The 12 Verb Tenses - Usage
Late pizza Teat pizza I will eat pizza
yesterday. everyday. tomorrow.
To indicate a past habit -oran | To express habits or general truth. | To indicate an action, condition,
action already completed. ‘or circumstance which
To indicate a future event on a hasn't taken piace yet.
Can be used with or without | designated date as part of a plan
adverbs of time or arrangement.
With ‘mental action’ verbs:
«tke, Jove, want, need, believe, etc.
Twas eating pizza lam eating pizza I will be eating pizza
when you arrived. right now. when you arrive.
To indicate uncompleted ‘To indicate action going on To indicate what will be going on
‘action of the past at the time of speaking. lat some time in the future,
{with or without time reference)
To indicate temporary action | To indicate planned future events.
To indicate persistent habits, ‘which may not be happening
of the past (with always, at the tima of speaking,
continvously, forever etc)
‘With a habitual action verb,
1 Aad eaten all of Ihave eaten all ofthe | 1 will have eaten all of
the pizza when pizza. the pizza by
you arrived. the time you arrive.
‘Te indicate a completed action of ‘To indicate past action which To indicate an action that will be
‘the past that hanpened before is not defined by a time of complete before another event
another event took place, ‘eccurrence. ‘akes place.
To indicate an action which
started in the past and has
continued up until now.
Ihad been eating pizza | | have been eating pizza | 1 will have been eating
for 2 hours when you for 2 hours. pizza for 2 hours
arrived. ‘when you arrive.
Tb indicate anaction Inthe past | To indicate an action which | To indicate an action that wil have
that begen before acettain point | startedat some point inthe past | happened for some time and
inthe past and continued | and may or may not be complete. | not be complete yet ata cerain
tp untl that time, point in the future.