The English Tense System

The below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic English tenses. For each tense we look at:

  • Structure: How do we make the tense?
  • Use: When and why do we use the tense?

Some lessons look at additional matters, and most of them finish with a quiz to check your understanding.

Present Simple


Example: I do, I do do

The Present Simple tense is the most basic tense in English and uses the base form of the verb (except for the verb be). The only change from the base is the addition of s for third person singular.

How do we make the Present Simple tense?

There are two basic structures for the Present Simple:

1. Positive sentences

subject + main verb
  Present Simple

2. Negative and question sentences

subject + auxiliary do + main verb
    conjugated in Present Simple  
do, does base

Look at these examples with the main verb like:

 subjectauxiliary verb main verb
+ I, you, we, they   like coffee.
He, she, it   likes coffee.
- I, you, we, they do not like coffee.
He, she, it does not like coffee.
? Do I, you, we, they   like coffee?
Does he, she, it   like coffee?

From the above table, notice the following points...

For positive sentences:

  • There is no auxiliary verb.
  • We conjugate the main verb by adding s to the third person singular.

For negative and question sentences:

  • The auxiliary verb (do) is conjugated in the Present Simple: do, does
  • The main verb is invariable in base form: base
  • For negative sentences, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.
  • For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the auxiliary verb.


Present Continuous:

Present Continuous tense(also called Present Progressive)

We often use the Present Continuous tense in English. It is very different from the Present Simple tense, both in structure and in use.

Example: I am doing

How do we make the Present Continuous tense?

The structure of the Present Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary be + main verb
    conjugated in Present Simple  
am, are, is present participle (-ing)

The auxiliary verb (be) is conjugated in the Present Simple: am, are, is

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert not between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Present Continuous tense:


Present Perfect

Present Continuous

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 is very simple. The problems come with the use of the tense. In addition, there are some differences in usage between British and American English.

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Present Perfect tense, as well as the use of for and since, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

Example: I have done


Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous uses two auxiliary verbs together with a main verb.

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Present Perfect Continuous tense, as well as the use of for and since, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

 

Example: I have been doing

Past Simple

The Past Simple tense is sometimes called the "preterite tense". We can use several tenses and forms to talk about the past, but the Past Simple tense is the one we use most often.

Example: I did, I did do

Past Continuous

The Past Continuous tense is an important tense in English. We use it to say what we were in the middle of doing at a particular moment in the past.

Example: I was doing

Past Perfect

The Past Perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and to use. This tense talks about the "past in the past".

Example: I had done

Past Perfect Continuous

The Past Perfect Continuous is another tense that expresses the "past in the past".

Example: I had been doing

Future Simple

The Future Simple tense is often called the "will tense" because we make the Future Simple with the modal auxiliary will.

Example: I will do

Future Continuous

The Future Continuous tense is often used in English as a way to talk about something happening at a given point in the future.

Example: I will be doing

Future Perfect

The Future Perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The Future Perfect talks about the past in the future.

How do we make the Future Perfect tense?

The structure of the Future Perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + auxiliary verb HAVE + main verb
    invariable   invariable   past participle
    will   have   V3

Look at these example sentences in the Future Perfect tense:

 subjectauxiliary verb auxiliary verbmain verb 
+ I will   have finished by 10am.
+ You will   have forgotten me by then.
- She will not have gone to school.
- We will not have left.  
? Will you   have arrived?  
? Will they   have received it?

Contraction with Future Perfect

In speaking with the Future Perfect tense, we often contract the subject and will. Sometimes, we may contract the subjectwill and have all together:

I will have I'll have I'll've
you will have you'll have you'll've
he will have
she will have
it will have
he'll have
she'll have
it'll have
he'll've
she'll've
it'll've
we will have we'll have we'll've
they will have they'll have they'll've
  • I'll have finished when you arrive.
  • She'll have forgotten everything.
  • They'll've had their dinner by then.

In negative sentences, we may contract with won't or won't've, like this:

  • Anthony won't have arrived by then.
  • They won't've finished the car tomorrow.

Example:I will have done

Future Perfect Continuous

The Future Perfect Continuous tense looks at the past from the future.

How do we make the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the Future Perfect Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary will + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb
    invariable invariable past participle   present participle
will have been base + ing

For negative sentences in the Future Perfect Continuous tense, we insert not between will and have. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the Future Perfect Continuous:

 subjectauxiliary verb auxiliary verbauxiliary verbmain verb 
+ I will   have been working for four hours.
+ You will   have been travelling for two days.
- She will not have been using the car.
- We will not have been waiting long.
? Will you   have been playing football?
? Will they   have been watching TV?

Example: I will have been doing

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