COLLOCATION OF VERBS IN TIME

PAST

AA

PRESENT

FUTURE

past

present

future

TIME LINE
SIMPLE VERBS: Collocate facts, verbs of state, habits,
truths at a certain point on the time line.

CONTINUOUS VERBS: Indicate an action in course at a

certain point in time.

AA

PERFECT SIMPLE VERBS: Indicate that facts are before, but

related to the point in time they precede.

PERFECT CONTINUOUS VERBS: Indicate that actions happen

before, and are related to, the point in time they
precede.
A = related to a past point in time.
Simple past:
I went to Spain last year. (adverb of past time)
What year was John born in? (the answer will be a specific time in the
past).
John was born in 1998.
They visited Rome six years ago/in 2008.

Past continuous:
I was having a shower when the phone rang. (the when clause indicates
the past point in time. I was having a shower indicates the action
in course at that point in time).
Can you remember (now) what you were doing when John Kennedy was shot?
(I want to know your action at that time)
Past Perfect Simple:
How many cars had he stolen before the police caught him? (the
stealing took place over a period of time before he was caught and the
answer will contain a fact).
He had stolen ten cars before he was caught by the police.
Had you ever visited Scotland before you went there on your honeymoon
in 2012?
Past Perfect Continuous
We had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally arrived. (At a
certain point in the past the bus arrived and our action of waiting
finished at that point.
John had been playing tennis for eight years when he became a
professional in 2010. (We can deduce that he started playing tennis
in 2002 because the eight years precede the point in time 2010).
B = related to the present time
Simple present:
I am fourteen and my brother, John, is sixteen. (this is the truth))
Look at the state of your room!

It is so untidy.

John usually goes to the cinema every Saturday. (this is his habit)
Do you know John Brown? (to know is a mental activity verb)
Present continuous:
Im not doing anything special at the moment (adverb of present time)
Mary is watching TV in the living room. (her action now)
John is always smoking whenever I see him. (this upsets me)
What are you doing?

- Im finishing my homework.

Present perfect simple: (We are talking about the past)

Have you ever been to London? (at any time in the past before now)
I have repaired my bicycle.

Now I can cycle to the park with you.

How many books has John Grisham written? (up to now)

I havent read a good book for ages. (negative fact general

information about the past)
Present perfect continuous: (We are talking about the past)
John and Mary have been talking on the phone for an hour. (and they
are still talking at the present time)
It has been raining all day. (it is still raining now)
My hands are dirty (now) because I have been repairing my bicycle. (my
dirty hands are the result of my repairing the bicycle.)
I have been reading (my action) this book on and off for a week now
but I still havent finished it (fact).
C = The future time
Future Simple:
Will you help me to wash the car? (asking people to do something)
I promise (now) I wont go without you (at some future time). (making
promises)
It will rain in London tomorrow evening. (prediction)
Harry is 26 years old.

He will be 27 next year. (inevitable)

Mary hasnt arrived yet so Ill cook dinner. (volunteering)

Future continuous:
At this time tomorrow I will be sunbathing on a beach in Bali. (this
action will be in course at this future point in time)
In twenty years time most people will be working from home. (twenty
years from now)
Dont phone me after eight oclock! Ill be watching the Formula One
racing and I dont want to be disturbed.
Future Perfect simple:
They will have finished painting the living room by this time
tomorrow. (this time tomorrow indicates a future point in time and it
is a fact that the painting will have been completed by that time)
Im not sure (at the present time) that I will have read all these
books before the exam.
I hope (now) that they will have finished all the decorating before we
arrive. (before + simple present for future action)
Future Perfect Continuous:
I started working for this company 29 years ago. Next year in July, I
will have been working for this company for thirty years. (this time
next year is a future point in time)

When the ceremony is over those soldiers will have been standing in
the same place for four hours. (when + simple present/ their action
of standing will finish when the ceremony is over)