English Grammar: Verb Tenses

Study Notes

Used to describe:
- An action that was planned or expected to happen at a specific point in the past
- Often used with verbs like "would", "was going to", and "were going to"
Formation:
- was/were going to + base form of the verb
Examples:
- I was going to study abroad, but I didn't get the visa.
- They were going to get married, but they broke up.

Used to describe:
- An action that started before another action in the past and continued up to that point
- Emphasizes the duration of the action leading up to the past moment
Formation:
- had been + present participle of the verb
Examples:
- I had been studying English for three years before I moved to the US.
- They had been waiting in line for hours before the concert started.

Zero Conditional
- Used to describe:
- Scientific facts or universal truths
- Formation:
  - If + present simple, ... + present simple
- Examples:
  - If you heat ice, it melts.
  - If you don't water plants, they die.
First Conditional
- Used to describe:
- Future situations and their consequences
- Formation:
  - If + present simple, ... + future simple
- Examples:
  - If it rains, I will take an umbrella.
  - If you don't study, you won't pass the exam.
Second Conditional
- Used to describe:
- Unreal or hypothetical situations and their consequences
- Formation:
  - If + past simple, ... + would + base form of the verb
- Examples:
  - If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
  - If it snowed, we would go skiing.
Third Conditional
- Used to describe:
- Past hypothetical situations and their consequences
- Formation:
  - If + past perfect, ... + would have + past participle of the verb
- Examples:
  - If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
  - If it had snowed, we would have gone skiing.

Describes an action that was planned or expected to happen at a specific point in the past
Often used with verbs like "would", "was going to", and "were going to"
Formed using was/were going to + base form of the verb
Examples: I was going to study abroad, but I didn't get the visa, They were going to get married, but they broke up

Describes an action that started before another action in the past and continued up to that point
Emphasizes the duration of the action leading up to the past moment
Formed using had been + present participle of the verb
Examples: I had been studying English for three years before I moved to the US, They had been waiting in line for hours before the concert started

Describes future situations and their consequences
Formed using If + present simple,...+ future simple
Examples: If it rains, I will take an umbrella, If you don't study, you won't pass the exam

Describes unreal or hypothetical situations and their consequences
Formed using If + past simple,...+ would + base form of the verb
Examples: If I won the lottery, I would buy a house, If it snowed, we would go skiing

Describes past hypothetical situations and their consequences
Formed using If + past perfect,...+ would have + past participle of the verb
Examples: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam, If it had snowed, we would have gone skiing