The tenses

THE TENSES 

When we talk about tense, we are talking about how the verb expresses the time when something happens. In English the tenses have two forms for each tense: a simple form that just describes what happens in an action and a continuous form that describes that action in the form of a process that continues. 

The best way to examine the English tenses is to imagine that all the actions happen with a third person subject (they/he/she/it) and you can see through that tense what happens. In summary we look at three types of time: present past and future. Most languages show the time in the action with different inflections or endings that change the spelling of the verb but in that sense English only has two: present and past and there is no future tense. We have to express a future action in other ways. 

<LI><A HREF="https://english.best/reading/the-tenses/present-simple/">PRESENT SIMPLE</A> 
<LI><A HREF="https://english.best/reading/the-tenses/present-continuous-1/">PRESENT CONTINUOUS</A> 
<LI><A HREF="https://english.best/reading/the-tenses/past-simple/">PAST SIMPLE</A> 
<LI><A HREF="https://english.best/reading/the-tenses/past-simple/">PAST CONTINUOUS</A> 
<LI><A HREF="https://english.best/reading/the-tenses/present-perfect-simple/">PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE</A> 
<LI><A HREF="https://english.best/reading/the-tenses/present-perfect-continuous/">PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS</A>

The Tenses

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE 
 
USES 
 
(1) An action in the indefinite past. 
(2) An action in the recent past connected to the present. 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
(1) I have tried many times to learn French but my friend has succeeded in speaking it properly. 
(2) I have worked really hard this morning and I have decided to take a break. In fact I have just started to take my lunch. 
 
All the sentences are positive. In order to make them negative, we have to change them as: 
(1) have not (haven't) tried / has not (hasn't) succeeded. 
(2) have not (haven't) worked / have not (haven't decided/ have not (haven't started. 
 
All the sentences are statements. In order to make them interrogative, we have to change them as: 
(1) Have I tried? / Has my friend succeeded? 
(2) Have I worked? / Have I decided? / Have I just started?

Present Perfect Simple

PAST CONTINUOUS 
 
USE 
 
(1) An action in the past that is often of a temporary nature. 
(2) An action in the past that acts as a background or an action that is interrupted. 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
(1) When she was living in London, she worked as an interpreter for six months. 
(2) While he was eating his dinner last night, he heard the sound of a loud explosion in the street 
 
Both sentences are positive. In order to make them negative we have to change them as (1) I wasn't (was not) living (2) he wasn't (was not) eating. 
 
Both sentences are statements. In order to make them interrogative we have to change them as: (1) was she living? (2) was he eating?

Past Continuous

PAST SIMPLE 
 
USE 
 
(1) An action in the past usually associated with an adverb of time or some other indicator of past time 
(2) An action in the past where the past is not directly mentioned but it is implied or suggested by the rest of the sentence 
(3) A habitual event in the past. 
(4) Describing a state or condition in the past. 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
(1) The sound of the birds early in the morning woke me yesterday. 
(2) Shakespeare not only wrote plays but he also acted in them as well. 
(3) Every year when she was young she went to the seaside for her holiday 
(4) She looked very surprised to see me when he visited her on Tuesday 
 
All the sentences are positive. In order to make them negative we have to change them as: (1) didn't (did not) wake me (2) didn't (did not) only write he didn't (did not) act (3) she wasn't (was not) she didn't (did not) go (4) she didn't (did not) look he didn't (did not) visit 
 
All the sentences are statements. In order to make them interrogative we have to change them as (1) did the sound wake me? (2) did he write / did he act? (3) was she?/did she go? (4) did she look?/did he visit?

Past Simple

PRESENT CONTINUOUS 
 
USE 
 
(1) An action that continues in the present. 
(2) A way of expressing a future action. 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
(1) The receptionist says that it isn't possible to talk to the chief clerk because she is discussing marketing with her colleagues. 
(2) To improve staff relationships in the research and development group all the staff are taking part in a team bonding project next month. 
 
Both sentences are positive. In order to make them negative we have to change them as: (1) she isn't (is not) discussing (2) the staff aren't (are not) taking part. 
 
Both sentences are statements. In order to make them interrogative, we have to change them as: (1) is she discussing? (2) are the staff taking part?

Present Continuous2

PRESENT SIMPLE 
 
USE 
 
(1) A habitual action. 
(2) A factual statement. 
(3) An action planned in advance. 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
(!) The Board of directors usually meets on the first Monday in the month throughout the year. 
(2) Some people find it very difficult to concentrate if a meeting lasts too long. 
(3) The Managing Director reaches this office at 2 o'clock this afternoon in order to talk to all employees. 
 
All the sentences are positive. In order to make them negative, we have to change them as: (1) doesn't (does not) meet (2) don't (do not) find/doesn't (does not) last (3) doesn't (does not) reach. 
 
All the sentences are statements. In order to make them interrogative, we have to change them as: (1) 'Do the Board of directors meet? (2) Do some people find? (3) Does the Managing Director meet? 
 
Notes: The spelling of the verb only changes in the third person singular when we ad's'. 'Do' is for first person singular and all plural persons and 'does' for third person singular only.

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