A. Four facts about tense that you should know:
1. Tense and time are not the same.
The word tense refers to the forms of verbs in certain languages (including English of course, but many languages do not have tense). The word time is far more difficult to define, but we all experience it. Time is what we measure with clocks, watches, and calendars, for example.
2. Tense and time are related, but it is not a simple (one-to-one) relationship.
That is, present tense does not always mean present time; past tense does not always mean past time. The following simple present tense sentence does not refer to the present time (unless you happen to be reading this very early in the morning):
The sun rises in the east.
In fact, the relationship between tense and time is quite complex. A past tense verb, for example, can refer to a future time:
If I had an exam tomorrow, I would study tonight.
3. It is impossible to completely describe the English system of tenses in a few pages.
English, like all human languages, is extremely complex and almost infinitely flexible. And, as you probably know, nearly every rule about language has many exceptions. Below you will find descriptions of the major English tenses (predicate verb forms). I’ve tried to give you some basic information about the forms and meanings of the twelve traditional tenses. While I believe everything that follows is correct, I know it is not complete.
4. English has only two true tenses: present & past.
Everything else that is usually referred to as tense is really a combination of tense, aspect (continuous, perfect), and/or modality. I will follow the traditional practice and refer to all of these combinations as tenses. However, if you examine these verb forms carefully, you will see that every one contains either present tense, past tense, or a modal auxiliary.
B. The twelve traditional tenses: All examples below are active; see Passive Sentences for examples of passive verbs.
Forms of the predicate verb below do not always apply to the verb be; however, they do apply to all other English verbs. See Auxiliary Verbs for more information about the verb be.
See Verbs A-L and Verbs M-Z for explanations and examples of the five forms of English verbs: BASE, +S, PAST, ING, PARTICIPLE.
Many teachers and textbooks use progressive instead of continuous; they are the same (continuous = progressive).
Simple Present
Forms of the predicate verb:
1. BASE (if the subject is I, we, you, they, or any plural)
2. +S (if the subject is he, she, it, or any singular other than I or you)
Meanings & examples:
1. Habitual activity
We study every day.
The class meets every Tuesday and Thursday.
2. Present state or condition (stative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below.)
They seem happy.
He knows we are waiting for him.
3. General truth or natural law
Bears live in the forest.
The sun rises in the east.
4. Planned or scheduled future events
We take a final exam at the end of the term.
The plane leaves at 9:00 AM tomorrow.
Before we take the final exam, we will have to study.
I will call her after I talk to her friends tomorrow.
Simple Past
Form of the predicate verb: PAST
Meanings & examples:
1. Completed past action
We studied all day yesterday.
I took the exam early this morning.
Simple Future
Forms of the predicate verb:
1. WILL + BASE
2. AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO + BASE
Meaning & examples:
Future time
We will have lunch with George tomorrow.
He is going to study in the library after lunch.
Present Continuous (nonstative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below)
Form of the predicate verb: AM/IS/ARE + ING
Meanings & examples:
1. Present time
We are preparing for the final exam.
George is studying in the library right now.
2. Planned or scheduled future events
We are taking a final exam at the end of the term.
The plane is leaving at 9:00 AM tomorrow.
3. To emphasize that a state or action is temporary
Mary is living in California. (She might move soon.)
George lives in California. (Simple present: no change is implied.)
Past Continuous (nonstative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below)
Form of the predicate verb: WAS/WERE + ING
Meanings & examples:
1. Emphasizes duration and/or repetition of past action
He was studying all day yesterday.
We were stopping at every red light.
2. Past action that began before and continued until or after some other past action or time
He was riding his bike until he got a car.
She was sleeping when I got home.
She was sleeping at 2:00 AM. (She went to sleep at 12:00 midnight; she woke up at 8:00 AM.)
3. Two actions that continued for some time at about the same time
They were watching TV while he was studying.
Future Continuous (nonstative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below)
Forms of the predicate verb:
1. WILL + BE + ING
2. AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO + BE + ING
Meanings & examples:
1. Emphasizes duration and/or repetition of future action
We will be working all day tomorrow.
He is going to be cooking dinner every night next week.
2. Indicates future action that will begin before and continue until or after some other future action or time
She will be studying until 4:00.
He is going to be working at noon.
Present Perfect
Form of the predicate verb: HAVE/HAS + PARTICIPLE
Meanings & examples:
The present perfect indicates that a past action or state has relevance in the present. The following are some possible explanations for present relevance of a past action or state:
1. Something happened at an unspecified past time
Mary has left school.
Present perfect cannot be used with a specified past time. If a past time is specified, a past tense must be used.
not correct
* Mary has left school last year.
correct
Mary left school last year.
2. Something happened in the very recent past
I have just finished my homework. (I finished it a few minutes ago.)
3. Something happened in the past and it has affected the present
Thank you for inviting me to lunch, but I have already eaten.
Because I ate lunch (past action) a short time ago, I am not eating lunch with you now.
4. Something happened in the past and it may happen again in the future
I have visited Los Angeles many times.
President Kennedy visited Los Angeles many times.
I may visit Los Angeles again in the future, but Kennedy will not because he is dead.
5. Something began in the past and continues in the present
We have known each other for many years.
We met many years ago and we still know each other now.
6. Something happened in the past but within a present time period
My class has had two quizzes this term.
I have felt several earthquakes during my lifetime.
Past Perfect
Form of the predicate verb: HAD + PARTICIPLE
Meanings & examples:
1. Indicates past action was completed before another past action or past time
He had finished the work before she gave him the money.
He had washed both cars by 9:00 AM.
Future Perfect
Forms of the predicate verb:
1. WILL + HAVE + PARTICIPLE
2. AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO + HAVE + PARTICIPLE
Meaning & examples:
Indicates future action that will be completed before another future action or future time
They will have read the book before they take the test.
They will have finished the test by 6:00.
Present Perfect Continuous (nonstative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below)
Form of the predicate verb: HAVE/HAS + BEEN + ING
Meanings & examples:
Indicates a situation that began in the past and continues in the present
He has been living in California since 1995.
Past Perfect Continuous (nonstative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below)
Form of the predicate verb: HAD + BEEN + ING
Meaning & examples:
Indicates a past action that continued for some time before some other past action or time
He had been working for two weeks before she paid him.
By 8:00, they had been watching TV for two hours.
Future Perfect Continuous (nonstative verbs only; see Stative Verbs below)
Forms of the predicate verb:
1. WILL + HAVE + BEEN + ING
2. AM/IS/ARE + GOING TO + HAVE + BEEN + ING
Meaning & examples:
Indicates future action that continues until some other future action or time
I will have been driving for three hours before I stop.
He is going to have been working for two hours by 9:00.
C. Stative verbs are not used in continuous tenses
A stative verb (love for example) refers to a state of knowledge, perception, or condition; a nonstative verb (eat) refers to an action.
Simple present tense forms of stative verbs are used to mean present time.
correct
Fred loves hamburgers. (stative)
not correct
* Fred is loving hamburgers.
Present continuous forms of nonstative verbs are used to mean present time.
not correct
* Fred eats a hamburger now.
correct
Fred is eating a hamburger now. (nonstative)
Verbs, like most words, can have two (or more) meanings. Some verbs have both stative and nonstative meanings. Here are some of the more common verbs with both stative and nonstative meanings:
appear, feel, have, look, see, smell, taste, think, weigh
The food tastes good. (stative; the food is not doing anything)
Fred is tasting the food. (nonstative; Fred is performing an action)
Fred weighs 195 pounds. (stative; Fred is not doing anything)
Fred is weighing himself. (nonstative; Fred is performing an action)
Some common stative verbs:
verbs indicating possession: belong, have (=possess), own, possess
verbs indicating mental states: believe, doubt, imagine, know, mean, recognize, remember, suppose, think (=believe), understand, wonder
verbs related to the senses: appear, feel, hear, look (=appear), see, smell, taste
verbs referring to emotions: appreciate, desire, dislike, hate, like, love
other stative verbs: contain, cost, equal, measure, need, owe, prefer, seem, want, weigh
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