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect