Topic 1: Tenses

 Topic: Tenses

What are tenses in English?

A tense is a form of the verb that allows you to express time. The tense of the verb tells us when an event or something existed or when a person did something. Past, present, and future are the three main types of tenses.

Past tense

The past tense is used to describe an activity or an event that has happened in the past or a past state of being and needs to include a time marker for when the event or action took place. Examples: We met yesterday.

Present tense

We use present tense to talk about something that is currently going on, something that is habitually performed, or a state that generally or currently exists. Examples: She lives in Spain.

Future tense

The future tense is a verb tense used to describe an event or action that has not yet happened and is expected to happen in the future. Example: He will be here soon.

Now that we have understood the three main types of tenses, let’s tackle the subtypes of tenses.

What are the subtypes of tenses?

1. Past continuous tense

2. Past perfect tense

3. Past perfect continuous tense

4. Present continuous tense

5. Present perfect tense

6. Present perfect continuous

7. Future continuous tense

8. Future perfect tense

9. Future perfect continuous

Look at the table below:

End of topic!