1. Present Perfect Continious
1.1. have/has + been + Ving
1.1.1. Usage: 1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with 'for' and 'since'
1.1.1.1. 2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and continues to the present in the same way as with use number 1, but we don't answer the questions about 'how long' so clearly. Instead, we use a word like 'recently'.
1.1.1.1.1. 3: Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can often see, hear, or feel, in the present. We don't use a time word here.
1.1.1.1.2. I'm so tired, I've been studying.
1.1.1.2. I've been going to the gym a lot recently.
1.1.2. I've been living in London for two years.
1.2. have/has + not + been + Ving
1.3. Have/Has + S + been + Ving?
1.4. have/has + been + being + V3
1.4.1. Time adverbs: for, since, this week/ month/year, today, all day, recently .
2. Present Simple
2.1. V/Vs
2.1.1. Usage : 1: We use the present simple when something is generally or always true.
2.1.1.1. 2: Similarly, we need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent.
2.1.1.1.1. 3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency (such as 'often', 'always' and 'sometimes') in this case, as well as expressions like 'every Sunday' or 'twice a month'.
2.1.1.1.2. I play tennis every Tuesday.
2.1.1.2. She works in a bank.
2.1.2. People need food.
2.2. don’t/doesn’t + V
2.3. Do/Does +S+ V?
2.4. am/is/are + V3
2.4.1. Time adverbs: usually, always, never, on Wednesdays, every Wednesday, twice a week, once a month, in general, every other day.
3. Present Continious
3.1. am/is/are + Ving
3.1.1. Usage: 1. for things that are happening at the moment of speaking. These things usually last for quite a short time and they are not finished when we are talking about them.
3.1.1.1. 2. We can also use this tense for other kinds of temporary situations, even if the action isn't happening at this moment.
3.1.1.1.1. 3: We can use the present continuous for temporary or new habits (for normal habits that continue for a long time, we use the present simple). We often use this with expressions like 'these days' or 'at the moment'.
3.1.1.1.2. He's eating a lot these days.
3.1.1.2. John's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. (He might not be working now.)
3.1.2. I’m working at the moment.
3.2. am/is/are + Ving
3.3. Am/Is/Are + S + Ving...?
3.4. am/is/are + being + V3
3.4.1. Time adverbs: now, at the moment, at present, today, tonight, this morning/afternoon/evening, this week/month/year & while.
4. Past Simple
4.1. Ved/V2
4.1.1. Usage: 1: We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past when we have a finished time word .
4.1.1.1. 2: We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past when we know from general knowledge that the time period has finished. This includes when the person we are talking about is dead.
4.1.1.1.1. 3. We use it with finished actions, states or habits in the past that we have introduced with the present perfect or another tense. This is sometimes called 'details of news'.
4.1.1.1.2. I've hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was painting my bedroom.
4.1.1.2. Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.
4.1.2. I went to the cinema yesterday.
4.2. didn’t + V
4.3. Did + S + V?
4.4. was/were + Ved/ V3
4.4.1. Time adverbs : yesterday,last week,last month, 2 days ago,2 weeks ago, 5 years ago,a long time ago, for 2 weeks, for 5 months.
5. Past Continious
5.1. was/were + Ving
5.1.1. Usage: 1. An action in the past which overlaps another action or a time. The action in the past continuous starts before and often continues after the other shorter action or time
5.1.1.1. 2: In the same way, we can use the past continuous for the background of a story.
5.1.1.1.1. 3: Temporary habits or habits that happen more often than we expect in the past. We often use 'always', 'constantly' or 'forever' here. This is the same as the way we use the present continuous for habits, but the habit started and finished in the past. This thing doesn't happen now.
5.1.1.1.2. He was always leaving the tap running.
5.1.1.2. The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafés people were laughing and chatting. Amy sat down and took out her phone.
5.1.2. I was walking to the station when I met John. (I started walking before I met John, and maybe I continued afterwards.)
5.2. was/were +not + Ving
5.3. Was/Were + S + Ving?
5.4. was/were + being + V3
5.4.1. Time adverbs: when, while, always, constantly, at that time, in those days, all day, all evening, for hours...
6. Past Perfect
6.1. had +V3
6.1.1. Usage: 1. A finished action before a second point in the past.
6.1.1.1. We usually use the past perfect to make it clear which action happened first. Maybe we are already talking about something in the past and we want to mention something else that is further back in time. This is often used to explain or give a reason for something in the past.
6.1.1.1.1. 2: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The past perfect tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect, but this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we use 'for + time'. We can also use the past perfect continuous here, so we most often use the past perfect simple with stative verbs.
6.1.1.1.2. When he graduated, he had been in London for six years. (= He arrived in London six years before he graduated and lived there until he graduated, or even longer.)
6.1.1.2. I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.
6.1.2. When we arrived, the film had started (= first the film started, then we arrived).
6.2. hadn’t + V3
6.3. Had + S+ V3?
6.4. had been + V3
6.4.1. Time adverbs: for, by, by the time, when, just, already, yet, before, after.
7. Present Perfect
7.1. have/has + V3
7.1.1. Usage : 1: We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits that started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' and we need 'since' or 'for'. We often use stative verbs.
7.1.1.1. 2: Life experience. These are actions or events that happened sometime during a person's life. We don't say when the experience happened, and the person needs to be alive now. We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here.
7.1.1.1.1. 3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today). The period of time is still continuing.
7.1.1.1.2. I haven't seen her this month.
7.1.1.2. I have been to Tokyo.
7.1.2. I've known Karen since 1994.
7.2. haven’t/hasn’t + V3
7.3. Have/Has + S + V3?
7.4. have/has + been + V3
7.4.1. Time adverbs: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
8. Future Continious
8.1. will be + Ving
8.1.1. Usage: 1. We use the future continuous to talk about an action in the future that overlaps another, shorter action or a time. The action in the future continuous usually starts before and might continue after the second action or time. This is very similar to how we use the past continuous in the past. The verb after 'when' is usually in the present simple.
8.1.1.1. 2: We can use the future continuous to talk about something that will happen if everything happens as we expect. This is sometimes called future as a matter of course. It's usually possible to choose the future simple as well, but we often choose the future continuous because then it's clear that we are not making a request or offer.
8.1.1.2. The Government will be making a statement later.
8.1.2. I'll be waiting when you arrive.
8.2. won’t be + Ving
8.3. Will + S + be + Ving?
8.3.1. Time adverbs: next week/ month/ year, later, this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow, soon, in, on, at.
9. Simple Future
9.1. Will: will+ V
9.1.1. Usage: 1: We use the future simple with 'will' to predict the future. It is the basic way we talk about the future in English, and we often use it if there is no reason to use another future tense. We can use it for future facts and for things that are less certain.
9.1.1.1. 2: Promises / requests / refusals / offers. This is sometimes called 'volitional' will. It's about wanting to do something or not wanting to do something in the future. We are usually making an offer or promise or talking about something that we want to do.
9.1.1.1.1. 3: We use the simple future with 'will' in the first conditional, and in other sentences that have a conditional feeling.
9.1.1.1.2. If it doesn't rain, we'll go to the park.
9.1.1.2. I'll help you with your homework.
9.1.2. The sun will rise at 7am.
9.2. won’t +V
9.3. Will + S + V?
9.4. Be going to : am/is/are + V
9.4.1. 1: We often use 'be going to' to talk about our future intentions and plans. We have usually made our plans before the moment of speaking.
9.4.1.1. 2: We can also use 'be going to' to make a prediction about the future. Often it's possible to use both 'be going to' and 'will' but it's more common to use 'be going to' if we can see evidence in the present.
9.4.1.2. Look at those boys playing football! They're going to break the window.
9.4.2. A: We've run out of milk. B: I know, I'm going to buy some.
9.5. am/is/are +not+ V
9.6. will be + V3 / am;is;are going to be + V3
9.6.1. Time adverbs: tomorrow, next week, the day after tomorrow, in a year, this morning, on Monday.
10. Future Perfect
10.1. will + have + V3
10.1.1. Usage: 1. We use the future perfect to say 'how long' for an action that starts before and continues up to another action or time in the future. Usually we need 'for'. We can also use the future perfect continuous here so we often use the future perfect simple with stative verbs. If we use 'when', we usually need the present simple.
10.1.1.1. 2: We use the future perfect with a future time word, (and often with 'by') to talk about an action that will finish before a certain time in the future, but we don't know exactly when.
10.1.1.2. By 10 o'clock, I will have finished my homework. (= I will finish my homework some time before 10, but we don't know exactly when.)
10.1.2. When we get married, I'll have known Robert for four years.
10.2. won’t + have + V3
10.3. Will + S+ have + V3?
10.4. will have been + V3
10.4.1. Time adverbs: for, by, by the time, when, already, before.
11. Future Perfect Continious
11.1. will + have been + Ving
11.1.1. Usage: 1. we can use the future perfect continuous to say 'how long' for an action that continues up to another point in the future. The second point can be a time or another action. Generally, we need 'for + length of time' and if we use 'when' or 'by the time', we usually use the present simple.
11.1.1.1. 2: We can use the future perfect continuous, like the other perfect continuous tenses, to talk about something that finishes just before another time or action (in this case, in the future). It's often used because there will be a result at the second point in the future. (Again, if we use 'when' we usually need the present simple.)
11.1.1.2. When I see you, I'll have been studying, so I'll be tired.
11.1.2. In April, she will have been teaching for twelve years.
11.2. won’t + have been + Ving
11.3. Will + S + have been + Ving?
11.4. would + have been + V3
11.4.1. Time adverbs: for, since
12. Past Perfect Continious
12.1. had been + Ving
12.1.1. Usage: 1. Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The past perfect continuous tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect continuous, but this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the present. Usually we use 'for + time'.
12.1.1.1. 2: Something that finished just before another event in the past. This is usually used to show a result at a time in the past. It's very similar to the present perfect continuous, but the action finishes before another time in the past, rather than finishing before the present.
12.1.1.2. The pavement was wet, it had been raining. (The rain had finished before the time I'm describing in the past. We could see the result of the rain.)
12.1.2. She had been working at that company for a year when she met James.
12.2. hadn’t been + Ving
12.3. Had + S + been + Ving?
12.4. had been + being + V3
12.4.1. Time adverbs: for, when