Past Present Future
I helped my neighbor I help my neighbor I will help my neighbor
Simple
yesterday. every day. tomorrow.
I will have helped my
I had helped my neighbor I have helped my
neighbor a hundred
Perfect clean his attic before I neighbor too much
times by the end of the
fixed his car. this week.
month.
I was helping my I am helping my I will be helping my
Continuous neighbor when neighbor while he neighbor next month
he brought me iced tea. fixes up his house. when he moves.
I have been
I had been helping my I will have been
Perfect helping my
neighbor for a year before helping my neighbor for
continuous neighbor since I
he finally thanked me. a year next month.
moved in.
Past tenses
Simple past
We use the simple past to show actions completed in the past, with no extra emphasis.
For regular verbs, you form the simple past tense by adding the suffix –ed to the end of
the verb (or just –d if the past tense verb already ends in an e).
Be careful of irregular past tense verbs, however. These don’t follow the normal rules
and use their own unique forms for the past tense. For example, the past tense of the
irregular verb go is went.
Regular verbs: I picked up the glass, but it dropped from my hand.
Irregular verbs: This morning I went to the store, but I forgot the milk.
Past perfect
[had] + [past participle]
What if you’re talking about two different actions in the past and want to show that one
happened before the other? The past perfect, also known as the pluperfect, shows that
one past action happened earlier than another one.
She had arrived at the office before she realized it was Sunday.
I ran to my car when I noticed my wife had left already.
Past continuous
[was/were] + [present participle]
Use the past continuous to show an ongoing action in the past, especially if the action
was interrupted by another action. It’s also used for habitual actions that occurred in the
past but not in the present. It’s usually used with adverbs like always or adverb phrases
like all the time.
My dog was whimpering in his sleep when the TV woke him up.
As kids, my friends and I were always getting into trouble.
Past perfect continuous
[had] + [been] + [present participle]
The past perfect continuous tense is used just like the past perfect tense, except it
describes ongoing actions that happened in the past instead of a one-time occurance.
It’s often used with the words when, until, and before to connect it to another past
action.
Before he got his first job as a writer, he had been working as a proofreader.
I had been living on my friend’s couch for a year until they kicked me out.
Present tenses
Simple present
The simple present is the most basic of the English tenses. It’s used for individual
actions or habitual actions in the present.
Often the simple present is just the root verb with no changes or additions. The main
exception to this is when the subject is third person and singular. In this case you add
the suffix –s. If the verb ends in o, ch, sh, th, ss, gh, or z, you add –es. If the verb ends
in a consonant and y (and the subject is third-person singular), drop the y and add –
ies.
Today I feel like a million bucks!
My brother carries the groceries while my sister stays on the couch.
Present perfect
[have/has] + [past participle]
Although it’s quite common, the present perfect is one of the most difficult English verb
tenses. It is used to describe a few different types of actions, including:
an ongoing action started in the past that is not yet completed
the same action completed multiple times in the past and likely to be completed
again
an action completed very recently (usually with just or now)
an uncompleted action that is expected to be finished (in the negative)
Additionally, the present perfect can be used to emphasize the significance of a
completed action, especially one that happened over time.
We have tricked him every April Fool’s Day since we were kids.
My niece has grown so much this year!
Present continuous
[am/is/are] + [present participle]
Use the present continuous to show an action happening right now or in the near
future.
I am reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for the fifth time!
We are eating pizza tonight.
Present perfect continuous
[have/has] + [been] + [present participle]
The present perfect continuous shows an ongoing action in the present that was started
in the past. It is often used to emphasize the length of time.
We have been waiting for over an hour!
The team has been practicing nonstop for the tournament.
Future tenses
Simple future
Use the simple future for actions that have not happened yet but will later. To form the
simple future, just place the modal verb will before the root form of the main verb. (Note
that if the action will happen in the near future, you can use the present continuous
instead.)
She will be president one day.
I will not go to the wedding without a date!
Future perfect
[will] + [have] + [past participle]
The future perfect shows an action that will be completed in the future by a specified
time. Because it depends on another time, the future perfect is often used with words
like by, before, at, or when.
By the time you read this, I will have already left.
She will have eaten lunch before her sister even wakes up.
Future continuous
[will] + [be] + [present participle]
Use the future continuous tense for future actions happening over a period of time,
especially when a specific time is mentioned. The future continuous tense also shows
more certainty and likelihood than the simple future.
By this time tomorrow, I will be drinking margaritas on the beach.
We will be attending a meeting from noon until 3 p.m.
Future perfect continuous
[will] + [have] + [been] + [present participle]
The future perfect continuous depicts future ongoing actions that continue up until a
certain point. Like the future perfect and future continuous, it’s used with a specified
time.
In ten minutes, my parents will have been waiting in traffic for four hours.
I will have been eating healthy for a whole year by September.
