English Grammar Tenses

Learning English grammar can be a challenging experience. Today we look at the basic tenses we need to talk about the present, past and future.

Present

Simple Present

Base verb (+ es/es for third person):

I watch the news every day.

Present Continuous

am/is/are + present participle:

I am watching the news.

Present Perfect

Has/have + past participle:

I have watched the news already.

Present Perfect Continuous

Has/have + been + present participle:

I have been watching the news since I was a teenager.

Past

Simple Past

Verb+ed or irregular verb:

I watched the news.

Past Continuous

Was/were + present participle:

I was watching the news.

Past Perfect

Had + past participle:

I had watched the news before I went to bed.

Past Perfect Continuous

I had been watching watching the news for 20 minutes before you came home.

Future

Simple Future

Will+verb
Am/is/are + going to + verb

I will watch the news / I am going to watch the news.

Future Continuous

Will be + present participle
Am/is/are + going to be + present participle:

I will be watching the news at 9pm. / I am going to be watching the news at 9pm.

Future Perfect

Will have + past participle
Am/is/are + going to have + past participle

I will have watched the news before 10pm. / I am going to have watched the news.

Future Perfect Continuous

Will have been + present participle
Am/is/are + going to have been + present participle:

I will have been watching the news for over ten minutes before you join me. / I am going to have been watching the news for over ten minutes before you join me.

Now choose which tense is being used in each of the following sentences:

• 1) I am living with my parents.
  
  Present Continuous
  Present Perfect
  Present Perfect Continuous
  Simple Present
  
  
• 2) I have never studied French.
  
  Simple Present
  Present Perfect
  Past Perfect
  Present Continuous
  
  
• 3) We were listening to music.
  
  Past Perfect Continuous
  Present Continuous
  Simple Present
  Past Continuous
  
  
• 4) She had worked with animals in her last job.
  
  Past Perfect Continuous
  Simple Past
  Past Perfect
  Present Perfect
  
  
• 5) He had been running.
  
  Present Continuous
  Past Continuous
  Past Perfect Continuous
  Past Perfect
  
  
• 6) You will meet them soon.
  
  Simple Future
  Present Perfect
  Simple Present
  Present Continuous
  
  
• 7) She will have fallen asleep by midnight.
  
  Future Perfect Continuous
  Future Continuous
  Future Perfect
  Simple Future
  
  
• 8) We will have been walking for 4 hours.
  
  Simple Present
  Present Continuous
  Future Perfect Continuous
  Present Perfect
  
  
• 9) I will be waiting for you.
  
  Simple Present
  Future Perfect
  Present Continuous
  Future Continuous
  
  
• 10) They were making lunch.
  
  Past Perfect Continuous
  Present Continuous
  Present Future
  Past Continuous