Tenses

Tenses
The English Tense System
The links below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic tenses. In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:
• Structure: How do we make the tense?  • Use: When and why do we use the tense?
Some lessons look at additional aspects, and most of them finish with a quiz to check your understanding.
Present Tense I do do, I do Present Continuous Tense I am doing, I am doing tomorrow Present Perfect Tense I have done Present Perfect Continuous Tense I have been doing
Past Tense I did do, I did Past Continuous Tense I was doing Past Perfect Tense I had done Past Perfect Continuous Tense I had been doing
Future Tense I will do Future Continuous Tense I will be doing Future Perfect Tense I will have done Future Perfect Continuous Tense I will have been doing



Many English learners worry too much about tense. If you stopped 100 native English speakers in the street and asked them about tense, one of them might give you an intelligent answer—if you were lucky. The other 99 would know little about terms like "past perfect" or "present continuous". And they would know nothing about aspect, voice or mood. But they can all speak fluent English and communicate effectively. Of course, for ESL it helps to know about tenses, but don't become obsessed with them. Be like those native speakers! Speak naturally!
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Simple Present Tense
I sing
How do we make the Simple Present Tense? subject + auxiliary verb + main verb   do  base
There are three important exceptions:
1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.  2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.  3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.
Look at these examples with the main verb like:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb
I, you, we, they     like coffee.
+
He, she, it     likes coffee.
I, you, we, they do not like coffee.
-
He, she, it does not like coffee.
Do I, you, we, they   like coffee?
?
Does he, she, it   like coffee?
Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:
  subject main verb  
I am   French. You, we, they are   French. +

He, she, it is   French.
I am not old. You, we, they are not old.

He, she, it is not old. ? Am I   late?
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Are you, we, they   late?
Is he, she, it   late?
How do we use the Simple Present Tense?
We use the simple present tense when:
• the action is general  • the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future  • the action is not only happening now  • the statement is always true
John drives a taxi.
past present future

It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future.
Look at these examples:
• I live in New York.  • The Moon goes round the Earth.  • John drives a taxi.  • He does not drive a bus.  • We do not work at night.  • Do you play football?
Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb "to be" in the simple present tense—some of them are general, some of them are now:
Am I right? Tara is not at home. You are happy.
past present future

The situation is now.
 
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I am not fat. Why are you so beautiful? Ram is tall.
past present future

The situation is general. Past, present and future.  
This page shows the use of the simple present tense to talk about general events. But note that there are some other uses for the simple present tense, for example in conditional or if sentences, or to talk about the future. You will learn about those later.










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Present Continuous Tense
I am singing
We often use the present continuous tense in English. It is very different from the simple present tense, both in structure and in use.
In this lesson we look the structure and use of the present continuous tense, follwed by a quiz to check your understanding:
• Structure: how do we make the present continuous tense?  • Use: when and why do we use the present continuous tense?  • Spelling: how do we spell verbs with -ing for the present continuous tense?  • Present Continuous Tense Quiz

Continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the present progressive tense is the same as the present continuous tense.  How do we make the Present Continuous Tense?
The structure of the present continuous tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb   be  base + ing
Look at these examples:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb   + I am   speaking to you. + You are   reading this. - She is not staying in London. - We are not playing football. ? Is he   watching TV? ? Are they   waiting for John?
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How do we use the Present Continuous Tense?
We use the present continuous tense to talk about:
• action happening now  • action in the future
Present continuous tense for action happening now
a) for action happening exactly now
I am eating my lunch.
past present future
 

  The action is happening now.
Look at these examples. Right now you are looking at this screen and at the same time...
   ...the pages are turning. ...the candle is burning. ...the numbers are spinning.
b) for action happening around now
The action may not be happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now, and it is not permanent or habitual.
John is going out with Mary.
past present future
                 
  The action is happening around now.
Look at these examples:
• Muriel is learning to drive.  • I am living with my sister until I find an apartment.
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Present continuous tense for the future
We can also use the present continuous tense to talk about the future—if we add a future word!! We must add (or understand from the context) a future word. "Future words" include, for example, tomorrow, next year, in June, at Christmas etc. We only use the present continuous tense to talk about the future when we have planned to do something before we speak. We have already made a decision and a plan before speaking.
I am taking my exam next month.
past present future   !!!


A firm plan or programme exists now.
The action is in the future.
Look at these examples:
• We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already booked the table..  • They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working.  • When are you starting your new job?
In these examples, we have a firm plan or programme before speaking. The decision and plan were made before speaking. How do we spell the Present Continuous Tense?
We make the present continuous tense by adding -ing to the base verb. Normally it's simple—we just add -ing. But sometimes we have to change the word a little. Perhaps we double the last letter, or we drop a letter. Here are the rules to help you know how to spell the present continuous tense.
Just add -ing to the base verb:
work > working
play > playing
assist > assisting
see > seeing
Basic rule
be > being
Exception 1
If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter:  s t o p
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 consonant
stressed vowel
consonant
(vowels = a, e, i, o, u)
stop > stopping
run > running
begin > beginning
Note that this exception does not apply when the last syllable of the base verb is not stressed:
open > opening
If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y:
lie > lying
Exception 2
die > dying
If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e:
come > coming
Exception 3
mistake > mistaking








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Present Perfect Tense
I have sung
The present perfect tense is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages a difficult time. That is because it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages. In fact, the structure of the present perfect tense is very simple. The problems come with the use of the tense. In addition, there are some differences in usage between British and American English.
In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the present perfect, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:
• Structure: how to make the present perfect tense  • Use: when and why to use the present perfect tense  • For and Since with the present perfect tense. What's the difference?  • Present Perfect Quiz
The present perfect tense is really a very interesting tense, and a very useful one. Try not to translate the present perfect tense into your language. Just try to accept the concepts of this tense and learn to "think" present perfect! You will soon learn to like the present perfect tense!  How do we make the Present Perfect Tense?
The structure of the present perfect tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb   have  past participle
Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb   + I have   seen ET. + You have   eaten mine. - She has not been to Rome. - We have not played football.
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? Have you   finished?   ? Have they   done it?
Contractions with the present perfect tense
When we use the present perfect tense in speaking, we usually contract the subject and auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this when we write.
I have I've
You have You've
He has She has It has John has The car has
He's She's It's John's The car's
We have We've
They have They've
Here are some examples:
• I've finished my work.  • John's seen ET.  • They've gone home.  How do we use the Present Perfect Tense?
This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and with the present. There are basically three uses for the present perfect tense:
1. experience  2. change  3. continuing situation
1. Present perfect tense for experience
We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past. We are not interested in when you did something. We only want to know if you did it:
I have seen ET.
He's or he's??? Be careful! The 's contraction is used for the auxiliary verbs have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can mean:
• It has eaten. [present perfect tense, active voice]  • It is eaten. [present tense, passive voice]
It is usually clear from the context.
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He has lived in Bangkok. Have you been there? We have never eaten caviar.
past present future !!!  
The action or state was in the past.
In my head, I have a memory now.

Connection with past: the event was in the past. Connection with present: in my head, now, I have a memory of the event; I know something about the event; I have experience of it.
2. Present perfect tense for change
We also use the present perfect tense to talk about a change or new information:
I have bought a car.
past present future - +
Last week I didn't have a car. Now I have a car.      John has broken his leg.
past present future + -
Yesterday John had a good leg. Now he has a bad leg.      Has the price gone up?
past present future + -
Was the price $1.50 yesterday? Is the price $1.70 today?    
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The police have arrested the killer.
past present future - +
Yesterday the killer was free. Now he is in prison.   Connection with past: the past is the opposite of the present. Connection with present: the present is the opposite of the past.  
Americans do not use the present perfect tense so much as British speakers. Americans often use the past tense instead. An American might say "Did you have lunch?", where a British person would say "Have you had lunch?"  3. Present perfect tense for continuing situation
We often use the present perfect tense to talk about a continuing situation. This is a state that started in the past and continues in the present (and will probably continue into the future). This is a state (not an action). We usually use for or since with this structure.
I have worked here since June. He has been ill for 2 days. How long have you known Tara?
past present future
   
The situation started in the past. It continues up to now.
(It will probably continue into the future.)
Connection with past: the situation started in the past. Connection with present: the situation continues in the present. For & Since with Present Perfect Tense
We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.
• We use for to talk about a period of time—5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.  • We use since to talk about a point in past time—9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.
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for since
a period of time a point in past time
 x------------
20 minutes 6.15pm
three days Monday
6 months January
4 years 1994
2 centuries 1800
a long time I left school
ever the beginning of time
etc etc
Here are some examples:
• I have been here for 20 minutes.  • I have been here since 9 o'clock.  • John hasn't called for 6 months.  • John hasn't called since February.  • He has worked in New York for a long time.  • He has worked in New York since he left school.
For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only.





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Present Perfect Continuous Tense
I have been singing
How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb

have has
 been  base + ing
Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:
  subject auxiliary verb    auxiliary verb main verb   + I have   been waiting for one hour. + You have   been talking too much. - It has not been raining.   - We have not been playing football. ? Have you   been seeing her? ? Have they   been doing their homework?
Contractions
When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.
I have been I've been
You have been You've been
He has been She has been It has been John has been The car has been
He's been She's been It's been John's been The car's been
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We have been We've been
They have been They've been
Here are some examples:
• I've been reading.  • The car's been giving trouble.  • We've been playing tennis for two hours.
How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?
This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now. There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense:
1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped
We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.
I'm tired because I've been running.
past present future !!!  
Recent action. Result now.
• I'm tired [now] because I've been running.  • Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?  • You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening.
2. An action continuing up to now
We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since.
I have been reading for 2 hours.
past present future
 
Action started in past. Action is continuing now.
• I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.]
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• We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.]  • How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]  • We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]
For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense
We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.
• We use for to talk about a period of time—5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.  • We use since to talk about a point in past time—9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.
for since
a period of time a point in past time
20 minutes 6.15pm
three days Monday
6 months January
4 years 1994
2 centuries 1800
a long time I left school
ever the beginning of time
etc etc
Here are some examples:
• I have been studying for 3 hours.  • I have been watching TV since 7pm.  • Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.  • Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.  • He has been playing football for a long time.  • He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.
For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses only.


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Simple Past Tense
I sang
The simple past tense is sometimes called the preterit tense. We can use several tenses to talk about the past, but the simple past tense is the one we use most often.
In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the simple past tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding: How do we make the Simple Past Tense?
To make the simple past tense, we use:
• past form only or • auxiliary did + base form
Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and regular verbs:

V1 base
V2 past
V3 past participle

regular verb
work explode like
worked exploded liked
worked exploded liked
The past form for all regular verbs ends in -ed.
irregular verb
go see sing
went saw sang
gone seen sung
The past form for irregular verbs is variable. You need to learn it by heart.

You do not need the past participle form to make the simple past tense. It is shown here for completeness only.

The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is:
subject + main verb   past
The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb   did    base
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The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is:
auxiliary verb + subject + main verb did    base
The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he did etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the main verbs go and work:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb
I     went to school.
+
You     worked very hard.
She did not go with me.
-
We did not work yesterday.
Did you   go to London?
?
Did they   work at home?
Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples:
  subject main verb  
I, he/she/it was   here.
+
You, we, they were   in London.
I, he/she/it was not there.
-
You, we, they were not happy.
Was I, he/she/it   right?
?
Were you, we, they   late?
How do we use the Simple Past Tense?
We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation—an event—in the past. The event can be short or long.
Here are some short events with the simple past tense:
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The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday. She went to the door. We did not hear the telephone. Did you see that car?
past present future
   
The action is in the past.  
Here are some long events with the simple past tense:
I lived in Bangkok for 10 years. The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years. We did not sing at the concert. Did you watch TV last night?
past present future
   
The action is in the past.  
Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when:
• the event is in the past  • the event is completely finished  • we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event
In general, if we say the time or place of the event, we must use the simple past tense; we cannot use the present perfect.
Here are some more examples:
• I lived in that house when I was young.  • He didn't like the movie.  • What did you eat for dinner?  • John drove to London on Monday.  • Mary did not go to work yesterday.
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• Did you play tennis last week?  • I was at work yesterday.  • We were not late (for the train).  • Were you angry?
Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past tense for the action. Look at this example of the beginning of a story:
"The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring down. It was cold. The door opened and James Bond entered. He took off his coat, which was very wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and quietly drank his..." This page shows the use of the simple past tense to talk about past events. But note that there are some other uses for the simple past tense, for example in conditional or if sentences.










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Past Continuous Tense
I was singing
The past continuous tense is an important tense in English. We use it to say what we were in the middle of doing at a particular moment in the past.
In this lesson we look at the structure and the use of the past continuous tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding: How do we make the Past Continuous Tense?
The structure of the past continuous tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb BE + main verb
conjugated in simple past tense present participle
 
was were
 
base + ing
For negative sentences in the past continuous tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past continuous tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb   + I was   watching TV. + You were   working hard. - He, she, it was not helping Mary. - We were not joking.   ? Were you   being silly? ? Were they   playing football? The spelling rules for adding ing to make the past continuous tense are the same as for the present continuous tense.  How do we use the Past Continuous Tense?
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The past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment. For example, yesterday I watched a film on TV. The film started at 7pm and finished at 9pm.
At 8pm yesterday, I was watching TV.
past present future
8pm
At 8pm, I was in the middle of watching TV.
 
When we use the past continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples:
• I was working at 10pm last night.  • They were not playing football at 9am this morning.  • What were you doing at 10pm last night?  • What were you doing when he arrived?  • She was cooking when I telephoned her.  • We were having dinner when it started to rain.  • Ram went home early because it was snowing.
Some verbs cannot be used in continuous/progressive tenses.
We often use the past continuous tense to "set the scene" in stories. We use it to describe the background situation at the moment when the action begins. Often, the story starts with the past continuous tense and then moves into the simple past tense. Here is an example:
" James Bond was driving through town. It was raining. The wind was blowing hard. Nobody was walking in the streets. Suddenly, Bond saw the killer in a telephone box..." Past Continuous Tense + Simple Past Tense
We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense. We use the past continuous tense to express a long action. And we use the simple past tense to express a short action that happens in the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas with when or while.
In the following example, we have two actions:
1. long action (watching TV), expressed with past continuous tense  2. short action (telephoned), expressed with simple past tense
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past present future
Long action.  
I was watching TV at 8pm. 8pm  
 You telephoned at 8pm.
Short action.  
We can join these two actions with when:
• I was watching TV when you telephoned.
(Notice that "when you telephoned" is also a way of defining the time [8pm].)
We use:
• when + short action (simple past tense)  • while + long action (past continuous tense)
There are four basic combinations:
  I was walking past the car when it exploded.
When the car exploded   I was walking past it.
  The car exploded while I was walking past it.
While I was walking past the car   it exploded.
Notice that the long action and short action are relative.
• "Watching TV" took a few hours. "Telephoned" took a few seconds.  • "Walking past the car" took a few seconds. "Exploded" took a few milliseconds.




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Past Perfect Tense
I had sung
The past perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and to use. This tense talks about the "past in the past".
In this lesson we look at: How do we make the Past Perfect Tense?
The structure of the past perfect tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb HAVE + main verb
conjugated in simple past tense past participle
 
had
 
V3
For negative sentences in the past perfect tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb   + I had   finished my work. + You had   stopped before me. - She had not gone to school. - We had not left.   ? Had you   arrived?   ? Had they   eaten dinner?
When speaking with the past perfect tense, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:
I had I'd
you had you'd
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he had she had it had
he'd she'd it'd
we had we'd
they had they'd  
The 'd contraction is also used for the auxiliary verb would. For example, we'd can mean:
• We had or • We would
But usually the main verb is in a different form, for example:
• We had arrived (past participle)  • We would arrive (base)
It is always clear from the context.  How do we use the Past Perfect Tense?
The past perfect tense expresses action in the past before another action in the past. This is the past in the past. For example:
• The train left at 9am. We arrived at 9.15am. When we arrived, the train had left.
The train had left when we arrived.
past present future
Train leaves in past at 9am.  



We arrive in past at 9.15am.  
Look at some more examples:
• I wasn't hungry. I had just eaten.  • They were hungry. They had not eaten for five hours.  • I didn't know who he was. I had never seen him before.
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• "Mary wasn't at home when I arrived." "Really? Where had she gone?"
You can sometimes think of the past perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of the time being now the time is past.
past perfect tense  present perfect tense had | done | > |        
have | done | > |      past now future  past now future
For example, imagine that you arrive at the station at 9.15am. The stationmaster says to you:
• "You are too late. The train has left."
Later, you tell your friends:
• "We were too late. The train had left."
We often use the past perfect tense in reported speech after verbs like said, told, asked, thought, wondered:
Look at these examples:
• He told us that the train had left.  • I thought I had met her before, but I was wrong.  • He explained that he had closed the window because of the rain.  • I wondered if I had been there before.  • I asked them why they had not finished.






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Past Perfect Continuous Tense
I had been singing
How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?
The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is:
subject +
auxiliary verb HAVE
+
auxiliary verb BE
+ main verb
conjugated in simple past tense
past participle
present participle  
had

been
 
base + ing
For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect continuous tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   auxiliary verb main verb   + I had   been working.   + You had   been playing tennis. - It had not been working well. - We had not been expecting her. ? Had you   been drinking?   ? Had they   been waiting long?
When speaking with the past perfect continuous tense, we often contract the subject and first auxiliary verb:
I had been I'd been
you had been you'd been
he had she had been
he'd been she'd been
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it had been it'd been
we had been we'd been
they had been they'd been
How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?
The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in the past. For example:
• Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been waiting for two hours.
Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.
past present future
Ram starts waiting in past at 9am.
 
9  11
I arrive in past at 11am.  
Here are some more examples:
• John was very tired. He had been running.  • I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking.  • Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been running well for a long time.  • Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?
You can sometimes think of the past perfect continuous tense like the present perfect continuous tense, but instead of the time being now the time is past.
past perfect continuous tense  present perfect continuous tense had | been | doing | >>>> | | | | |     | | | | have | been | doing | >>>> |
    past now future  past now future
For example, imagine that you meet Ram at 11am. Ram says to you:
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• "I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours."
Later, you tell your friends:
• "Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours."






















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Simple Future Tense
I will sing
The simple future tense is often called will, because we make the simple future tense with the modal auxiliary will.
How do we make the Simple Future Tense?
The structure of the simple future tense is:
subject + auxiliary verb WILL + main verb
invariable base
 
will
 
V1
For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the simple future tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   main verb   + I will   open the door. + You will   finish before me. - She will not be at school tomorrow. - We will not leave yet. ? Will you   arrive on time? ? Will they   want dinner?
When we use the simple future tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:
I will I'll
you will you'll
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he will she will it will
he'll she'll it'll
we will we'll
they will they'll
For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we contract with won't, like this:
I will not I won't
you will not you won't
he will not she will not it will not
he won't she won't it won't
we will not we won't
they will not they won't
How do we use the Simple Future Tense?
No Plan
We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:
• Hold on. I'll get a pen.  • We will see what we can do to help you.  • Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.
In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.
We often use the simple future tense with the verb to think before it:
• I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.  • I think I will have a holiday next year.  • I don't think I'll buy that car.
Prediction
We often use the simple future tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:
• It will rain tomorrow.
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• People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.  • Who do you think will get the job?
Be
When the main verb is be, we can use the simple future tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples:
• I'll be in London tomorrow.  • I'm going shopping. I won't be very long.  • Will you be at work tomorrow?
Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the future, we usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present continuous tense or going to.












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Future Continuous Tense
I will be singing
How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?
The structure of the future continuous tense is:
subject +
auxiliary verb WILL
+
auxiliary verb BE
+ main verb
invariable invariable
present participle  
will

be
 
base + ing
For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future continuous tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   auxiliary verb main verb   + I will   be working at 10am. + You will   be lying on a beach tomorrow. - She will not be using the car. - We will not be having dinner at home. ? Will you   be playing football? ? Will they   be watching TV?
When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will:
I will I'll
you will you'll
he will she will it will
he'll she'll it'll
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we will we'll
they will they'll
For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:
I will not I won't
you will not you won't
he will not she will not it will not
he won't she won't it won't
we will not we won't
they will not they won't  
We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.  How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?
The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:
At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.
past present future
4pm
 
At 4pm, I will be in the middle of working.
When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these examples:
• I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.  • They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.  • What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?  • What will you be doing when I arrive?  • She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.  • We 'll be having dinner when the film starts.  • Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.
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Future Perfect Tense
I will have sung
The future perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The future perfect tense talks about the past in the future.
How do we make the Future Perfect Tense?
The structure of the future perfect tense is:
subject +
auxiliary verb WILL
+
auxiliary verb HAVE
+
main verb
invariable invariable past participle
 
will

have
 
V3
Look at these example sentences in the future perfect tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   auxiliary verb main verb   + I will   have finished by 10am. + You will   have forgotten me by then. - She will not have gone to school. - We will not have left.   ? Will you   have arrived?   ? Will they   have received it?
In speaking with the future perfect tense, we often contract the subject and will. Sometimes, we contract the subject, will and have all together:
I will have I'll have I'll've
you will have you'll have you'll've
he will have he'll have he'll've
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she will have it will have
she'll have it'll have
she'll've it'll've
we will have we'll have we'll've
they will have they'll have they'll've  
We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.  How do we use the Future Perfect Tense?
The future perfect tense expresses action in the future before another action in the future. This is the past in the future. For example:
• The train will leave the station at 9am. You will arrive at the station at 9.15am. When you arrive, the train will have left.
The train will have left when you arrive.
past present future
    Train leaves in future at 9am.
9  9.15      
    You arrive in future at 9.15am.
Look at some more examples:
• You can call me at work at 8am. I will have arrived at the office by 8.  • They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long time.  • "Mary won't be at home when you arrive." "Really? Where will she have gone?"
You can sometimes think of the future perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of your viewpoint being in the present, it is in the future:
present perfect tense  future perfect tense

| have | done | > |        
will | have | done | > |    past now future  past now future
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Future Perfect Continuous Tense
I will have been singing
How do we make the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?
The structure of the future perfect continuous tense is:
subject +
auxiliary verb WILL
+
auxiliary verb HAVE
+
auxiliary verb BE
+
main verb
invariable invariable past participle
present participle  
will

have

been
 
base + ing
For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we insert not between will and have. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future perfect continuous tense:
  subject auxiliary verb   auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb   + I will   have been working for four hours. + You will   have been travelling for two days. - She will not have been using the car. - We will not have been waiting long. ? Will you   have been playing football? ? Will they   have been watching TV?
When we use the future perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:
I will I'll
you will you'll
he will she will
he'll she'll
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Page 38 of 38
it will it'll
we will we'll
they will they'll
For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:
I will not I won't
you will not you won't
he will not she will not it will not
he won't she won't it won't
we will not we won't
they will not they won't
How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?
We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in the future. Look at these examples:
• I will have been working here for ten years next week.  • He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been traveling for 24 hours.