Tiempos verbales en inglés: Present Simple, Continuous, Past y Perfect explicados

1. Present Simple

Uso: hábitos, costumbres, horarios y verdades universales.

• (+) Subject + verb (-s/-es con he/she/it).
• (−) Subject + don’t/doesn’t + verb.
• (?) Do/Does + subject + verb?

Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom, hardly ever, never.

Stative verbs: like, love, hate, need, want, believe, know, understand, belong, seem, prefer, think.

2. Present Continuous

Uso: acciones que ocurren ahora, situaciones temporales y planes futuros organizados.

(+) Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing.

(−) Subject + am/is/are + not + verb-ing.

(?) Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?

Time expressions: now, right now, at the moment, today, this week, this year, currently, look!, listen!

3. Past Simple

Uso: acciones terminadas en el pasado.

• (+) Subject + verb-ed / 2nd column (irregular verbs).
• (−) Subject + didn’t + verb.
• (?) Did + subject + verb?

Time expressions: yesterday, … ago, last week/month/year, in 1998, when, suddenly.

4. Past Continuous

Uso: acciones que estaban ocurriendo en un momento del pasado.

(+) Subject + was/were + verb-ing.

(−) Subject + wasn’t/weren’t + verb-ing.

(?) Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?

Time expressions: while, as, at that moment, at 3 o’clock, all morning.

5. Present Perfect

Uso: acciones pasadas relacionadas con el presente; experiencias, resultados o situaciones que continúan hasta ahora.

• (+) Subject + have/has + past participle (3rd column).
• (−) Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle.
• (?) Have/Has + subject + past participle?

Time expressions:

• For = durante / desde hace.
• Since = desde.

Already = ya (normalmente afirmativa, en medio).

• Yet = ya / todavía (negativas e interrogativas, al final).
• Just = acabar de (en medio).
• Ever = alguna vez (preguntas, normalmente en medio).
• Never = nunca.
• So far = hasta ahora.
• Before = antes.
• Recently = recientemente.
• Lately = últimamente.
• How long…? = ¿Cuánto tiempo…?

6. Present Perfect Continuous

Uso: acciones que comenzaron en el pasado y continúan ahora; destaca la duración o el proceso.

(+) Subject + have/has been + verb-ing.

• (−) Subject + haven’t/hasn’t been + verb-ing.
• (?) Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing?

Time expressions: for, since, all morning, for two hours, the whole day, lately, recently, how long…?