Understanding English Verb Tenses and Conditional Sentences

Present Tenses

Present Simple

• Uses:
  • Talking about habits and routines.
  • Describing states.
  • Talking about general facts and truths.

Present Continuous

• Uses:
  • Talking about actions happening at the moment of speaking.
  • Referring to temporary situations.
• Structure: be + verb + -ing

Present Perfect Simple

• Uses:
  • Actions that started in the past and continue in the present.
  • Past events that have an effect in the present.
  • Describing past experiences without specifying when they occurred.
• Commonly used with: "for" (duration), "since" (starting point), "already" (affirmative), and "yet" (negative and interrogative).
• Structure: have/has + past participle

Past Tenses

Past Simple

• Uses:
  • Talking about past states.
  • Talking about actions completed in the past.
  • Talking about actions that happened repeatedly in the past.
  • Talking about sudden actions that happened in the past.
  • Describing actions that happened rapidly in the past.
• Structure: verb in the past simple form (-ed or irregular)
• Negative/Interrogative: Use did + base form

Past Continuous

• Uses:
  • Talking about actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past.
  • Talking about a past action that was interrupted by another action.
• Structure: was/were + verb + -ing

Past Perfect Simple

• Uses:
  • Talking about actions that happened before other past actions.
  • Talking about actions that happened before a specific moment in the past.
  • Used with phrases like "the first time" and "the second time".
• Structure: had + past participle

Future Forms

Future Simple (will)

• Uses:
  • Making predictions about the future.
  • Making decisions at the moment of speaking.
• Structure: will or won't + base form

Be Going To

• Uses:
  • Making predictions based on evidence.
  • Describing plans and intentions.
• Structure: be going to + base form

Future Perfect Simple

• Use:
  • Used with "by" to indicate an action completed before a future point in time.
• Structure: will have + past participle

Future Continuous

• Uses:
  • Talking about future actions that will be in progress during a period of time, often coinciding with other actions.
  • Referring to planned future actions.
• Structure: will be + verb + -ing

Conditionals

First Conditional

• Structure: If + subject + present simple, subject + will + base form

Second Conditional

• Structure: If + subject + past simple, subject + would + base form

Third Conditional

• Structure: If + subject + past perfect, subject + would have + past participle