VERB TENSES

Verb tenses in English indicate the time or the state of the action in a sentence. Here we will review these verb tenses.

The Simple Present Tense

• We form the simple present by using the basic verb (I like, they need). The only change is adding –s or –es for the third person singular (he likes, she needs, it passes).
• We use the simple present tense when :
• The action is general,
• The action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future,
• The action is not only happening now,
• The statement is always true.

The Present Continuous Tense

• We form the present continuous by using the auxiliary be in the present before the verb and adding –ing to the end of the verb.
• We often use the present continuous tense in English. It is very different from the simple present tense, both in structure and in use. We use the present continuous tense to talk about :
• Action happening now,
• Action in the future.

The Present Perfect Tense

• The present perfect tense is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages a difficult time. That is because it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages. In fact, the structure of the present perfect tense is very simple. The problems come with the use of the tense.
• We form the present perfect by using the auxiliary have or has and the past participle of the verb.
• We use the present perfect to show that an action began in the past and continues to  the general present.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

• We form the present perfect continuous by using have been or has been before the verb and adding –ing to the end of  the verb.
• This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now. There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense :
• An action that has just stopped or recently stopped. We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.
• An action continuing up to now. We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used with for or since.

The Simple Past Tense

• If a verb is regular, we form the simple past by putting –ed or –d on the end (work, worked/type, typed). If the verb is irregular, there are usually internal changes (get, got) or almost complete changes (bring, brought).
• We use the simple past tense for two main reasons :
• To show that an action happened in the past and is completely finished,
• To show which two actions in the past lasted for a shortter time.

The Past Continuous Tense

• We form the past continuous by using the auxiliary was or were before the verb and adding –ing to the end of the verb.
• We use the past continuous tense for two main reasons :
• To show that an action was in progress at a certain point in the past,
• To show which of two actions in the past was longer.
• We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense. We use the past continuous tense to express a long action. And we use the simple past tense to express a short action that happens in the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas with when or while.

The Past Perfect Tense

• We form the past perfect by using the auxiliary had plus the past participle of the verb.
• The past perfect tense expresses action in the past before another action in the past. This is the past in the past.

The Simple Future

• With all verbs, both regular and irregular, we form the simple future by adding will before the verb.
• We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking.
• We often use the simple future tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen.

The Future Perfect Tense

• We form the future perfect tense by using will plus the auxiliary have plus the past participle of the verb.
• We use the future perfect for two main reasons :
• To show that an action will be completed before a time in the future,
• To make a prediction about actions that are now finished.