Chart 1.

Tenses in the active voice

Simple present Present continuous Present perfect Meaning 1: The action has just ended. Adverbs of time: already; just; yet. Examples: He has already done it. I have just seen him. Present perfect continuous

Meaning 1: The action Meaning 1: Habitual, is going on right now. regular action in the present. Adverbs of time: now; right now; at the moment. Adverbs of frequency: usually; every day; often; Examples: You are sometimes; rarely. reading this material now. I'm writing a Examples: I usually letter at the moment. work till seven o'clock. He visits them Meaning 2: The action sometimes. is going on at the present time. Meaning 2: Stating a fact, general truth, Adverbs of time: state or condition. now; at present; today; this year. Examples: He lives in Moscow and works at Examples: She is a bank. The sun rises writing a new novel in the east. now. He is studying German this year.

Meaning: The action has lasted for some time by now.

Adverbs of time: so far; by now; since; lately; for an hour; for Meaning 2: Reporting how things a week; for five years. have developed by now. Examples: She has been working as a Adverbs of time: by teacher since she graduated from now; so far; never; ever; several times; college. He has been sleeping for two hours since; lately. already. Examples: So far, he has written five books. She has never visited Rome. Note: Present perfect Note: Simple present Note: Present can replace the Note: Present perfect can replace the simple continuous can replace present perfect continuous shows the future with the the simple future with continuous for the action that has lasted meaning "according to the meaning action that has lasted for some time by now timetable". "preplanned action". for some time by and is still going on. now. Examples: The ship Examples: I'm going Example: How long arrives next week. He to leave tomorrow. I Example: He has have you been waiting works tomorrow. am leaving tomorrow. slept for two hours here? already. Note: Present perfect Note: Simple present is used instead of the is used instead of the Note: Stative verbs Note: Stative verbs present perfect present continuous "know, understand, "know, understand, continuous with with stative verbs. remember, like, love, remember, like, love, stative verbs. hate, want, see, hear, hate, want, see, hear, seem, look", etc., are seem, look", etc., are Examples: I see a Examples: She has not used in the not used in the little boy now. I known them for six continuous tenses. understand what you continuous tenses. years. She has loved mean. him all her life.

Past perfect continuous Meaning: The action lasted for some time Meaning: The action Meaning: The action before another past Meaning: The action happened before was going on (1) when action or before some happened (started and another past action or another past action point of time in the ended) in the past. before some point of happened or (2) at past. time in the past. some point of time in Adverbs of time: the past. Adverbs of time: by yesterday; last week; Adverbs of time: by the time; before; after; last year; in 1995; in the time; before; by yesterday; by 2005; Adverbs of time: 2009; two hours ago; after; by 1998; by while; when; at five for two hours; for a four years ago. yesterday; by last o'clock yesterday. long time. Sunday. Examples: I saw him Examples: When he Examples: By the an hour ago. He came Examples: By the came in, I was reading time he returned, I had back last Friday. They time he returned, she a letter. We were been working for six visited London in had already left. All watching TV at three hours. By 2006, he 2009. residents had left the o'clock yesterday. had been living in that village by last week. house for twenty years. Note: Use the simple Note: Past perfect past for completed can replace the past Note: Use the past past actions, including Note: Use the simple perfect continuous perfect instead of the the actions that lasted past instead of the past for the action that past perfect for some time or continuous with stative lasted for some time continuous with happened one after verbs. before another action stative verbs. another in the past. in the past. Examples: She looked Examples: She had Examples: He sold quite good when I Examples: By the known him for five cars for three years, visited her yesterday. time he returned, I years by the time they then quit his job, and had worked for six got married. started to write short hours. stories. Simple past Past continuous Past perfect Simple future Meaning: The action will happen in the future. Adverbs of time: tomorrow; in a few days; next week; in 2025; in the future. Future continuous Meaning: The action will be going on (1) when another future action happens or (2) at some point of time in the future. Future perfect Meaning: The action will happen before another future action or before some point of time in the future. Future perfect continuous Meaning: The action will last for some time before another future action or before some point of time in the future.

Adverbs of time: by Adverbs of time: at the time; by 2035; by Adverbs of time: by three tomorrow; this tomorrow; before. the time; by 2030; by tomorrow; before; for Examples: I think he time next year; two two hours; for a long will return next week. days from now; when. Examples: By the I will probably see him time I get there, she time. in a few days. Examples: He'll be will have left. By

sleeping at two 2050, scientists will tomorrow. When you have found the cure come to the library, I'll for cancer. be sitting by the central window.

Examples: By the time he returns, I will have been working for nine hours. By 2025, he will have been living here for fifty years.

Chart 2. Tenses in the passive voice

Simple present Present continuous Present perfect Meaning 1: The action has just ended. Adverbs of time: already; just; yet. Present perfect continuous

Meaning 1: Habitual, regular action in the present.

Adverbs of frequency: Meaning: The action is usually; every day; often; Examples: The letter has going on now. sometimes; rarely. already been sent. We have just been informed of Adverbs of time: now; his arrival. Examples: Mail is right now; at the usually delivered at eight moment. o'clock. This blog is Meaning 2: Reporting updated every day. how things have Examples: He is being developed by now. examined by the doctor Meaning 2: Stating a at the moment. The fact, general truth, state or Adverbs of time: by now; report is being typed condition. so far; never; ever; several right now. times; since; lately. Examples: English is spoken in many countries. Examples: So far, ten Water is composed of workers have been fired. hydrogen and oxygen. He has never been invited to their house before. Simple past Meaning: The action happened in the past. Past continuous Past perfect Meaning: The action happened before another past action or before some point of time in the past. Adverbs of time: by the time; before; after; by 1990; by yesterday; by last week. Examples: By the time I Past perfect continuous

Meaning: The action was going on (1) when another past action happened or (2) at some Adverbs of time: yesterday; last week; last point of time in the past. year; in 1996; in 2010; two hours ago. Adverbs of time: while; when; at five o'clock yesterday. Examples: His house was built a year ago. She was offered a good job Examples: When I

last week. The telephone came to the hospital, returned, the work on the was invented by Tom was being project had been finished. Alexander Bell. examined by the doctor. By 1995, all apartments in the new building had been sold. Simple future Future continuous Future perfect Meaning: The action will happen before another future action or before some point of time in the future. Adverbs of time: by the time; by 2035; by tomorrow; before. Examples: By the time you return, the report will have been typed. By 2050 the cure for cancer will have been found. Future perfect continuous

Meaning: The action will happen in the future. Adverbs of time: tomorrow; in a few days; next week; in 2025; in the future. Examples: The film will be released in a month. This work will be done tomorrow.