English tenses.
Hello! I’m going to try to explain tenses in english. I’m not an english native speaker so if I made a mistake, please tell me.
PRESENT:
The simple present:
used to make statements about the present time OR to talk about scheduled events in the near future OR to talk about actions that happen regularly OR to talk about things that do not often change.
The present continuous (be+ing):
for temporary actions happening now OR to definite plans for the futur.
Simple present perfect (have+PP):
with «how long/for/since» for verbs not normally used in continuous forms like be, have, know, like OR for completed action when no time is given OR with ever, already, yet, just OR when we say How many/how many times OR with superlatives OR if action started in the past and is still going now.
Present perfect continuous:
for continuous actions, especially for questions with «how long» and answer with «for since» OR for continuous actions.
PAST:
Simple past:
describes an action or situation in the past when the event is completely finished OR when we say the time/place of the past event OR finished actions with a past time expression like yesterday, ago, last week, etc.
Past continuous:
for actions in progress at a specific moment in the past.
Simple past perfect (had+participle):
to talk about an action that happened before another event in the past OR for a reported speech.
Past perfect continuous (has been+ing):
to talk about an action that started in the past and continued up until another event in the past.
FUTURE:
Future (will + verb):
for futur predictions and facts. Will is also used to male spontaneous responses OR to mean «I want to» or «be willing to» OR in reference to offers and promises.
Be going to:
to describe future plans OR intentions OR predictions based on present evidence.
Future continuous (will be+ing):
when an action will be in progress in the futur OR for an action in the futur that happens around a certain time OR for formal offers OR to check information OR for sympathetic predictions.
Simple future perfect (will have+PP):
to show that an action will be completed by a certain time in the future/Futur perfect continuous (will have been+ing): to show how long an activity will be taking place before another in the future.
CONDITIONAL:
Zero conditional:
› (if+simple present…simple present):
for general truths.
› (if+present continuous…simple present):
for habits and things that always happen.
› (if+present simple… imperative):
to give instructions or invitations.
First conditional (if+present…futur simple):
to talk about future possibilities.
«Will»
is a modal verb, other modal verb express different meanings (can, could, might).
«If»
can be replaced with whether or unless.
Second conditional (if+simple past/simple continuous…would/could/might+verb inf):
used to talk about hypothetical situation (imaginary situations OR impossible situations OR improbable situations).
Third conditional (if+past perfect…would/should/could/might have+past participle):
used to talk about past hypothetical situations, things that didn’t happen in the past.
OTHERS:
Imperative (use the verb without a pronoun):
to give a direct order OR to give instruction OR to give informal advice OR to invite OR on signs and notices.Â
Gerund:
after prepositions OR after certain verbs (like, love, hate, enjoy, mind, finish, stop) OR as a subject of a sentence.
To+Infinitive:
after adjectives OR after certain verbs(would like, want, need, decide, hope, expect, plan, forget, seem, try, promise, offer, refuse, learn, manage) OR to express purpose/reason.Â
Hope it’s useful (: