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Summary table on Continuous Tense
| Meaning | Time Indicators | Present | Past | Future |
| An action going on at the definite period of time | now, at present, at this moment, at 5,at that time, while | George is going to the University at this moment | George was going to the University at 5 The phone rang while I was having a bath | George will be going to the University at 5 |
| An action filling up the whole period of time/limited duration/ | now,from5 to 6,from morning till night, the whole day, all day long | He came to England last month and now hr is writing a new novel | It was raining the whole day yesterday | Kate will be writing the report the whole day tomorrow |
| An action thought of as a continual process, as an emotional coloring, such as exaggeration, irritation | always, ever, constantly | He is always writing with a special pen just because he likes to be different He is forever loosing his keys | My grandfather was always forgetting things | |
| An action in the very near future | tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in a day, next week, one of these days, soon, tonight, on Sunday, in February | I am leaving for London tomorrow |
PERFECT TENSE
The Perfect Form expresses an action completed before the present moment (and connected with it) or before a definite moment in the past or future.
PRESENT PERFECT
The Present Perfect Tense is formed by means of the auxiliary verb to have in the Present Indefinite (have/has) and Participle II of the notional verb. She has already written the letter. They have just come in.
The present perfect is used:
1) to denote an action completed in the past but connected with the present in its result:
a) due to the actual recentness of the event and evidence of its result e.g. I have broken my pencil. I cant write. My dream has come true. I am a student of BSU. The tomatoes havent ripened yet.
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b) due to a special importance for the present of the effect (result) of an action which happened at an indefinite time in the past e.g. How many times have you been in love? (throughout your life) The Prime Minister has announced that taxes are to increase from the beginning of the year. (remote from the moment of speech)
The Present Perfect is frequently used with the adverbials recently, lately, just to indicate the recentness of the event; already (in affirmative sentences; in questions to give an additional meaning of surprise that smth has happened sooner than expected), yet (in negative sentences and questions), still (=yet but slightly stronger and emphatic) to express the result of a completed action.
The Present Perfect is often used with today, this morning, this week, this year, etc. when these periods arent completed at the moment of speaking. e.g. Hes written a lot of books this year.
The typical use of the Pr. Perf. denoting a complete past action is in the attributive clause of a complex sentence with superlative constructions, ordinal numerals or ― the only in the principal clause. e.g. It is one of the most boring news Ive ever read. Thats perhaps the tenth cup of tea he has drunk. This is the only time he has been away from home.
2) in adverbial clauses of time after the conjunctions when, till, until, before, after, as soon as to denote an action completed before a definite moment in the future. e.g. I am not going till you have answered me. Dont play the chess until you have done all your homework.
Note1. Verbs of sense perception and motion (to hear, to see, to come, to arrive, to return, etc.) inadverbial clauses of time are generally used in the Present Indefinite and not in the Present Perfect. e.g. Im sure he will recognize the poem when he hears the first line. When the completion of the action is emphasized, the Present Perfect is used. e.g. He will know the poem by heart when he has heard it twice.
3) Present Perfect Inclusive is used:
with verbs not admitting of the Continuous form
in negative sentences (in this case the Present Perfect Continuous is not possible)
with verbs of a dynamic character to live, to work, to study, to teach, to travel, etc. (in this case the Present Perfect Continuous is possible)
It is used to denote an incomplete action which began in the past, has been going on up to the present moment and is still going on with emphasis on the result of the activity:
With since (ever since) to indicate the starting point of the activity,
with for, over, in to indicate a certain period of time,
with ever, never, always, often, all my life, so far to indicate an indefinite period of time.
e.g. I havent heard anything from him since he moved to London. Brian had a bad fall last year and has been off work ever since. They have known each other for a long time. Ive never tasted papaya. I have often wondered where she gets her money from.
Exercises: THE PRESENT PERFECT
