Tenses

Tenses in English indicate the time of an action or event. Understanding tenses is essential for accurate and effective communication. This lesson covers the main tenses in English, including their structures, uses, and examples.

Present Tenses

Simple Present

• Structure: [Subject] + base verb (add -s/-es for third person singular)
  • Example: "She walks to school."
• Uses: General truths, habits, repeated actions, and fixed arrangements.
  • Example: "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius."

Present Continuous (Progressive)

• Structure: [Subject] + am/is/are + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Example: "They are watching a movie."
• Uses: Actions happening now, temporary situations, and future arrangements.
  • Example: "I am studying for my exams."

Present Perfect

• Structure: [Subject] + have/has + past participle
  • Example: "He has finished his homework."
• Uses: Actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past, actions that started in the past and continue to the present, and past experiences.
  • Example: "She has lived here for ten years."

Present Perfect Continuous

• Structure: [Subject] + have/has + been + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Example: "We have been waiting for an hour."
• Uses: Actions that started in the past and are still continuing, actions that have recently stopped with a present result.
  • Example: "I have been reading this book for weeks."

Past Tenses

Simple Past

• Structure: [Subject] + past form of the verb
  • Example: "They visited Paris last year."
• Uses: Actions that happened and finished in the past.
  • Example: "I played soccer yesterday."

Past Continuous (Progressive)

• Structure: [Subject] + was/were + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Example: "She was sleeping when the phone rang."
• Uses: Actions that were happening at a specific time in the past, interrupted actions.
  • Example: "We were watching TV at 8 PM."

Past Perfect

• Structure: [Subject] + had + past participle
  • Example: "He had left before I arrived."
• Uses: Actions that happened before another action in the past.
  • Example: "By the time she got to the party, it had ended."

Past Perfect Continuous

• Structure: [Subject] + had + been + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Example: "They had been talking for hours before the movie started."
• Uses: Actions that were ongoing in the past up until another past action.
  • Example: "I had been studying for two hours when he called."

Future Tenses

Simple Future

• Structure: [Subject] + will + base verb
  • Example: "She will travel to Japan next month."
• Uses: Future actions, predictions, and promises.
  • Example: "I will help you with your homework."

Future Continuous (Progressive)

• Structure: [Subject] + will + be + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Example: "This time tomorrow, I will be flying to New York."
• Uses: Actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.
  • Example: "They will be eating dinner at 7 PM."

Future Perfect

• Structure: [Subject] + will + have + past participle
  • Example: "By next week, I will have finished the project."
• Uses: Actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future.
  • Example: "She will have graduated by June."

Future Perfect Continuous

• Structure: [Subject] + will + have + been + present participle (verb+ing)
  • Example: "By the end of this year, they will have been working here for five years."
• Uses: Actions that will be ongoing up until a specific time in the future.
  • Example: "He will have been teaching for 20 years by then."