English Grammar Tenses

Learning English grammar can be a challenging experience. Today we look at the basic tenses we need to talk about the present, past and future.

Present

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Simple Present
Base verb (+ es/es for third person):

I watch the news every day.
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Present Continuous
am/is/are + present participle:

I am watching the news.
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Present Perfect
Has/have + past participle:

I have watched the news already.
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Present Perfect Continuous
Has/have + been + present participle:

I have been watching the news since I was a teenager.
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Past
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Simple Past
Verb+ed or irregular verb:

I watched the news.
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Past Continuous
Was/were + present participle:

I was watching the news.
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Past Perfect
Had + past participle:

I had watched the news before I went to bed.
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Past Perfect Continuous

Had been+present participle

I had been watching the news for 20 minutes before you came home._________________________________________________________


Future
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Simple Future
Will+verb 

Am/is/are + going to + verb
I will watch the news 

I am going to watch the news._________________________________________________________
Future Continuous
Will be + present participle
Am/is/are + going to be + present participle:

I will be watching the news at 9pm. 

I am going to be watching the news at 9pm._________________________________________________________
Future Perfect
Will have + past participle
Am/is/are + going to have + past participle

I will have watched the news before 10pm. 

I am going to have watched the news._________________________________________________________
Future Perfect Continuous
Will have been + present participle
Am/is/are + going to have been + present participle:

I will have been watching the news for over ten minutes before you join me. 

I am going to have been watching the news for over ten minutes before you join me._________________________________________________________

Now choose which tense is being used in each of the following sentences:

1) I am living with my parents.

• Present Perfect
• Simple Present
• Present Perfect Continuous
• Present Continuous

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2) I have never studied French.

• Present Continuous
• Present Perfect
• Simple Present
• Past Perfect

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3) We were listening to music.

• Present Continuous
• Simple Present
• Past Perfect Continuous
• Past Continuous

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4) She had worked with animals in her last job.

• Past Perfect Continuous
• Simple Past
• Past Perfect
• Present Perfect

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5) He had been running.

• Past Perfect
• Past Continuous
• Present Continuous
• Past Perfect Continuous

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6) You will meet them soon.

• Simple Future
• Present Continuous
• Present Perfect
• Simple Present

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7) She will have fallen asleep by midnight.

• Simple Future
• Future Continuous
• Future Perfect Continuous
• Future Perfect

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8) We will have been walking for 4 hours.

• Future Perfect Continuous
• Present Continuous
• Present Perfect
• Simple Present

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9) I will be waiting for you.

• Future Perfect
• Future Continuous
• Present Continuous
• Simple Present

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10) They were making lunch.

• Past Continuous
• Present Future
• Past Perfect Continuous
• Present Continuous

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(Original article here).