English Grammar 1 Tenses

All 16 Tenses:
Tenses Example
Present Simple I eat chocolate
Present Continuous I am eating chocolate
Present Perfect I have eaten chocolate
Present Perfect Continuous I have been eating chocolate

Past Simple I ate chocolate

Past Continuous I was eating chocolate
Past Perfect I had eaten chocolate
Past Perfect Continuous I had been eating chocolate

Future Simple I will eat chocolate

Future Continuous I will be eating chocolate
Future Perfect I will have eaten chocolate
Future Perfect Continuous I will have been eating chocolate

Conditional Simple I would eat chocolate

Conditional Continuous I would be eating chocolate
Conditional Perfect I would have eaten chocolate
Conditional Perfect Continuous I would have been eating chocolate

Present Tense:
Tense Example Use
Present Simple I work on Tuesday General statements, facts
and habits
Present Continuous I am working now Action that are happening
right now
Present Perfect I have worked at a pub A past event that has present
consequences
Present Perfect Continuous I have been working for An action that started in the
three hours today pass and continues to the
present

The present simple

Subject + base form of the verb
Except in the third person singular, when we add -s
I/You/We/They He/She/It
work works
eat cleans
play smells
do

Be is also an exception, I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are
Example:
General facts and statements
I am a woman.
My name is Lucy.
Habit
Mary meets her friend on Friday evening.
Our dog eats the cat’s food.
Scheduled event in the future
The train to London leaves at 8pm.

The Present Continuous

Subject + be + verb-ing
Example:
I’m teaching English.
They are baking cookies.
James is living in Manchester.
I am loving my Christmas jumper right now.
I am hating that song right now.
Arrangements in the future involving another person/business:
I am having my hair cut on Tuesday.
Sarah is meeting her parents tomorrow.
Kate is studying business.
We are meeting our friend next Friday in Edinburgh.
We are driving home.
It is snowing.

The Present Perfect

Subject + have/has + past participle
1. To talk about things that started in the past and continue to the present
Examples:
I have lived in the UK all of my life.
She has been at university since 2020.
William and I have been married for three months.
2. To talk about out experiences up to the present
Examples:
She has been to Canada three times.
We have met the Queen.
I have read all the Harry Potter books.
3. To talk about past events and actions that have consequences in the present
Examples:
I have eaten breakfast so I’m not hungry
Mike has lost his keys so he is going to be late for work

The Present Perfect Continuous

Subject + has/have + been + verb-ing
Used to talk about things that have been done recently or lately
Examples:
I have been watching that TV shows for weeks.
Ellen has been replying to emails for two hours already.
Look! It’s been snowing!
I have been practicing my football skills a lot recently.
I have belonged to a band for long time.
They have been trying to call you all day.
She hasn’t been feeling well lately.