Tiempos Verbales en Inglés: Usos, Estructuras y Ejemplos Prácticos

Starter Unit: Tiempos Básicos y Compuestos

Present Simple (Base form / verb + -s)

• Regular habit or routine:
  • She often sits in the common room
• General truth or scientific fact:
  • People exercise to keep fit
• Thought, feeling or expectation (stative verb):
  • Do you want to study French?

Present Continuous (am / is / are + verb + -ing)

• An action that is happening now:
  • They are taking an exam now
• A temporary action:
  • He isn’t studying history this year
• A definite plan for the near future:
  • Are you starting school tomorrow?

Past Simple (Verb + -ed / irregular verbs)

• A completed action in the past:
  • They ran the race last weekend
• Consecutive past actions:
  • I finished my homework and went home

Past Continuous (Was / were + verb -ing)

• An incomplete action in progress at a specific time in the past:
  • Last week, Sue was designing the new costumes for the cast
• An incomplete action in progress interrupted by another action:
  • I was using a landline phone when I found my mobile phone in my pocket
• Two incomplete actions in progress at the same time in the past:
  • My brother was posting updates while we were visiting the museum

Present Perfect Simple (Have / has + Past Participle)

• An action that started in the past and continues to the present:
  • My grandmother has cooked this traditional dish for years
• An action that took place at an undetermined time in the past, but is connected to the present:
  • Sandra has improved her German lately

Past Perfect Simple (Had + Past Participle)

• A completed action which took place before another action in the past:
  • By the time my parents arrived, the fireworks display had already finished

Future Simple (Will + verb)

• Future prediction:
  • The press will publish the scoop tomorrow
• A spontaneous decision:
  • Bring your new gadget. I will help you use it
• A timetable:
  • The lesson will start at 9.00

Be Going To (Am / is / are + going to + verb)

• A planned action for the future:
  • My friends are going to exchange some video games this evening
• An action that is about to happen:
  • Be careful! You are going to fall

Future Perfect Simple (Will + have + Past Participle)

• A completed action at a certain time in the future:
  • I will have finished my essay by the end of this week

Future Continuous (Will + be + verb + -ing)

• An action in progress at a certain future time:
  • At this time tomorrow, we will be getting married

Unit 1: Tiempos Avanzados

Present Perfect Continuous (Have / has + been + verb + -ing)

• An action that started in the past and which still continues in the present:
  • We have been working on our project all day

Past Perfect Continuous (Had + been + verb + -ing)

• An action which continued up to another past action:
  • Sam had been working in Manchester until he moved to London