Rules of tenses in English. Simple present in English (The Present Simple)

Often times in English language present difficulties for English learners. This is explained by the fact that the system of tenses in English is unlike that used in Russian, although some parallels can still be drawn. However, the system of English tenses has an undeniable advantage - it has a strict orderliness, logic, and obeys the laws of grammar.

English Times. a brief description of

In total, there are 12 tenses in English, which are divided into four groups:

- simple or indefinite(group of simple tenses);

- continuous or progressive(a group of long or extended tenses);

- perfect(group of perfect tenses);

- perfect continuous or perfect progressive(a group of perfect continuous tenses).

In English, as well as in Russian, the action expressed by a verb can occur in the past, present, or future. Accordingly, each of the above groups of times can be expressed in the past tense ( past tense), present tense ( present tense), or future tense ( future tense).

Each group of tenses in English expresses different situations.

simple tenses describe the fact of the origin of the action, regardless of the extent of this action. They are also used to describe actions that happen with some regularity.

long times, as the name implies, describe what happens during some period of time, usually given by the moment in question. Also, the verbs of this group of tenses are always built using the verb be, and the ending is always added to them "-ing".

Perfect tenses describe actions that have already completed at some point in time. Verbs in this group of tenses are always used with an auxiliary verb have, and they are always in the past participle form.

Perfect long tenses, as the name implies, define the signs of the times of a perfect and long-term group, they describe actions that continued over a certain period of time. The verbs of this group use two auxiliary verbs - have And been, and have the ending " -ing".

By remembering the simple rules above, it will be much easier to choose between these groups of times.

Table of English tenses with examples

To further simplify the understanding of the system of English tenses, below is a table that reflects the main uses of certain tenses.

	past (past tense)	Present (present)	Future (future tense)
Simple / Indefinite	The fact that the action originated in the past.	An action that occurs with some regularity.	An action that must take place in the future.
	cooked	cook/cooks	shall / will cook
	He cooked yesterday. He cooked yesterday.	He cooks dinner every Friday. He cooks dinner every Friday.	He will cook tomorrow. He will cook tomorrow.
Continuous / Progressive be + verb + ing	An action that is happening at a specified time in the past (usually expressed by another action in the Simple Past form).	Action that is happening now.	An action that will take place some time in the future, at some specified time.
	was / were cooking	am / is / are cooking	shall / will be cooking
	He was cooking when the phone rank. He was cooking when the phone rang.	He is cooking now. He is cooking now.	He will be cooking when you come. He will cook when you arrive.
Perfect have + verb	An action that ended before another action in the past, or before a moment in the past.	An action that took place at some unspecified time in the past, and whose effect is often present.	An action that will finish before another action in the future, or before a moment in the future.
	had cooked	has / have cooked	shall / will have cooked
	He had cooked the dinner when the phone rank. He had already cooked dinner when the phone rang.	He has cooked many meals. He cooked many dishes.	He will have cooked dinner by the time you come. He will have prepared dinner by the time you arrive.
have + been + verb + ing	An action that took place during a period of time before another action in the past, or before a moment in the past.	An action that began in the past, and that continues over a period of time, and continues into the present.	An action that will begin in the future and that will continue for some period of time before another action in the future, or a moment in the future.
	had been cooking	has / have been cooking	shall / will have been cooking
	He had been cooking for a long time before he took lessons. He had been cooking for some time before he took a cooking class.	He has been cooking for over an hour. He has been cooking for over an hour.	He will have been cooking all day by the time she gets home. He will have been cooking all day by the time she comes home.

Signs of tenses in English

To a certain extent, each group of English times may have some signs that suggest, help to understand what time to use in a particular case. And although such signs do not allow us to determine with absolute certainty which time will be the most correct in this case, they still simplify the task of choosing.

Such signs express the period or time in which the action takes place.

For example:
yesterday (yesterday) indicates simple past
every day (every day) points to the simple present
tomorrow (tomorrow) indicates simple future
while (while) indicates the past continuous
now (now) indicates the present continuous

There are many such sign words in English that express any moment or period in time, and many of them indicate whether the action happened in the past, or will only happen in the future, and they can suggest which time group should be used. If you learn to recognize such words-signs, then this will greatly help in choosing tenses. However, it should be borne in mind that some of these sign words can be used in more than one group of tenses. Below is a table containing the main such words-signs, and showing what time they indicate.

	past (past tense)	Present (present)	Future (future tense)
Simple / Indefinite	simple past	Simple Present	Simple Future
	yesterday - yesterday last year / month / etc - last year / month / etc. one year / month ago - one year / month ago	every morning/day/etc. – every morning / every day / etc. always - always usually - usually frequently / often - often sometimes - sometimes	tomorrow - tomorrow tonight - tonight next week / month / etc. – next week / next month / etc. soon - soon in the future - in the future
Continuous / Progressive	Past Continuous	Present Continuous	Future Continuous
	while - while when - when	now - now right now - right now this week / minute / etc. – this week / this minute / etc.	when - when after - after as soon as - as soon as before - before
Perfect	past perfect	Present Perfect	Future Perfect
	before - before already - already by the time - by that time until then / last week / etc. – until now / until last week / etc. after - after	until now - until now since - since then ever - ever never - never many times / weeks / years / etc. – many times / many weeks / many years / etc. for three hours / minutes / etc. – within three hours / minutes / etc.	by the time you go (somewhere) - by the time you go (somewhere) by the time you do (something) - by the time you do (something) already - already
Perfect Continuous / Perfect Progressive	Past Perfect Continuous	Present Perfect Continuous	Future Perfect Continuous
	before - before for one week / hour / etc. – within one week / one hour / etc. since - since then	for the past year / month / etc. – during the last year / month / etc. for the last 2 months / weeks / etc. – during the last 2 months / weeks / etc. up to now - until now since - since then	by the time - by that time for ten days / weeks / etc. – within ten days / weeks / etc. by - to (some moment)

Beginners to learn the language of Shakespeare or continuing their studies have repeatedly asked the question: "How many tenses are there in English?" Today, disputes and disagreements about the quantity do not subside. And the whole problem is that we, Russian speakers, consider them as past, present and future, and "brothers" who speak English call them shades.

Various reference books give numerous definitions of this grammatical phenomenon, but all are similar in that English tenses are a way of expressing actions with an indication of the period of its course, and they are all built on the basis of changing the forms of the verb. Actions can be expressed in Active Voice (active voice) and Passive Voice (passive voice). It is the first one that we will consider in this article.

English verb tenses - formation and use

The study of this category is better to start with an understanding of the whole essence. So, as in Russian, there are three tenses in English: present (Present), past (Past) and future (Future - although many grammarians also call it a shade). Each of these segments has subcategories, the rules for the use and formation of which cause difficulties.

Table: formation of tenses in English

Sub categories	Time	Education Formula
Indefinite (Simple)	present	+ S+Vs(V) — S + doesn't (don't) + V ? Does (Do) + S + V ?
	Past	+ S + V 2 (V ed) — S + didn't + V ? Did+S+V?
	Future	+ S + shall/will + V - S + shall / will + not + V ? Shall/will+S+V
Continuous (Progressive)	present	+ S + is/am/are + Ving — S + is/am/are+ not + V ing ? Is/am/are + S + Ving
	Past	+ S + was/were + Ving — S + was/were + not + Ving ? Was/were + S + Ving
	Future	+ S + shall/will + be + Ving — S + shall/will+ not + be + Ving ? Shall/will + S + be + Ving
Perfect	present	+ S + have/has + V 3 (V ed) — S + have/has+ not + V 3 (V ed) ? Have/has + S + V 3 (V ed)
	Past	+ S + had + V 3 (V ed) — S + had + not + V 3 (V ed) ? Had + S + V 3 (V ed)
	Future	+ S + will/shall + have + V 3 (V ed) — S + will/shall + not + have + V 3 (V ed) ? Will/shall + S + have + V 3 (V ed)
Perfect Continuous	present	+ S + have/has+ been + Ving — S + have/has+ not + been + Ving ? Have/has + S + been + Ving
	Past	+ S + had+ been + Ving — S + had + not + been + Ving ? Had + S + been + Ving
	Future	+ S + will/ shall + have + been + V ing — S + will/ shall + not + have + been + V ing ? Wll/shall + S + have+ been + V ing

We got acquainted with education, it's time to move on to use. Here comes the most difficult part. If education is trained and memorized 2-3 times, then using it is more and more confusing. Consider English tenses with examples by subgroups.

The Indefinite (Simple) group reflects single, common actions. Continuous (Progressive) emphasizes the duration of the process, as well as Perfect Continuous. Their difference lies in the fact that the second, despite the duration, nevertheless ended or will end by a certain moment. But the Perfect group is used to describe a completed event, or which will be completed.

All this description is approximate, each of them needs to be studied, worked out, compared separately, and then you can easily move to a new level. To clarify the situation a little, let's look at the temporary forms in the table.

Table: usage of English tenses

present simple	past simple	Future Simple
1. An action that always happens, often, usually	1. An action that happened in the past, but we just know the fact	1. Normal, single action in the future
My father often goes to see his friends on Saturday.	I wrote a letter last week.	Next year I will come to this village again.
2. What you can’t argue with: scientific facts, results, natural phenomena, patterns	2. Chronologically sequential actions in the past: one after the other.	2. Consistent actions in the future
The earth goes around the sun.	Yeterday morning I called my sister at first. Then I went to work.	I will come home. Then I will write a letter to my pen friend.
3. Repetitive actions in the present	3. Repetitive actions in the past	3. Repetitive actions in the future
I usually get up at 7 oclock. Then I take a shower and have breakfast.	Last year I often traveled abroad.	Next year I will not often travel abroad.
4. To express the future in subordinate conditions and time		4. Assumptions about a future event (not a plan)
As soon as I write a letter I'll send it immediately.		I expect Mary will get this place.
5. In jokes, sports commentary		5. Requests, threats, refusal to do something, offers to do something, promises
What's worse than having termites in your piano? Crabs on your body.		Thank you for lending me the dvd disk. I'll give it back on Monday.
6. With verbs not used in Continuous (feelings, desires, perceptions)
I don't understand what are you talking about.
7. Schedules of trains, buses, movies in the cinema, matches, lessons
The train leaves at 5 p.m.
Present Continuous	Past Continuous	Future Continuous
1. Action at the moment of speaking or covering a longer period in the present	1. The action took place (lasted) in certain moment in past	1. An action that will last in the future
Don't bother the teacher, she is writing a letter now.I am attending music classes now.	This time last month I was sitting in the lovely French cafe.	Would you like to visit a museum tomorrow evening? No, I will be watching the match at this time.
2. Happens around at the time of the conversation	2. In the main clause with a when clause, where the first lasted when the other happened	2. If plans are reported, intentional action
look! He is falling down.	I was sleeping when my cell phone suddenly rang.	I will be going to the cinema tomorrow.
3. Situation that is changing	3. Parallel long-term actions in the past	3. Asking about someone's plans as a polite request
His French is becoming better and better.	While I was taking a shower, my husband was cooking the dinner.	Will you be going out at 7? I need your car.
4. Planned actions for the future (In the meaning of gathering = to be going to)	4. Actions that took place within a certain time frame, in a limited period.	4. Parallel actions in the future
I am buying a new flat tomorrow.	I was cleaning the flat the whole weekend.	While you will be doing shopping I will be repairing my car.
5. Too often repeated actions that cause irritation, reproach, disapproval	5. Too often repeated actions, habits that caused irritation, censure, reproach
He is too often complaining about.	Yesterday my friend was too often* losing his papers, books and tests.*
Present Perfect	past perfect	Future Perfect
1. An action that began in the past, but its result is connected with the present, so to speak, on the face	1. An action that took place before another, later action in the past	1. Will end before a certain point, events in the future
Is Jim at home? No, he has already gone to Paris.	I had come home before my sister washed the dishes.	I will have done my homework before the match begins.
2. The action started in the past and continues now	2. Ended by a certain point	2. To communicate the likelihood, the intended action
My mother has always wanted to live in a small country house.	I had given up smoking by the end of the holidays.	The citizens will have noticed the false government's solutions.
3. To indicate actions with an indication of the period, how many times they were repeated	3. An action that started in the past happened before or during another event in the past
It is the first time I have driven.	I knew exactly that my friends hadn't met since Andy's party.
Present Perfect Continuous	Past Perfect Continuous	Future Perfect Continuous
1. An action that began in the past and lasts is happening in the present (at the time of the conversation)	1. An action that started in the past and was happening when another event happened	1. An action that starts in the future and will last until another point in the future.
They have already* been painting the wall for 5 hours.*	He had been driving a car yesterday when his father came.	I will have been having dinner when my boyfriend comes.
2. An action that was completed before the moment of the conversation	2. An action that began in the past and lasted a certain time
She has been ironing all day long. Now, she is too tired to go out.	He had been repairing his car for an hour last weekend.

The grammar of tenses in English is very extensive, which is why this table is not enough to fully understand and figure out where is what. It is better to study each separately, and then in a complex.

Sometimes it is really difficult to understand whether the action lasted or ended, in the past or in the present it is happening. But everything is learned in practice. That is why it is recommended to study the tenses of the English language with examples that will not only demonstrate the way of formation and use, but also show typical situations of use.

Remember, when choosing verb tenses in English, follow following scheme .

Determine whether the action refers to the past, present or future (Present, Past, Future)
Understand: what you see, or what you know.
If you know exactly about the event (no matter where), then the Simple.
If you see, then: the action itself is Continuous, traces or signs, the result is Perfect, I see the action, but I compare it with what I saw earlier - Perfect Continuous.

So let's recap. We can say that in the active voice there are 12 tenses, reflecting the periods of the action.

Present Simple (Indefinite), Past Simple (Indefinite), Future Simple (Indefinite)
Present Continuous (Progressive), Past Continuous (Progressive), Future Continuous (Progressive)
Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect
Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Perfect Continuous

Tenses in English will take a lot of your strength. Well, what can you do. But tables will help to remember and put everything in memory faster and easier, although they are not enough for a complete understanding.

Tenses in English represent perhaps the greatest difficulty to understand, remember and apply. Today we give you some tips that will make your life easier and allow you to master the tenses in the most efficient way.

We note right away that we do not consider the formation of tenses: as practice shows, this is not a problem for English learners. It’s easy enough to learn schemes, but it’s by no means easy to understand the use of tenses. So let's get started...

Understanding the names

There are, in principle, only three tenses in English - Present (present), Past (past) and Future (future). However, the situation is complicated by the fact that each named time can have four types. Those. The present tense has four kinds, the past and the future also have four kinds. What types of times are there?

The first type of times is called Simple (simple). Thus, there are , Past Simple (past simple) and Future Simple (future simple).

The second type of tenses is called Continuous (continuous, long). Accordingly, times can be (present continuous), Past Continuous (past continuous) and Future Continuous (future continuous).

The third kind is called Perfect. Thus, there are (present perfect), Past Perfect (past perfect) and Future Perfect (future perfect).

The last type of tenses combines the names of the previous two and is called Perfect Continuous (perfectly continued). Accordingly, times can be (present perfect continuous), Past Perfect Continuous (past perfect continuous) and Future Perfect Continuous (future perfect continuous).

As you can see, you need to remember, on the one hand, the names of tenses (Present, Past, Future), on the other hand, their types (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous).

By the way, in many textbooks the first two types of times may be called differently. Instead of Simple, you can find the term Indefinite, and instead of Continuous - Progressive. You should be aware that these terms are interchangeable.

The name of a specific time consists of the name of the time itself and its type, for example: Present Simple, Past Continuous, etc.

Understanding and remembering meanings

The next key point you need to remember is that each type of time has its own meaning. Next, we will analyze each type separately.

Remember the meaning of the form Simple - a) a simple action, a fact; b) regular, repetitive action. Simple conveys its meaning to specific tenses. So, Present Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the present tense; b) a regular, repetitive action in the present tense. For example: “The earth revolves around the sun” is a fact, so when translating this sentence into English, we will use Present Simple. Another example: “This boy is often sick” is a regular, repetitive action, so when translating into English, we will also use Present Simple.

Past Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the past; b) a regular, repeated action in the past. For example: “Moscow was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky” is a fact of the past, therefore, when translating this sentence into English, we will use Past Simple. Another example: “As a child, I was often sick” is a regular, repetitive action, so when translating into English, we will also use the Past Simple.

Future Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the future; b) a regular, recurring action in the future. For example: “Next year I will move to Germany” is a designation of the fact of the future, so we use the Future Simple. “He will often visit you” is a regular, repetitive action, hence the Future Simple again.

So, we figured out Simple, now let's move on to Continuous. Everything is much simpler here. Remember the most basic meaning - the process. It is the meaning of the Continuous process that conveys specific times.

Present Continuous denotes a process in the present. For example: “He is sleeping now” is a process in the present tense, so when translating into English, we will resort to Present Continuous.

The Past Continuous denotes a process at a certain point in the past. For example: "Yesterday at six o'clock he was sleeping."

Future Continuous denotes a process at a certain point in the future. For example: "Tomorrow at six o'clock he will sleep."

Now consider Perfect. Remember the key value of this type - the result. This value is passed to specific times.

The Present Perfect denotes the result so far. For example: “I wrote a letter. I am free." The act of writing a letter is no longer performed, it is over, but by now the result has remained from it - a letter ready to be sent.

Past Perfect denotes the result to a certain moment in the past. For example: "I wrote a letter in the evening." In the evening, the act of writing a letter was no longer performed, it was over, but the result remained of it - a letter ready to be sent.

The Future Perfect denotes the result to a certain moment in the future. For example: "I will write a letter by evening." In the evening, the action of writing a letter will no longer be performed, it will be completed, but the result will remain of it - a letter ready to be sent.

And finally, let's turn to Perfect Continuous. Remember the main meaning - a process that lasts a specified amount of time. This value will be passed to specific times.

So, Present Perfect Continuous denotes a process that lasts a specific time and continues at the present moment. For example: "He has been sleeping for three hours."

Past Perfect Continuous denotes a process that lasted a specified amount of time until a certain point in the past. For example: "He slept for three hours when you returned." There is a moment of the past in this sentence - your return. Until that moment, the process was going on - he was sleeping. The process lasted the specified amount of time - three hours.

Future Perfect Continuous refers to a process that will last a certain amount of time until some point in the future. For example: "He will sleep for three hours before you return."

To finally understand the tenses of the English language, we recommend watching a lecture on this topic (in Russian). This lecture discusses in detail the question of the formation and use of tenses of the active voice.

The study of times is an integral part of getting to know the linguistics of another country. Without a clear understanding of the rules and understanding of grammatical subtleties, it is impossible to build a general picture of how to use verb tenses in English.

British colloquial speech is characterized by an extensive system of verb combinations, and therefore requires close attention. This article provides a detailed explanation of verb forms. You can either study each time separately, or immediately go to the summary.

Temporary forms in English

For people who are going to learn English, times play an important role. In modern grammars, there are various approaches to highlighting the tense of a foreign speech verb. However, the inhabitants of foggy Albion, according to the classical version, indicate 12 temporary forms.

In the article we will consider in detail their varieties, as well as simply and clearly analyze the rules of use and formation. According to this approach, there are three forms:

past tense ( Past );
present ( present );
future ( Future ).

Each option has four groups: Continuous (long), Simple (simple) perfect continuous (perfect continuous) Perfect (perfect). This is how the general table of English tenses looks like:

	Simple	Continuous	Perfect (Perfect)	Perfect continuous (Perfect continuous)
Present (Present)				I have been making
Past				I had been made
Future		I will be making	I will have made	I will have been made

1. Present tense (Group Present Tenses)

The present tense in English is used to indicate that an action is happening at the moment of speaking. There are 4 forms.

1.1 Present Simple (Present Simple)

Present Simple time is used in many cases. Let's look at them:

To emphasize the regularity of actions performed in the present. She wakes up at 6 am. - She gets up at 6 am. She gets up at the same time every day.
To state generally known facts, truths, axioms, etc. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west - The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
English tenses use this form when retelling a sequence of actions taking place in the present tense. The boy comes to visit his grandmother, greets her and gives her flowers - The boy comes to his grandmother, greets her and gives her flowers.
To indicate the daily routine, schedule, work schedule, etc. The shop opens at 9 am. - Shop opens at 9 am.
To point out habits. He drinks 5 cups of coffee a day - He drinks 5 cups of coffee a day.

Formation Rule: This form is the easiest of all. To form the present simple tense in English, you need to add an infinitive without the to particle to the subject. Remember that in the 3rd person singular (he\she\it) the suffix -s\-es is added to the infinitive.

The cat eats mice. - The cat eats mice. (eat+s)

We go to the movies. - We go to the movies.

The verb to be has special forms conjugations in the present tense:

I am
He\she\it - is
You, we, they are

Group times present form negative form by adding the particle not to the auxiliary verb: do (I\we\they)\does (he\she\it) + not+ v1.

She does not go to the theatre. She doesn't go to the theatre.

I do not drink hard drinks. - I don't drink alcohol.

Tenses in English have an inversion in interrogative sentences: the auxiliary verb comes first ( do\does), the second place is occupied by the subject, then comes the semantic verb. For example, Does she go for a picnic with us? - She goes to a picnic with us.?

There are certain time markers, the use of which in speech indicates the need to use a certain verb form. So, the present tense in English is used if there are the following words: usually (usually); once in a while (sometimes); often (often); always (always); regularly (regularly); sometimes (sometimes), from time to time (from time to time).

1.2 Present Continuous (Present Continuous)

The Present Continuous is used to denote an action taking place at the moment of speaking, as well as an action planned in the near future.

He is watching TV now. - He is watching TV now.

They are going to the theater tonight. They are going to the theater tonight.

Formation rule: the present continuous tense is formed with the help of the auxiliary verb to be in the desired form + v4 (verb with the ending -Ing).

The mother is cooking dinner. - Mom is cooking dinner.

Present tenses in English form a negation by adding a particle not after the auxiliary verb used.

John is not reading a book now. John is not reading a book now.

In interrogative sentences, inversion occurs (like the present simple tense): the auxiliary verb comes first, then the subject and predicate come. Below is where you can find all the constructions and tenses in English: a table with examples and marker words.

Is he reading a book now? - Is he reading a book now?

1.3 Present perfect tense (Present Perfect)

The Present Perfect tense is used when talking about an action that started in the past, but has a result in the present, or has not yet ended at the time of speech. For example: The boy has broken the window. - The boy broke the window.

Formation rules: The form uses the verb to have as an auxiliary + v3. The table of English tenses below includes the constructions of all combinations.

V3- the form of the irregular verb is in the third column of the table. If the verb is correct, it is necessary to add the ending to the infinitive - ed.

They have finished their work. - They've finished their work.

The mother has already found her earing. - Mom has already found her earring.

In negative sentences not placed after the auxiliary verb used.

The mother has not found her earing yet. Mom hasn't found her earring yet.

Interrogative sentences are built in the same way as the previous tense forms of verbs. The auxiliary verb comes first, then the subject and the predicate.

Has he finished his work yet? - Has he finished his work yet?

IN this example you can mark markers such as already (already), not ... yet (not yet), just (just), this week (this week).

1.4 Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Continuous)

Some verb tenses are similar in usage. So, the real perfect long tense form is similar to the real perfect with the only difference being that here the emphasis is on the duration of the process. That is, the period includes an action that began in the past, lasted for some time and ended shortly before the moment of speech, or is still ongoing.

I have been washing my car. - I washed my car.

If you see the combination of auxiliary verbs have\has been, the tense in English is the present perfect continuous, whose formula is to have+ been +v4 (-ing).

In negative sentences not takes a position after the auxiliary verb.

My father has not been watching TV. - My dad didn't watch TV.

In interrogative sentences, the subject and the auxiliary verb are reversed.

Have you been playing tennis? - Did you play tennis?

Often there are words helpers in English tenses. So, since (from), all day (all day), by (to ...), for (during), when (when) are markers of the present perfect long time.

2. Future tense (Future Tenses group)

The future tense in English is used to indicate future actions and comes in four forms.

2.1 Future Simple

The future simple tense indicates an action that is yet to happen.

The Future Simple is formed with the verb will + the infinitive without the to particle.

I will do homework.- I will do my homework.

In negative sentences, the formation of tenses is similar in that the third position is occupied by a negative particle not, and in interrogative sentences the already known inversion is used: auxiliary verb - subject - main verb.

She will not (won't) wash her car. She won't wash her car.

Will she wash her car? - Will she wash her car?

The times of the future group use such auxiliary indicators as tomorrow (tomorrow), in a few days (in a few days), next week (next week), etc.

2.2 Future Continuous

The future long tense is used when it is necessary to talk about an action or process that will take place at a certain point in the future.

Future Continuous is formed using the verb will + be + v4.

Negative and interrogative variants are formed similarly to the previous examples. for those who want to have before their eyes all tenses in English: the table includes the structured information given in the article.

She will be singing a song when he comes. - She will sing a song when he comes.

She will not be signing a song when he comes. - She won't sing a song when he comes.

Will she be writing a letter when he comes? - Will she sing a song when he comes?

Often when acts as an indicator of the future tense. The table of English tenses below includes possible helper words.

2.3 Future Perfect

Future perfect tense used when the speaker intends to complete some action by a specified time in the future.

The Future Perfect construction is formed using the verb will + have + v3.

I will have washed my car by 6 pm. - I will have washed my car by 6 o'clock in the evening.

I will not have washed my car by 6 pm. - I won't have washed my car by 6 pm.

Will you have washed your car by 6 pm? - Will you have washed your car by 6 pm?

Often, the future perfect tense in English is used by as an indicator of a certain period.

2.4 Future Perfect Continuous

The Future Perfect Continuous is rarely used in English. The cases of application are close to the future perfect with the only difference that the period under consideration emphasizes the duration of the action / process.

Future Perfect Continuous is formed by using auxiliary verbs will + have + been + v4.

She will have been studying here for 5 months by December. - By December, she will have been studying here for 5 months.

3. Past tense (Past Tenses group)

3.1 Past Simple

The simple past tense in English is used to denote a single action in the past or a sequence of actions.

To form Past Simple, you need to put the main verb in the 2nd form. For regular verbs the suffix -ed must be added, and the irregular form must be looked for in the second column of the table of irregular verbs.

She saw me yesterday. - She saw me yesterday.

He finished his work yesterday. - He finished work yesterday.

The negative form of the past simple tense is formed using do in past tense (did) + not + body infinitive without to. includes information about each option.

She did not see me yesterday. - She didn't see me yesterday.

The past tense in English forms interrogative sentences using inversion: did takes the first position:

Did she see you yesterday? - Did she see you yesterday?

3.2 Past Continuous

The past continuous is used to talk about an action that happened at a certain moment in the past.

To get the Past Continuous, you need to put to be in the past tense (was\were) +v4.

She was writing a letter at 3 o'clock yesterday. She was writing a letter at 3 o'clock yesterday.

3.3 Past perfect tense (Past Perfect)

The past perfect tense shows the precedence of an action in the past.

Past Perfect is formed by putting the verb to have in the past tense (had) + v3.

By the way, it is useless to look for an answer what type of verb had been v3: what time is impossible to say, because such a verb form does not exist. It is possible to use either had been + v4 or had + v3.

I had washed the dishes before I went to the theatre. - I washed the dishes before I went to the theatre.

3.4 Past perfect continuous tense (Past Perfect Continuous)

The past tenses include the past perfect continuous tense, which is used to emphasize the period of the preceding process in the past.

Past Perfect Continuous is formed using the verbs had + been + v4.

I had been washing my car before you came. -I was washing my car before you came.

Table of English tenses

	How to form	How to use	marker words
Present simple (Present Simple)	Subl. +V (-s\-es) Subl. + do\does + not + v1 DO\Does + fake +v1?	repetitive action Habit Axioms	Often, always, usually, seldom.
Present continuous (Present Continuous)	Genuine + am\is\are + V4 Genuine + am\is\are + not + V4 Am\is\are + genuine + V4?	Action currently taking place	At the moment, now, at present
Present perfect (Present Perfect)	Genuine + have\has + V3 Genuine + have\has + not + V3 Have\has + fake+ V3?	An action that began in the past but continues to the present or has ended and has a result	Just, already, never, yet, ever, since, for
Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Continuous)	Subl. + have\has + been + V4 Subl. + have\has + not + been + V4 Have\has + fake+ been + V4?	The action lasted in the past and continues to the present
Future Simple	Subl. + will\shall + v1 Subl. + will\shall + not + v1 Will \ shall + sub. +v1?	Single action in the future	In the future, tomorrow, in two days
Future continuous (Future Continuous)	Subl. + will + be + v4 Subl. + will + not + be + v4 Will + sub. +be+v4?	The action will continue at a certain point in the future.	When, while, at 6 o'clock
Future Perfect	Subl. + will + have + v3 Subl. + will + not + have + v3 Will + sub. + have + v3?	The action will end at a certain time in the future.	By, before, by the time
Future Perfect Continuous (Future Perfect Continuous)	Subl. + will + have + been + v4 Subl. + will + not + have + been + v4 Will + sub. + have + been + v4?	The action will last until a certain point in the future	Till, for, before
Past simple (Past Simple)	Subl. + did + not + v1 Did + sub. +v1?	A single action or a set of actions in the past
Past continuous (Past Continuous)	Subl. + was\were + v4 Subl. + was\were + not + v4 Was\were + sub. +v4?	An action that continues at a certain point in the past	All night long, while, when
Past Perfect	Gen.+ had + v3 Gen.+ had + not + v3 Had +genuine+ v3?	previous action in the past	By the time, before, by
Past Perfect Continuous (Past Perfect Continuous)	Subl. + had + been + v4 Subl. + had + not + been + v4 Had +genuine+ been + v4?	Continuous action until a moment in the past

There is one topic in the study of the language, which, perhaps, can be discussed endlessly. Of course, we mean tenses in English. Learners who are just starting out with the language can sometimes find it hard to get used to the way English-speakers make time for themselves. In fact, each temporary form in English has its own analogue in Russian, it’s just that we don’t single out these forms as separate groups. Therefore, it is not at all difficult to understand the times, and today you will see for yourself.

To begin with, let's do a quick overview of all time groups so that you have an idea of what we are going to talk about today. As in Russian, English sentences can be built in the past, present and future. But besides these tenses, English also has 4 tenses, namely: Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous. In general, it turns out that one idea can be expressed in twelve temporary forms. Each form has different way the formation of verbs that appear in a sentence. They can be used to determine the time. Detailed table for clarity:

Formation of tenses in English
Time / Kind	Simple (Simple)	Continuous or Progressive (long)	Perfect (perfect)	Perfect Continuous / Progressive (Perfect Continuous)
Past (past)	V2	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	had + V3	had + been + v-ing
Present (present)	V1	to be (1st form) + V-ing	have / has + V3	have / has + been + v-ing
Future (future)	will + V1	will be + v-ing	will + have + V3	will + have + been + v-ing

Having briefly analyzed the English tenses, let's move on to their more detailed study and consider the rules for the formation of tenses with examples.

Why are tenses needed in English?

But first I would like to dwell on the question of why the tenses of the English language are needed and whether it is worth learning them all. The system of tenses in English helps to correctly convey your idea to others. That is, you can make it clear what action is in question. Was it in the past or present? Has it ended or is it still going on? Or does it happen regularly? - all these questions will disappear on their own , if it is known what tense was used in the sentence.

“So I’m just starting to learn the language, and I immediately have to learn all 12 tenses of the English language?” - you ask. Ideally yes, you need to learn all tenses. But, most likely, you will not be able to do it all at once. Therefore, start your training from the time of the Simple group. Knowing simple time, you will be able to explain what happened to you or will happen to you, what you need and why. But you should not be limited to this time, and therefore, having dealt with it, gradually continue to study other groups. The latest can be considered the Perfect Continuous group. Often they resort to it when the level of the language of the students is already "passing" for the average, because the tenses of this group are used quite rarely and are used more to demonstrate their knowledge.

Tenses in English: Simple group

Simple (Simple)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	V1	V2	will + V1
	—	do / does + not + V1	did + not + V1	will + not + V1
	?	Do/Does…V1?	Did…V1?	Will…V1?

present simple

Present Simple or simple present tense , perhaps the most used. The use of this English tense is necessary to express regularly repeated actions, habits, schedules and facts.

As you can see from the table above, the present tense is formed using the verb in its initial form, that is, in the form in which the word is listed in the dictionary. However, this form may vary slightly depending on the person and number. So, if the action is performed by a third person in the singular, the verbs end in -s (-es):

The auxiliary verb do is used to form negative and interrogative sentences. If it is used with third persons in the singular, then this verb turns into does, because it takes the ending -s (-es) from the semantic verb.

Examples:

As you can see, this time does not have any complex grammatical rules.

past simple

Past Simple or simple past tense in English is used to express the same simple repetitive actions, but only in the past. For its formation, a verb in the second form is used. It is of two types. If the verb is correct, then it is enough to add the ending -ed to it. If it is incorrect, then you just need to memorize the second form, because each irregular verb has its own. Compare:

In this case, the person performing the action does not affect the verb in any way, that is, for all persons the form of the verb is the same. Consider the use of this tense with the help of examples:

In this case, the auxiliary verb did is used to form negative and interrogative sentences. It takes over the function of the past tense determiner, so the semantic verb returns to its original form:

Future Simple

The Future Simple or the simple future tense in English is used to express simple actions that will happen in the future. It has an auxiliary verb will in all three forms of the sentence:

	She will help you.	She will help you.
	I will explain you how to do this.	I will explain to you how to do it.
	They will share their main ideas.	They will share their main ideas.
	You will not (won't) remember anything.	You won't remember anything.
	She won't be available because she'll turn off her phone.	She won't be available because she'll turn off her phone.
	They won't sign the documents.	They won't sign the papers.
	Will you be with me?	You will be with me?
	Will they like the description of the product?	Will they like the product description?
	Will he lie or not?	Will he lie or not?

Tenses in English: Continuous group

continuous / Progressive (Long)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	to be (1st form) + V-ing	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	will be + v-ing
	—	to be (1st form) + not + V-ing	to be (2nd form) + not + V-ing	will + not + be + v-ing
	?	to be (1st form) … V-ing?	to be (2nd form) … V-ing?	Will … be V-ing?

Present Continuous

Present Continuous (Present Progressive) or present continuous tense in English (also known as continuous tense in English) is a tense that shows that the action is ongoing, that is, is in the process of being performed at a given time. It is usually built with the help of the auxiliary verb to be, which is expressed in three forms, depending on the person and number:

Examples:

	I am typing him a message right now.	Right now I'm typing a message for him.
	We are watching TV all day long.	We watch TV all day.
	They are translating the text at the moment.	They are currently translating the text.
	He is not (isn't) reading now.	He is not reading now.
	Jim isn't writing a new post.	Jim is not writing a new post.
	I am not (‘m not) learning Turkish.	I don't study Turkish.
	Is she working here till summer?	Does she work here until the summer?
	Are you doing this on purpose, huh?	You're doing this on purpose, right?
	Are they studying the course at the moment?	Are they studying this course at the moment?

Past Continuous

(Past Progressive) or the past continuous tense is used to show that some action lasted at a certain point in the past. For its formation, auxiliary and semantic verbs are also required. The same verb to be acts as an auxiliary, but only in the past tense:

Pronouns	to be in past tense
I	was
We	were

The semantic verb is formed in the same way as for the present continuous tense.

Examples:

	I was sleeping when he called me.	I was asleep when he called me.
	She was cooking while I was reading a newspaper.	She was cooking while I was reading the newspaper.
	They were watching a cartoon when the electricity was suddenly cut off.	They were watching a cartoon when the lights suddenly went out.
	He was not (wasn't) surfing the Internet at 8 in the evening.	He wasn't surfing the internet at 8 pm.
	They were not (weren't) talking to each other when I came in.	When I entered, they did not speak to each other.
	I wasn't analyzing the results.	I didn't analyze the results.
	Was she laughing during your presentation?	Did she laugh during your presentation?
	Were they training in the evening?	Did they train in the evening?
	Was she teaching her student at 3 p.m.?	Was she studying with her student at 3pm?

Future Continuous

Accordingly, Future Continuous (Future Progressive) or future continuous shows an action that will take place at a particular moment in the future. All 3 forms of the sentence in this tense need an auxiliary verb will be and a semantic verb with the ending -ing:

	When I come back, they will be listening to music.	When I return, they will be listening to music.
	I will be passing the exam this time tomorrow.	I will be taking my exam at this time tomorrow.
	They will be rehearing here at 9 p.m.	They will rehearse here at 9pm.
	Diana will not (won't) be recording a song tonight.	Diana will not be recording a song tonight.
	Unfortunately, I will not be spending time with my friends during my vacations.	Unfortunately, I will not be spending time with my friends during the holidays.
	They will not be building a website this time on Monday.	They will not be developing the website at this time on Monday.
	Will they be chilling the whole day?	Will they chill all day?
	Will she be washing the dishes when we go downstairs?	Will she wash the dishes when we go downstairs?
	Will they be conducting a research?	Will they do research?

Tenses in English: Perfect Group

Perfect (Perfect)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	have / has + V3	had + V3	will + have + V3
	—	have / has + not + V3	had + not + V3	will + not + have + V3
	?	Have/Has…V3?	Had…V3?	Will … have V3?

Present Perfect

The present perfect or present perfect tense is a tense in English used to express actions that have completed by now. It differs from the simple past tense in that it emphasizes the result in the present that caused the action in the past.

This tense requires the auxiliary verb have, which changes to has in the third person. But with verbs used in the role of semantic, not everything is so simple. Past participles are responsible for them. The participle can be formed in two ways:

If the verb is correct, then it is enough to add the ending -ed:

Suggestion examples:

	The son has broken the window with a ball.	The son broke the window with the ball.
	My children have already made the list of presents.	My children have already made a list of gifts.
	I have heard this story many times.	I have heard this story many times.
	I have not (haven't) hurt people ever.	I have never hurt people.
	She has not (hasn't) decided yet.	She hasn't made a decision yet.
	They haven't learned these formulas by heart; that's why I'm sure they have written cheat sheets	They didn't memorize these formulas, so I'm pretty sure they wrote the spurs.
	Has she been to Europe?	Has she been to Europe?
	Have you ever watched an eclipse?	Have you ever watched an eclipse?
	Have they met him yet?	Have they already met him?

past perfect

Or the past perfect tense is used to show that some action took place before a specific moment in the past. It is formed using the auxiliary verb had and all the same past participles:

	I had prepared a surprise for my children by 7 o'clock in the evening.	I have prepared a surprise for children by 7 pm.
	We had considered all suggestions by Friday.	We considered all proposals by Friday.
	I wanted to visit her but she had moved already.	I wanted to visit her, but she had already moved.
	She had not (hadn't) spent too much time before she understood the concept.	She didn't spend too much time before she understood the concept.
	They hadn't finished the construction by the deadline.	They didn't finish building by the deadline.
	We hadn't published the magazine by Monday.	We hadn't published the magazine by Monday.
	Had she edited everything by the end of the day?	She edited everything before the end of the day?
	Had he learned the details carefully before he started doing the project?	Did he carefully study all the details before starting the project?
	Had she come back by Thursday?	Was she back by Thursday?

Future Perfect

Future Perfect or future perfect tense, as you might have guessed, shows that the action will be completed by a certain moment in the future. To form this tense, in addition to the auxiliary verb have, the verb will will be required. The semantic participle is the past tense:

	I will have changed everything by this time.	By this time I will change everything.
	She will have been in the Maldives at 3 a.m.	She will be in the Maldives at 3 am.
	The builders will have built the stadium by next winter.	The builders will build the stadium by next winter.
	They will not (won't) have spent much time on family till they understand its value.	They will not spend much time on the family until they understand its value.
	She won't have reached her goals until she starts working.	She won't achieve her goals until she starts working.
	I think George and Quincy won't have made up before your birthday party.	I think George and Quincy won't make up before your birthday.
	Will they have made it by March?	Will they make it by March?
	Will she have got his real intentions before they get married?	Will she understand his true intentions before they get married?

Tenses in English: Perfect Continuous Group

Perfect (Perfect)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	have / has + been + v-ing	had + been + v-ing	will + have + been + v-ing
	—	have / has + not + been + v-ing	had + not + been + v-ing	will + not + have + been + v-ing
	?	Have / Has … been + V-ing?	Had…been + V-ing?	Will … have + been + V-ing?

Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous or Present Perfect Continuous is a tense used to show an action that started and lasted up to a certain point or continues to last until now.

It has auxiliary verbs have been, which change to has been for the third person. The semantic verb is the same verb that was used in Continuous tenses. Among all English tenses of this group present time Perfect Continuous is the most common:

	It has been raining all day long.	It rained all day.
	My friend has been persuading me to go with him for an hour.	My friend urges me to go with him for an hour.
	I'm tired because we have been creating a studio all night.	I'm tired because we've been creating the studio all night.
	She has not (hasn't) been learning French since she moved from Canada.	She doesn't study French since moving from Canada.
	Bryan hasn't been enjoying his weekends since his mother-in-law came to visit them.	Brian didn't enjoy the weekend because his mother-in-law came to visit.
	We haven't been sleeping all night.	We didn't sleep all night.
	How long have you been living here?	How long have you been living here?
	Have you been fighting again?	Did you fight again?
	Who has been touching my documents?!	Who touched my documents?!

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous or Past Perfect Continuous is used in the same way as Present Perfect Continuous, only in this case the action ends at a certain point in the past. Sentences are formed in this tense with the help of the auxiliary verbs had been and the semantic verb with the ending -ing. Since this form is not used very often and there are not many options for its use, consider just a few examples:

Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous or future perfect long time implies a certain moment in the future. Time is used in very rare cases. It uses the auxiliary verbs will have been and the same semantic verb:

That's all. We hope that the explanation of the topic helped you, and the use of tenses in English is no longer a problem for you. Try to use all tense forms as often as possible when speaking, compose examples with them, perform various exercises on English tenses and make a translation.

In order not to constantly return to this article, redraw or make your own table of English tenses. It will be like a cheat sheet for you. Refer to it periodically, even if you have completed the study of this topic, since repetition of the past will never be harmful. If at first you still have a little confusion with the times, with proper practice you will quickly understand how to use them. The main thing is that we deal with all tenses in stages and do not move from one group to another until we fully master the material.