Verb Tenses

Present Simple

Use the present simple for:

• habits
• routines
• facts
• general truths
• permanent or repeated situations

I walk to school every day.

Water freezes at 0°C.

She works in Stockholm.

With he, she, it, the verb usually takes -s:

He works.

She studies.

Present Continuous

Use the present continuous for actions happening around now or temporary situations.

Structure: am/is/are + verb-ing

I am studying right now.

She is staying with a friend this week.

Compare:

He works in London.

This sounds permanent or regular.

He is working in London this month.

This sounds temporary.

Past Simple

Use the past simple for completed events in the past.

We visited London last year.

She finished the essay yesterday.

Irregular verbs have special past forms:

go → went

see → saw

write → wrote

Past Continuous

Use the past continuous for an action that was in progress at a particular time in the past.

Structure: was/were + verb-ing

I was studying when you called.

The longer ongoing action is often in the past continuous, while the shorter event uses the past simple.

We were walking home when it started to rain.

Present Perfect

Structure: have/has + past participle

Use the present perfect when a past event is connected to the present.

I have lost my keys.

The important point is that I do not have them now.

It is also common for experiences:

She has visited Japan three times.

And for situations continuing until now:

I have lived here for five years.

Compare:

I lived there for five years.

This usually suggests that I no longer live there.

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

Use the past simple with a finished time:

I saw the film yesterday.

Use the present perfect when the exact time is not important or the time period is still connected to the present:

I have seen the film.

Past Perfect

Structure: had + past participle

Use it to show that one past event happened before another past event.

When I arrived, the lesson had already started.

First: the lesson started.

Then: I arrived.

Future

English has several ways to talk about the future.

Will

Often used for predictions, decisions made at the moment of speaking and promises.

I think it will rain tomorrow.

I'll help you.

Be going to

Often used for plans and predictions based on present evidence.

I'm going to study tonight.

Look at those clouds. It's going to rain.

Present continuous

Can be used for arranged future plans.

I'm meeting Sarah at six.

I have studied English for six years.

This suggests the studying began in the past and continues now.

I studied English for six years.

This often suggests the period is finished.

The tense changes the meaning.

1. Decide when the action happens.
2. Ask whether the action is completed, repeated or ongoing.
3. Consider whether the past event is connected to the present.
4. Check whether another event provides a reference point.
5. Keep the time relationships consistent throughout the text.

Incorrect: I have seen him yesterday.

Correct: I saw him yesterday.

Why: yesterday refers to a completed past time.

Incorrect: She is knowing the answer.

Correct: She knows the answer.

Some verbs such as know, believe and understand are not normally used in continuous forms.

Incorrect: When I arrived, they already left.

Better: When I arrived, they had already left.

The past perfect makes the order of events clear.

Choose the best sentence:

• A. I have finished the assignment yesterday.
• B. I finished the assignment yesterday.
• C. I was finish the assignment yesterday.
• D. I have finish the assignment yesterday.

Answer: B. A specific finished past time normally requires the past simple.

• Verb tense shows both time and how an action relates to that time.
• Present simple often describes habits and facts.
• Continuous forms emphasise ongoing or temporary actions.
• Past simple describes completed past events.
• Present perfect connects past events to the present.
• Past perfect shows which of two past events happened first.
• Future meaning can be expressed in several ways.