How can I learn Tenses in English?

Answer 1

ENGLISH TENSES EXPLAINED by a NATIVE Speaker

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*to Explain the tenses in English- huge, confusing words do not need to be used. A simple chart and explanations is all that is needed. **Also important to note- pick either British English or American English (terms) and use just the one. We (American) English use different terms and this can confuse people. My chart and system uses the following 'terms'.

(PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE)

-Simple

-Continuous

-Perfect

-Perfect Continuous

PRESENT

1)Present SIMPLE- I drive to work. I eatbreakfast. I enjoy movies.

-THIS tense is what I teach as simple facts or things in general.

2)Present Continuous- I am teaching. I am writing. I am drinking.

-This tense can be broken down into 3 important parts...

a) NOW!! I am explaining the tenses.

b) Around now!! I am writing a book. I am paintingmy house. (think of this as things you are doing in your life, but not necessarily this second.)

c) FUTURE with FUTURE word! I am teaching in Berlin NEXT WEEKEND.

3) Present PERFECT- I have been to Berlin. I have eaten sushi.

-This tense is concerned only with experiences. Things you HAVE done. **does not care when or how... just think of 'IF'...

4) Present PERFECT CONTINUOUS- I have been running. I have been eating.

-This tense is used to describe your current state because of things you have been doing... *You are tired NOW, because you HAVE BEEN running.

*You are full NOW, because you HAVE BEEN eating.

PAST

1) Past SIMPLE- I drove to work. I ate breakfast. I enjoyed that movie.

-THIS tense (like present SIMPLE) is facts- just in the past.

2) Past CONTINUOUS- I was teaching. I was writing. I was drinking.

-THIS tense is concerned with what you were DOING at a certain time in the past! **I was teaching the tenses yesterday at 1:00pm.

3) Past PERFECT- I HAD eaten sushi. I HAD washedmy car.

-THIS tense is concerned with the PAST in the PAST. It wants to express 2 past actions. **I HAD eaten sushi, before Bill came over with a Pizza.

**I HAD washed my car before we drove to Berlin in the rain.

**Think of it as things you DID before something else happened.

4) Past PERFECT CONTINUOUS- I had been eating sushi. I had been washing my car.

-THIS tense is concerned with longer situations in the past. Think of it as things you HAD BEEN DOING (You were DONE already) when another action happened.

**I HAD been washing my car when it started to rain.

** I HAD been eating sushi when Bill came over with a pizza.

SPECIAL NOTE** Past Continuous and Past Perfect Continuous seem similar at first- just keep in mind- CONTINUOUS is for what you were doing when something else happened… and PERFECT CONTINUOUS is for what you already DID when another past action happened.

FUTURE

1) Future SIMPLE- I WILL eat a pizza tomorrow. I WILL try hard in tonight's game.

-THIS tense is concerned with future 'facts'.

2) Future CONTINUOUS- I WILL be eating a pizza at 5:00 pm tomorrow. I WILL be trying hard in tonight's game.

-THIS tense is concerned with what you WILL be doing at a certain time in the future. **these cases seem similar right now with the examples given. BUT- think of them as what you will DO (simple)… and what you will be DOING (Continuous).

**SPECIAL NOTE: in the first case (simple)- visualize 2 friends sitting at a table TALKING about pizza and the game tomorrow. IN the second case (continuous) visualize the guy holding the pizza and eating it tomorrow/ visualize the guy running around playing the game hard tomorrow.

3) Future PERFECT- I WILL have eaten a pizza by 5 tomorrow. I WILL have played Baseball by 7 o'clock tomorrow.

-This tense is concerned with THE PAST in the FUTURE. Think about tomorrow and think of what you will HAVE DONE by a later time in the future. This is Future Perfect.

4) Future PERFECT CONTINUOUS- I WILL HAVE BEENeating a pizza for 30 minutes by 5:00 (indicates you started at 4:30pm). I WILL HAVE BEEN playing baseball for 2 hours by 7:00pm (indicates you started the game at 5:00pm).

-This tense is concerned with duration or how long you WILL HAVE BEEN DOING something in the future.

*** The English tenses can seem difficult and a bit overwhelming. They are not so bad if you keep it simple and use this formula. There are only 12 tenses in the language. Each time PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE and within each time

1) SIMPLE

2) CONTINUOUS

3) PERFECT

4) PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Of course there are going to be variations and confusion about certain similarities (meaning 2 different tenses can express the same thing). That is a fact. However, do not concern yourself with this fact and unless you are planning on being a GRAMMAR expert- also do not concern yourself with too fancy of words and concepts. ONCE this simple set of uses is learned and used- you will find yourself naturally using the tenses in all their varieties in various circumstances.

IT is also very important to not overly confuse yourself by mixing the terms between BRITISH and AMERICAN ENGLISH. (We use 'continuous'- they use "progressive'). I recommend picking one style and using it, which ever style is more comfortable and easier to learn is the one I would choose.

NOW- to practice these tenses- make up scenarios for yourself and use: YESTERDAY/TODAY/TOMORROW- as your guide. Pick 2 verbs… (1- regular and 1- irregular) and imagine scenarios and get to work…

SPECIAL note: REGULAR VERBS- "verbs like "to look"-( in past simple- "looked')

IRREGULAR VERBS- "verbs like "to eat"- (in past simple- "ate")

Unfortunately- Irregular verbs just have to be learned and memorized.

The verbs of Germanic languages ( like English) properly have only two tenses: the present and the preterite. All other tenses, such as the future or the perfect, are relatively modern forms constructed with the aid of an auxiliary verb plus the infinitive or participle. They are named by analogy to Latin tenses.

So: The simple present tense in English is mostly reserved for customary behavior: I go to the doctor once a year, I serve fish on Friday, I open beer bottles with my teeth. Ordinarily, the "progressive present" made from the present of to be and the present participle is used where other languages use the simple present, e.g. I am going to the doctor now, or I am serving fish today.

Exceptions: Verbs that take the simple present, without auxiliary, are the verb to be and it's relatives like seem and appear and remain, and those verbs that involve possession e.g. I have a car, I keep a mistress, I hold a royal flush; or mental states, emotional conditions and tactile experiences e.g. I love you, I believe it, I see your point, I feel a breeze.

That's the hard part. The rest is easy.

The preterite is the simple past, e.g I went home.

The "imperfect," for customary, repeated or continuous action in the past, has the auxiliary "to be" plus the present participle e.g. I was going home; or is constructed from "used to" plus the infinitive e.g. I used to play hockey.

The "perfect" is made from the present of the auxiliary to have, or sometimes to be, plus the past participle. It indicates action completed in the past, e.g. I have been there, He is come (archaic).

The "pluperfect" is made from the preterite of the auxiliary plus the participle, and is used for action completed before some time in the past, e.g. I had left by the time they arrived.

The "future" is made from the subjunctive ( no -s in the 3rd person) of the auxiliary will (or shall for the first persons I and we ) plus the infinitive, e.g. I will come tomorrow, We shall see about that, He will regret it.

The "future perfect" is made from the auxiliary will ( no -s in the 3rd person) plus the auxiliary infinitive have or be and the past participle, and is used for action completed in the future, e.g. Tomorrow he will have been here for a year.

Whew. And that is just the indicative mood! The other moods are the conditional and the subjunctive (obsolescent).

Answer 2

There arethree tenses in the English language. Past, Present Future.

Answer 3

There is twelve verb tenses in English. Three simple tenses, three perfect tenses and six progressive forms. Many students have problems with verb tenses but they aren't really difficult.

Answer 4

How can I learn tenses in English