The Tenses and the Gerund

The Past Tenses and 'ago'

The Past Tenses and 'ago'

1. The past simple

Form: regular verbs take -ed; irregular verbs have their own second form (*go → went*, *buy → bought*, *see → saw*).

In the negative and the interrogative the auxiliary *did* carries the past, and the main verb returns to the stem:

• He **visited** Oran. → He **did not visit** Oran. → **Did** he **visit** Oran?

Uses

• A finished action at a known past moment: *I **bought** this book last week.*
• A series of finished actions: *He **entered**, **sat** down and **opened** his bag.*
• A past habit: *When I was young, I **played** football every Friday.*

Time markers: yesterday, last week / month / year, in 1999, two days ago, when I was young.

2. Using **ago**

Ago says how much time has passed between a past event and now. It is placed after the period of time, and it goes with the past simple, never with the present or the present perfect.

> subject + past simple + period of time + ago

• I **visited** Oran three years **ago**.
• She **started** her English course two months **ago**.
• We **watched** that film a few days **ago**.

| Wrong | Right | | :--- | :--- | | They move to a new house two years ago. | They moved to a new house two years ago. | | I have seen him two days ago. | I saw him two days ago. |

How to calculate. Subtract the past date from the present one: if we are in 2026 and you began learning English in 2023, you began learning English three years ago.

3. The past continuous

Form: *was / were* + verb-ing.

Uses

• An action in progress at a past moment: *At eight o'clock I **was revising**.*
• A longer action interrupted by a shorter one: *I **was reading** when the phone **rang**.*
• Two parallel actions: *While she **was cooking**, he **was washing** the dishes.*

Note the usual pair: the past continuous sets the scene, the past simple is the event that cuts into it.

4. Used to

Used to + stem describes a past habit or a past state that no longer exists.

• He **used to be** a heavy smoker. *(he no longer smokes)*
• We **used to live** in the countryside.
• There **used to be** a cinema here.

Do not confuse three look-alikes:

| Structure | Meaning | Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | used to + stem | past habit | I used to walk to school. | | to be used to + -ing | to be accustomed to | I am used to walking long distances. | | to be used to + stem | purpose (passive of *use*) | A telescope is used to observe stars. |

5. Practice

A. Put the verbs into the past simple or the past continuous.

• While she ______ (read), the lights ______ (go) out.
• He ______ (graduate) two years ago.
• They ______ (watch) television when I ______ (arrive).

B. Rewrite using *ago*.

• Ahmed moved to Biskra in 2024.
• Sara finished her exam three hours before now.
• They bought their computer last year.

C. Complete with *used to*, *be used to* or *be used for*.

• He ______ smoke, but he stopped last year.
• A thermometer ______ measuring temperature.
• After ten years in the desert, they ______ the heat.

The Perfect Tenses

The Perfect Tenses

1. The present perfect

Form: *have / has* + past participle.

Uses

• An action finished at an **unstated** time, whose result matters now: *I **have lost** my keys.* (so I cannot enter)
• An experience: *She **has visited** three countries.*
• An action that began in the past and **continues**: *He **has lived** here **since** 2010.*
• A very recent action: *They **have just arrived**.*

Time markers: already, just, yet, ever, never, since, for, recently, so far, up to now.

2. Since and for

| | Meaning | Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | since | a point in time | since 2010, since Monday, since I was a child | | for | a length of time | for three years, for two hours, for a long time |

> He has worked here since 2015. · He has worked here for ten years.

3. Present perfect or past simple?

This is the distinction the exam tests most.

| Present perfect | Past simple | | :--- | :--- | | The time is not stated or is not finished. | The time is stated and is finished. | | I have seen that film. | I saw that film last night. | | She has just arrived. | She arrived two minutes ago. | | We have lived here for ten years. *(we still do)* | We lived there for ten years. *(we left)* |

A simple test: if the sentence contains *yesterday*, *last week*, *in 2010* or *ago*, it takes the past simple.

4. The past perfect

Form: *had* + past participle. It is the "past of the past": it marks the earlier of two past actions.

• When I arrived, the train **had already left**.
• She **had done** her homework before she went out.
• They realised that they **had taken** the wrong road.

The word order can change, but the logic does not: the action with had happened first.

> *He had revised everything before the exam started.*

5. The present perfect continuous

Form: *have / has been* + verb-ing. It insists on the duration of an action that is still going on.

• I **have been waiting** for two hours.
• She **has been studying** English since 2019.

Compare: *I have written three letters* (the result) and *I have been writing all morning* (the activity).

6. Practice

A. Present perfect or past simple?

• I ______ (finish) my homework two hours ago.
• She ______ (never / visit) Europe.
• We ______ (live) in this town since 2018.
• He ______ (buy) a new phone last month.

B. Put the verb into the past perfect.

• When we arrived, the film ______ (already / begin).
• She thanked me for what I ______ (do).

C. Complete with *since* or *for*.

• They have known each other ______ ten years.
• I have not seen him ______ last summer.

The Future

The Future

English has no single future tense; it has several forms, each carrying a different idea.

1. Will + stem

• A **prediction**: *It **will rain** tomorrow.*
• A **decision taken at the moment of speaking**: *The phone is ringing. I **will answer** it.*
• A **promise** or an **offer**: *I **will help** you.*
• **Certainty** about the future: *Consumers **will boycott** this product.*

Time markers: tomorrow, next week, soon, in two years, one day.

2. Be going to + stem

• An **intention** decided before the moment of speaking: *I **am going to study** medicine.*
• A **prediction based on present evidence**: *Look at those clouds — it **is going to rain**.*

Compare: *I will help you* (decided now) and *I am going to help him* (decided before).

3. The present continuous as a future

For a fixed arrangement with a date and often a place:

• We **are travelling** to Algiers on Friday.
• She **is meeting** the director at ten.

4. The present simple as a future

For a timetable that does not depend on anybody's will:

• The train **leaves** at 6:15.
• The exam **starts** on Monday.

5. The future in a subordinate clause

After *if, when, as soon as, before, after, until, unless*, English uses a present tense even though the meaning is future.

| Wrong | Right | | :--- | :--- | | I will call you when I will arrive. | I will call you when I arrive. | | As soon as he will finish, we will leave. | As soon as he finishes, we will leave. | | If it will rain, we will stay in. | If it rains, we will stay in. |

This is one of the most frequent mistakes in the written part.

6. Other future forms

• **be about to + stem** — the immediate future: *The film **is about to start**.*
• **will be + -ing** (future continuous) — an action in progress at a future moment: *This time tomorrow I **will be flying** to London.*
• **will have + past participle** (future perfect) — an action finished before a future moment: *By 2030 they **will have built** the new hospital.*

7. Practice

A. Choose the right form.

• Look at the sky! It ______ (rain).
• I have decided: I ______ (become) an engineer.
• The plane ______ (take off) at 7:30 according to the timetable.
• Don't worry, I ______ (carry) that bag for you.

B. Correct the mistakes.

• I will tell him when I will see him.
• As soon as the rain will stop, we will go out.
• If you will help me, I will finish earlier.

C. Put into the future perfect.

• By the end of the year, she ______ (finish) her thesis.

The Gerund

The Gerund

1. What it is

The gerund is the -ing form of the verb used as a noun. It keeps the meaning of an action but behaves like a name.

• **Eating** organic food is better for health. *(subject)*
• I enjoy **reading**. *(object)*
• She is interested in **learning** languages. *(after a preposition)*

2. Three uses of the -ing form

| Function | Example | | :--- | :--- | | Noun | The eating of genetically modified food is debated. | | Verb form | People prefer eating organic food. | | Adjective | Organic farming is less damaging to the environment. |

Strictly speaking, only the first two uses are gerunds. In the third, the -ing word describes a noun, so it is a present participle used as an adjective.

3. After a preposition, always the gerund

This rule has no exception: a verb that follows a preposition takes -ing.

• She is good **at speaking** in public.
• He apologised **for arriving** late.
• Thank you **for helping** me.
• They succeeded **in reducing** their consumption.
• Instead **of complaining**, act.

Careful with to: when *to* is a preposition and not part of an infinitive, the gerund follows.

• I look forward **to hearing** from you.
• She is used **to working** at night.
• They object **to being** filmed.

4. Verbs followed by the gerund

*enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, suggest, practise, risk, deny, admit, consider, keep, give up, can't stand, can't help.*

• I **enjoy reading**. · He **avoided answering**. · They **gave up smoking**.

5. Verbs followed by the infinitive

*want, decide, hope, promise, refuse, agree, offer, manage, afford, learn, expect, seem.*

• She **decided to leave**. · He **refused to pay**. · We **hope to succeed**.

6. Verbs that take both, with a change of meaning

| Verb | + gerund | + infinitive | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | stop | stop doing = end the activity | stop to do = interrupt in order to do | | remember | remember doing = recall a past act | remember to do = not forget a duty | | forget | forget doing = have no memory of it | forget to do = fail to do it | | try | try doing = experiment | try to do = make an effort |

> He stopped smoking. *(he no longer smokes)* > He stopped to smoke. *(he interrupted his work in order to smoke)*

7. Practice

A. Gerund or infinitive?

• She enjoys ______ (listen) to music.
• They decided ______ (buy) a new car.
• I am interested in ______ (learn) Spanish.
• He promised ______ (help) us.
• Avoid ______ (eat) too much sugar.

B. Explain the difference.

• He stopped reading. / He stopped to read.
• I remember locking the door. / I remembered to lock the door.

C. Complete with the right preposition and form.

• Thank you ______ (invite) me.
• I am looking forward ______ (see) you.

State Verbs and Action Verbs

1. Two kinds of verbs

Action verbs (also called dynamic verbs) describe something that happens: it starts, goes on and stops. *Run, write, build, eat, launch, explode* are action verbs, and they can be used in the simple and the continuous forms.

State verbs (also called stative verbs) describe a situation that simply exists: knowing, owning, liking, containing. They are not normally used in the continuous form, even when we speak about the present moment.

> The astronauts are building a new module. *(an action in progress)* > The station contains several laboratories. *(a state, not "is containing")*

2. The main families of state verbs

| Family | Verbs | | :--- | :--- | | Thinking and knowing | know, believe, understand, think (= have an opinion), remember, forget, mean, realise, doubt | | Feelings and wants | like, love, hate, prefer, want, wish, need | | Possession | have (= own), own, possess, belong to | | The senses | see, hear, smell, taste (when they are not deliberate) | | Description | be, seem, appear, contain, consist of, weigh, cost, resemble, depend on |

> Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen. · This telescope belongs to the university. · I need more time.

3. Verbs with two meanings

Some verbs are state verbs in one meaning and action verbs in another. Only the action meaning accepts the continuous.

| Verb | State meaning (simple form) | Action meaning (continuous possible) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | think | I think space research is useful. *(opinion)* | I am thinking about my project. *(mental activity)* | | have | She has two brothers. *(possession)* | She is having lunch. *(eating)* | | see | I see what you mean. *(understand)* | I am seeing the doctor tomorrow. *(meeting)* | | taste | This soup tastes salty. | The cook is tasting the soup. | | weigh | The parcel weighs two kilos. | The nurse is weighing the baby. | | look | You look tired. *(seem)* | Why are you looking at the sky? |

4. A quick test

Ask yourself: *can this verb answer the question "What are you doing at the moment?"*

• *I am writing a report* → yes, it is an action.
• *I am knowing the answer* → no; knowing is not an activity, so we write *I **know** the answer*.

The same rule applies to the perfect: we say *I have known him for years*, not *I have been knowing him*.

5. The mistakes to avoid

| Wrong | Right | | :--- | :--- | | I am wanting a new phone. | I want a new phone. | | This box is containing old letters. | This box contains old letters. | | He is having a big car. | He has a big car. | | Are you understanding me? | Do you understand me? | | She has been knowing the truth since May. | She has known the truth since May. |

6. Practice

A. Simple or continuous?

• I ______ (not believe) this story.
• Look! The children ______ (watch) the eclipse.
• This bottle ______ (contain) a dangerous product.
• We ______ (have) dinner, can you call back later?

B. Explain the difference.

• I think he is right. / I am thinking about the exam.
• She has a sister. / She is having a shower.

Dependent Prepositions

1. What a dependent preposition is

Many adjectives, verbs and nouns are always followed by the same preposition. This preposition cannot be guessed from the meaning, and it is often different from the one used in Arabic or French. The only method is to learn each word together with its preposition.

> Consumers are aware of the risks. · The price depends on the quality. · There is a growing demand for organic food.

Remember the rule of the gerund: when a verb follows the preposition, it takes -ing.

> Many buyers are tired of being misled by adverts.

2. Adjective + preposition

| Preposition | Adjectives | | :--- | :--- | | of | afraid of, aware of, proud of, full of, tired of, capable of, guilty of | | for | responsible for, famous for, suitable for, ready for | | at | good at, bad at, surprised at | | in | interested in, rich in, involved in | | on | keen on, dependent on | | to | similar to, harmful to, addicted to, married to | | with | satisfied with, angry with *(a person)*, familiar with | | about | worried about, angry about *(a thing)*, excited about | | from | different from, absent from |

3. Verb + preposition

| Preposition | Verbs | | :--- | :--- | | on | depend on, rely on, insist on, focus on | | of | consist of, accuse somebody of, approve of | | to | belong to, object to, look forward to | | for | apply for, apologise for, pay for, wait for | | from | suffer from, prevent somebody from, protect somebody from | | in | succeed in, believe in, invest in | | about | complain about, think about, worry about |

> Several customers complained about the faulty product. · The new label prevents buyers from making mistakes.

4. Noun + preposition

| Preposition | Nouns | | :--- | :--- | | in | an increase in, a rise in, a fall in, interest in | | for | a demand for, a reason for, a need for, respect for | | on | an effect on, an influence on, a tax on | | to | a solution to, damage to, access to, an answer to | | of | the cause of, the advantage of, a lack of |

Note the pair *an increase in prices* (the thing that rises) and *an increase of ten per cent* (the amount).

5. The mistakes to avoid

| Wrong | Right | | :--- | :--- | | It depends of the price. | It depends on the price. | | She is good in mathematics. | She is good at mathematics. | | He is interested by astronomy. | He is interested in astronomy. | | Smoking is harmful for health. | Smoking is harmful to health. | | I look forward to meet you. | I look forward to meeting you. |

6. Practice

A. Complete with the right preposition.

• Children are often addicted ______ sugary drinks.
• The company apologised ______ the delay.
• Advertising has a strong influence ______ young consumers.

B. Correct the mistakes.

• The success of the mission depends of the weather.
• Consumers complained for the high prices.

Likes, Dislikes and Preferences

1. Verbs of liking and disliking

To talk about our tastes we use a scale of verbs, from the strongest liking to the strongest dislike:

> love / adore → enjoy / like → don't mind → dislike → hate / can't stand

| Verb | Followed by | Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | enjoy, don't mind, dislike, can't stand | -ing only | I enjoy reading science fiction. | | like, love, hate | -ing or to + stem | She likes cooking. / She likes to cook. | | would like, would love, would hate | to + stem only | I would like to visit the observatory. |

The difference between *like* and *would like* matters: *I like travelling* is a general taste; *I would like to travel* is a wish for one occasion.

2. Prefer

*Prefer* compares two things. The second one follows to.

| Structure | Example | | :--- | :--- | | prefer + noun + to + noun | I prefer tea to coffee. | | prefer + -ing + to + -ing | I prefer walking to driving. | | prefer + to + stem + rather than + stem | I prefer to walk rather than drive. |

Never write *prefer … than*: the word after *prefer* is to (or *rather than* with the infinitive).

3. I'd prefer

*Would prefer* (*I'd prefer*) expresses a preference on a particular occasion.

• **I'd prefer to stay** at home tonight.
• **I'd prefer to stay** at home **rather than go** to the party.
• **I'd prefer** fruit juice **to** a fizzy drink.
• **I'd prefer** you **to stay** here. *(another person)*

4. I'd rather

*Would rather* (*I'd rather*) means the same as *I'd prefer*, but it is followed by the bare infinitive (no *to*).

| Structure | Example | | :--- | :--- | | would rather + stem | I'd rather stay at home. | | would rather + stem + than + stem | I'd rather stay at home than go out. | | negative: would rather not + stem | I'd rather not answer. | | would rather + another subject + past simple | I'd rather you stayed here. |

The last pattern uses the same backward shift as *wish* and *it's time*: the past simple marks a wish about the present.

5. Summary and mistakes

| Wrong | Right | | :--- | :--- | | I enjoy to watch documentaries. | I enjoy watching documentaries. | | I'd rather to stay at home. | I'd rather stay at home. | | I prefer walking than driving. | I prefer walking to driving. | | I'd rather you stay here. | I'd rather you stayed here. | | I'd prefer stay at home. | I'd prefer to stay at home. |

6. Practice

A. Put the verb into the right form.

• Most teenagers enjoy ______ (spend) time with their friends.
• I'd rather ______ (walk) than ______ (take) the bus.
• She would like ______ (become) an astronomer.

B. Rewrite with the word in brackets.

• I prefer reading to watching television. *(rather)*
• I'd prefer you not to smoke here. *(rather)*

Practice and Review

Practice and Review

1. The time markers that decide the tense

| Marker | Tense | | :--- | :--- | | every day, usually, always | present simple | | now, at the moment, look! | present continuous | | yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago | past simple | | while, when (background action) | past continuous | | since, for, already, just, yet, ever, never | present perfect | | before, after, by the time (earlier of two past actions) | past perfect | | tomorrow, next week, soon | will / be going to |

Reading the marker first is the fastest way to answer a tense question.

2. The classic traps

| Wrong | Right | Why | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | I have seen him yesterday. | I saw him yesterday. | *Yesterday* is a finished time. | | He don't like tea. | He doesn't like tea. | Third person auxiliary. | | Does she works here? | Does she work here? | *Does* already carries the *-s*. | | I am knowing the answer. | I know the answer. | A state verb. | | When I will arrive, I will call. | When I arrive, I will call. | Present after *when*. | | They move two years ago. | They moved two years ago. | *Ago* needs the past simple. | | I enjoy to read. | I enjoy reading. | *Enjoy* takes the gerund. |

3. Mixed exercise

A. Put the verb into the correct tense.

• She ______ (work) in this company since 2015.
• While we ______ (wait), the manager ______ (arrive).
• Water ______ (boil) at 100 °C.
• I ______ (meet) him three weeks ago.
• By next June, they ______ (finish) the building.
• Look! The bus ______ (come).
• When I got home, my sister ______ (already / cook) dinner.

B. Gerund or infinitive?

• He gave up ______ (smoke) last year.
• We hope ______ (visit) Italy next summer.
• She is good at ______ (solve) problems.

C. Correct one mistake in each sentence.

• I have finished my homework two hours ago.
• He is understanding the lesson very well.
• As soon as she will call, tell me.

4. Answers to check yourself

A. 1. has worked — 2. were waiting / arrived — 3. boils — 4. met — 5. will have finished — 6. is coming — 7. had already cooked.

B. 1. smoking — 2. to visit — 3. solving.

C. 1. I finished my homework two hours ago. — 2. He understands the lesson very well. — 3. As soon as she calls, tell me.