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VERB TENSES
WHAT IS A VERB TENSE?
A verb tense is a conjugated form of a verb to indicate the time of an action, event, or
condition. There are twelve English verb tenses.
HOW DO YOU FORM VERB TENSES?
S
imple past and present tenses are formed without any helping (auxiliary) verb.
The s
imple future tense requires the use of the verb “will”.
Perfect tense is conjugated using a form of the verb “to have” along with past
participle of the main verb. The form of “to have” determines if it is past, present,
or future.
Progressive tense is conjugated using a form of the verb “to be” along with the
present participle (-ing) of the main verb. The form of “to be” determines if it
past, present, or future.
Perfect Progressive tense is conjugated using a form of the verb “to have”, the
past participle of the verb “to be”, and the present participle of the main verb (-
ing). The form of the verb “to have” determines if it is past, present, or future.
PRESENT TENSES
Simple Present: expresses a present or habitual action.
She is a soccer player. (present action)
She studies every night. (habitual action)
Present Perfect: expresses an action that began in the past and is still happening in the
present, a habitual action, or an action that occurred at an unspecified or indefinite
time in the past.
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100 International Drive | Baltimore, MD 21202
She has been a soccer player for five years. (past action still occurring)
She has studied every night while in school. (habitual action)
No one has ever been to Mars. (unspecified time)
Present Progressive: expresses a continuing action.
She is practicing soccer after school.
They are moving to Europe after the semester ends.
Present Perfect Progressive: expresses the ongoing nature of an action that began in
the past, continues in the present, and may continue into the future.
She has been practicing soccer for three hours and still has not finished.
They have been planning to move to Europe for six months.
PAST TENSES
Simple Past:
She practiced soccer after school.
She studied for the test last night.
Past Perfect:
She had played soccer before she moved to New York City.
He had studied English before moving to the United States.
Past Progressive:
Brian was playing soccer all day yesterday.
Mary was shopping for eight hours yesterday.
Past Perfect Progressive:
They had been waiting for over an hour before the guests arrived.
Ms. Smith had been teaching for twenty years before she quit.
FUTURE TENSES
Simple Future:
S
he will practice soccer after school.
They are moving to Europe after the semester ends.
Future Perfect:
I will have received a promotion by next July.
By the time his wife gets home, he will have cleaned the entire house.
Future Progressive:
The state fair will be occurring for the next three weeks.
I will be waiting for her when the plane arrives tonight.
Future Perfect Progressive:
In December next year, you will have been attending graduate school for two years.
I will have been teaching history for thirty-five years by the time I retire.
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100 International Drive | Baltimore, MD 21202
