Formulas of past times. How to remember tenses in English: a detailed explanation

The Present Simple (Indefinite) Tense(simple present tense)– a tense form of a verb that is used to express ordinary, regularly repeated actions. The simple present tense is characterized by the presence of the following marker words:

• usually (usually);
• sometimes (sometimes);
• often (often);
• always (always);
• never (never);
• rarely/rarely (rarely);
• regularly (regularly);
• from time to time (at times);
• once in a while (sometimes);
• hardly ever (almost never);
• every day/week/month/year/morning/evening(every day/week/month/year/morning/evening).

Examples of sentences in the simple present tense using marker words:

• I always get up at six o’clock in the morning.– I always get up at 6 o’clock in the morning.
• My brother often listens to music.– My brother often listens to music.
• The Earth rotates around the Sun.– The Earth rotates around the Sun (constantly).

I think you noticed that in the 2nd and 3rd sentences the suffix –s (listens, rotates) is used at the end of the verbs. This suffix is ​​an indicator of the 3rd person singular verb of the simple present tense.

As for the negative form of verbs in the simple present tense, it is formed using the auxiliary verb do (does 3rd letter, singular) and the negation not, which are placed before the semantic verb in the form of an infinitive without the particle to, while not is pronounced with emphasis. For example:

• I don't play hockey. – I don’t play hockey.
• My sister does not like to read books.– My sister doesn’t like to read books.

In oral and written speech, the abbreviated form of do not – don’t and does not – doesn’t is very often used. For example:

• I don't go for shopping every day.– I don’t go shopping every day.
• My friend doesn't speak English.– My friend doesn’t speak English.

The interrogative form of verbs in the simple present tense is formed using the auxiliary verb do (does), which is placed before the subject. The subject is followed by a semantic verb in the form of an infinitive without the particle to. At the same time, on the last stressed syllable of the sentence, the tone of voice rises:

• Do you work at school? – Do you work at a school?
• Does your grandmother live in the village?– Does your grandmother live in the village?

The person asked must answer as follows: Yes, I do or No, I don’t. If the question refers to the representative of the 3rd person singular, then the person asked should answer Yes, he/she/it does or No, he/she/it doesn’t.

Using the Present Simple

• designation of regular, repeating actions in the present tense:
  I get up at 6. - I get up at 6;
• habit designation:
  My father drinks coffee in the mornings.— My dad drinks coffee in the morning;
• in statements that are always true:
  Cats eat mice. — Cats eat mice;
• indication of timetable, especially transport or program:
  The train leaves at 5 a.m. — The train leaves at 5 am;
• expressing one’s opinion, as well as promises, oaths, etc.:
  I think it is important. I swear, it is true.- I think it's important. I swear it's true, etc.;
• when we talk about completed actions in the present tense, occurring one after another, for example, commenting on one’s actions or sports matches, etc.:
  First, I take two eggs and break them into this bowl…- First I take two eggs and break them into a bowl... Sychev passes to Arshavin, Arshavin shoots — and it’s a goal!- Sychev gives a pass to Arshavin, Arshavin shoots, and - goal!;
• when we give or ask for instructions, for example, when asking about the right route:
  How do I get to the station? — How can I get to the station?;
• in official correspondence in clichéd phrases (in less formal correspondence these phrases can be used for a long time):
  We write to advise you... - We write to advise you...;
• in water phrases such as I see, I hear, I understand, I gather. The meaning of phrases can also refer to the past tense: I hear they are getting married.- I heard they are getting married.

Summary table of time formation The Present Simple Tense

Education The Present Simple Tense in sentences

Affirmative		Negative		Interrogative
I	speak	I	don't speak	Do	I	speak
You		You			you
We		We			we
They		They			they
He	speaks	He	doesn't speak	Does	he	speak
She		She			she
It		It			it

IN English simple present tense cannot be confused with other tense forms of the verb. The verbs used in this form indicate the continuity of the actions performed. So, we have discussed with you the main aspects of the first simple tense form - The Present Simple Tense. Read more about other simple time forms in future articles.

The formation of tenses in English is subject to strict rules of grammar. It is important to observe the order of words and the coordination of tenses. For each life situation, a specific temporary structure is selected.

In English, the form of a verb is not affected by gender, so, for example, in the phrases “He said” and “She said” only the pronouns will differ, and the verb (the verb) will not change and will sound like said. But this is little consolation for those who have decided to become pros in English. After all, you will have to master 12 tenses. And we will talk below about what these temporary forms are, how they are formed, and, in fact, why you need to learn to operate with this very time.

How are times formed?
in English?

English tenses are formed using auxiliary verbs. Also, depending on the tense form, the ending of the semantic verb changes.

Why is it important to differentiate between tenses when teaching a language?

If you don’t want to get lost in time and completely confuse your interlocutor, then first you will have to master at least the Present group. Of course, in everyday life, native speakers themselves do not operate with all 12 tenses. Much depends on whether we are talking about British English or American English. It is believed that Americans are not so scrupulous in matters of grammar, so some mistakes are easily forgiven to foreigners. But still, in order not to find yourself in the situation of lost in translation, that is, not to get confused in translation, it is important to understand how tenses are formed in the English language.

Russian and English times: similarities and differences

We are accustomed to three tenses: present, past and future. This is why English grammar seems so difficult. In fact, in Russian there are three tenses for us. For those who study our language as a foreign language, the situation with temporary forms does not look so rosy. They say that foreigners can spend more than one month studying the verb “to go” alone. In English there are also present, past and future tenses, which are called Present, Past and Future, respectively. Everything is simple here: if we, for example, talk about a fact that happened in the past, then we use Past. But the problem is that in English the past tense alone can have 4 forms.

Formation of tenses in English: table

In each of the three tenses (Present, Past and Future) there are four more subgroups:

· Simple
Continuous
Perfect
Perfect Continuous

This is where 12 times arise. The main questions about English tenses usually arise when a student moves from the Simple group to the more complex Continuous or Perfect. It is not easy for a Russian to understand why continuous and perfect forms are still needed, and why the same phrase, like “I worked,” can be said both as “I worked” and “I have worked.”

Using tenses in English: table with examples

Questions about English tenses will disappear by themselves if you master the main rules for constructing tense forms and learn to automatically determine which group a particular situation can be classified into. In short, the Simple tenses are used to denote single actions. The Continuous group combines actions extended over time. Perfect characterizes processes completed at some point in the past, present or future. The tenses of the Perfect Continuous group are considered the most difficult and least used of all tenses in the English language. The perfect continuous tense also characterizes actions completed by a certain moment, but these actions are extended over time.

How are the times of the Simple group formed?

Even those who need to learn only the simplest spoken English will have to master the Simple tenses. Without knowledge of forms simple verb to be you simply cannot tell basic information about yourself. The Simple temporary group is used for general characteristics action without focusing on its duration or completion.

Formation of tenses in English. Table for the Simple group:

Present Simple, or Simple present tense in English

Present tenses in English are used to characterize actions occurring in the present tense. We turn to the Present Simple in situations where we want to convey some general information about a person (talk about his belonging to a certain class, profession, etc.). For example, “I am a student” (I am a student). Also, the present simple tense is necessary to report an action that is repeated systematically. For example, “He cooks” (he cooks). IN in this example This means that he, in principle, knows how to cook food, and does it all the time, and not at any specific period of time. Present simple is also used for:

· Descriptions of natural phenomena and facts (The Earth goes around the Sun - the Earth revolves around the Sun);

· Sports commentary (Messi scores a goal - Messi scores a goal);

· Transport schedules, broadcasts, film shows, etc. (The train from Moscow arrives at 6:05 p.m. - The train from Moscow arrives at 18:05);

· Internal state, feelings (Do you want to go away? - Do you want to leave?).

You can also recognize the Present Simple in speech by marker words that determine the frequency of the action:

· always (always);
· usually (usually);
· never (never);
· sometimes (sometimes);
· rarely (infrequently);
· rarely (rarely);
· regularly (regularly);
· every day (every day);
· often (often).

Past Simple

Past tenses characterize actions performed in the past. We use the Past Simple when we need to report an action that was repeated in the past. In order to construct an interrogative or negative form, we need the auxiliary verb did. In this case, the main verb will not change. You can also understand that this is Past Simple by using marker words such as:

· Yesterday (yesterday);
· In 2008 (in 2008);
· 15 years ago (15 years ago);
· last week (last week);
· the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday).

The simple present tense tells us about a fact or some single simple action completed in the past. For example, “In 2000 Angelina Jolie won an Oscar - In 2008, Angelina Jolie won an Oscar.” Also, the Past Simple characterizes several actions that occurred in the past in chronological order (“I came home, called Jane and had dinner with my friend - I came home, called Jane and had dinner with my friend”). In order to report an action that was repeated many times in the past, you will also need the Past Simple (I took Spanish courses when I was young - I took courses Spanish when I was young).

Future Simple

English grammar “marks” tenses of the Future group with the auxiliary verb will. Do you want to say that some action will happen in the future? Just add will to the semantic verb. The Future Simple tense is used in the following situations:

· Single simple action in the future (I will sign it - I will sign it);

· The decision that we make at the time of conversation (I will buy a ticket and you stay here - I will buy a ticket, and you stay here);

· Actions that are repeated in the future (I will visit Jane a few times in Paris - I will visit Jane in Paris several times);

· Designation of several actions performed in the future sequentially (I will meet with him and I will explain how to do this - I will meet with him and explain how to do this).

The Future Simple is often accompanied in a sentence by such time adverbs as:

· tomorrow (tomorrow);
· next summer (next summer);
· in ten years (in ten years);
· in 2020 (in 2020).

Times of the group Continuous
in English

For a Russian speaker, the tenses of the Continuous group are quite difficult to understand. After all, it makes no difference to us whether an action is taking place at the present moment or whether we perform it periodically. A Russian-speaking person will say “I’m watching TV”, regardless of whether he is enjoying watching a TV show at the moment, or whether this process is part of his daily habit. In English grammar, Continuous tenses are needed to describe an action that is extended in the process. This is any long-term action occurring at a certain moment.

Grammatical tenses in English. Table for the Continuous group:

Present Continuous

If the action occurs at the moment of speech, then we use Present Continuous, or present continuous tense. This temporary construction is constructed using the auxiliary verb to be, which, depending on the person and number, takes one of three forms. For the pronoun I (I) we use the form am. In the third person singular (pronouns he, she, it) to be takes the form is, and in the plural - are.

Let's look at how the Present Continuous is used with specific examples:

I am looking at you - I look at you (now, that is, at the moment of speech).

His English is getting better - His English is getting better (action is in progress).

She is working from 9 till 7 - She works from 9 to 7 (an action that covers a period of time in the present).

I am meeting him at 7 at the cinema - I meet him at 7 o’clock in the cinema (an action that is planned, and at the same time we know the time and place).

They are going to the opera - They are going to the opera (action in the near future, Present Continuous in this case is used exclusively with verbs of movement).

He is always annoying me - He always annoys me (expression of a negative assessment about a habit, regular behavior).

Marker words such as now (now) and at the moment (at the moment) can help you recognize the present continuous tense in speech. If we are talking about some kind of habit and inclination (often in a negative context), then in this case the Present Continuous is accompanied by the following adverbs:

· all the time (all the time);
· always (always);
· constantly (constantly).

Past Continuous

Past tenses usually refer to the second form of the verb. The Past Continuous is no exception in this regard. This tense is formed by adding the 2nd form of the auxiliary verb to be, namely was for the singular and were for the plural. The ending -ing is necessarily added to the semantic verb.

The Past Continuous should be used in the following situations:

· Continuous action that in the past occurred at a certain period (He was playing football at 11 o'clock - He played football at 11 o'clock);

· An action that took place in the past, while another action occurred (He was reading when somebody knocked at his window - He was reading when someone knocked on the window).

Also Past Continuous can often be found in descriptive literary texts, where the author sets the task of creating the right atmosphere:

It was getting dark, and the wind was howling - It was getting dark and the wind was howling.

In phrases with the Past Continuous we often observe circumstances indicating a period of time:

· all day long (all day);
· all the time (all the time);
· the whole day (all day);
· from 7 till 11 (from 7 to 11).

Future Continuous

Not all tenses in English have Russian equivalents. For example, Future Continuous from the point of view of a Russian speaker is unlikely to be any different from the simple future. However, residents of English-speaking countries refer to this time in the following situations:

· Continuous action that will take place at a certain point in the future (This time next Monday she will be flying to Paris - Next Monday at this time she will fly to Paris);

· A long action against the background of which another shorter action will occur in the future. At the same time, we do not know whether the first action will be interrupted or will be continued. (We will be sleeping when he arrives to New York - We will sleep when he arrives in New York);

· To denote two or more actions that will occur simultaneously in the future (While they are playing chess I will be cooking dinner - While they are playing chess, I will cook dinner).

The Future Continuous is formed using the auxiliary form will be and a semantic verb ending in -ing.

The future continuous tense can also be recognized by marker words. These may be circumstances of the time:

· at 5 o"clock (at five o'clock);
· at that moment (at this moment);
· in an hour (in an hour);
· this time tomorrow (at the same time tomorrow), etc.

If we are talking about subordinate clauses with the Future Continuous, then here we often see conjunctions such as: if (if), as (while), while (while), when (when), until (not yet), before (before).

Perfect Group Times

The Perfect group can be briefly described by the word “result”. The completion of an action here is associated with some specific moment in the present, past or future.

How tenses are formed in English. Table for the Perfect group:

The 3rd form of a verb in English is formed by adding the ending -ed to the stem. The exceptions are irregular verbs, which do not change according to the rules. In this case, you will have to remember the form.

Present Perfect (Present perfect tense)

Examples of the Present Perfect in school textbooks do not always provide a complete picture of how to actually use this tense. In fact, it is very widespread. Present Perfect is usually used in the following situations:

1. To denote an action that has already been absolutely completed in the past, but, nevertheless, it is still connected with the present through the result (I have read this book so you can take it - I have already read this book, so you can take it);
2. To characterize an action that began in the past, but at the same time it continues at the present moment (I have lived in London for 6 years - We live in London for 6 years).

Sentences with the present perfect tense often contain adverbs and circumstances that emphasize the effectiveness of the action:

· never (never);
· just (just now);
· already (already);
· yet (yet);
· ever (ever);

For example: Have you ever been to Cyprus? -Have you ever been to Cyprus?

Past Perfect

If the action ended before a certain moment or action in the past, then, according to the rules of English grammar, you will have to choose the Past Perfect tense. For example, “The rain had stopped before he woke up - The rain stopped before he woke up.” Or: “By that time they had finished their work - By that time they finished their work.”

The Past Perfect can often be identified by the conjunction by and time circumstances, such as: by that time (by that time), by Monday (by Monday), by then (by that time), etc.

Future Perfect (Future perfect tense)

The Future Perfect is used in situations where we need to report an action that will be completed before a certain point in the future: “I will have written the article by night - I will write the article by night.” Future perfect tense we also use it when we talk about some supposed action that took place in the past. In other words, the Future Perfect is needed to express an assumption about what probably happened. For example, “You will have noticed our attitude to this problem - You (surely) noticed our attitude to this problem.”

Marker phrases for the Future Perfect also serve as time circumstances that indicate the moment for completing the action:

· by Sunday (by Sunday);
· by that time (by that time);
· by 2033 (by 2033).

Formation of band times
Perfect Continuous

Perfect Continuous tenses are not so common in colloquial speech. Students usually begin these constructions at later stages. As the name suggests, Perfect Continuous describes a continuous action that begins, continues, and ends at a specific point.

Grammatical tenses in English. Table for the Perfect Continuous group:

Present Perfect Continuous (Present perfect continuous)

Present Perfect Continuous shows an action that began in the past and continues at the time of speech. For example: “She has been working for 5 hours already - She has already been working for 5 hours.” This tense is also used to characterize a long-term action that has just completed, the result of which affects the present: “I"m tired. We have been working all night - I’m tired. We worked all night.”

In phrases with the present perfect continuous tense in English, there are often time adverbs and other phrases that denote the time period during which the action is performed. For example:

· for a week (during the week);
· since morning (in the morning);
· lately (lately);
· all my life (all my life), etc.

Past Perfect Continuous (Past perfect continuous)

The Past Perfect Continuous tense is similar to the previous one, but describes an extended action that began in the past until a certain moment (which also happened in the past and is always used in the Past Simple). This process may continue or it may end just before this very moment.

“Tom had been reading for 2 hours when Jane came - Tom had been reading for two hours when Jane came.” In this case, the action began before Jane arrived. At the same time, Tom continues to read even after being interrupted.

The past perfect continuous tense is characterized by the use of temporary marker phrases, such as:

· for five months (within 5 months);
· for a long time (for a long time);
· since 7 o"clock (from 7 o'clock), etc.

Future Perfect Continuous (Future perfect continuous)

Among all the tenses in English grammar, the Future Perfect Continuous is the least common in speech. This tense describes a continuous action that will begin in the future and will continue until a certain moment (it is used in the Future Simple):

He will be resting for a week when she will join him - He will be resting for a whole week when she joins him.

Learning to distinguish between English tenses is not as difficult as it seems at first glance: marker words will help you find your way. Remember that the simple past tense, for example, can be determined by a specific date. The ending -ing in the verb indicates that the action is not single, but long-term, that is, ongoing. It is important to remember that if you begin a sentence using past tense verbs, then the second part of the phrase must also use the past tense. Of course, in this matter one cannot do without practice. Watch as many English-language films and TV series as possible, read books, and gradually you will learn to feel the tenses of the English language and stop thinking about where to put which verb.

Table of English tenses given with examples, table of english times should be known by heart table of english times given below. Table of English tenses It will help you remember and put everything into memory faster and easier, although it is not enough for complete comprehension. We advise you to use the summary table of English tenses with examples at first, so as not to get lost in tenses. It doesn’t matter whether you learn English via Skype or study on your own, you will definitely need a table of English verb tenses. We advise you to use the summary table of English tenses with examples at first, so as not to get lost in tenses. You are invited to study and download two tables of tenses: a table of the formation of tenses and a table of the use of tenses in the English language. The first table of tenses clearly shows how tenses are formed in English, and the second table lists all the functions of tenses with English examples. The tense tables are based on articles on how to learn tenses in English. It should be noted that the table of tenses shows examples only for the main cases of using one or another English tense. English times difficult for English learners, English times will take a lot of effort from you, but remember English times tables will help English times. English times represent the greatest difficulty in remembering and applying. Despite all the difficulties, the system of English times has an undeniable advantage - it has strict orderliness, logic, and obeys the laws of grammar. English verbs are a very important part of speech for the formation of almost any statement. In English, there are four groups of verb tenses, shown just below in the table of tenses: Indefinite (Simple) Tense - indefinite / simple tense, Progressive (Continuous) Tense - continuous tense, Perfect Tense - perfect / completed tense, Perfect Continuous Tense- completed continuous tense. The grammar of tenses in English is very extensive, which is why the table of tenses below is not enough to fully understand and figure out which is which. English tenses are a way of expressing actions indicating the period of its occurrence, and they are all built on the basis of changing verb forms. Actions can be expressed in Active Voice (active voice) and Passive Voice (passive voice). There are 12 active tenses in the English language. In order not to get confused by them, this lesson has prepared a table of the most common 12 English tenses, thanks to which you can structure your knowledge in these topics. It should be noted that this table is rather intended for those students who have already mastered all English tenses and want to sort out their acquired knowledge “on the shelves.” It is recommended to study the tenses of the English language with examples that will not only demonstrate the method of formation and use, but also show typical situations of use. In the initial stages of learning, any way to remember tense functions is useful. It is better to study each separately and then together. Tenses in English will take a lot of your energy. Well, what can you do? To a certain extent, each group of English tenses may have some signs that suggest and help to understand which tense 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 a given case, they still simplify the task of choice. Such signs express the period or time in which the action takes place.

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

There are many such marker words in English that express a moment or period in time, and many of them indicate whether an action happened in the past or will happen in the future, and they can suggest which tense group should be used. If you learn to recognize such words-signs, it will greatly help when choosing tenses. However, it should be taken into account that some such feature words can be used in more than one tense group. Below is a table containing the main such sign words and showing which English tense they indicate. However, the grammar of tenses in English is very extensive, which is why this table is not enough to fully understand and figure out which is which. It is better to study each separately and then together. Sometimes it is actually difficult to understand whether an action lasted or ended, whether it is happening in the past or in the present. 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 method of formation and use, but also show typical situations of use. Tenses in English will take a lot of your energy. Well, what can you do? But tables will help you remember and put everything in your memory faster and easier, although they are not enough for complete comprehension. The grammar of tenses in English is very extensive, which is why this table is not enough to fully understand and figure out which is which. That is why it is recommended to study English tenses with examples.

English tense table

	Past (past tense)	Present (present time)	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 - this evening next week / month / etc. – on 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 - earlier already - already by the time - by that time until then / last week / etc. – until this moment / 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 - earlier for one week / hour / etc. – within one week / one hour / etc. since - since then	for the past year / month / etc. – within 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 (any moment)

English tenses table

	Present	Past	Future
	I work 1) Normal, repetitive action I always close the window at night. 2) Laws and natural phenomena, scientific results, facts The sun rises in the east. 3) Domestic situations Do you want to spend a lot of money here? 4) Stories, anecdotes, reviews, sports commentary Then the prince gets on his horse and rides away. 5) Train schedules, movie theater schedules The plane from London arrives at 17:40.	I worked 1) Fact or single completed action in the past The Titanic sank in 1912. I went to Germany two years ago. 2) Several past actions that occurred in chronological order. I woke up, took a shower, got dressed and went out to have breakfast in a café. 3) Repeated action in the past I took English courses when I was twelve.	I will work 1) Simple single action in the future He will miss the bus. 2) An action that will occupy a certain period of time in the future Will you be my friend? 3) Sequence of actions in the future I will meet you and tell you the whole story. 4) Recurring actions in the future I will visit you a few times while I’m in London. 5) Assumptions or thoughts about the future I'm afraid the rain won't stop soon. 6) Decision made at the time of conversation I will order a steak and chips, and you? 7) Promises, offers, threats, requests Don’t worry, everything will be alright.
Continuous	I am working 1) Action occurring at the moment of speech or in the present period of time I can’t understand what you are talking about now. I am reading a new novel by Fedor Dostoevsky. 2) Action covering any time period in the present She is studying at the institute. 3) Changing situation Is your Russian getting better now? 4) Planned action (place and time known) I’m meeting my sister at 5 at the café. 5) Action in the near future (with verbs of motion) They are moving to the other city. 6) To express a negative characteristic She is always interrupting me when I’m talking.	I was working 1) A continuous action that occurred at a certain moment in the past We were playing chess at 5 o’clock. 2) Two or more long-term actions in the past that occurred simultaneously She was playing piano and her sister was singing. 3) A long action in the past that is interrupted by another (usually short) action. As he was taking a shower, someone knocked at his door. 4) When describing a setting or atmosphere He entered the door. The candles were burning in the corners and the smell of cigarettes was filling the room. 5) To express a negative characteristic The boy was constantly playing tricks on his poor mother.	I will be working 1) An action that will take place at a certain point in the future This time next Sunday we will be flying to Hawaii. 2) An action that the speaker believes will definitely happen in the future He won’t be meeting you tomorrow, because he has fallen ill. 3) Politely ask about the other person’s plans for the near future, especially when we need this person to do something for us Will you be using the printer for long? I need to print a document promptly.
	I have worked 1) An action that was completely completed in the past, but has a connection with the present through the result of this action We have bought a new car, so it’s time to sell the old one. 2) An action that began in the past and continues in the present We have known each other since school years. 3) In subordinate clauses of time after conjunctions when, before, after, as soon as, till, until to convey a future action that will end before the action from the main clause begins I’ll serve you a dessert only after you have eaten the main course.	I had worked 1) An action that occurred before a certain point in the past By the end of the year she had learned to cook. Fortunately the rain had stopped before we left the house. 2) An action that began in the past and lasted before or during another moment in the past I got to know that Mary and Jacob had not met since our wedding. 3) In the phrases “didn’t pass and..., how”, “didn’t have time and..., how”, “barely”, “only” He hadn’t said a few words when somebody interrupted him. We had scarcely finished dinner when Lily brought a big cake.	I will have worked 1) Future action that will end before a certain point in the future I will have translated the article by noon. By the time you come home, I will have cooked dinner. 2) Past intended action (“should be”, “probably”) The reader will have noticed our negative attitude to any form of nationalism.
Perfect Continuous	I have been working 1) An action that began in the past, lasted for some time and continues to be performed in the present She has been cooking dinner for three hours already. 2) A long action in the past that ended immediately before the moment of speech, and the result of this action affects the present The streets are wet. It has been raining all the morning.	I had been working 1) A long-term action that began before a certain moment in the past and continued at that moment She had been cooking for an hour when I came. 2) A long-term action that began before a certain moment in the past and ended right before it They had been discussing some important matters and he looked upset after that conversation.	I will have been working 1) A future continuous action that will begin earlier than another future moment or action and will continue at that moment I will have been working at the project for a month when you join me.

Generalized table of English verb tenses

	Simple	Continuous	Perfect	Perfect Continuous
Present	I write A habitual action that is repeated regularly	I am writing Action in development, unfinished, happening at the present moment	I have written Action in the past, result in the present	I have been writing An action that lasted in the past, is still ongoing, or ended immediately before the moment of speech
Past	I wrote An action in the past that has nothing to do with the present	I was writing An action in development that occurred at a certain moment in the past	I had written An action completed at some specific point in the past	I had been writing An action that began in the past and continued until a certain point in the past
Future	I will write Action that will happen in the future	I will be writing Developmental action occurring at a specific point in the future	I will have written An action that will be completed at some specific time in the future	I will have been writing An action that begins in the future and continues until a certain point

Extended table times English verbs:

	Simple(statement of fact: what does it do?)	Continuous(process: what is being done now?)	Perfect(completeness: what did/is done?)	Perfect Continuous(process already for some period of time)
Present	I write A habitual action that is repeated regularly Can be used: every day always on Mondays usually often sometimes rarely rarely never In addition, this tense is used in subordinate clauses of time and conditions after the conjunctions if, when, as soon as, before instead of the Future Simple. As soon as I write the letter, I will post it immediately. In addition, this tense is used instead of Continuous with verbs denoting perception, mental effort, feelings: to see, to feel, to hear, to know, to understand, to want, to love, to be, to belong, to consist. I see her now. I hear a noise. I don’t understand what he is talking about. I, you, we, they V, he, she,it V-s I write a letter. He writes a letter.	I am writing Action in development, unfinished, happening at the present moment to be V-ing I am writing this letter. You (we, they) are writing this letter. He (she, it) is writing this letter.	I have written An action that took place in the past, but has a direct connection with the present moment. We are talking about the current result of that action. Without specifying the moment in time. Can be used: already just today this week to have/has V3 I have written this letter. He has already written this letter.	I have been writing An action that began before the present moment, lasted for some time, and continues at the moment of speech or ended immediately before the moment of speech. “Already within…” to have/has been V-ing I have been writing this letter for two days. He has been writing this letter for two days.
Past	I wrote An action that was performed or has taken place in the past and is in no way connected with the present moment of speech. V-ed, V2 I wrote this letter yesterday. He wrote this letter yesterday.	I was writing An action in development, unfinished, occurring at a certain moment in the past. Often a moment in the past is indicated. Verbs in the Past Continuous are never used with the words for, since, recently. was/were V-ing I was writing this letter yesterday when he came. They were writing this letter at seven o'clock last night.	I had written An action completed at a specific point in the past had V3 I had written this letter by seven o’clock last night. He had written this letter before I came.	I had been writing An action that began before a specified moment in the past and continued up to that moment, excluding or including it. Verbs in the Past Perfect Continuous are never used with the words at, when, while. had been V-ing I had been writing this letter for two hours yesterday when he came. He had been writing the letter since two o’clock when you came.
Future	I will write An action or series of sequential actions that will happen in the future. will V I will write the letter tomorrow. He will write the letter tomorrow by 7 o’clock.	I will be writing An action in progress, unfinished, occurring at a certain point in the future. Often a future moment is indicated. will be V-ing I will be writing a letter when he comes. (pay attention to the present tense of the verb come - if the main clause is in the future tense, then the condition is in the present!) He will be writing a letter at 7 o’clock tomorrow.	I will have written An action that will be completed at some specific time in the future. will have V3 I will have written the letter before he comes. He will have written the letter before I come.	I will have been writing An action that begins before a certain moment in the future and will continue until that moment. will have been V-ing I will have been writing a letter for an hour when he comes. He will have been writing a letter for an hour when I come.

Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Score 4 Score 5

In front of you table of English times with examples and translation. For convenience, each sentence highlights the most important points that are worth paying attention to. This refers to auxiliary verbs, endings, as well as indicators of a particular tense. A table of English tenses with examples makes it possible to analyze the use of each tense thanks to the column “Use.”

Table of English tenses with examples and translation

Tense	Use	Example	Time indicators
1. Present Simple (simple present)	well-known facts, regular activities, actions repeated time after time	She go es abroad every summer(She goes abroad every summer)	often, every day, rarely, sometimes, rarely, regularly, every year, etc.
2. Present Continuous(present continuous)	something is in progress	I "m read ing a new novel this week(I'm reading a new novel this week)	now, at the moment, this week, this month, etc.
3. Present perfect Simple (present perfect)	smth happened but result is important, not concrete time. The action is connected with present somehow. Smth happened in the past but we see & talk about the results now.	I have read this book before(I've read this book before) I have met him today(I met him today)	already, just, yet, recently, today, this year, this week
4. Present Perfect Continuous (present perfect continuous tense)	The action started in the past and is still going on now or has just finished.	I have been writing this essay for 2 hours already (I've been writing this essay for 2 hours) I have known him for ages (I've known him forever)	for, since NB! If the verb cannot be used in Continuous, apply Present Perfect Simple
5. Past Simple (simple past)	actions happened in the past and we know when.	When I was a child, I ate a lot of vegetables (When I was a child, I ate a lot of vegetables)	yesterday, the day before, last Monday, in 1991, etc.
6. Past Continuous (past continuous)	the action was going on at a concrete moment in the past. We want to stress the process.	She was reading a book when I phoned her(She was reading a book when I called her)	at 5 p.m. yesterday, at this time last Monday, etc.
7. Past Perfect (past perfect tense, prepast tense)	the action happened before one more event in the past	I had forgotten to ask him that question before I left (I forgot to ask him that question before leaving)	before, after, etc.
8. Past Perfect Continuous (past perfect continuous tense)	shows that some process was going on before the action in the past.	I had been watching TV before you came (I was watching TV before you came)	before, since
9. Future Simple (simple future)	decisions taken at the moment of speech, promises, repeated actions in the future	I will always love you (I will always love you)	always, later, when I arrive, next year, next month, etc.
10. Present Continuous (for future)	smth is going to happen in the nearest future. You have the verb of movement and concrete information as for the time or day.	They "re leaving for Paris today(They are leaving for Paris today)	today, tomorrow, tonight, this Monday, etc.
11. to be going to(for future)	smth will happen from your point of view. You are not sure if it is going to happen. For talking about weather.	It is going to rain (It's going to rain) Look out! You are going to fall (Careful! You will fall)	today, tomorrow, some day, in some time, next week, year, etc.
12. Future Perfect(future perfect)	The action will happen by concrete time in the future.	I will have finished the project by the time you come (I will complete the project by the time you come).	by the time you…, by this time tomorrow, by 6 p.m. tomorrow, etc.

I advise you to immediately proceed to compiling your own sentences for each tense. This will allow you to better remember and begin to apply table of English times with examples and translation.

Want to spend more time on each rule? We offer a general English course at our school! You can sign up by simply contacting Skype fluentenglish24

• Back
• Forward

You have no rights to post comments

And now we will look at the basics of composing simple sentences to express past, present and future tenses using examples.

Construction of sentences in the Simple group

Affirmative sentences

Let's start with the Present Simple. All affirmative sentences are constructed according to the following scheme:

1. “I” in this example is the subject. It should not be confused with the complement, since the subject performs the action, and the action is performed on the complement. Moreover, in Russian the order of words is not important to us, because it is already clear who is performing the action. We can freely say: “I eat the cake.” But in English you won’t be able to construct a sentence like this, since the one who performs the action must come first, otherwise they will simply laugh at you when you say: “The cake is eating me.” Even in the passive voice, such a phrase will sound very strange.
2. In second place should be the predicate, which expresses the action itself. In the Russian language, there are often sentences with an incomplete grammatical basis, where there is no subject or predicate, or both are absent. In the latter case, we are dealing with an impersonal sentence: “It’s dark.” In English there must always be a subject and a predicate. So, if there is no verb in a Russian sentence, then it will definitely appear in English. Let's take, for example, a one-part sentence in which there is no predicate: “The telephone is on the table.” To translate it correctly, we will need to use the verb “to be”, which will connect the subject with the predicate. As a result, the phrase will literally be translated as: “The phone is on the table.”
3. In third place, the secondary members of the sentence are lined up according to a certain rule: first comes direct object(answers the question “who?”, “what?”, “whom?”), then indirect (answers the same questions, but with the prepositions “with whom?”, “to whom?”, etc.). This rule is not always observed and is not strict.

As in Russian, English verbs vary depending on the person. The main changes occur in the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), where the suffix “s” or “es” is added to the predicate. As a result, we get the sentence: “He goes to school.”

Negative sentences

In addition to affirmation, there is also negation, the diagram of which looks like this:

In this scheme, all the same components are found, except for the linking verb “do” and the particle “not”, which is equivalent negative particle"not" in Russian. What is an auxiliary verb and why is it needed? Unlike the Russian language, where we simply put the particle “not” before the verb, in English there must be an auxiliary verb before the particle “not”. It is different for each tense, and in the case of the Present Simple it will be in the form of either “do” or “does” depending on the number and person of the subject. Example: “She does not go to school.”

Interrogative sentences

So, we have considered the affirmation, the negation, and we are left with a question, the formation of which also requires an auxiliary verb:

So, we have discussed with you the basic principles of constructing various types of sentences in Present Simple. Past Simple and Future Simple are constructed in a similar way, the main differences will be in the form of the auxiliary verb.

Constructing sentences in the Future Simple

Statement

The scheme for constructing a statement in the simple future tense (Future Simple) is as follows:

The auxiliary verb will indicates that the action takes place in the future tense, and the phrase will be translated as: “I will go to school.”

Negation

Negation is constructed using the already familiar particle “not” and the auxiliary verb “will”.

Question

Any question begins with an auxiliary verb, so when constructing a question we simply put will in first place.

Past Simple

Statement

When constructing a statement in the past tense of the Simple group, there is a small peculiarity: the suffix “ed” is added to the verb.

I specifically omitted the example with school because it uses an irregular verb. Most verbs form the simple past tense by adding the suffix “ed” to the base (cook - cooked), but there are about 470 verbs, according to the Oxford Dictionary, that form the past tense according to their own canons. Our verb “go” also falls into their number, which will change its form to “went”: “I went to school.”

Negation

Negation in the simple past tense is constructed similarly to the Present Simple, with the only difference being that the form of the auxiliary verb “do” takes on the past form “did”.

Question

The question is also constructed by analogy with the Present Simple. We only change the form of the auxiliary verb to the past.

So we studied the construction of sentences in the entire Simple group. The main thing is to remember the patterns for all three types (affirmation, negation and question), not to forget how the word forms of verbs in the 3rd person singular change, and to memorize the main irregular verbs in order to achieve automaticity in speech.

Construction of sentences in the Continuous group

IN Continuous group There is always an auxiliary verb “to be”, the change in form of which will tell us when the action occurs: yesterday, now or tomorrow. In this group, the participle I is also always present, similar to the real participle in the Russian language. The participle itself is constructed by adding the suffix “ing” to the verb (go - going).

Statement

Let's not deviate from the structure and consider the formation of time in the Present Continuous.

The forms of the verb “to be” change depending on the person, and here the matter is not limited to changes only in the 3rd person singular. You just need to remember the forms.

In the past tense, the auxiliary verb changes its form to “was” or were” depending on the person and number.

The sentence construction scheme in the Past Continuous will be as follows:

The future tense in this group is formed without any changes, we simply put the future tense verb “will” before the auxiliary “to be”:

Denial and question

The construction of negation and question occurs according to general scheme sentence construction: when negating, put “not” after the auxiliary verb, and when questioning, put the auxiliary verb in first place.

To construct the past form, you need to change the form of the auxiliary verb to “had”.

To build a future form, we additionally put “will”.

Denial and question

Negation and question are constructed in a classical way: the particle not after had (in negation), had in first place (in question).

Denial and question

Negation	Question
I have not been going.	Have I been going to school?

These sentences are given for the sake of example only; in practice, you are unlikely to find yourself in a situation where you will need to express yourself in the Perfect Continuous. It will be much easier and faster to construct a phrase from the Simple and Continuous groups.

Simplified table of formation of all types of sentences in all tenses

For those who are encountering tenses for the first time, this article may seem a little chaotic, so as a result, I offer you a ready-made table with the formation of sentences in all tenses to make it easier for you to see the whole picture. You can use it as a cheat sheet in the initial stages of studying temporary structures. The table is taken from the Pikabu resource.