Verbs, Tenses & Conditionals

At a glance 10 rules

1. 1Habits and ongoing changeHabits and fixed truths take the simple present: 'She jogs every morning'. A change still going on takes is or are + -ing: 'Fuel prices are rising'.
2. 2Finished timeA finished time (yesterday, ago, last week, in 2019) takes the simple past, never has or have: 'I met her yesterday', not 'I have met her yesterday'.
3. 3Since and for'Since' or 'for' running up to now takes the present perfect: 'She has lived here since 2019'. Up to a past moment, it takes 'had been' + -ing.
4. 4Two past actionsWhen the order of two past actions needs showing, the earlier takes 'had': 'The bus had left when we reached'. With 'before' or 'after', simple past is fine.
5. 5State verbsKnow, believe, understand, own, belong, contain and prefer describe states and take no -ing: 'I know her', not 'I am knowing her'.
6. 6By a future time'By' + a future time, with the action complete by then, takes 'will have' + past participle: 'By June, she will have finished the course'.
7. 7No 'will' after 'when'After when, if, unless, until, as soon as and by the time, the present stands for the future: 'I will call you when I reach', not 'when I will reach'.
8. 8Three if-patternsIf + present, will + verb; if + past, would + verb; if + had + past participle, would have + past participle. 'Had I known' means 'If I had known'.
9. 9Past cause, present resultA past condition with a result now takes 'would' + verb, not 'would have': 'If I had slept early, I would not be tired now'.
10. 10It is high time'It is (high) time' + a subject takes a past form, though the meaning is now: 'It is time we left', not 'It is time we leave'.