The Academic Writing Help Centre

Verb Tenses
The tense of a verb indicates when an action takes place and the relationship between different times.

Simple present
Simple present is used to make statements or generalizations.

I hate broccoli.
The earth is round.
People are cynical.
He walks to school.
I read excellent books.

Simple present is also used to describe the content of any written text, and any work of art.

Shakespeare uses puns and wordplay to great effect.

On the first page of the article, Smith presents his thesis.
Dali presents images that are strange or even disturbing.

Simple present is not used to describe an action or event that is occuring right now (for this, use present progressive).

Simple past
Simple past is used to describe a moment in the past.

Yesterday, I went to the store.

Simple past is used in most narratives - stories, reports, etc.

Sherlock Holmes raised his magnifying glass to his eye and took a closer look.

It can be difficult to know whether to use simple past or present perfect in some contexts.

Remember that simple past makes a statement about the past,

I hated broccoli when I was younger, but now I love it.

while present perfect makes a statement about the present by referring to the past.


I have hated broccoli since childhood.

Simple future
Simple future is used to describe a moment in the future. It can be constructed in two ways:

Tomorrow, I will buy an apple.

At lunch, I am going to buy an apple.

The two are mostly interchangeable.

Using going to as an auxiliary verb instead of will implies that the action is more immediate and will happen very
soon.

Simple past

Simple future

Simple present

Future progressive

Present progressive

Past progressive

Present progressive
Present progressive is used to describe an action that is taking place right now; it is in progress.

I am reading a book about pollution and industry.

Joanne is working on her essay.
Those two guys are wearing the same shirt.

This tense can also be used for more general actions taking place in the present.

The earth is spinning around the sun.

People are buying a lot of HDTVs these days.

Past progressive
Past progressive is used to describe a moment in the past when an action was in progress.

I was reading a book about pollution and industry, but I finished it this morning.
Joanne was working on her essay until six oclock in the morning.
Those two guys were wearing the same shirt last night.

This tense can be used for more general statements about the past, as well.

People were buying a lot of supplies just before the year 2000.

Future progressive
Future progressive is used to describe a moment in the future when an action is in progress.

I will be reading a book about pollution and industry for my presentation next week.
Joanne will be working on her essay for the next three days.
Those two guys will be wearing the same shirt because they didnt do their laundry.

This tense can also be used for more general actions taking place in the future.

The earth will be spinning around the sun tomorrow.

Students will be buying a lot of books in September.

Past perfect

Simple past

Present perfect

Simple present

Future perfect

Simple future

Present perfect
Present perfect is used to describe the present by referring to the past.

Present perfect refers to a past that is in some way connected to the present.

The action in the past is complete, but it is relevant to the present.

He has eaten his lunch.

I have written an essay.

Because of this, present perfect is often used to describe

more recent events

events that are relevant in the present

events that have just been completed in the present.
Sometimes it can be difficult to see the difference between simple past and present perfect.

Simple past describes the past, unrelated to the present.

Compare:

I wrote three books in 1992

I have written six books in total.

Both of these statements can be true.

Simple past describes a particular event or span of time in the past.

Present perfect uses the past to describe the present.


I have written three books in 1992 is incorrect, because the present perfect cannot describe the past.

Past perfect
Past perfect is used to describe an event in the past by referring to another, completed event further in the past.
Usually another verb in simple past provides context for the past perfect, but it can be any specifically indicated
time.


Yesterday, she wrote her essay in three hours since she had done her research the day before.


I had just stepped into the shower when the phone rang.


The other event does not have to be in the same sentence as the past perfect verb.

Why did I scream? I had just seen a mouse in my bathroom!

Future perfect
Future perfect is used to describe an event in the future by referring to another event which will happen before it.
Usually another verb in one of the present tenses provides context for the future perfect.

When my degree is finished, I will have taken twenty courses.

You will have read the whole magazine by the time the dentist is ready for you.

Future perfect is usually used to set a boundary in time for something that will occur in the future.

The other event (usually in simple present) acts as the boundary.

Jack will have received three awards when this month is over.

Simple past

Simple present

Simple future

Past perfect progressive

Present perfect progressive

Future perfect progressive

Present perfect progressive

Present perfect progressive describes the present by referring to a recurring or continuing event in the past.

I have been reading a book about pollution and industry.

It has been raining for three days.

Usually the event is continuing to occur in the present as well.

She has been working here for thirty years.

My hand has been throbbing since I dropped a hammer on it.

Past perfect progressive

Like past perfect, past perfect progressive describes a moment in the past by referring to an event further in the
past.
An action described in past perfect progressive will continue beyond the moment being described.


At five oclock, I had been waiting for two hours, and I was getting impatient.


The competitors had been running for hours, and the finish line wasnt in sight.


Past perfect progressive is usually used to measure a length of time in the past.

Future perfect progressive

Like future perfect, future perfect progressive is used to describe a moment in the future by referring to another
event which will happen before it.
The other event is usually written in a present tense.


I will have been driving for three hours when I pass your house..


He will have been working on that report for four hours straight when we leave.


An action described in future perfect progressive will continue beyond the moment being described.

I will have been driving for three hours when I pass your house, and I will keep driving for three more
hours before I reach my destination.

Future perfect progressive is usually used to measure a length of time in the future.

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