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May 10, 2023 · Verb tenses are changes or additions to verbs to show when the action took place: in the past, present, or future. The phrase… Use this guide to learn how to use all tenses of a verb properly, including present perfect, past continuous, future perfect continuous, and more.
Verb tenses show us when an action takes place: in the present, past or future. Each of the three main tenses has a progressive, perfect and perfect progressive aspect which give us more information. This table of tenses in English grammar provides an overview of the 12 different verb tenses with examples, usage tips and signal words.
TensePositive/negative/questionWhen To UseSignal WordsSimple Present (Present Simple)He speaks. He doesn’t speak. Does he ...repeated/regular action in the present ...always, every …, never, normally, often, ...Present Progressive (Present Continuous)He is speaking. He isn’t speaking. Is he ...actions currently in progress temporary ...at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, ...Simple Past (Past Simple; Preterite)He spoke. He didn’t speak. Did he ...completed past actions (one-off or ...yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the ...Past Progressive (Past Continuous)He was speaking. He wasn’t speaking. Was ...actions already in progress at a specific ...while, as long asWhen you are writing, the verbs you use show if the events have already happened, are happening now or will happen in the future. The past tense is used for things that have already happened. Past ...
For example, we usually use present tense verb forms to talk about states, events or actions that happen or are happening in the present time. We usually use past tense verb forms to talk about past time, to describe events, states or actions that have finished.
- Present Tense
- Past Tense
- Future Tense
Simple Present Tense
In Simple Present, the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing being said about its completeness. For example: 1. I eat. 2. I sleep. 3. I play.
Present Continuous Tense
In Present Continuous, the action is on-going/ still going on and hence continuous. For example: 1. I am eating. 2. I am sleeping. 3. I am playing.
Present Perfect Tense
In Present Perfect, the action is complete or has ended and hence termed Perfect. For example: 1. I have eaten. 2. I have slept. 3. I have played.
Simple Past Tense
In Simple Past, the action is simply mentioned and understood to have taken place in the past. For example: 1. I ate. 2. I slept. 3. I played.
Past Continuous tense
In Past Continuous, the action was ongoing till a certain time in the past. For example: 1. I was eating. 2. I was sleeping. 3. I was playing.
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfectis used to express something that happened before another action in the past. For example: 1. I had eaten. 2. I had slept. 3. I had played.
Simple Future Tense
Simple Futureis used when we plan or make a decision to do something. Nothing is said about the time in the future. For example: 1. I will eat. 2. I will sleep. 3. I will play.
Future Continous Tense
The future continuous tenseis used to express action at a particular moment in the future. However, the action will not have finished at the moment. For example: 1. I will be eating at 9 a.m. 2. I will be sleeping when you arrive. 3. I will be playing at 5 p.m.
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect expresses an action that will occur in the future before another actionin the future. For example: 1. I will have eaten before 10 a.m. 2. I will have slept before you arrive. 3. I will have played before 6 p.m.
The use of the present simple and present perfect later on are incongruous with a past perfect as far as I can tell. To use a past perfect here, you'd have to shift the tenses in the following sentences towards the past.
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Learn about the different verb tenses - past, present, and future - and the four grammatical aspects that make up the twelve distinct tenses. Understand how each tense indicates the timing of an action and its relevance to different time periods.
