hand with clock illustrating grammar english tenses

Use this cheat sheet to help you remember the English tenses forms, usage, and typical sentence and question structures. In part II  we’ll focus on the present perfect simple, present perfect continuous, past perfect simple and past perfect continuous.

PRESENT  PERFECT SIMPLE

 

SENTENCE FORMsubject + have / has + verb 3rd form + continue sentence

QUESTION FORM:    have / has + subject + verb 3rd form + continue

                                

USAGE 1: life experience (no date given) 

 

I have played every Grand Theft Auto

I have never played Grand Theft Auto

Have you ever played GrandTheft Auto? 

USAGE 2: News

 

They have just returned from the gig

They haven’t returned from the gig yet

Have they already returned from the gig?

USAGE 3: How long  (with “state” verbs)   

 

He has been in London Since 2018

He hasn’t been home since 2018

How long has he lived in London?

USAGE 4: Project status 

 

John has completed the album, but not the cover art

John hasn’t completed the album, nor the cover art

Has John completed the album?

USAGE 5: Unfinished time period  

 

I have had three coffees today

I haven’t had any coffee today

How many coffees have you had today?

 

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 

SENTENCE FORM  : Subject + have / has + been + verb ing + continue sentence

 

QUESTION FORM: Have / Has + subject + been + verb ing + continue 

USAGE 1: How long (“active” verbs)  

 

We have been recording for 3 hours

We haven’t been recording since the lockdown began

How long have you been recording?

USAGE 2: Explaining current state

   

They are tired because they have been working hard

They are tired because they haven’t been sleeping

Have they been working, is that why they are tired?

 

USAGE 3:  repeated activity in present time period

I’ve been trying to get in contact with her all morning.

She hasn’t been picking up her phone all morning.

Have you been trying to contact me?

 

PAST  PERFECT SIMPLE

SENTENCE FORMsubject + had + verb 3rd form + continue sentence

QUESTION FORM:    Had + subject + verb 3rd form + continue

                                

USAGE 1: before or after an event in the past

 

I had watched the original Dune before seeing the new one

I hadn’t watched the original Dune before seeing the new one

Had you watched the original Dune before seeing the original?

USAGE 2: by some period in the past

 

Joe Rogan had already been famous by the time he started his podcast

Bret Weinstein hadn’t been famous by the time the university scandal happened

Had they been famous by the time their podcasts came out?

USAGE 3: How long  (with “state” verbs) 

 

He had been with us for 5 years before he moved abroad.

He hadn’t been with us for long before he moved abroad.

How long had he been with you?

USAGE 4: commonly with surprised / said / shocked / remembered/ forgot

 

John forgot that he had locked his door, so he didn’t have to worry.

John forgot that he hadn’t locked his door, so the robbers had a field day!

Has John completed the album?

USAGE 5: explanations of past results

 

The PC had crashed so I couldn’t submit the project

We couldn’t continue with the presentation because the project hadn’t been submitted

Why had it not been submitted before the start of the meeting?

 

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

SENTENCE FORM  : Subject + had + been + verb ing + continue sentence

QUESTION FORM: Had + subject + been + verb ing + continue 

USAGE 1: How long (“active” verbs) before start of another event 

 

We had been recording for 3 hours when the PC crashed

We hadn’t been recording at all when the PC crashed

How long had you been recording when the PC crashed?

USAGE 2: Explaining past result due to repeated activity

   

They were tired because they had been working hard

They hadn’t been sleeping so they were tired

Had they been working, is that why they were tired?


 

Part 1 focuses on the present simple, present continuous, past simple and past continuous.

Practice this topic with me, an American instructor, for a one hour session online. Get in touch or purchase directly here 

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