Understanding Verb Tenses
Verb tenses indicate when an action (or state) happens—either in the past, present, or future. But they can also reveal important information about whether the action is ongoing or completed. There are 12 verb tenses in English, formed by combining the past, present, and future tenses with the simple, progressive, perfect, or perfect progressive aspects.
What Are Verb Tenses?
Verb tenses are grammatical forms that indicate the time an action took place—either in the present, past, or future.
In addition to conveying time, verb tenses also include grammatical aspects that provide vital information about continuity or completion. These aspects—simple, progressive (also known as continuous), perfect, and perfect progressive—combined with the past, present, and future tenses, result in twelve primary verb tenses in English.
Here’s what the grammatical aspects represent:
| Simple | Refers to a completed action within the three basic time frames of present, past, or future | I eat ice cream. |
| Progressive | Indicates continuing actions | I am eating ice cream right now. |
| Perfect | Expresses actions completed before another action or time in the present, past, or future | I have eaten ice cream already. |
| Perfect Progressive | Expresses actions that started at a previous time but continued up to some point in the present, past, or future | I have been eating ice cream for half an hour. |
Having a thorough understanding of verb tenses is vital to avoid errors and misunderstandings. Below, we’ll go over each verb tense, show you how to construct them, and provide examples of each.
Verb Tenses (With Examples)
Simple Present
The simple present tense indicates actions occurring now, those occurring habitually, and those that are always true. Usually, the simple present tense is just the base verb unless the subject is in the third person singular. In that case, you’d add “–s” or “–es” to the root.
Simple Past
The past tense describes actions that occurred at a specific time prior and do not extend into the present. In other words, the action is completed. The past tense is usually formed by adding “–ed” to the base of the verb, unless it’s an irregular verb.
Simple Future
The simple future tense describes actions that will happen in the future. To form this tense, use [will] + the base form of the verb.
Present Progressive
Use the present progressive tense to indicate that an action is in progress or happening in the future. It is formed by using [am/is/are] + the present participle.
- I am singing.
- Look at that singing bird.
Past Progressive
The past progressive tense is used to describe continuous actions in the past, especially if the action was interrupted by another. It is formed by using [was/were] + the present participle.
Future Progressive
The future progressive tense indicates an action that will be in progress in the future, especially when a specific time is mentioned. It is formed by using [will be] + the present participle.
Present Perfect
The present perfect refers to actions that began in the past and were either completed at some unspecified time in the past or continued into the present. It is formed by using [have/has] with the past participle.
Past Perfect
The past perfect tense describes an action that happened before another past action or time. It is formed by using [had] + the past participle.
Future Perfect
Use the future perfect tense to indicate that an action will be completed by a specified time in the future. It is formed by using [will have] + the past participle.
Present Perfect Progressive
The present perfect progressive indicates an ongoing action that began in the past and continued into the present. It is formed by using [have/has been] + the present participle.
Past Perfect Progressive
The past perfect progressive indicates continuing actions in the past that began before a specific time or before some other past action began. To form this tense, use [had been] + the present participle.
Future Perfect Progressive
Use the future perfect progressive to indicate continuing actions that will be completed by some specified time in the future. To construct this tense, use [will have been] + the present participle.
Using the Correct Verb Tense
We cannot stress enough how crucial it is to have a good grasp of verb tenses to communicate effectively. Incorrect use can result in misunderstandings. Luckily, LanguageTool ensures that your writing employs proper verb tenses. This advanced, multilingual writing assistant can correct various types of errors, suggest better wording, and help in rephrasing sentences to achieve the desired tone.
