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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