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Quick & Simple Guide to English Tenses

Perhaps the greatest challenge learners of English as a second language (ESL) will face is
remembering the grammatical rules of all 16 verb tenses that describe actions happening in the
past, present and future. On top of that, they must be able to use them in the correct
situation!

The best way to tackle this seemingly impossible task is to fully understand the most basic of
English verb forms before worrying over the more complex ones. So, let’s examine the four
fundamental tenses you need to know:

Present Simple

This verb tense is all about general facts (the earth revolves around the sun, my father has
brown hair) or the things we do on a regular basis – this could be every day, every week, every
year, sometimes, rarely or always. If you exercise three times a week or if your brother plays
basketball for the school team, use the present simple to talk about those actions.

Simply use the base form of a verb (v1) when the subject is I, you, we or they:

I usually go to bed at 9 pm. / You always wake up late! / We often stay in for lunch.

They never have enough coffee.

If you are talking about another person or object (he, she, it), add an -s or -es to the end of the
verb:

My sister usually goes to bed at 9 pm / He always wakes up late! / The shop never has my size.

Present Continuous

When describing any ongoing action, we use the -ing verb. And if that action is happening now
or in the general present and has a foreseeable end (which means it’s not a habit), we use the
present continuous. In these situations, use the To Be verb (am, is, are), followed by an -ing
verb:

I am waiting for my Go-Jek driver. / You are driving too fast! / We are taking a short break.

They are traveling across Java. / He is studying in England. / Is she reading in her room?
Past Tense

Like its name suggests, this tense is all about the past; specifically, completed actions in the
past that are connected to a specific time. These use past tense verbs (v2) that are either
regular (with a d -or -ed at the end) or irregular, which means they change slightly from their
base forms.

Yesterday, I went to bed at 9 pm. / You woke up late today! / We stayed in for lunch today.

They travelled across Java last year. / He studied in the UK for university. / She ate pasta for
dinner.

Present Perfect

Don’t let its name fool you; this tense only has a slight connection to the present. The present
perfect is mostly used to describe past achievements – big and small – without being specific on
when they took place. This means that these statements don’t include a past time marker. They
can, however, mention how many times you have done something.

To use the present perfect and talk about what you have done, combine has/have with the
past participle verb (v3):

I have seen that movie twice. / Have you done your homework? / We have taken the exam.

They have left the country. / He has won many awards. / She has submitted her resignation.

However, this tense can also be used to talk about actions that started in the past and are still
true today. In this case, include how long the action has taken place:

I have worked here for two years / She has studied English for five years.

After studying the details of these English tenses, remember to put them to use and practice,
practice, practice!