This page is part of a publication called Number One ESL Discussion Book & Reference Guide.
| The concept of time can be split into – the Present, – the Past, and – the Future. There are four types of tenses: – Simple – Continuous – Perfect – Perfect – Continuous |
PRESENT
Simple Present Tense: used to talk about habits, facts, and general truths. Examples: a) He walks to the shop every day. b) He lives near the shop. c) One plus one equals two.
Present Continuous Tense: used to talk about an action or situation that is happening now, and that may continue into the future. Example: He is walking to the shop.
Present Perfect Tense: used to talk about an action or condition that a) occurred at an unspecified time in the past and may happen again, or b) that began in the past and continues to the present time. Examples: a) He has walked to the shop many times. b) He has lived near the shop for ten years.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense: used to talk about a) an action or condition that started in the past and is continuing at the present time, or b) an action or condition that has been occurring recently. Examples: a) He has been walking to the shop for more than an hour. b) He has been going to the shop a lot lately.
PAST
Simple Past Tense: used to talk about actions or situations that happened or existed before the present. Example: He walked to the shop yesterday afternoon.
Past Continuous Tense: used to talk about actions or situations that were happening at a specific moment in the past. Example: He was walking to the shop when I saw him.
Past Perfect Tense: used to talk about actions that were completed before some point in the past, or actions that occurred before another past event. Example: He had already walked to the shop when I saw him.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense: used to talk about an action or situation that had been ongoing for a period of time before another past event. Example: He had been walking to the shop for over an hour when I saw him.
FUTURE
Simple Future Tense: used to talk about an action or situation that will take place at a specific time in the future. Example: He will walk to the shop this afternoon.
Future Continuous Tense: used to talk about an action that is going to happen at a particular moment in the future and that is going to continue for some time. Example: He will be walking to the shop by the time I go to work.
Future Perfect Tense: used to talk about actions or situations that will be completed before another future event or time. Examples: a) By the time I see him, he will already have walked to the shop. b) By this afternoon, he will already have walked to the shop.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense: used to talk about actions or situations that will have been ongoing for a certain period of time by a specific future moment. Example: He will have been walking to the shop for an hour by the time you see him.
Notes:
1. The continuous tenses are also known as progressive tenses.
2. While the above are standard definitions, the use of tenses can vary based on context and certain nuances in English.