First Certificate in

English
Grammar: VERB TENSES
Explanations:
Explanations: Uses
Exercises for further practise and consolidation

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 Contents:

1. Present Simple

2. Present Continuous or Progressive

3. Past Time (All tenses)

4. Present Perfect (Simple and Progressive)

5. Future Time (All forms)

6. Exercises

7. Grammar Reference

8. Bibliography

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 PRESENT SIMPLE

1. Facts which are always true.

The present simple is used to describe facts in science, and
geographical descriptions.
The light from the Sun takes 8 mins 20 secs to reach the Earth
The River Po flows into the Adriaqtic Sea.

2. Habitual actions
The present simple is used to describe habitual actons. A frequency
adverb is often used.
I usually take the bus to school 

3. Plot summaries and historical tables.

The present simple is used tyo describe events in a narrative, when
the events are summarised. It is used to describe what happens in a
film or a book, or in a table of events.
In Chapter one, Susan meets David at school 
1789. The French Revolution begins.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE

1. Actions which are still in progress

The presnt progressive is used to describe actions which are
temporary and not yet finished.
 I’m listening to music now 

2. Habits over a period of time

The present progressive can describe a temporary habit. A time
epression is necessary.
 At the moment we’re sharing the house with my brother-in-law and 
his wife until they can have their own.

3. A repeated temporary event

The present continuous can describe a repeated temporary action. A
time expression is necessary.
Whenever I see Tom, he’s smoking! 
You’re making the same mistake again!

4. An annoying habit
The present continuous is used to describe an annoying habit. A
frequency adver is compulsory.
You’re always complaining! 
She’s constantly borrowing money from us!

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2009
STATE VERBS
Some verbs are not normally used in the progressive, because they
describe activities which already extend in time. These are called
STATE VERBS

Be Believe Cost Depend Have Hear Know Matter Smell Suppose Taste
Think Understand 

Some of these verbs can be used in the continuous form BUT with a
change in meaning:
Tim is being rather difficult at the moment. (Behave)
 I’m having lunch. (Eat)
 I’m tasting the soup, to cheek if it needs more salt. (Sample)
 I’m thinking of buying a new car. (Consider)

PAST TIME (all tenses)

Narrative
1. Main events
The past simple is used to describe finished events in the past.
Sally went into the station and bought a ticket.

2. Background description
The past continuous is used to describe actions still in progress, and
is used for background description.
There were a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were
 sleeping ond the benches, and others were walking up and 
down.

3. Past before past

The past perfect is used to describe a past event which took place
before another past event.
By the time the train arrived  , Sally had managed to puesh her 
away to the front of the crowd.
Note: it is not necessary to use past perfect if there’s a time
expression tat states clearly the order in which the actions happened.
Before the train arrived, Susan managed to push her away to the
front of the crowd.

4. Interrupted past actions

We often contrast an action still in progress with a sudden event
which interrupts it.
While Sally was trying to get onto the platform, a man grabbed her 
handbag.

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 Habits in the past
1. Past simple
The past ssimple is used to describe past habits or states. A time
expression is usually necessary.
I always got up at six those days. (Habit)
I lived in Australia several years. (State)

2. Used to
Used to is used to describe past habits, usually in contrast with the
present.
 I used to get up at six, but now I get up at eight.
(Note: Time expressions are not necessary)
Used to can also describe past states.
I used to own a horse. (I owned a horse once)

3. Would
Would is used to describe a person’s typical activities in the past. It
can ONLY be used for repeated actions, and is mainly used in writing,
and in personal reminiscences.
Every morning was the same. Jack would turn on the radio, light his
 pipe and fell asleep.

4. Past Continuous
The past continuous can be used to describe repeated actions in the
past, often an annoying habit. A frequency adverb is compulsory.
When he was young, he was always getting into trouble.

Politeness and Uncertainty

The past continuous with the verb WONDER has a polite meaning.
I was wondering if you could help me.
With the verb THINK the past continuous suggests uncertainty.
I was thinking of having a party next week.

PRESENT PERFECT

Recent events
1. Present perfect simple
The present perfect simple is used to describe events without a
definite time. The idea of time or place in the speaker’s mind makes
the event recent. A time expression may emphasise recentness.
I’ve left my shopping bag behind.
I’ve just borken my watch.
We can also describe events that have not happened.
I haven’t found her phone number yet.
The event may be connected with the present, because the result of 
the event is present. No definite time is given for the event.

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I’ve broken my arm as you can see.

Indefinite events
1. Present perfect simple
No definite time is given for the event.
I’ve been in Mar del Plata three times

2. Compared with past simple

Events described using the past simple have definite times.
I went to Merlo last year.
The tense used can depend on the time expression.
This is the first time I’ve eaten Japanese food.

2. Definite places
If we think of a definite place for an event, this may suggest a
definite time.
I’ve left my shopping bag on the train.

Extended or repeated events

1. Present perfect simple
With verbs that describe states, the present perfect simple describes
a state which lasts up to the present.
I’ve lived in this house for five years.

2. Present perfect continuous

The present perfect progressive also describes a state which lasts up
to the present moment.
I’ve been living in this house for five years.
There is little difference in meaning between simple and continuous in
this case, or in How long.. questions. The verbs sit, lie, wait, stay
prefer the present perfect continuous.
How long have you been waiting? 

3. Present perefect simple

This tense can describe an habitual action over a period of time up to
the present moment.
I’ve never worn a tie to work, and I refuse to start now!

CONTRASTS BETWEEN SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS

1. Not Completed
Use of the present perfect continuous can suggest that an action is
not completed, or has recently finished.
We’ve been walking for hours! Let’s have a rest.
I’ve been digging the garden. That’s why I’m so dirty!

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
2. Completed
Use of the present perfect simple can show that an action is
incomplete. Giving the number of actions suggests completion.
I’ve written ten pages of my homework assignment!

FUTURE TIME (All forms)

Prediction
1. Will
Will is used to make predictions. It is often preceded by I think or by
opinion words like perhaps. A time expression is also necessary.
I think it’ll rain tomorrow.
Perhaps she’ll be late.
In speech both will and shall are contracted to ‘ll. Use of shall after I
and we is more common in formal speech.

2. Going to
If a predicted event is very near, and especially in impersonal
statements, going to is also commonly used for predictions.
You’re going to fall!

3. Present cause
We often make predictions because we can see the cause of the
event.
Look out! There’s a bus coming! It’s going to hit us!
I can see you’re going to have a baby.

4. Future Continuous
The future continuous i used to describe a situation in the future at a
particular time.
This time next week we’ll be eating lunch on the plane!
It is also used to predict a future state or habit at a particular time in
the future.
In ten years time I expect I’ll be living in Buenos Aires.

5. Future Perfect
The future perfect looks back form a point in the future and refers to
indefinite time up to that pint.
By the time we get there, the film will have started.
This means at the future time when we get there, we can say:
The film has started.

Future time clauses

1. After time expressions WHEN, UNTIL and AS SOON AS a present
tense form is used, although this refers to future time.
I’ll wait fotr you until you get back 

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2. The present perfect can be used to emphasise the completion of an
event.
I’ll wait here until you have finished 

Intention
1. Going to
Going to is used to describe a present intention.
I’m going to fix the television tomorrow 

2. Will
Will is also used for decisions made at the time of speaking
Oh! It’s Bob’s birthday tomorrow! I’ll buy him a present when I can.

Plans and Facts

1. Present progressive
The present progressive is used to describe plans and arrangements
which are definite. Such arrangements may be written in a diary.
Sorry, I can’t help you. I’m leaving tomorrow morning.

2. Present Simple
This tense is used to describe future events which we cannot control.
They may be facts, such as events in a timetable, or a law.
The plane for Brazil leaves at 9.45.

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 Exercises
FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION

Which of the uses explained above you didn’t know? Did you find any interesting 
information in the explanations given? 

How would you organize that “new” information so that you remember it better? 

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 FROM THEORY TO PRACTISE... Exercises to learn

Present Simple vs Present Progressive

1. Change these sentences into Present Progressive

a) He paints beautifully.

b) Sarah is nervous.

c) People get their services paid via internet nowadays.

d) Charles always complains about everything!

Look back on the previous sentences think and answer: What is t he difference in
MEANING between the sentences? 

Stative Verbs

1. Define – in your own words- what is a stative or state verb:

2. Look back to the different verbs mentioned that are stative. Do you find anything in
common? 
Look at these categories. Which ones refer to state verbs? TICK them

• Senses
• Abilities
• Feelings
• Mind states
• Emotions
• Other 

3. Complete the sentences with the verbs given. Decide if the verb must take an –ing 
form and justify your choice briefly.

a) I ____________________ of moving town. I’m fed up with the noises here!

THINK

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 b) George ____________________ that this is not the right thing to do.
THINK

c) The cookers ____________________ the wine to see if it’s got the flavour they
want.
TASTE

d) Mary ____________________ dinner with some friends tonight.

HAVE

e) Argentina ____________________ many different and colourful landscapes to

see.
HAVE

4. Write sentences with the verbs given. Follow the instructions carefully.
Note: The verbs Must be only in present simple or continuous.

a) FINISH: Future time reference

b) COMB: Habit

c) SEE: Future arrangement

d) TEASE: Annoying habit

Other uses of the -ing form:

Read the poem and extract the –ing forms.
Which function do they take:

a) Adjectives?

b) Adverbs?

c) Nouns?

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
Past Time

1.In the following texts identify the use of the past time (narrative, habitual action in the
 past, etc.) and justify your choices clearly.

TEXT 1

TEXT 2

TEXT 3

“It was dusky in the dining-room and quite chilly. But all the same Bertha threw off 
her coat; she could not bear the tight clasp of it another moment, and the cold air fell
on her arms.

But in her bosom there was still that bright glowing place - that shower of little
sparks coming from it. It was almost unbearable. She hardly dared to breathe for fear 
of fanning it higher, and yet she breathed deeply, deeply. She hardly dared to look 
into the cold mirror - but she did look, and it gave her back a woman, radiant, with
smiling, trembling lips, with big, dark eyes and an air of listening, waiting for 
something ... divine to happen ... that she knew must happen ... infallibly.”

Extracted from BLISS, by Katherine Mansfield

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
2. Write sentences to illustrate the different uses of the past progressive tense:

3. Put the verbs into a suitable tense:

a) The police (pay) __________________ no attention to Clare’s complaint

because she (phone) __________________ them so many times before.
b) Mary (not wear) __________________ her glasses at that time, so she (not
notice) __________________ what kind of car the man
(drive)__________________.
c) Nick (lie) __________________ down on the grass for a while, next to some
tourists who (feed) __________________the ducks.
d) Tony (admit) __________________ that he (hit) __________________ the
other car, but said he (not damage) __________________ it.
e) Sorry, I (not listen) __________________ to you. I (think)
 __________________ about something else.
f) Helen (feel) __________________ very tired, and while she (finish)
 __________________ her homework, she (fall) __________________ asleep.
g) The police (get) __________________ to Mark’s house as fast as they could,
but the burglars (disappear) __________________.

4. Invent a story that 

 provides an
explanation for the
following picture:
200 words maximum

Remember:
 Give your story
a good tittle
(don’t underline
the tittle)
 Write your story
using the PAST
time
 If possible,
include some
phrasal verbs or 
vocabulary
developed in
class

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 Present Perfect

1. Answer these questions:

a) What is the difference between past simple and present perfect simple?

b) What is the difference between present perfect simple and present perfect
continuous?

2. Choose the most suitable time expression:

a) I haven’t seen Jerry for/ since a long time.

b) It’s ages ago/since i last went to a football match.
c) I’ve written to David last week/ recently.
d) What have you been doing today/ yesterday?
e) Have you eaten Italian food before/ already?
f) I’ve been living here in/ since the end of last year.
g) Actually I had dinner with Sue last night/ lately.
h) I’ve been trying to get in touch with Amanda for ages/ for the last time.

3. Put each verb into the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous:

a) Someone (eat) ____________________ the cakes!

b) What you (buy) ____________________ your sister for her birthday?
c) My throat is really sore. I (sing) ____________________ all evening.
d) Brenda (learn) ____________________ Russian, but she finds it difficult.
e) How many people you (invite) ____________________ for the party?
f) Those two cats (sit) ____________________ on that branch for the last hour.
g) It (rains) ____________________ all day! Why can’t it stop!
h) I (do) ____________________ everything you asked.
i) Graham and Sally (try) ____________________ to find a house for ages, but
they can’t find one they can afford.

Future Time

1. Read to some predictions and highlight the future forms used. Do these forms
agree with what has been exposed in the theory?

January

• January 1 - Poland will adopt the Euro.

• January 13–22 - The first Winter Youth Olympics will be held in Innsbruck, Austria.

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
 • January 31 - 433 Eros, the second-largest Near Earth Object on record (size
13×13×33 km) will pass Earth at 0.1790 astronomical units (26,778,019 km;
16,639,090 mi). NASA studied Eros with the NEAR Shoemaker probe launched on
1996-02-17.

February

• February 5 - Super Bowl XLVI will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis,
Indiana.

March

• March 22 - Unless the European Council votes to extend current copyright law, The
Beatles debut album, Please Please Me, will fall out of copyright.

April

• April 17 - The United States will cede wartime control of the military of the Republic of 
Korea after 50 years and dissolve the Combined Forces Command. Two distinct
military commands (South Korea and the United States) will operate in Korea during
wartime, rather than one unified command under the Combined Forces Command.

2. True or false? Correct the false statements:

a) We can use present simple to denote future time reference.

b) We use “be going to” to indicate on-the-spot decisions (i.e: decisions taken at
the moment of speaking)

c) We use present progressive to refer to future arrangements.

d) We use will to express a near future based on a preent evidence.

e) The sentence “ I will be visiting my parents next month” is incorrect.

f) Future perfect is used to describe an action that will be finished before another 
action, also future.

3. Write sentences using the adverbials indicated. All sentences must have a future
time reference:

a) Tomorrow

b) By the year 2012

c) Next week

d) By that time

e) In the next ten years

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
4. Fill in with the grammatical structure that corresponds to each future form:

Future forms
WILL BE GOING TO PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

Will+infinitive

FUTURE PERFECT FUTURE CONTINUOUS

5. Write as many sentences as you wish using these verbs:

GIVE HAPPEN BE CONTRIBUTE
Remember:
 All sentences must have future time reference
 Try to use ALL forms studied (see chart on the previous exercise)
 Use clear time references to back up your choices (adverbs, adverbials, etc)

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
Grammar Reference:

List of Irregular Verbs in English

Present Past Past Participle
be was, were been
become became become
begin began begun
blow blew blown
break broke broken
bring brought brought
build built built
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
burst burst burst
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
do did done
drink drank drunk
drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grow grew grown
have had had
hear heard heard
hide hid hidden
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
leave left left
let let let
lie lay lain
lose lost lost
make made made
meet met met
pay paid paid
quit quit quit
read read read
ride rode ridden
run ran run
say said said
see saw seen
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
shake shook shaken
shine shone shone
sing sang sung
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
speak spoke spoken
spend spent spent
spring sprang sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
understand understood understood
wake woke (waked) woken (waked)
wear wore worn
win won won
write wrote written

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009
Bibliography Consulted:

FIRST CERTIFICATE LANGUAGE PRACTISE by Michael Vince- Heinemann, 1996

Webpages Consulted:

Wikipedia.com
Classicreader.com
Gardendigest.com
Owl.english.purdue.edu

Contact:
gonza432_2@hotmail.com

Gonzalo Velo de Ipola

2009