Use the appropriate simple and continuous forms of present, past & future tenses
The tense of a verb tells us the time (when) an action takes place. There are three primary tenses:
1. Present Tense: We use the present tense if the action is happening now.
2. Past Tense: We use the past tense to show an action that was completed in the past.
3. Future Tense: We use the future tense to show an action that will be completed in the future1.
These three primary tenses are further divided into a total of twelve forms2.
In this lesson, we will focus on learning six forms of tenses: Simple Present, Simple Past, Simple Future, Present Continuous, Past Continuous, and Future Continuous.
1A. The Present Tense
i. Simple Present Tense
We can use Simple Present Tense:
To express a daily/habitual routine or a universal truth3
For instance: He exercises at the gym every evening after work.
To narrate future events that are organised or scheduled3
For instance: The bus departs for the city every morning at 7 a.m.
ii. Present Continuous Tense
We can use Present Continuous Tense :
To express an action going on at the time of speaking4
For instance: They are singing a song in the living room.
For an action that is planned or arranged to take place in the near future4
For instance: We are meeting at the cafe for lunch tomorrow.
2A. The Past Tense
i. Simple Past Tense
We can use Simple Past Tense:
To show an action completed in the past5
For example: He visited the historic museum last week.
ii. Past Continuous Tense
We can use Past Continuous Tense:
To indicate an action going on at a specific time in the past5
For example: She was working as a cashier in April.
For an action that was ongoing in the past but got interrupted by other past action
For example: They were studying when the power went out.
3A. The Future Tense
i. Simple Future Tense
We can use Simple Future Tense:
To show an action that is yet to take place
For instance: We will attend the concert on Saturday.
ii. Future Continuous Tense
We can use Future Continuous Tense:
To represent an action as going on at some point in the future2
For instance: He will be cooking dinner for us tonight.
Watch the video given below to recapitulate your understanding on Simple Past, Present and Future Tenses.
(vid: 6.1. Simple Tenses: Present, Past and Future)
Watch the video given below to recap your learning on Past, Present and Future Continuous Tenses.
(vid: 6.2. Continuous Tenses: Present, Past and Future)
1. The tense of a verb tells us the time (when) an action takes place. There are three primary tenses - present, past, future.
2. Types of Tenses:
Simple Present Tense: We use it to express a daily/habitual routine or a universal truth.
Present Continuous Tense: It is used to express an action going on at the time of speaking.
Simple Past Tense: It shows an action completed in the past.
Past Continuous Tense: It indicates an action going on at a specific time in the past.
Simple Future Tense: It shows an action that is yet to take place.
Future Continuous Tense: It represents an action as going on at some point in the future.