Here are some rules and exercises about how to use English tenses.
Scroll down to see the key to the exercises!
Simple Present – Present Progressive
In general or right now?
Do you want to express that something happens in general or that something is happening right now?
Timetable / Schedule or arrangement?
Do you want to express that something is arranged for the near future? Or do you refer to a time set by a timetable or schedule?
Daily routine or just for a limited period of time?
Do you want to talk about a daily routine? Or do you want to emphasis that something is only going on for a limited (rather short) period of time?
Certain Verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Simple Present (not in the progressive form).
state: be, cost, fit, mean, suit
Example: We are on holiday.
possession: belong, have
Example: Sam has a cat.
senses: feel, hear, see, smell, taste, touch
Example: He feels the cold.
feelings: hate, hope, like, love, prefer, regret, want, wish
Example: Jane loves pizza.
brain work: believe, know, think, understand
Example: I believe you.
Introductory clauses for direct speech: answer, ask, reply, say
Example: “I am watching TV,“ he says.
A/ Positive sentences - Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present or Present Progressive.
We (help) ___________________in the canteen this week.
Martin usually (drive)________________to work.
But today, he (take)_____________________the bus.
Listen! She (practise)____________________the piano.
My friend (play)_________________the guitar every evening.
B/ Complete the sentences. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.
Sue (be)_________________a student from South Korea.
She (live)_______________in Seoul and (study)_________________medicine.
At the moment, however, Sue (live)_____________________in London.
She (do)______________________a six-months practical course in a London hospital.
C/ Use - Choose the correct statement.
I live in London. - What does this sentence mean?
a) This is my permanent address. b) This is my address only for a limited period of time.
c) I've just recently moved there.
The lesson starts at half past eight. - What does this sentence mean?
a) The action has already taken place. b) The action is set by a timetable. c)The action might take place.
He opens the book and reads. - Which situation is expressed by the simple present?
a) He opens the book first and then starts reading. b) He opens the book after having read something. c) He opens the book reading something else at the same time.
The sun sets in the west. - Which situation is expressed by the simple present?
a) The sun always sets in the west. b) The action is going on right now. c) If we are lucky, the sun might set in the west today.
He plays football. - Which situation cannot be expressed by the simple present?
a) If we want to say that the action is going on right now. b) If we want to say that football is one of his hobbies. c) If we want to say that he is able to play football.
D/ Use -Choose the correct answer.
I am living in London now. - What does this sentence mean? # I have moved to London to stay there for ever. # I am in London only for a limited period of time. # I am going to move to London soon.
We are meeting Tom tonight. - What does this sentence mean? The action is arranged for the near future.
The action is taking place now. The action might take place.
I'm working hard at the moment. - Is the sentence correct even if I am not working at the moment of speaking?
yes no
He is playing football. - Which situation cannot be expressed by present progressive?
# To express that the match is going on right now. # To express that he does not play football regularly, but only for a limited period of time. # To express that he plays football regularly.
Look! The Millers are moving house. - Which of the following situations is expressed by the present progressive?
They are in the middle of the action. The action is going to take place next week.
They will come back to this place one day.
Simple Past – Past Progressive
After another or at the same time?
Do you want to express that the actions in the past happened one after another or at the same time?
A/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.While Tom (read)__________________, Amely (watch)__________________________a documentary on TV.
2.Marvin (come)____________home, (switch)____________on the computer and (check)_____________his emails.
3.The thief (sneak)___________into the house, (steal)______________the jewels and (leave)______________without a trace.
4.Nobody (listen)____________________while the teacher (explain)_______________________the tenses.
5.While we (do)__________________a sight-seeing tour, our friends (lie)___________________on the beach.
6.He (wake)____________________up and (look)______________________at his watch.
New action or already in progress?
If you want to express that a new action happened in the middle of another action, you need both tenses: Simple Past the new action and Past Progressive for the action already in progress.
B/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
1.We (wait)___________________for Jane, when suddenly Louis (come)_________________around the corner.
2.He (pass)____________________her a message when the teacher (look / not)___________________________.
3.When Mike and Jane (paint)_________________the walls, their dog (knock)_____________over the paint pot.
4.Tom (break)____________________his leg when he (play)_______________________frisbee.
Only mentioning or emphasising progress?
Do you just want to mention that an action took place in the past (also used for short actions)? Or do you want to put emphasis on the progress, e.g. that an action was taking place at a certain time?
C/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).
Two days ago, a murder (happen)___________________in Market Street at about seven pm. Yesterday, Sherlock Holmes (arrive)____________________at the crime scene to investigate. He (ask)_____________one of the tenants in the house. “What (do / you)_____________________yesterday at seven?” “I (watch)__________________a football match on TV.” “ (be)________________you alone?” “Yes, I (be)______.” “ (hear / you)______________________anything suspicious?” “Yes, about seven o'clock, two people (argue)_____________________in the hallway. But the football match (be)___________ so interesting. So I just (turn)______________up the telly and then (hear / not)________________________anything anymore.”
Simple Present - Present Perfect Progressive
Use
We use Simple Present for general statements about the present and for actions taking place regularly in the present. We use Present Perfect Progressive to express how long an action has been going on.
General statements (when/how often) or how long already?
Do you want to make a general statement about the present, e.g. say when or how often an action usually takes place? Or do you want to express, how long an action has already been going on?
In all exercises, fill in the correct tense (Simple Present or Present Perfect Progressive).
Carol (love)____________________________singing.
She (sing)___________________________in the school's choir for five years.
Carol (have)_______________a wonderful voice and she (play)______________the piano, too.
She (play)______________________the piano for seven years.
Since Carol saw a talent show on TV, she (dream)______________________of being a popstar.
Therefore, Carol (practise)________________________every day.
She (want)____________________to be in a band.
Tom (go)__________________________to school by bus every day.
He (go)___________________to school by bus since he and his parents moved to a little village.
Tom (speak)______________________English very well, although he (learn)_________ ______________________ English for only two years.
Negative Sentences - 1.We (see/not)____________________each other very often nowadays. 2.My little brother (learn/not) _______________________ English for a year yet. 3. They (play/not) ______________________for ten minutes, but the score is 5:1 already.
Questions - 1. Since when (ski/Betty)___________________________________________?
What time (have/he)_________________________________________dinner in the evenings?
How long (rain/it)_______________________________________________________________?
(work/you)________________________________________at the hospital for a long time yet?
Text
William and his parents (live)_________________________in Aberdeen for one year.
Although William was a little afraid of moving to Aberdeen, he (have)_________many friends here now.
Four of his best friends (go)______________________________camping every summer. The five boys (plan)_____________________________their holiday for a few months now.
They already (know)__________________________________where to go and what to do.
What they (need)____________________________________now, is a little more money.
William only (get)___________________________very little pocket money every month.
That (be)___________________not enough.
To earn some extra money, he (deliver)___________________________newspapers for 6 weeks.
Simple Past – Present Perfect Simple
Use
In British English, the use of Simple Past and Present Perfect is quite strict. As soon as a time expression in the past is given, you have to use Simple Past. If there are no signal words, you must decide if we just talk about an action in the past or if its consequence in the present is important.
Note that the following explanations and exercises refer to British English only. In American English, you can normally use Simple Past instead of Present Perfect. We cannot accept this in our exercises, however, as this would lead to confusions amongst those who have to learn the differences.
Certain time in the past or just / already / yet?
Do you want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past (even if it was just a few seconds ago) or that an action has just / already / not yet happened?
A/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
Mother: I want to prepare dinner. (you / wash)_______________________the dishes yet?
Daughter: I (wash)_________________________the dishes yesterday, but I (have / not) ______________________________ the time yet to do it today.
Mother: (you / do / already)____________________________your homework?
Daughter: No, I (come / just)_____________________________home from school.
Mother: You (come)________________________________home from school two hours ago!
Daughter: Well, but my friend Lucy (call)_____________when I (arrive)________________ and I (finish / just)__________________________the phone call.
Mother: (you / see / not)__________________________________Lucy at school in the morning?
Daughter: Yes, but we (have / not)_______________________________time to talk then.
Certain event in the past or how often so far?
Do you want to express when a certain action took place or whether / how often an action has happened till now?
B/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
A: (you / be / ever)_______________________to London? B: Yes, I (be)___________________________there three times.
A: When (be)______________the last time you (be)___________there? B: Last summer. I (spend)________________two weeks in Brighton with my parents and we (go)_____________________to London one weekend.
A: (you / like)________________________it? B: Oh yes. We really (have)__________________a great time in London.
A: Lucky you! I (be / never)________________________to London.
Emphasis on action or result?
Do you just want to express what happened in the past? Or do you want to emphasise the result (a past action's consequence in the present)?
C/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
Yesterday, my brother (come)_____________home from school, (switch)_____________on the TV and (watch)___________________TV until dinner (be)___________________ready.
Oh no, it's raining and I (leave)____________________my umbrella at home.
Look! There is so much food left. Nobody (eat)________________________anything.
Where (you / be)____________________yesterday? - I (go)_____________________to the shopping centre and (buy)_________________________a new computer game.
Why don't you want to play football with us this weekend? - I (break)________________my leg.
The road is closed. There (be)____________________an accident.
I (have)________________an accident when I (be)_____________in Manchester last year.
Come on, let's celebrate! Our team (win)________________________the match.
Signal Words
D/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"
B: I don't know. I (see, never)______________________that movie.
2. Sam (arrive)_______________in San Diego a week ago.
3. My best friend and I (know)___________________each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week.
4. I (have, not)___________________this much fun since I (be)____________________a kid.
5. Things (change)______________a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start)_______________ working here three years ago, the company (have, only)________________six employees. Since then, we (expand)__________________to include more than 2000 full-time workers.
6. How sad! George (dream)_________________of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He (see, never)____________________the ocean.
7. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change)________________________since the last time I (see)_____________ you. You (grow)____________________at least a foot!
8. I (visit, never)_______________________Africa, but I (travel)__________________ to South America several times. The last time I (go)___________to South America, I (visit)___________Brazil and Peru. I (spend)____________two weeks in the Amazon, (hike)_____________for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly)_______________over the Nazca Lines.
Present Perfect Simple - Present Perfect Progressive
Use
Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.
Result or duration?
Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been going on yet?
A/ Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive)
Are we not there yet? We (walk)___________________________for hours.
I (finish/just)______________________________________my homework.
I (work)_____________________________on this essay since two o'clock.
Jane (go out)______________________________with Bob for seven years.
Martin (date)__________________________________three girls this week.
How long (wait / you)_____________________________________for us?
Emphasis on completion or duration?
Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course (how has somebody spent his time)?
B/ Which form is correct (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive)?
1.We want to tell how we have spent our time: ¤ We have played football ¤ We have been playing football.
2. The action is completed now: ¤ Charly has sent the letter ¤ Charly has been sending the letter.
Result or side effect?
Do you want to express that a completed action led to a desired result or that the action had an unwanted side effect?
Why are you out of breath? - I (run)_______________________. The toaster is okay again. Dad (repair)_________________it.
I am so tired, I (work)________________________all day. Your shirt is clean now. Maggie (wash)____________________it.
