English Tenses - Review for CELTA Interview

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I make a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake is made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) Something happens repeatedly.

b) How often something happens.

c) One action follows another.

d) Things in general.

e) With verbs like “to love”, “to hate” and “to think”.

f) Future meaning: timetables, programmes.

Signal words → every day / sometimes / always / often / usually / seldom /

never / first … then.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

(SUBJECT + AM/ARE/IS + INFINITIVE + -ING)

AFFERMATIVE → I am working. (Subject + Am/Are + Infinitive + -Ing)

• He is working. (Subject + Is + Infinitive + -Ing)

NEGATIVE → I am not working. (Subject + Am/Are + Not + Infinitive +

• -Ing)

He is not working. (Subject + Is + Not + Infinitive + -Ing)

INTERROGATIVE → Am I working?

• Is he working?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I am making a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake is being made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) Something is happening at the same time of speaking or around it.

b) Future meaning: when you have already decided and arranged to do it (a fixed plan,

date)

Signal words → Now / At the moment / Look! / Listen!

SIMPLE PAST

(SUBJECT + SIMPLE PAST)

Regular Verbs: SUBJECT + INFINITIVE + -ED

AFFERMATIVE → I worked. (Subject + Infinitive + -Ed)

• He worked. (Subject + Infinitive + -Ed)

NEGATIVE → I didn't work. (Subject + Did + Not + Infinitive)

• He didn't work. (Subject + Did + Not + Infinitive)

INTERROGATIVE → Did I work?

• Did he work?

Irregular Verbs: nd

SUBJECT + 2 COLUMN IRR. VERB

nd

AFFERMATIVE → I went. (Subject + 2 column of table of irr. verbs)

• nd

He went. (Subject + 2 column of table of irr. verbs)

NEGATIVE → I didn't go. (Subject + Did + Not + Infinitive)

• He didn't go. (Subject + Did + Not + Infinitive)

INTERROGATIVE → Did I go?

• Did he go?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I made a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake was made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) Action took place in the past, mostly connected with an expression of time (NO

connection to the present).

Signal words → Last … / … Ago / In 1988 / Yesterday.

PAST CONTINUOUS

(SUBJECT + WAS/WERE + INFINITIVE + -ING)

AFFERMATIVE → I was working. (Subject + Was/Were + Infinitive + -Ing)

• He was working. (Subject + Was + Infinitive + -Ing)

NEGATIVE → I was not working. (Subject + Was/Were + Not + Infinitive +

• -Ing)

He was not working. (Subject + Was + Not + Infinitive +

-Ing)

INTERROGATIVE → Was I working?

• Was he working?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I was making a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake was being made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) An action happened in the middle of another action.

b) Someone was doing something at a certain time (in the past) and you don't know

whether it was finished or not.

Signal words → While.

Simple Present Perfect

(SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE)

Regular Verbs:

SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE (INF. + -ED)

AFFERMATIVE → I have worked. (Subject + Have + Infinitive + -Ed)

• He has worked. (Subject + Has + Infinitive + -Ed)

NEGATIVE → I haven't worked. (Subject + Have + Not + Infinitive +

• -Ed)

He hasn't worked. (Subject + Has + Not + Infinitive + -Ed)

INTERROGATIVE → Have I worked?

• Has he worked?

Irregular Verbs: nd

SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE (2 IRR. VERB)

nd

AFFERMATIVE → I have gone. (Subject + Have + 2 column of table of

• irr. verbs)

nd

He has gone. (Subject + Has + 2 column of table of irr.

verbs)

nd

NEGATIVE → I haven't gone. (Subject + Have + Not + 2 column of

• table of irr. verbs

nd

He hasn't gone. (Subject + Has + Not + 2 column of

table of irr. verbs)

INTERROGATIVE → Did I go?

• Did he go?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I have made a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake has been made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) You say that something has happened or finished in the past and it has a connection to

the past.

b) Action started in the past and continues up to the present.

Signal words → Just / Yet / Never / Ever / Already / So far / Up to now / Since / For /

Recently.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

(SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + INFINITIVE + -ING)

AFFERMATIVE → I have been working. (Subject + Have + Been + Infinitive +

• -Ing)

He has been working. (Subject + Has + Been + Infinitive +

-Ing)

NEGATIVE → I have not been working. (Subject + Have + Not +Been +

• Infinitive + -Ing)

He has not been working. (Subject + Has + Not + Been +

Infinitive + -Ing)

INTERROGATIVE → Have I been working?

• Has he been working?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I have been making a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake has been being made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) Action began in the past and just stopped.

b) How long the action has been happening.

c) Emphasis: length of time of an action.

Signal words → All day / The whole day / How long / Since / For.

SIMPLE PAST PERFECT

(SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE)

Regular Verbs:

SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE (INF. + -ED)

AFFERMATIVE → I had worked. (Subject + Had + Infinitive + -Ed)

• He had worked. (Subject + Had + Infinitive + -Ed)

NEGATIVE → I hadn't worked. (Subject + Had + Not + Infinitive + -Ed)

• He hadn't worked. (Subject + Had + Not + Infinitive + -Ed)

INTERROGATIVE → Had I worked?

• Had he worked?

Irregular Verbs: nd

SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE (2 IRR. VERB)

nd

AFFERMATIVE → I had gone. (Subject + Had + 2 column of table of

• irr. verbs)

nd

He had gone. (Subject + Had + 2 column of table of

irr. verbs)

nd

NEGATIVE → I hadn't gone. (Subject + Had + Not + 2 column of

• table of irr. verbs)

nd

He hadn't gone. (Subject + Had + Not + 2 column of

table of irr. verbs)

INTERROGATIVE → Had I gone?

• Had he gone?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I had made a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake had been made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) Mostly when two actions in a story are related to each other: the action which had

already happened is put into Past Perfect, the other action into Simple Past.

b) The past of the Present Perfect.

Signal words → Already / Just / Never.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

(SUBJECT + HAD + BEEN + INFINITIVE + -ING)

AFFERMATIVE → I had been working. (Subject + Had + Been + Infinitive +

• -Ing)

He had been working. (Subject + Had + Been + Infinitive +

-Ing)

NEGATIVE → I hadn't been working. (Subject + Had + Not +Been +

• Infinitive + -Ing)

He hadn't been working. (Subject + Had + Not + Been +

Infinitive + -Ing)

INTERROGATIVE → Had I been working?

• Had he been working?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I had been making a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake had been being made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) How long something had been happening before something else happened.

Signal words → How long / Since / For.

GOING TO – FUTURE

(SUBJECT + AM/ARE/IS + GOING TO + INFINITIVE)

AFFERMATIVE → I am going to work. (Subject + Am/Are + Going to +

• Infinitive)

He is going to work. (Subject + Is + Going to +

Infinitive)

NEGATIVE → I am not going to work. (Subject + Am/Are + Not + Going

• to + Infinitive)

He is not going to work. (Subject + Is + Not + Going to +

Infinitive)

INTERROGATIVE → Am I going to work?

• Is he going to work?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I am going to make a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake is going to be made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) When you have already decided to do something in the future.

b) What you think that will happen.

SIMPLE FUTURE

(SUBJECT + WILL + INFINITIVE)

AFFERMATIVE → I will work. (Subject + Will + Infinitive)

• He will work. (Subject + Will + Infinitive)

NEGATIVE → I won't work. (Subject + Will + Not + Infinitive)

• He won't work. (Subject + Will + Not + Infinitive)

INTERROGATIVE → Will I work?

• Will he work?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I will make a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake will be made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) Prediction about the future (you think that something will happen).

b) You decide to do something spontaneously at the time of speaking.

c) Main clause in Type I of the Conditional sentences.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

(SUBJECT + WILL + BE +INFINITIVE + -ING)

AFFERMATIVE → I will be working. (Subject + Will + Be + Infinitive + -Ing)

• He will be working. (Subject + Will + Be + Infinitive + -Ing)

NEGATIVE → I will not be working. (Subject + Will + Not + Be +

• Infinitive + -Ing)

He will not be working. (Subject + Will + Not + Be +

Infinitive + -Ing)

INTERROGATIVE → Will I be working?

• Will he be working?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I will be making a cake.

• PASSIVE → A cake will be being made (by me).

•

When do we use it?

a) An action will be in progress at a certain time in the future.

b) The action has begun before the certain time.

FUTURE PERFECT

(SUBJECT + WILL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE)

Regular Verbs:

SUBJECT + WILL + HAVE + PART PARTICIPLE (INF. + -ED)

AFFERMATIVE → I will have worked. (Subject + Will + Have +

• Infinitive + -Ed)

He will have worked. (Subject + Will + Have +

Infinitive + -Ed)

NEGATIVE → I will not have worked. (Subject + Will + Not + Have +

• Infinitive + -Ed)

He will not have worked. (Subject + Will + Not + Have +

Infinitive + -Ed)

INTERROGATIVE → Will I have worked?

• Will he have worked?

Irregular Verbs: rd

SUBJECT + WILL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE (3 IRR. VERB)

rd

AFFERMATIVE → I will have gone. (Subject + Will + Have + 3

• column of table of irr. verbs)

rd

He will have gone. (Subject + Will + Have + 3

column of table of irr. verbs)

NEGATIVE → I will not have gone. (Subject + Will + Not + Have +

• rd

3 column of table of irr. verbs)

He will not have gone. (Subject + Will + Not + Have +

rd

3 column of table of irr. verbs)

INTERROGATIVE → Will I have gone?

• Will he have gone?

ACTIVE/PASSIVE FORMS:

ACTIVE → I wi