Verb Tenses in English

                      (the continuous tense is also known as the progressive)


                                            Past simple

                                      I went out last night.

                                   I didn’t go out on Thursday.





                                          Present simple

                                    I go to the gym on Friday.

                              I don’t go there if I have work to do.


Repeated events, things which are always true, instructions, with be have, seem, think, understand
etc

                                           Future simple

                                       I will go home soon.

                                        I’m going home at 3

                                    I’m going to go home later.

                                       I go home in 2 hours.


(No one simple form)

                                          Past continuous

                           I was going to work when it started to rain.

                             Was she going over her homework with you?



Events in progress in the past

                                        Present continuous

                          They are going round the museum at the moment.

                                  Is Jana going round with them?


Events in progress in the present (also used for future plans)

                                         Future continuous

                       They will be going to the station in two hour’s time.

                             They won’t be going if the train’s late.


Events which will be in progress in the  future

                                           Past perfect

                         Tom had gone into the lab by the time I arrived.

                                I wish he hadn’t gone there alone.

                                          Present perfect

                                  He has gone to the supermarket.

                                 Which supermarket has he gone to?


Events starting in the past which have important results now, news, with for and since.

                                          Future perfect

                            It will have gone dark when she gets home.

                                It won’t have gone dark until 7 pm.


Events which will have finished in the  future

                                      Past perfect continuous

               She had been going to that doctor for years; but now he has retired.

                            Had she been going to the surgery in Cijl?

                                    Present perfect continuous

                           He has been going for treatment since August.

                              Has his girlfriend been going with him?

                                     Future perfect continuous

                   On Thursday we will have been going out together for 1 year.

                            How long will you two have  been going out?