Every language in the world has verb tenses. These tenses, which refer to the present, past, and future, explain when something happened.
The problem is that although all languages have verb tenses, not all languages have the same verb tenses or use them in a similar way. That’s why English tenses are often confusing to ESL (English as a Second Language) students.
The charts below provide a quick reference to help you understand the tenses in English more easily:
PRESENT SIMPLE
Usage: general action, habitual action, general truth
Example: I work in a hospital.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS / PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Usage: ongoing or temporary action
Example: Sorry, I can’t talk right now. I am working.
PAST SIMPLE
Usage: completed action or condition
Example: I worked for ten hours yesterday.
PAST CONTINUOUS/PAST PROGRESSIVE
Usage: past ongoing action, past interrupted action
Example: I was working on my project when you called.
FUTURE
Usage: planned or unplanned future action
Example: I will work at the main branch next week.
PRESENT PERFECT
Usage: action that happened at an indefinite time in the past and continues to the present
Example: I have worked at the bank for three years.
PAST PERFECT
Usage: past action that happened before another past action.
Example: I had already worked for several years before I got married.
FUTURE PERFECT
Usage: future action that will happen before another future action
Example: I will have worked here for five years next July.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS/PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Usage: past action that started in the past and continues to the present
Example: I have been working on that project for the last two weeks.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS/PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Usage: past ongoing action that was completed before some other past action
Example: I had been sleeping at my desk when my boss fired me.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS/FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Usage: future ongoing action that will occur before another action
Example: I will have been working here for ten years tomorrow, so we’re having a party.
