1

Teacher Carlos

12 TENSES IN ENGLISH
Unlike most parts of speech, verbs change their form. These different forms,
known as tenses, indicate the timing of an action, which is performed by
the first, second, or third person.
Each verb must express a person (first, second, or third), a number
(singular or plural), and a tense (past, present, or future).
It is very important to study all of the tenses, no matter what level you are
in.

If you are in Level 1, youre required to perform in

o simple present,
o present progressive,
o simple past,
o and past progressive.
If you are in Level 2, youre required to perform in
o simple present,
o present progressive,
o simple past,
o past progressive,
o and simple future.
If you are in Level 3, youre required to perform in
o simple present,
o present progressive,
o simple past,
o past progressive,
o simple future,
o future progressive
o and present perfect.

Everyone must know all of the subject pronouns:

I
You
He
She
It
We
You
They

Third person
(singular)

Take a close look at the following 12-tense chart.

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Teacher Carlos

Simple

Past

Present

Future

I ate pizza
yesterday.

I eat pizza every

day.

I will eat pizza

tomorrow.

To indicate a past habit

or an action already
completed.

To express habits or
general truth.

To indicate an action,
condition, or
circumstance which
hasnt taken place yet.

Can be used with or

without adverbs of time.

I was eating
pizza when you
arrived.

Progressi
ve
(continuo
us)

To indicate an
uncompleted action of
the past (with or without
time reference).
To indicate persistence
habits of the past with
(always, continuously,
forever, etc.)

I had eaten all of

the pizza when
you arrived.
Perfect

To indicate a completed
action of the past that
happened before
another event took
place.

To indicate a future
event on a designated
date as part of a plan or
arrangement.

I am eating
pizza right now.
To indicate an action
going on at the time of
speaking.
To indicate a temporary
action which may be
happening at the time of
speaking.

I will be eating
pizza when you
arrive.
To indicate what will be
going on at some time in
the future.
To indicate planned
future events.

With a habitual action

verb, especially to
indicate a stubborn
habit.

I have eaten all

of the pizza.
To indicate a past action
which is not defined by
a time of occurrence.
To indicate an action
which started in the past
and has continued up
until now.

I will have eaten

all of the pizza
by the time you
arrive.
To indicate an action
that will be completed
before another event
takes place.

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Teacher Carlos

Perfect
progressi
ve
(continuo
us)

I had been
eating pizza for
2 hours when
you arrived.

I have been
eating pizza for
2 hours.

To indicate an action in
the past that began
before a certain point in
the past and continued
up until that time.

WATCH OUT HERE!

To indicate an action
which started at some
point in the past and
may or may not be
complete.

played
came
stopped
Cut

eat Ate

To indicate an action
that will have happened
for some time and will
not be complete yet at a
certain point in the
future.

Before you get into the following charts,

make sure you understand this first
chart.

Simple Simple
form past
play
come
stop
cut

I will have been

eating pizza for
2 hours when
you arrive.

Past
participle

Progressive
form

played
come
stopped
cut

playing
coming
stopping
cutting

eaten

eating

Lets use the verb COMER for all of the tenses.

Simple present
Conjugating the verb to be.

Affirmative
Subject pronoun +
verb -to be +
complement.
I
Am
You
Are
He
Is
She
Is
It
Is
We
are
You
are
They are
Conjugating other verbs.

Negative
Subject pronoun +
verb -to be + not +
complement.
I
am
not
You
are
not
He
is
not
She
is
not
It
is
not
We
are
not
You
are
not
They are
not

Interrogative
Verb -to be + subject
pronoun +
complement +?
Am
I
?
Are
you
?
Is
he
?
Is
she
?
Is
It
?
Are
we
?
Are
you
?
Are
they
?

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Teacher Carlos
Here, we need to be careful when adding ( s or
notice that were using

Affirmative
Subject pronoun +
verb (simple form) +
complement.
I

eat

You

eat

He

eats

She

eats

It

eats

We

eat

You

eat

They

eat

es) to a verb in third person. Also

do and does as auxiliaries.

Negative

Interrogative

Subject pronoun +
auxiliary (do/does) +
not + verb (simple
form) + complement.
I
do no eat
t
You
do no eat
t
He
do no eat
t
es
She
do no eat
t
es
It
do no eat
t
es
We
do no eat
t
You
do no eat
t
They do
no eat
t

Auxiliary (do/does) +
subject pronoun +
verb (simple form) +
complement +?
I
eat
?
Do

Do

you

eat

Do
es
Do
es
Do
es
Do

he

eat

she

eat

it

eat

we

eat

Do

you

eat

Do

they

eat

Present progressive
For this tense, we use forms of (to be) in simple present as an auxiliary verb +

ing.
Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

Subject pronoun +
to be (am, is, are) +
verb (ing) +
complement.
I
a
eating
m
You ar
eating
e
He
is
eating
She is
eating
It
is
eating
We
ar
eating
e
You ar
eating
e
The ar
eating
y
e

Subject pronoun + to
be (am, is, are) + not
+ verb (ing) +
complement.
I
a
not eating
m
You ar not eating
e
He
is
not eating
She is
not eating
It
is
not eating
We ar not eating
e
You ar not eating
e
The ar not eating
y
e

To be (am, is, are) +

subject pronoun +
verb (ing) +
complement +?
A
I
?
eating
m
Ar you eating
?
e
Is
he
?
eating
Is
she
?
eating
Is
It
?
eating
Ar we
?
eating
e
Ar you eating
?
e
Ar they eating
?
e

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Teacher Carlos

Simple past
For this tense, we use the auxiliary

Affirmative
Subject pronoun +
verb (simple past) +
complement.
I

ate

You

ate

He

ate

She

ate

It

ate

We

ate

You

ate

They

ate

-did.

Negative

Interrogative

Subject pronoun +
auxiliary (did) + not +
verb (simple form) +
complement.
I
no eat
di
t
d
You
no eat
di
t
d
He
no eat
di
t
d
She
no eat
di
t
d
It
no eat
di
t
d
We
no eat
di
t
d
You
no eat
di
t
d
They di
no eat
t
d

Auxiliary (did) +
subject pronoun +
verb (simple form) +
complement +?
eat
?
Did I

Did

you

eat

Did

he

eat

Did

she

eat

Did

it

eat

Did

we

eat

Did

you

eat

Did

they

eat

Past progressive
For this tense, we use forms of (to be) in simple past + (ing).

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

Subject pronoun +
to be (was, were) +
verb (ing) +
complement.
I
was eating
You wer eating

Subject pronoun + to
be (was, were) + not
+ verb (ing) +
complement.
I
was not eating
You wer not eating

To be (was, were) +
subject pronoun +
verb (ing) +
complement +?
Was I
?
eating
Wer you eating
?

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Teacher Carlos
He
She
It
We
You
The
y

e
was
was
was
wer
e
wer
e
wer
e

eating
eating
eating
eating

He
She
It
We

eating

You

eating

The
y

e
was
was
was
wer
e
wer
e
wer
e

not
not
not
not

eating
eating
eating
eating

not

eating

not

eating

e
Was
Was
Was
Wer
e
Wer
e
Wer
e

he
she
it
we

eating
eating
eating
eating

?
?
?
?

you

eating

the
y

eating

Simple future
For this tense, we use the auxiliary

-will.

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

Subject pronoun +
auxiliary (will) +
verb (simple form) +
complement.
I
wil eat

Subject pronoun +
auxiliary (will) + not +
verb (simple form) +
complement.
I
won eat

Auxiliary (will) +
subject pronoun +
verb (simple form) +
complement +?
eat
?
Will I

l
wil eat
l
He
wil eat
l
She
wil eat
l
It
wil eat
l
We
wil eat
l
You
wil eat
l
They wil eat
l
*will + not = wont
You

You
He
She
It
We
You
They

t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t

eat

Will you

eat

eat

Will he

eat

eat

Will she

eat

eat

Will it

eat

eat

Will we

eat

eat

Will you

eat

eat

Will they

eat

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Teacher Carlos

Future progressive
For this tense, we use the auxiliary (will) + (ing).

Affirmative
Subject pronoun +
auxiliary (will) + to
be + verb (ing) +
complement.
I
wil b eating
l
e
You wil b eating
l
e
He
wil b eating
l
e
She wil b eating
l
e
It
wil b eating
l
e
We
wil b eating
l
e
You wil b eating
l
e
The wil b eating
y
l
e

Negative
Subject pronoun +
wont + to be + verb
(ing) + complement.
I
You
He
She
It
We
You
The
y

won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t
won
t

b
e
b
e
b
e
b
e
b
e
b
e
b
e
b
e

eating
eating
eating
eating
eating
eating
eating
eating

Interrogative
Auxiliary (will) +
subject pronoun + to
be + verb (ing) +
complement +?
wil I
b eating ?
l
e
wil yo
b eating ?
l
u
e
wil he
b eating ?
l
e
wil she b eating ?
l
e
wil it
b eating ?
l
e
wil we b eating ?
l
e
wil yo
b eating ?
l
u
e
wil the b eating ?
l
y
e

Present perfect
For this tense, we use the verb (to have) in simple present as an auxiliary +
(participle

form).

Affirmative

Negative

Subject pronoun +
to have (have, has)
+ verb (past
participle) +
complement.
I
hav eaten
e
You hav eaten
e
He
has eaten
She has eaten
It
has eaten
We
hav eaten
e

Subject pronoun + to
have (have, has) +
not + verb (past
participle) +
complement.
I
hav not eaten
e
You hav not eaten
e
He
has not eaten
She has not eaten
It
has not eaten
We hav not eaten
e

Interrogative
To have (have, has) +
subject pronoun +
verb (past participle)
+ complement +?
Hav
e
Hav
e
Has
Has
Has
Hav
e

eaten

you

eaten

he
she
it
we

eaten
eaten
eaten
eaten

?
?
?
?

8
Teacher Carlos
You
The
y

hav
e
hav
e

eaten

You

eaten

The
y

hav
e
hav
e

not

eaten

not

eaten

Hav
e
Hav
e

you

eaten

they

eaten

Now, you can take a sweet quiz. Write the tense each
sentence belongs to.
1. He

is

smoking

very

__________________________________________.
2. I
believe
we

good

cigarette.

are

____________________________________________________.
3. That
man
over
there
is

young.
my

friend.

____________________________________________.
4. She
is
my

girlfriend.

_______________________________________________________.
5. Those
kids
have
been
playing
_________________________________________.
6. We
will
have
turkey
for
_______________________________________.
7. My
parents
werent
home

tonight.

last

night.
everything.

___________________________________________________.
9. Do
you
have
pets
at

________________________________________.

day.

dinner

_________________________________________.
8. Money
isnt

_________________________________________________.
10. Did
your
sister
go
to
Paris

all

last

home?
month?

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Teacher Carlos

11. What

will

you

be

doing

tonight?

at

UNAM.

_____________________________________________.
12. I
am
a
student
___________________________________________________.
13. They
arent
studying
for
___________________________________________.
14. My
neighbors
were
playing
the

their

guitar

________________________________.
15. Ive
been
waiting

for

last

test.
night.
you.

__________________________________________________.

Spanish note:
Espero y les sirva de algo este pequeo archivo que me llevo cerca de 4 horas para
armarlo bien. En este archivo inclu todos los 12 tiempos. An no tienen que conocer los 12
para esta evaluacin, pero cada quin tendr que echarle un vistazo a la primera hoja para
saber que estudiar de acuerdo a su nivel. El QUIZ que puse al final es para todos los que
gusten analizar la estructura de las oraciones, algunas estn muy sencillas y otras no lo
estn.
Estudien mucho porque como algunos de ustedes ya se habrn dado cuenta, the test is
not a piece of cake. Lo digo por los que tuvieron la oportunidad de presenciar una
simulacin del examen de rbricas.

I wish you the best on your test.