TENSES

made easy
How and when to use
the different tenses

Explained simply, with easy

to understand examples

Andy Paul

1
The aim of this guide is to introduce the twelve tenses in a general way
and to give a brief introduction of the main uses of them.

The description of them are given in an easy to understand way and

backed up with examples, but there will be other more complex versions
of the tenses which can be researched following the basic understanding
which is outlined here.

In this guide V1 refers to the present simple form of the verb, V2 the
past tense and V3 the past participle. The most common irregular verbs
are listed at the end of this guide.

All tenses can be used in the positive, negative or question form.

The following time lines may also help to improve understanding .

Simple tenses are used whenever we are talking about a point in time.

Continuous tenses are used whenever we are talking about a length of

time.

Perfect tenses are used whenever we are talking about a point in time
before another point in time.

Perfect continuous tenses are used whenever we are talking about a

length of time up to a point in time.

2
 Simple Tense

Present Simple Subject + verb (V1) +

(passive voice S + is/am/are + verb (V3) + ...)

Used for statements which are true at the moment, and may, or may not
continue. This tense is also used for actions which regularly happen.

I live in Thailand.
He wears glasses.
They always go to work at eight.

Past simple Subject + verb (V2) +

(passive voice S + was/were + verb (V3) + ...)

We use this tense to talk about events or actions which happened in the past,
and are now finished.

I saw Jo in the market last night.

Jan called a while ago.
I ate breakfast this morning.

Future Simple Subject + will/shall + verb (V1) +

(passive voice S + will be + verb (V3) + ...)

This is for events which are expected to happen sometime in the future, usually
used with some time reference like later, tomorrow, in a minute, next year etc.

I will go to America next month.

He will visit his parents this evening.
Ill meet you at four oclock.

We can also talk about the future using the present continuous tense and often
used with a time reference for the future.

Im going to . Hes arriving Theyre visiting .

3
 Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Subject + is/am/are + verb (V1) ing +

(passive voice S + is/am/are + being + verb (V3) + ...)

We use this tense for events or situations which are in progress at the time of
speaking and are expected to continue. Often used with adverbs like now, at the
moment, this week, etc.

Im living in Thailand now.

They are working in Bangkok this week.

The present continuous can also be used for planned actions in the future. With
these we generally need a time reference.

Hes arriving tomorrow.

Were spending next winter in England.

Past Continuous Subject + was/were + verb (V1) ing +

(passive voice S + was/were + being + verb (V3) + ...)

Used to describe situations or actions that were in progress some time in the
past, and actions that began before something else happened. Generally used
with a time adverb or a second event. If used with a second event, this will
normally be in the simple past.

I was living abroad in 2008.

She was working on her computer last night.
While we were having dinner, the telephone rang.

Future Continuous Subject + will/shall + be + verb (V1) ing +

(passive voice not generally used)

This tense is used for actions which will be in progress some time in the future.
Often used to talk about a future activities already planned, and usually with
some time reference. For example, later, soon, next year, etc.

The manager will be arriving soon.

They will be driving to Chaing Mai tomorrow.

The future continuous and present continuous can often both have the same
meaning when referring to planned events.

He will be arriving tomorrow. / Hes (He is) arriving tomorrowWell (We will) be
spending this winter in England. / Were (We are) spending this winter in
England.
4
 Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Subject + have/has + verb (V3) +

(passive voice S + has/have + been + verb (V3) + ...)

Used to describe actions occurring (or not occurring) at an unspecified time in

the past but with some connection to the present, or if the time isnt finished.
e.g. this week, this year.

I have lived here for five years. (and I still live here)
Ive (I have) just cleaned the house.
Shes (She has) never eaten mango before.
I have done a lot of work this month.

We often use words like before, so far, up till now, just, recently, already etc.
with this tense.

Past Perfect Subject + had + verb (V3) +

(passive voice S + had been + verb (V3) + ...)

The main use is to show which of two events happened first. The two events
dont necessarily have to be related, but the later event will also be in the past.
Mainly using before, after and when.

The man had left the party by the time the cake was cut.
I had arrived at work before the rain started.

Note that the event that happened first does not need to be listed first.

Before the rain started, I had arrived at work.

Future Perfect Subject + will/shall + have + verb (V3) +

(passive voice S + will have been + verb (V3) + ...)

This tense is usually used to show an action that will already be completed by a
certain time in the future. It often uses by, until, not.... until, plus a time, and
with words that imply completion build, complete, finish etc. or used after
verbs like expect, hope, believe .......

I will have retired by the year 2015.

I will have completed my house by this time next year.
I expect you will have changed your mind by tomorrow.
I will not have finished my homework until Monday.

5
 Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous

Subject + have/has + been + verb (V1) ...ing +
(passive voice not generally used)

This tense is used when an activity has been in progress throughout a period of
time, often with consequences now. The activity may, or may not still be in progress
now.

She has been typing all day. (she may still be typing, or has recently stopped)
Ive (I have) been working at Honda for fifteen years. (depending on the context
I still am, or recently changed jobs or retired)

Past Perfect Continuous

Subject + had + been + verb (V1) ...ing +
(passive voice not generally used)

We use this tense similarly to the present perfect continuous, but for earlier
activities often with a consequence then, rather than now.

She had been typing letters all day. (the action has now finished)
When I first met her, she had been working at Honda for fifteen years.
(at that time she was still working, or recently finished)

Future Perfect Continuous

Subject + will/shall + have + been + verb (V1) ...ing +
(passive voice not generally used)

Used to signify what is in progress now considered from a point in the future.
Either the event, or time reference, can be listed first.

By this time next week, I will have been working here for two years.
We will have been living here for a year on September 5th.
On September 5th, we will have been living here for a year.

6
 Irregular verbs

Present Past Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle /

(V1) (V2) (V3) (he, she, it) Gerund

Be (Is/am/are) Was/Were Been Is Being

Beat Beat Beaten Beats Beating

Become Became Become Becomes Becoming

Begin Began Begun Begins Beginning

Bite Bit Bitten Bites Biting

Bleed Bled Bled Bleeds Bleeding

Break Broke Broken Breaks Breaking

Bring Brought Brought Brings Bringing

Build Built Built Builds Building

Burn Burnt Burnt Burns Burning

Buy Bought Bought Buys Buying

Catch Caught Caught Catches Catching

Choose Chose Chosen Chooses Choosing

Come Came Come Comes Coming

Cost Cost Cost Costs Costing

Cut Cut Cut Cuts Cutting

Do Did Done Does Doing

Draw Drew Drawn Draws Drawing

Dream Dreamt Dreamt Dreams Dreaming

Drink Drank Drunk Drinks Drinking

Drive Drove Driven Drives Driving

Eat Ate Eaten Eats Eating

Fall Fell Fallen Falls Falling

Feel Felt Felt Feels Feeling

Fight Fought Fought Fights Fighting

Find Found Found Finds Finding

Fly Flew Flown Flies Flying

Forget Forgot Forgotten Forgets Forgetting

Freeze Froze Frozen Freezes Freezing

Getting
Get Got Got Gets

7
Present Past Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle /
(V1) (V2) (V3) (he, she, it) Gerund

Give Gave Given Gives Giving

Go Went Gone/Been Goes Going

Grow Grew Grown Grows Growing

Have Had Had Has Having

Hear Heard Heard Hears Hearing

Hide Hid Hidden Hides Hiding

Hit Hit Hit Hits Hitting

Hold Held Held Holds Holding

Hurt Hurt Hurt Hurts Hurting

Keep Kept Kept Keeps Keeping

Kneel Knelt/Kneeled Knelt/Kneeled Kneels Kneeling

Know Knew Known Knows Knowing

Lay Laid Laid Lays laying

Lead Led Led Leads Leading

Learn Learnt/Learned Learnt/Learned Learns Learning

Leave Left Left Leaves Leaving

Lend Lent Lent Lends Lending

Let Let Let Lets Letting

Lose Lost Lost Loses Losing

Make Made Made Makes Making

Mean Meant Meant Means Meaning

Meet Met Met Meets Meeting

Pay Paid Paid Pays Paying

Put Put Put Puts Putting

Read Read Read Reads Reading

Ride Rode Ridden Rides Riding

Ring Rang Rung Rings Ringing

Run Ran Run Runs Running

Say Said Said Says Saying

See Saw Seen Sees Seeing

Sell Sold Sold Sells Selling

 8
Present Past Past Participle 3rd Person Singular Present Participle /
(V1) (V2) (V3) (he, she, it) Gerund

Send Sent Sent Sends Sending

Set Set Set Sets Setting

Shake Shook Shaken Shakes Shaking

Shine Shone Shone Shines Shining

Show Showed Shown Shows Showing

Shut Shut Shut Shuts Shutting

Sing Sang Sung Sings Singing

Sit Sat Sat Sits Sitting

Sleep Slept Slept Sleeps Sleeping

Smell Smelt/Smelled Smelt/Smelled Smells Smelling

Sow Sowed Sown Sows Sowing

Speak Spoke Spoken Speaks Speaking

Spell Spelt/Spelled Spelt/Spelled Spells Spelling

Spend Spent Spent Spends Spending

Spoil Spoilt/Spoiled Spoilt/Spoiled Spoils Spoiling

Stand Stood Stood Stands Standing

Steal Stole Stolen Steals Stealing

Swim Swam Swum Swims Swimming

Take Took Taken Takes Taking

Teach Taught Taught Teaches Teaching

Tell Told Told Tells Telling

Think Thought Thought Thinks Thinking

Throw Threw Thrown Throws Throwing

Wake Woke Woken Wakes Waking

Wear Wore Worn Wears Wearing

Win Won Won Wins Winning

Write Wrote Written Writes Writing

These are the most common irregular verbs, although there

are other less common ones.
For regular verbs, just add an ...ed to the present tense (V1)
for both the past (V2) and the past participle (V3).