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The verb contains the action of the sentence. Without verbs, we couldn't talk about running, or
jumping, or eating. And without verb tense, we couldn't talk about when we did those things. Did
we eat dinner yesterday? Will we go for a run tomorrow? We need verb tense to talk about time.
Present Tenses
The present tense refers to circumstances that exist now, or that have occurred over a period of
time that includes the present. Present tense can also be used to express basic facts or
circumstances that are continuous.
Simple Present
The simple present expresses current events, recurring events, and general facts.
Present Progressive
The present progressive expresses continuous actions.
I am reading a letter.
The car is running at high speed.
Michael and Anna are always working in the library.
To show that the action is continuous the verbs reading, running, and working are paired
with the appropriate form of the verb to be (am, is, are).
Present Perfect
The present perfect expresses a completed event that is still relevant to the present.
Past Tenses
The past tense refers to events that have occurred in the past or an event that occurred
continually in the past. It can also be used when discussing hypothetical situations. The types of
past tense are simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and the past perfect progressive.
Simple Past
First, the simple past expresses a past event:
Past Progressive
The past progressive expresses a continuous action in the past:
Past Perfect
The past perfect expresses a completed action from the past.
The car had been running smoothly until the exhaust pipe fell off.
She realized she had been standing on his foot when he gently shoved her.
The past perfect progressive tense combines have/has with been and the past tense of
the verb (listening, running, standing) to show that the action occurred continually in the
past until the action was completed.
Future Tenses
The future tense is used to express circumstances that will occur in the future. The future tense
is different from the present and past tenses in that there is not usually a type of
verb conjugation that shows the future tense. Instead, future verbs are formed by combining
them with words like will or shall, or the phrase going to. The different future tenses are
simple future, future progressive, future perfect, and future perfect progressive.
Simple Future
The simple future expresses an action that will take place in the future.
Future Progressive
The future progressive expresses a continuous action which will take place in the future.
He will be conducting a meeting between noon and one o'clock every day
this week.
Next summer, Jake will be traveling through South America.
To show that the action is continuous and in the future, the verbs are paired with will be, and to
show that they are progressive, the main verb ends in -ing.
Future Perfect
The future perfect expresses a completed action that will have taken place in the future.
I will have been exercising for hours by the time you wake up tomorrow.
When they arrive, they will have been traveling for 12 hours straight.
The verb has will to show that it takes place in the future, have been to show that it is
completed, and an -ing verb to show that it is progressive or continuous.
Source: Boundless. Verb Tense: Past, Present, and Future. Boundless Writing. Boundless, 26
May. 2016. Retrieved 24 Jul. 2016
from https://www.boundless.com/writing/textbooks/boundless-writing-textbook/overview-ofenglish-grammar-parts-of-speech-250/verbs-291/verb-tense-past-present-and-future-123-3142/