The following table illustrates the proper use of verb tenses:

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

I read nearly every day.
Present Continuous
I am reading Shakespeare at
the moment.
Present Perfect
I have read so many books I
can’t keep count.
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been reading since I
was four years old.
Last night, I read an entire novel.
Past Continuous
I was reading Edgar Allan Poe last
night.
Past Perfect
I had read at least 100 books by the time
I was twelve.
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been reading for at least a year
before my sister learned to read.
I will read as much as I can this year.
Future Continuous
I will be reading Nathaniel Hawthorne
soon.
Future Perfect
I will have read at least 500 books by
the end of the year.
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been reading for at least two
hours before dinner tonight.

Simple PresentGrammarly
Basics

The simple present is a verb tense with two main uses. We use the simple present tense when an action is
happening right now, or when it happens regularly (or unceasingly, which is why it’s sometimes called present
indefinite). Depending on the person, the simple present tense is formed by using the root form or by adding -s
or -es to the end.

I feel great! Pauline loves pie. I’m sorry to hear that you’re sick.

The other is to talk about habitual actions or occurrences.

Pauline practices the piano every day. Ms. Jackson travels during the summer. Hamsters run all night.

Typically, when we want to describe a temporary action that is currently in progress, we use the present
continuous: Pauline can’t come to the phone right now because she is brushing her teeth.

How to Form the Simple Present

In the simple present, most regular verbs use the root form, except in the third-person singular (which ends in -
s).

First-person singular: I write

Second-person singular: You write

Third-person singular: He/she/it writes (note the -s)

First-person plural: We write

Second-person plural: You write

Third-person plural: They write

For a few verbs, the third-person singular ends with -es instead of -s. Typically, these are verbs whose root form
ends in o, ch, sh, th, ss, gh, or z.

First-person singular: I go

Second-person singular: You go

Third-person singular: He/she/it goes (note the -es)

First-person plural: We go

Second-person plural: You go

Third-person plural: They go

For most regular verbs, you put the negation of the verb before the verb, e.g. “She won’t go” or “I don’t smell
anything.”

The verb to be is irregular:

First-person singular: I am

Second-person singular: You are

Third-person singular: He/she/it is

First-person plural: We are

Second-person plural: You are

Third-person plural: They are

How to Make the Simple Present Negative

The formula for making a simple present verb negative is do/does + not + [root form of verb]. You can also
use the contraction don’t or doesn’t instead of do not or does not.

Pauline does not want to share the pie. She doesn’t think there is enough to go around. Her friends do not agree.
I don’t want pie anyway.

To make the verb to be negative, the formula is [to be] + not.

I am not a pie lover, but Pauline sure is. You aren’t ready for such delicious pie.

How to Ask a Question

The formula for asking a question in the simple present is do/does + [subject] + [root form of verb].

Do you know how to bake a pie? How much does Pauline love pie?

Common Verbs in the Simple Present

Infinitive I, You, We, They He, She, It
to ask ask / do not ask asks / does not ask
to work work / do not work works / does not work
to call call / do not call calls / does not call
to use use / do not use uses / does not use
to have have / do not have has / does not have

The Verb to Be in the Simple Present

Infinitive I You, We, They He, She, It
to be am / am not are / are not is / is not
Present Perfect Tense
Basics

The present perfect tense refers to an action or state that either occurred at an indefinite time in the past (e.g., we
have talked before) or began in the past and continued to the present time (e.g., he has grown impatient over the
last hour). This tense is formed by have/has + the past participle.

The construction of this verb tense is straightforward. The first element is have or has, depending on the subject
the verb is conjugated with. The second element is the past participle of the verb, which is usually formed by
adding -ed or -d to the verb’s root (e.g., walked, cleaned, typed, perambulated, jumped, laughed, sautéed)
although English does have quite a few verbs that have irregular past participles (e.g., done, said, gone, known,
won, thought, felt, eaten).

These examples show how the present perfect can describe something that occurred or was the state of things at
an unspecified time in the past.

I have walked on this path before.

We have eaten the lasagna here.

The important thing to remember about the present perfect is that you can’t use it when you are being specific
about when it happened.

I have put away all the laundry.

I have put away all the laundry this morning.

You can use the present perfect to talk about the duration of something that started in the past is still happening.

She has had the chickenpox since Tuesday.

Present Continuous
The present continuous verb tense indicates that an action or condition is happening now, frequently, and may
continue into the future.

The Present Continuous Formula: to be [am, is, are] + verb [present participle]

Aunt Christine is warming up the car while Scott looks for his new leather coat. They are eating at Scott’s
favorite restaurant today, Polly’s Pancake Diner.

Key words: Verb, present participle, tense, dynamic verbs, stative verbs

The present continuous (present progressive) tense is a way to convey any action or condition that is happening
right now, frequently, and may be ongoing. It adds energy and action to writing, and its effect helps readers
understand when the action is happening. Imagine Aunt Christine has surprised her nephew Scott for his
birthday and is going to take him out to his favorite restaurant, Polly’s Pancake Diner. If I wanted to tell the
story after it happened, I’d use the past tense:

They waited at the red light, and Scott worried they might miss their reservation. (Past tense)

But what I really want to convey is how the event unfolded, showing the action as it is happening:

They are sitting at Scott’s favorite booth, the one with the sparkling red plastic seats.(For how long? We don’t
know, but we do know they are sitting there now.)
The waiter is standing behind the counter right now with a notepad in his hand and pencil behind his ear. (Will
he ever make it over to the booth? Probably, but not now.)
“Are you waiting to open your presents after you eat your pancakes?” said Aunt Christine, taking a sip from
her root beer. (Here the present continuous is being used in question form.)
From this narrative point of view, the action is immediate and continuous; there’s momentum. Sometimes
writers use this tense to add suspense or humor in fictional pieces. What kind of pancakes will Scott and his
aunt order? The suspense is killing me!

The Present Continuous Formula

To form the present continuous, follow this formula:

To Be [Am, Is, Are] + Verb [Present Participle]

When to Use the Present Continuous Tense

Use the present continuous tense with the appropriate “to be” verb and a dynamic verb. A dynamic verb
shows action and/or process. For example,

Scott’s little sister is arriving at the diner two hours late because her roller-derby team, Chicks Ahoy, won the
national championships early today. As she is walking into Polly’s Pancake Diner, she is yelling goodbye to
her friends outside, and Scott hopes she doesn’t cause a scene since she is always embarrassing him in public.

When Not to Use the Present Continuous Tense

Do not use the present continuous tense with stative verbs. Stative verbs show a state of being that does not
show qualities of change. These verbs can stay in the simple present. For example,

Aunt Christine is preferring the maple walnut pancakes over the banana peanut butter ones that Scott loves.
Aunt Christine prefers the maple walnut pancakes over the banana peanut butter ones that Scott loves.

Here, the stative verb to prefer shows opinion, and therefore should not be conjugated into the present
continuous. Stative verb categories include emotion (to love), possession (to belong), and thoughts (to
recognize), and none of these should use the present continuous form.

The Exception to the Rule

Some verbs can be both dynamic and stative! Think about the verbs to be and to think. In its dynamic form, the
verb to be can show action:

Sarah, Scott’s little sister, is being bold by ordering the jalapeno-chipotle pancakes.

But in its stative form, the verb to be is awkward if conjugated in the present continuous.

Sarah is being a tall teenager, who loves her food spicy and her sports dangerous.
Sarah is a tall teenageer, who loves her food spicy and her sports dangerous.

Here are some more examples:

The waiter thinks Scott should save room for pumpkin pie. (Stative and in the simple present)
The waiter is thinking about getting a new job that requires less human interaction, like a veterinarian.
(Dynamic and in the present continuous)

Idiomatic Expressions and Style

English can be confusing; what is grammatically correct isn’t always what you might hear in music, in
advertisements, or during regular conversations. The present continuous is often used incorrectly. Consider the
the popular slogan for McDonald’s: “I’m Lovin’ It.” This is a grammatically incorrect sentence because to love
is a stative verb, so why would McDonald’s use it in their advertisements?

This marks the difference between grammar and style. Using the present continuous as a means to exaggerate is
a stylistic trend, and as such, it would not be surprising to hear this conversation:
Scott, glazed with a chocolate mustache, looks over to his aunt and says, “I’m lovin’ me some of these
chocolate peanut butter banana pancakes!” “I’m hearing what you’re saying!” she replies, sprinkling
powdered sugar atop the stacks on her plate.

Here Scott and his Aunt display their excitement in a silly way, emphasizing their feelings. On the other hand,
you would never hear a native speaker say these sentences:

Scott is loving his Aunt Christine, a self-proclaimed pancake connoisseur. (People would simply say “Scott
loves his Aunt Christine . . .”)
Sarah is hearing the music from their table-top juke box and resists the urge to dance on the table. (Sarah hears
the music. . .)

The Final Say

If you are teaching English or learning it, I’d recommend simply sticking to grammatically correct constructions
and leaving the idiomatic expressions to the creators of advertisements and song lyrics. In formal writing, the
experts recommend that when you can use fewer words to express a thought, you should, so use the present
continuous sparingly—short and sweet can’t be beat!

Simple Past Tense–Grammar

The simple past is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or existed before now. Imagine
someone asks what your brother Wolfgang did while he was in town last weekend.

Wolfgang entered a hula hoop contest.

He won the silver medal.

The simple past tense shows that you are talking about something that has already happened. Unlike the past
continuous tense, which is used to talk about past events that happened over a period of time, the simple past
tense emphasizes that the action is finished.

Wolfgang admired the way the light glinted off his silver medal.

You can also use the simple past to talk about a past state of being, such as the way someone felt about
something. This is often expressed with the simple past tense of the verb to be and an adjective, noun, or
prepositional phrase.

Wolfgang was proud of his hula hoop victory.

The contest was the highlight of his week.

How to Formulate the Simple Past

For regular verbs, add -ed to the root form of the verb (or just -d if the root form already ends in an e):

For irregular verbs, things get more complicated. The simple past tense of some irregular verbs looks exactly
like the root form:

Put→Put Cut→Cut Set→Set Cost→Cost Hit→Hit

For other irregular verbs, including the verb to be, the simple past forms are more erratic:

See→Saw Build→Built Go→Went Do→Did Rise→Rose Am/Is/Are→Was/Were

The good news is that verbs in the simple past tense (except for the verb to be) don’t need to agree in number
with their subjects.

Wolfgang polished his medal. The other winners polished their medals too.
How to Make the Simple Past Negative
Fortunately, there is a formula for making simple past verbs negative, and it’s the same for both regular and
irregular verbs (except for the verb to be). The formula is did not + [root form of verb]. You can also use the
contraction didn’t instead of did not.

Wolfgang did not brag too much about his hula hoop skills. Wolfgang’s girlfriend didn’t see the contest.

For the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. When the subject of the sentence is singular, use was not
or wasn’t. When the subject is plural, use were not or weren’t.

The third-place winner was not as happy as Wolfgang. The fourth-place winner wasn’t happy at all. The
onlookers were not ready to leave after the contest ended. The contestants weren’t ready to leave either.

How to Ask a Question

The formula for asking a question in the simple past tense is did + [subject] + [root form of verb].

Did Wolfgang win the gold medal or the silver medal? Where did Wolfgang go to celebrate? Did the judges
decide fairly, in your opinion?

When asking a question with the verb to be, you don’t need the auxiliary did. The formula is was/were +
[subject].

Was Wolfgang in a good mood after the contest? Were people taking lots of pictures?

The past perfect, also called the pluperfect, is a verb tense used to talk about actions that were completed
before some point in the past.

We were shocked to discover that someone had graffitied “Tootles was here” on our front door. We were
relieved that Tootles had used washable paint.

The past perfect tense is for talking about something that happened before something else. Imagine waking up
one morning and stepping outside to grab the newspaper. On your way back in, you notice a mysterious
message scrawled across your front door: Tootles was here. When you’re telling this story to your friends later,
how would you describe this moment? You might say something like:

I turned back to the house and saw that some someone named Tootles had defaced my front door!

In addition to feeling indignant on your behalf, your friends will also be able to understand that Tootles
graffitied the door at some point in the past before the moment this morning when you saw his handiwork,
because you used the past perfect tense to describe the misdeed.

The Past Perfect Formula

The formula for the past perfect tense is had + [past participle]. It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or
plural; the formula doesn’t change.

When to Use the Past Perfect

So what’s the difference between past perfect and simple past? When you’re talking about some point in the
past and want to reference an event that happened even earlier, using the past perfect allows you to convey the
sequence of the events. It’s also clearer and more specific. Consider the difference between these two sentences:

We were relieved that Tootles used washable paint. We were relieved that Tootles had used washable paint.

It’s a subtle difference, but the first sentence doesn’t tie Tootles’s act of using washable paint to any particular
moment in time; readers might interpret it as “We were relieved that Tootles was in the habit of using washable
paint.” In the second sentence, the past perfect makes it clear that you’re talking about a specific instance of
using washable paint.
Another time to use the past perfect is when you are expressing a condition and a result:

If I had woken up earlier this morning, I would have caught Tootles red-handed.

The past perfect is used in the part of the sentence that explains the condition (the if-clause).

Most often, the reason to write a verb in the past perfect tense is to show that it happened before other actions in
the same sentence that are described by verbs in the simple past tense. Writing an entire paragraph with
every verb in the past perfect tense is unusual.

When Not to Use the Past Perfect

Don’t use the past perfect when you’re not trying to convey some sequence of events. If your friends asked
what you did after you discovered the graffiti, they would be confused if you said:

I had cleaned it off the door.

They’d likely be wondering what happened next because using the past perfect implies that your action of
cleaning the door occurred before something else happened, but you don’t say what that something else is. The
“something else” doesn’t always have to be explicitly mentioned, but context needs to make it clear. In this case
there’s no context, so the past perfect doesn’t make sense.

How to Make the Past Perfect Negative

Making the past perfect negative is simple! Just insert not between had and [past participle].

We looked for witnesses, but the neighbors had not seen Tootles in the act. If Tootles had not included his
own name in the message, we would have no idea who was behind it.

How to Ask a Question

The formula for asking a question in the past perfect tense is had + [subject] + [past participle].

Had Tootles caused trouble in other neighborhoods before he struck ours?

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state that
was happening at some point in the past. The past continuous tense is formed by combining the past tense of to
be (i.e., was/were) with the verb’s present participle (-ing word).

There are many situations in which this verb tense might be used in a sentence. For example, it is often used to
describe conditions that existed in the past.

The sun was shining every day that summer.

As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.

It can also be used to describe something that was happening continuously in the past when another action
interrupted it.

The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.

I was making dinner when she arrived.

The past continuous can shed light on what was happening at a precise time in the past.

At 6 o’clock, I was eating dinner.

.

It can also refer to a habitual action in the past.

She was talking constantly in class in those days.

One final caution: Though the irregularities are few, not every verb is suited to describing a continuous action.
Certain verbs can’t be used in the past continuous tense. One common example is the verb to arrive.

At noon, he was arriving.

At noon, he arrived .

The simple future is a verb tense that’s used to talk about things that haven’t happened yet.

This year, Jen will read War and Peace. It will be hard, but she’s determined to do it.

Use the simple future to talk about an action or condition that will begin and end in the future.

How to Form the Simple Future

The formula for the simple future is will + [root form of verb].

I will learn a new language. Jen will read that book. My brothers will sleep till noon if no one wakes them up.
You will see what I mean.

It doesn’t matter if the subject is singular or plural; the formula for the simple future doesn’t change.

But…

There is another way to show that something will happen in the future. It follows the formula [am/is/are] +
going to + [root form verb].

I am going to learn a new language. Jen is going to read that book. My brothers are going to sleep till noon if
no one wakes them up. You are going to see what I mean.

The “going to” construction is common in speech and casual writing. Keep in mind though that it’s on the
informal side, so it’s a good idea to stick to the will + [root form] construction in formal writing.

How to Make the Simple Future Negative

To make the simple future negative, the formula is will + not + [root form].

Jen will not quit before she reaches her goal. Make sure you arrive on time tomorrow because the bus will not
wait for you. He will not say anything bad about his boss. I will not finish my homework in time for class.

Using the “going to” construction, the formula is [am/is/are] + not + going to + [root form].

Jen is not going to quit before she reaches her goal. Make sure you arrive on time tomorrow because the bus is
not going to wait for you. He is not going to say anything bad about his boss. I am not going to finish my
homework in time for class.

How to Ask a Question

To ask a question in the simple future, the formula is will + [subject] + [root form].

Will Jen finish War and Peace over the summer? Will I have the discipline to study Spanish every day? What
will you buy with the money you found?

The formula for the “going to” construction is [am/is/are] + [subject] +going to + [root form].

Is Jen going to finish War and Peace over the summer? Am I going to have the discipline to study Spanish
every day? What are you going to buy with the money you found?
Using the Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous tense, sometimes also referred to as the future progressive tense, is a verb tense that
indicates that something will occur in the future and continue for an expected length of time. It is formed using
the construction will + be + the present participle (the root verb + -ing).

The simple future tense is a verb tense that is used when an action is expected to occur in the future and be
completed. For example, let’s suppose you have a meeting tomorrow at five o’clock.

I will arrive at five o’clock.

I will arrive is the simple future tense of the verb to arrive. You arrive once; beyond that, you can’t keep on
arriving. However, once you get there, you may be doing something that goes on continuously, at least for a
certain period of time.

At five o’clock, I will be meeting with the management about my raise.

Will be meeting is the future continuous tense of the verb to meet. The construction will + be + the present
participle meeting indicates that the meeting isn’t going to happen in an instant, all at once. It will have a
duration. The will + be + present participle construction always indicates the future continuous tense.

Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

Eric will be competing against Michael in the race.
I will be watching Michael and Eric race.

The Future Continuous Tense Is for Action Verbs Only

It is important to note that the future continuous tense is only used with action verbs, because it is possible to do
them for a duration. (Action verbs describe activities like running, thinking, and seeing. Stative verbs describe
states of existence, like being, seeming, and knowing.) To use the will + be + present participle construction
with a stative verb would sound very odd indeed.

I will be being stressed tomorrow during my science test.

I will be stressed tomorrow during my science test.
When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will be seeming like a distant memory.
When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will seem like a distant memory.
After I study, I will be knowing all the answers for the test.
After I study, I will know all the answers for the test.

As you can see, only the simple future tense is suited to stative verbs like to be and to seem.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous, also sometimes called the future perfect progressive, is a verb tense that
describes actions that will continue up until a point in the future. The future perfect continuous consists of will
+ have + been + the verb’s present participle (verb root + -ing).

When we describe an action in the future perfect continuous tense, we are projecting ourselves forward in time
and looking back at the duration of that activity. The activity will have begun sometime in the past, present, or
in the future, and is expected to continue in the future.

In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.
When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.

Nonaction Verbs Do Not Use the Future Perfect Continuous

Remember that nonaction verbs like to be, to seem, or to know are not suited to the future perfect continuous
tense. Instead, these verbs take the future perfect tense, which is formed with will + have + past participle.
On Thursday, I will have been knowing you for a week.
On Thursday, I will have known you for a week.
I will have been reading forty-five books by Christmas.
I will have read forty-five books by Christmas.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous, also sometimes called the future perfect progressive, is a verb tense that
describes actions that will continue up until a point in the future. The future perfect continuous consists of will
+ have + been + the verb’s present participle (verb root + -ing).

When we describe an action in the future perfect continuous tense, we are projecting ourselves forward in time
and looking back at the duration of that activity. The activity will have begun sometime in the past, present, or
in the future, and is expected to continue in the future.

In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.
When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.

Nonaction Verbs Do Not Use the Future Perfect Continuous

Remember that nonaction verbs like to be, to seem, or to know are not suited to the future perfect continuous
tense. Instead, these verbs take the future perfect tense, which is formed with will + have + past participle.

On Thursday, I will have been knowing you for a week.

On Thursday, I will have known you for a week.
I will have been reading forty-five books by Christmas.
I will have read forty-five books by Christmas.