Time Phrases and Tenses
Diagrams will use a variety of time periods, so test-takers need to practice using the correct verb tenses.
| TENSE NAME | CONSTRUCTION | PAST | PRESENT | FUTURE |
| simple | verb (s/es) | sold | sell/sells | will sell |
| continuous | to be + verb + ing | was/were selling | is/are selling | will be selling |
| perfect | to have + past participle | had sold | has/have sold | will have sold |
| passive | to be + past participle | was/were sold | is/are sold | will be sold |
Spending some time making sure you know the tense names will really help when studying IELTS grammar. As you can see from the table above, tenses that use ‘to have‘ and a past participle are called perfect tenses, those that use ‘to be‘ with ‘ing‘ are called continuous tenses, and those that use ‘to be‘ with a past participle are passive.
Using the table above, can you name the tense used in the following sentence?
By 2100, it is likely that all heavily polluting industries will have been replaced by sustainable alternatives.
We can name this in the order of the auxiliary verbs: will = future / have = perfect / been (participle of to be) = passive, therefore it is the future perfect passive tense.
Tenses for Task One
Usually for Task One diagrams it is not necessary to use continuous tenses (but not impossible). Most diagrams can be described well using simple and perfect tenses, but both the active and passive voice should be used.
The diagram below shows which are the most common tenses used for different time periods represented on diagrams with trends.
Past to Past
As the diagram shows, if the time period is all in the past e.g. 2008 – 2016, the diagram should be described using the past simple.
The diagrams illustrate information about the amount of electricity homeowners used from 2007 to 2016.
It is possible to use other tenses here (past perfect and past continuous) but usually it is not necessary.
Past to Present
If the time frame period begins in the past and continues to the current year or month, the diagram should be in the present perfect.
The diagrams illustrate information about the amount of electricity homeowners have used since 2008.
Past to Future
Charts, graphs and tables will probably not use the present perfect on its own, but it is commonly used if the time period starts in the past and continues into the future, along with a future verb.
The diagrams illustrate information about the amount of electricity homeowners have used since 2008, and how much will be used until 2050.
Future to Future
When describing a trend that begins in the future and continues into the future, a future tense should be used. For describing data, will is often more appropriate than going to as diagrams show predictions rather than certainties. If describing a map or plan, going to works fine.
The literacy rate in developing counties will continue to grow slowly until 2047. The hotel lobby is going to be rebuilt.
Time phrases
However, there is also alternative forms for making predictions. The most common are predict, expect and project. These should be written in the present passive voice followed by to + verb.
The diagrams illustrate information about the amount of electricity homeowners are predicted to use until 2050.
The diagrams illustrate information about the amount of electricity homeowners are expected to use until 2050.
The diagrams illustrate information about the amount of electricity homeowners are projected to use until 2050.
Predicted, expected or projected can also be replaced with likely, forecast, proposed and planned.
Occasional tenses
There are a further two tenses that are used to show how much a value changed before (or up to) a specific point in the past or the future.
These tenses are known as the future perfect and the past perfect.
The future perfect tense works well when describing the end of a trend or event that continues into the future, although it is possible to use it throughout a future time period.
The future perfect is formed using the formula
will + have + past participle
This is used to find a time in the future and then describe actions that finish at or before this time.
For example, on the graph below the final date is 2050. From 2048 to 2050 the number of imported car sales is expected to rise to just over seven million.
This can be written by taking the final date (2050) and using the future perfect to describe the changes leading up to that date. Similarly to the present perfect tense, the future perfect only states the end date, not the start.
By 2050, the number of cars sold will have risen to just over seven million.
Use the preposition by when using a future perfect tense.
This tense works very well as a contrast to another movement or value.
From 2046 to 2048, sales of imported cars will remain stable, but by 2050, the number of cars sold will have risen to just over seven million.
The past perfect tense is the same as the future perfect tense but in the past. Again, this tense will refer to a point (in the past) and then describe actions that finish at or before this time.
The past perfect is formed using the formula
had + past participle
For example, on the graph below, the from 2016 to 2019 the number of imported cars sold fell from just under nine million to slightly more than two million.
This can be written by taking the final date (2019) and using the past perfect to describe the changes leading up to that date. Similarly to the present perfect tense, the past perfect only states the end date, not the start.
By 2019, the number of cars sold had fallen to just over two million.
Use the preposition by when using a past perfect tense.
This tense works very well as a contrast to another movement or value.
In 2016, sales of imported cars stood at just under nine million, but by 2016 the number of imported cars sold had fallen to slightly more than two million.
