Verb Tenses
A "How long ___________ each other?"
B: "We _________ for 10 months."
A choices: have you known, do you know, have you been knowing
B choices: go out, 've been going out, are going out
A "How long have you known each other?"
B: "We've been going out for 10 months."
➪ In the first gap, we use the present perfect simple with non-action verbs to talk about unfinished situations from past until now, i.e. situations that started in the past and are still true. The verb know is a non-action verb, so it cannot be used in continuous forms.
➪ In the second gap, we use the present perfect continuous with action verbs to talk about situations that started in the past and are still true.
The doctor says I might / must get more exercise.
The doctor says I must get more exercise.
I'm totally stressed out now, but this time next week I _________ a mojito on a beach in Ibiza.
'm having, 'll have had, 'll be having
I'm totally stressed out now, but this time next week I'll be having a mojito on a beach in Ibiza.
➪ We use the future continuous to talk about actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future.
➪ It's very common to use the future continuous with expressions such as this time tomorrow/this time next.../etc.
Make the first conditional:
If I (go) out tonight, I (go) to the cinema.
If I go out tonight, I'll go to the cinema.
We _____ for nearly an hour when we realised that we were totally lost.
We had been walking for nearly an hour when we realised that we were totally lost.
➪ We use the past perfect continuous with dynamic verbs to talk about longer continuous actions that started earlier in the past than the main events of the story.
By the time he was twenty, he _________ ten tournaments.
won
had won
was winning
By the time he was twenty, he had won ten tournaments.
We use the past perfect simple to talk about events that happened earlier in the past.
You look great in brown. You (should / can) wear it more often.
You look great in brown. You should wear it more often.
Why do you look so tired? _____ the house?
a.Did you clean
b.Have you cleaned
c.Have you been cleaning
d.Do you clean
Why do you look so tired? Have you been cleaning the house?
➪ We use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue or have just finished, and often have present results.
➪ We use the present perfect simple when the present results come from having finished the action, and we use the present perfect continuous when the present results come from the process of performing the action (which may or may not have finished).
Make the first conditional:
If you (get) back late, I (be) angry.
If you get back late, I'll be angry.
Make the second conditional:
If I (be) you, I (get) a new job.
If I were you, I'd get a new job.
A: "I ________ on the 2 p.m. train."
B: "Please, call me as soon as you ________"
A choices: will have left, 'm leaving, will leave
B choices: will arrive, are going to arrive, arrive
A: "I'm leaving on the 2 p.m. train."
B: "Please, call me as soon as you arrive"
➪ We can use the present continuous (I'm leaving) or future continuous (I'll be leaving) to talk about future arrangements.
➪ In the second gap, we use the present simple to talk about the future in future time clauses, i.e. after when, as soon as, once, etc.)
His arm is broken, so he (isn’t able to / may not) write.
His arm is broken, so he isn’t able to write.
When I __________ around, the bike _________. It wasn't there anymore.
turned, was turning, had turned
was disappearing, had disappeared, disappeared
When I turned around, the bike had disappeared. It wasn't there anymore.
➪ In the first gap, we use the past simple to talk about past finished events. In a narrative we use the past simple to describe the main events in chronological order.
➪ In the second gap, we use the past perfect to talk about events that happened earlier in the past.
Make the first conditional:
If we (not/see) each other tomorrow, we (see) each other next week.
If we don't see each other tomorrow, we'll see each other next week.
Make the second conditional:
If we (win) the lottery, we (travel) the world.
If we won the lottery, we'd travel the world.
A: "I'm looking for Dave. ________ you see him?"
B: "He's ill. He __________ five minutes ago.
A Choices: Did you see, have you seen, do you see
B Choices: called, has called, was calling
A: "I'm looking for Dave. Have you seen him?"
B: "He's ill. He called five minutes ago.
➪ In the first gap, we use the present perfect to talk about recent events when we don’t say when they happened.
➪ In the second gap, we use the past simple to talk about past finished actions (usually with a past time expression, like ‘five minutes ago')
He stopped the car so he should / could rest for a while.
He stopped the car so he could rest for a while.
A: "Is it true? ____________ to Erika?"
B: "Yes, I ___________ so sure about anything in my life."
Are you proposing, will you propose, Are you going to propose
never wasn't, 've never been, was never being
A: "Is it true? Are you going to propose to Erika?"
B: "Yes, I've never been so sure about anything in my life."
➪ In the first gap, we use be going to to talk about intentions or plans.
➪ In the second gap, we use the present perfect to talk about past experiences when we don’t say when they happened. (Common with never, ever, before, superlative + ever, number of times until now.)
Make the first conditional:
If we (wait) here, we (be) late.
If we wait here, we'll be late.
They (play) really well recently. If they keep playing like this, how many matches do you think they (win) by the end of the season?
They have been playing really well recently. If they keep playing like this, how many matches do you think they will have won by the end of the season?
➪ In the first gap, we use the present perfect continuous with an action verb to talk about a situation that started in the past and is still true.
➪ In the second gap, we use the future perfect to talk about an action that will be finished or completed at a certain time in the future.
A: "Patrick! Hi! What _________ in York?"
B: "Hi! I _________. I'm here with one of my colleagues, who _________ a presentation at the University this afternoon.
A choices: have you done, do you do, are you doing
B choices: just arrived, 've just arrived, am just arrived
gives will, give, will be giving
A: "Patrick! Hi! What are you doing in York?"
B: "Hi! I've just arrived. I'm here with one of my colleagues, who will be giving a presentation at the University this afternoon.
➪ In the first gap, we use the present continuous to talk about actions in progress now.
➪ In the second gap, we use the present perfect to talk about recent events when we don’t say when they happened. (Common with already, yet, just, recently, today, this week, etc.)
➪ In the third gap, we use the future continuous to talk about future arrangements. We could also use the present continuous in this sentence.
You shouldn’t buy / shouldn’t have bought that gift. It was much too expensive.
You shouldn’t have bought that gift. It was much too expensive.
It is estimated that by the year 2025, today's world population of 5.8 billion ____________ to 8.3 billion and most of them _____________ in cities.
will have risen, will rise, will be rising
will be living, will live, are going to live
It is estimated that by the year 2025, today's world population of 5.8 billion will have risen to 8.3 billion and most of them will be living in cities.
➪ In the first gap, we use the future perfect to talk about an action that will be finished or completed at a certain time in the future.
➪ In the second gap, we use the future continuous to talk about actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future.
Make the first conditional:
If the weather (not/improve) , we (not/have) a picnic.
If the weather doesn't improve, we won't have a picnic.
It's Thanksgiving Day, and today at 3 p.m. most of us (eating) our turkey. But some other people (not finish) cooking by that time and they'll have to wait a little longer to eat.
It's Thanksgiving Day, and today at 3 p.m. most of us will be eating our turkey. But some other people will not have finished cooking by that time and they'll have to wait a little longer to eat.
Correct answers: will be eating / will not have finished
➪ In the first gap, we use the future continuous to talk about an action that will be in progress at a certain time in the future. We could also use will + infinitive, or be going to but then the meaning would be different. It would mean that we will start eating at that time.
➪ In the second gap, we use the future perfect to talk about actions that will (not) be completed before certain time in the future.