8/10/2019 Verb Tense Revision Chart

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Verb Tense Revision Chart

(Revision of all tenses of English verbs with a brief explanation and anexample.)

Verb Tense Use Example

play Present Simple -Regular activities / routine Amy and Sue play tennis on Saturdays.

am playingPresent

Continuous-Continuous present action Amy and Sue are playing at the momen

have playedPresent

Perf.Simple

-Finished part of continuous

action.

-Completed actions in

unfinished

time period.

-Recent events (unspecified

time)

-Past action with a result in

the

present.

-Experiences up to now.

-Amy and Sue have played two sets.

-They have played several other matche

this year.

-Their parents have just arrived.

-Sue has broken her racket so she can't

continue.

-They have played in many tournament

have been

laying

Present Perf.

Cont.Actions begun in the past

which continue today.

They have been playing tennis since

2 o'clock this afternoon.

played Past Simple Finished actions at a specifictime in the past.

Last Saturday Sue played in anothertournament.

was playingPast

ContinuousPast continuous actions.

At 2.45 pm they were playing the secon

set.

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had playedPast Perfect

Simple

Completed actions before a

specific time or event in the

past.

Two other people had played a match

before Amy and Sue arrived.

had been

laying

Past Perfect

Cont.

Continuous actions before a

specific time or event in the

past.

At 4 pm they had been playing for 2 ho

will play Future Simple

-Predictions

-Spontaneous

decisions/offers

Amy will win the match today.

I'll lend you my racket!

will be

laying

Future

ContinuousContinuous future action

Tomorrow they will be playing in anoth

club.

will have

layedFuture Perfect Completed future action

By September they will have played ten

matches.

will have

een playing

Future Perfect

Cont.

Continuous future action

estimated at a time in the

future.

A 5 pm Amy and Sue will have been pla

for 3 hours.

would playConditional

Simple

Probable action in an

imaginary situationI would play tennis if I had a racket.

would be

laying

Conditional

Cont.

Continuous action in an

imaginary situation

Amy would be playing tennis if you cam

on Saturday afternoon.

would have

layed

Conditional

Perfect

Speculation about

imaginary situations in the

past.

I would have played tennis yesterday if

had asked me.

would have Conditional Continuous hypothetical

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een playing Perf.Continuou

s

situations. I would have been playing with Sue if I

won my last match.

ack to verb list

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