What is a tense?
A tense is the form of a verb that shows when the action happens.
- Past: it already happened. I ate lunch.
- Present: it happens now or always. I eat rice every day.
- Future: it has not happened yet. I will eat later.
Time words help: yesterday, now, every day, tomorrow, last year, next week.
Simple tenses: past, present and future
The simple tenses name a plain action.
- Present simple: She plays chess. (add -s or -es for he/she/it)
- Past simple: She played chess. (-ed, or a new word like went)
- Future simple: She will play chess. (will + base verb)
Use the present simple for habits (I wake at six) and facts (The sun rises in the east).
Continuous tenses: the action is going on
The continuous tenses show an action in progress. Formula: be + verb-ing.
- Present: I am eating now.
- Past: I was eating when you called.
- Future: I will be eating at eight tonight.
Some verbs of feeling or thinking (know, love, want) are not used in the continuous: say I know, not I am knowing.
Perfect tenses: finished before a point
The perfect tenses look back from a point in time at an action that is already done. Formula: have/has/had/will have + 3rd form (past participle).
- Present perfect: I have eaten. (done, and it matters now)
- Past perfect: I had eaten before you came. (done before another past moment)
- Future perfect: I will have eaten by nine. (done before a future moment)
Do not use the present perfect with a finished time word. Say I ate yesterday, not I have eaten yesterday.
All twelve forms in one table
| Past | Present | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I ate | I eat | I will eat |
| Continuous | I was eating | I am eating | I will be eating |
| Perfect | I had eaten | I have eaten | I will have eaten |
| Perfect continuous | I had been eating | I have been eating | I will have been eating |
Try it: pick one thing you did today. Say it in the past simple, the present perfect and the future simple.
Key formulas and definitions
- Present simple: base verb (+s for he/she/it)
- Past simple: verb + ed, or an irregular form (went)
- Future simple: will + base verb
- Continuous: am/is/are/was/were/will be + verb-ing
- Perfect: have/has/had/will have + 3rd form (past participle)
Worked examples
1. Name the tense: "They are playing football."
Present continuous. are + playing: the action is going on now.
2. Change to the past simple: "I go to school by bus."
I went to school by bus. (go is irregular: went.)
3. Fill the gap: "By the time we reached, the film ____ (start)."
had started. The film started before we reached, so we use the past perfect.
4. Choose: "I ____ my homework. Now I can play." (finish)
have finished. The action is done and it matters now: present perfect.
Common mistakes
- Saying "I have seen him yesterday". With a finished time word use the past simple: I saw him yesterday.
- Using will after if or when for the future: say "If it rains, we will stay", not "If it will rain".
- Writing "He go" instead of "He goes": add -s or -es for he, she, it.
- Using the continuous with feeling verbs: say "I like tea", not "I am liking tea".