Summary of tenses: Formal letter

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2-4

Tenses in the formal letter

Present simple

Present continuous

Present perfect 

Past simple 

Present simple: 

als we het hebben over feiten, gewoonten en dingen die we met regelmaat doen.

I work with the youth.

I speak English very well and German quite well.

I enjoy reading English books.

I teach them creative writing twice a week.

I follow music lessons three times a week. 

Present continuous: 

1. Er nu iets gaande is (vaak met signaalwoorden, zoals 'at the moment' of 'now'. 

2. Als iets in de nabije toekomst gaat zeker plaatsvinden. 

Present continuous - zie voorbeelden: 

1:

I am writing this letter with reference to your advertisement in The Times of 10 March 2023. 

I am writing this letter without any help/ by myself. 

2:

I am taking my final exams this year. 

I am going on holiday to Canada in September. 

I am moving to the United Kingdom after my finals. 

PRESENT PERFECT

Gebruik Present Perfect:
1. iets is in het verleden begonnen en is nu nog aan de gang.
2. iets is in het verleden gebeurd en je merkt nu nog het resultaat. Relatie met het heden. 

3. er staat niet bij wanneer dat gebeurd is. (staat er wel bij wanneer dat gebeurd is dan gebruik je de simple past) 

Voorbeelden: 

I have found your address in the booklet....

I have been to the United Kingdom twice. 

I have taken many reading tests in my English lessons. 

I have worked in a bookshop. 

I have followed the first aid course. 

 I have heard/ read / seen many positive reviews about your company. 

Past simple

Je gebruikt deze vorm als je het hebt over feiten, gewoonten etc. die in het verleden gebeurd zijn en nu helemaal klaar zijn.

SIGNAALWOORDEN past simple 

• yesterday      
• ....ago
• at 5 pm
• in summer
• in January...
• in 2019
• from 2015 to 2016
• in the morning
• on Tuesday

Voorbeelden:

I worked in a bookshop in 2022. 

I followed the first aid course last year. 

I visited the United Kingdom two years ago. 

I heard a lot of positive reviews about your company when I visited London. 

Let op: 

I have published a book. 

I published a book in 2022.  

 I have been baby-sitting since I was 13.  

I was baby-sitting when I was in England. 

Which tense is used to express an action that was completed in the past at a specific time?

1. Present continuous tense
2. Present perfect tense
3. Past simple tense
4. Past perfect tense

Which tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing into the present?

1. Present perfect tense
2. Future perfect tense
3. Past simple tense
4. Past continuous tense

Which tense is used for scheduled events (timetables, trains, planes etc) ?

1. Present continuous
2. Future continuous
3. Present simple
4. Past simple

Which tense is used for actions happening at the moment of speaking?

1. Future simple
2. Present simple
3. Past continuous
4. Present continuous

Which tense is used for general truths or habits?

1. Present simple
2. Future continuous
3. Present continuous
4. Past simple

Which tense is used for your future plans (no doubts) ?

1. Future simple
2. Present simple
3. Past continuous
4. Present continuous

Identify the correct tense: The train ....................at 9 o'clock every morning.

1. leave
2. is leaving
3. leaving
4. leaves

Which tense is appropriate for the sentence: She .......... TV every evening.

1. watches
2. is watching
3. watching
4. watch

Select the right tense: We ......... dinner at 7 PM tonight.

1. are having
2. having
3. have been having
4. have

Choose the correct tense for the following sentence: I usually ......... to the gym after work.

1. is going
2. goes
3. going
4. go

What is the correct tense for: 'They ............ to Japan twice.'

1. was
2. been
3. have be
4. have been

Determine the appropriate tense: They usually ............ basketball on weekends.

1. play
2. plays
3. are playing
4. playing

Which tense is appropriate here: 'I ................ Paris.'

1. never visited
2. have never visit
3. visited never
4. have never visited

Choose the correct tense for this sentence: 'She ........... her homework by 5 pm yesterday.'

1. finish
2. had finished
3. finished
4. has finished

Choose the right tense for this sentence: 'We ........... sushi before.'

1. have not eat
2. did not eat
3. have not eaten
4. not ate

Which tense is suitable for future plans? She ......... a new job in September.

1. is starting
2. starts
3. started
4. has started

Determine the correct tense for future plans: I .......... my driving test next month.

1. have been taking
2. have taken
3. am taking
4. take

Choose the correct tense for future plans: I ........... to Paris next month.

1. have gone
2. have been going
3. am going
4. go

Which tense indicates future plans in the sentence? We .......... a vacation in Spain next year.

1. have taken
2. take
3. are taking
4. have been taking

Which tense should be used in this sentence: 'I ............ that movie before.'

1. have saw
2. saw
3. have seen
4. seen

Select the appropriate tense for future plans: They ......... to the beach this weekend.

1. have been going
2. are going
3. have gone
4. go

I........in a restaurant in May 2020. (to work)

I........in a restaurant, which means I have some working experience.
(to work)

My sister ...... up ten minutes ago.

1. got
2. gets
3. have got
4. 's got

Where are they? They just left!

1. correct
2. incorrect

They went home at 7 pm.

1. correct
2. incorrect

I'm sorry. I.........my WASP reporter.

1. forgot
2. 've forgot
3. have forgot
4. 've forgotten

Two years ago we...............America.
(to visit)

I .............. the United Kingdom twice.
(to visit)

I ......... to Siberia yet.

1. wasn't
2. were not
3. haven't bin
4. have not been

Yesterday we ......... tennis. (to play)

When I was a child, I......... in England for two years. (live)

I ....... in England for 25 years so far.
(to live)

I ...... in England since I was a child.

1. lived
2. live
3. have lived
4. 's lived

The teacher .......... the tests yet.

1. didn't return
2. didn't returned
3. hasn't return
4. hasn't returned

....... you ever....... such a story?

1. Have you ever heared
2. Did you ever hear
3. Have you ever heard
4. Did you ever heard

I ........ tennis three times a week.
(to play)