Verb Tenses A Comparison Between German and English

http://german.about.com/od/verbs/a/GermanVerbTenses.htm

Knowing how to conjugate a verb is only half the battle. Knowing when to use these conjugations correctly is the other half and more difficult part. Further, to simply translate or compare verb usage in English to that of German will prove fateful, since verb tense application differs between these two languages in some cases. Look at the following comparison between the English and German verb tenses:
1. Present/ Prsens

English

Used for repeated actions: I read every night. Facts and statements: She sings very well.

The present moment (some verbs): He needs our help.

Near future events: When can I eat the cookie?

German

Repeated actions: Ich lese abends. Facts and statements: Sie singt sehr gut.

To describe something that is happening presently: Ich backe einen Geburtstagskuchen. (I am baking a cake.) To describe a future event/ action whether near or in the distant future: Ich komme mit. ( I am coming.)

Nchstes Jahr fliegen wir nach Amsterdam. (We are flying to Amsterdam next year.) Present Continuous: Used when an action is being done at the moment: I am baking a birthday cake.

2.

Does not exist in German, instead the simple present (Prsens) is used in German to describe a current action:Ich backe einen Geburtstagskuchen.

3.

Present Perfect

English Is used when you want to describe an action that happened in the past at an unspecified time: I have been to Germany before.

An uncompleted action: He hasnt fallen asleep

yet. An action that has happened in the past but has lasted till the present moment: Ive had this cold for the past two weeks.

German Is used to describe an event/action in the past whether at an unspecified time or not: Ich habe eine Wurst gegessen. ( I ate a sausage.) Ich habe gestern eine Wurst gegessen. ( I ate a sausage yesterday.)

Is used to describe an uncompleted action: Er ist noch nicht eingeschlafen.

An action that has happened in the past but has lasted till the present moment: Seit zwei Wochen habe ich diese Erkltung.

Note: Germans use mostly the present perfect in conversation as opposed to the simple past to describe past events.

4.

Present Perfect Continuous: It does not exist in German. Simple Past/ Das Prteritum

5.

English Is used to describe actions/events that occurred in the past. She danced all night.

German Is used to describe actions/events that occurred in the past as well, but is mostly espressed in narrative text: Sie tanzte die ganze Nacht.

In German conversation you express a past event in Present Perfect: Sie hat die ganze Nacht getanzt.

6.

Past Continuous

English To indicate that an action was interrupted in the past: He was eating when she called.

To describe that two or several actions were happening at the same time in the past: I was standing while I was eating.

German

Does not exist in German.

In order to express the above function mentioned, Germans use the German simple past plus the word gerade -> Er a gerade als sie telefonierte. (He was eating when she called.) Past Perfect/ Plusquamperfekt

7.

English Is used to indicate that an action occurred before another action in the past. The child was already finished with the homework, when the mother entered.

German Is also used to indicate that an action occurred before another action in the past. Das Kind hatte die Hausaufgaben schon fertig gemacht, als die Mutter rein kam.
8.

Past Perfect Continuous

Does not exist in German.

9.

Simple Future/ Futur I

English Is used to describe an action/event at a specific time in the future: I will eat my piece of cake at my party. I am going to the mall tomorrow.

German Also used to describe an action/event at a specific time in the future. This is done by using the

verb werden plus the infinitive of the action verb: Ich werde morgen zum Einkaufszentrum gehen. Germans tend to use more the present to describe a future event. In such sentences you have the present tense of the verb + an adverb or other words that make it clear that the action will happen in the future: Ich schlafe bald ein.

10. Future

Continuous

Is used to express an action at a particular time in the future: I will be studying hard during the weekend. Is used to describe that an action will be interrupted: He will be sleeping when I arrive tonight.

Is used when two or more actions are occurring at the same time: I will be reading while he is swimming.

German The future continuous does not exist in German. However by adding an adverb such as whrend to a sentence youll be able to express the above mentioned functions of the future continuous:

Ich werde lesen, whrend du kochst. (I will be reading while you cook.)

11. Future

Perfect/ Futur II

English

Is used to express a future action that will occur before another future action/ event: By next year I will have graduated.

German Is also used to express a future action that will occur before another future action/ event.

When you want to express the probability of something having happened: Sie wird das bestimmt schon in der Zeitung gelesen haben.

Adverbs such as bestimmt (for sure), wohl and schon (already) will prove helpful for such sentences. The future perfect is not used very much in German. Instead, it is often replaced by the present perfect. Wenn sie ankommt, wird er bereits abgefahren sein. > Wenn sie ankommt, ist er bereits abgefahren. (When she arrives, he will have left.)
12. The

Future Perfect Continuous: does not exist in German.