TENSE CHART
TENSE CHART
Verb
(to play) |
Tense
|
Use
|
Example
|
I
play
|
Present
simple
|
▪
Regular activities - routine - habits
|
▪ Anne and
Sophie play tennis on Saturday
afternoons.
|
I am
playing
|
Present
continuous
|
▪
Continuous action now or at the present time.
|
▪ Anne
and Sophie are playing at the moment.
|
I
have played
|
Present
Perfect Simple
|
▪
Finished part of a continuous action
▪ Completed actions in an unfinished period of time ▪ Recent events (no time mentioned) ▪ Past action with a result in the present. ▪ Experiences (no time mentioned) |
▪ So
far they have playedtwo sets.
▪ They have played several other matches this month. ▪ Their parents have justarrived. ▪ Sophie has broken her racket so she's got to change it. ▪ They have played in many tournaments. |
I
have been playing
|
Present
Perfect Continuous
|
▪
Actions begun in the past which continue today.
|
▪ They have been playingtennis since 2 pm.
|
I
played
|
Past
Simple
|
▪
Finished actions at a specific time in the past.
|
▪ Last
Saturday Sophieplayed in another tournament.
|
I
was playing
|
Past
Continuous
|
▪
Continuous actions at a specific time in the past.
|
▪ At 2.30
pm they were starting the second set.
|
I
had played
|
Past
Perfect
Simple
|
▪
Actions before a specific time in the past.
|
▪ Before
they arrived, two other people had played a match.
|
I
had been playing
|
Past
Perfect Continuous
|
▪
Past continuous actions
|
▪ When
their parents arrived, they were alreadyplaying.
|
I
will play
|
Future
simple
|
▪
Predictions
▪ Spontaneous decisions or offers |
▪ Sophie will win the match today.
▪ I'll lend you my tennis racket! |
I
will be playing
|
Future
continuous
|
▪
Future continuous actions
|
▪ Next
Saturday they will be playing in another town.
|
I
will have played
|
Future
perfect
|
▪
Completed future action.
|
▪ By
September, they will have played 12 matches.
|
I
will have been playing
|
Future
perfect continuous
|
▪
Continuous future action completed at a given time.
|
▪ At 4 pm
Anne and Sophiewill have been playing for 2 hours.
|
I
would play
|
Conditional
Simple
|
▪
Probable action in an imaginary situation
|
▪ I would play tennis if I had a racket.
|
I
would be playing
|
Conditional
Continuous
|
▪ Continuous
action in an imaginary situation.
|
▪ Anne would be playingtennis if you came
on a Saturday afternoon.
|
I
would have played
|
Conditional
Perfect
|
▪ Speculating
about hypothetical situations in the past.
|
▪ I would have playedyesterday if you had asked me.
|
I
would have been playing
|
Cond.
Perfect Continuous
|
▪ Continuous
hypothetical situations.
|
▪ I would have been playing with Anne if I had won my last match.
|
Thank you so much for this chart and explanations. They will help our teachers and pupils in English Grammar lessons.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth C. Ogwezzy
PROPRIETRESS
The Bethel Academy, Ugbolu, Delta State, Nigeria