Overview
Consolidate all major tenses through contrast exercises and mixed-tense analysis.
Tense Contrasts
- PS vs PCPast simple (completed) vs Past continuous (in progress at a point)
- PS vs PPPast simple (when?) vs Present perfect (relevance to now)
- PC vs PPCPast continuous (shorter) vs Past perfect continuous (longer before)
- FP vs FPCFuture perfect (done) vs Future perfect continuous (duration)
Signal Words
- yesterday, last, ago → past simple
- since, for, just, already, yet, ever, never → present perfect
- while, when + past event → past continuous frame
- by the time, before → perfect aspect (had done / will have done)
Classic Confusion Points
- ❌ I have seen her yesterday → ✅ I saw her yesterday (past simple with time marker)
- ❌ When I arrived, she left → ✅ she had left (earlier action)
- ❌ I was knowing → ✅ I knew (stative verbs, no continuous)
When to use
Narrative writing
When he arrived, she had already gone.
Conversation
Have you ever been to Rome? — Yes, I went last year.
Reports
By the time the results arrived, the team had disbanded.
Exam preparation
Mixed tense exercises test all major tense distinctions.