Verb Tenses in English

English has a wide variety of verb tenses that can be used to express different points in time, as well as other aspects of verb usage. In this reference, we will take a look at different types of verb tenses, their uses and examples, and common mistakes to avoid when using verb tenses. Let's start learning!

What are verb tenses?

Verb tenses are forms of verbs that indicate when an action takes place. They can be used to indicate past, present, and future events, as well as other aspects of verb usage.

For example, the simple past tense of "walk" is "walked," and the present tense of "walk" is "walks." Verb tenses can indicate the duration or frequency of an action, such as "I have been walking for an hour" or "I walk every day."

They help display the attitude of the speaker or writer to the action. For example, the simple past tense of "go" is "went," which shows that the action has already happened. The present perfect tense of "go" is "have gone," which shows that the action has been completed in the past but still has an effect on the present.

In addition, verb tenses can also be used to express certain ideas, such as the speaker's wishes (e.g., "I wish I had gone") or a possibility ("I might go").

Types of Verb Tenses

Verb tenses can be divided into four main categories: simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive. Let's take a look at them here:

Simple Verb Tenses

Simple verb tenses are the most basic type of verb tense. They are used to express an action that occurs in the present, past, or future. Simple verb tenses consist of one word, such as "go," "went," and "will go." Examples of simple verb tenses are the simple present ("I go"), the simple past ("I went"), and the simple future ("I will go").

Progressive Verb Tenses

Progressive verb tenses are used to express an action that is ongoing or incomplete. They are formed by combining the present participle of a verb (the "-ing" form) with a form of "to be" (e.g., am, is, are, was, were). Examples of progressive verb tenses are the present progressive ("I am going"), the past progressive ("I was going"), and the future progressive ("I will be going").

Perfect Verb Tenses

Perfect verb tenses are used to express an action that has been completed in the past. They are formed by combining the past participle of a verb (the "-ed" form) with a form of the verb "to have" (e.g., have, has, had). Examples of perfect verb tenses are the present perfect ("I have gone"), the past perfect ("I had gone"), and the future perfect ("I will have gone").

Perfect Progressive Verb Tenses

Perfect progressive verb tenses are used to express an action that has been ongoing in the past, is ongoing in the present, or will be ongoing in the future. They are formed by combining the past participle of a verb (the "-ed" form) with a form of the verb "to have" (e.g., have, has, had) and a form of the verb "to be" (e.g., am, is, are, was, were). Examples of perfect progressive verb tenses are the present perfect progressive ("I have been going"), the past perfect progressive ("I had been going"), and the future perfect progressive ("I will have been going").

Examples of Verb Tenses

Now that we have looked at the types of verb tenses let's take a look at some examples of how they are used.

Present simple: "I visit to this store every day."

Past simple: "I visited to this store yesterday."

Future simple: "I will visit to this store tomorrow."

Present progressive: "I am visiting to this store now."

Past progressive: "I was visiting this store when I saw you."

Future progressive: "I will be visiting this store later today."

Present perfect: "I have visited this store many times."

Past perfect: "I had visited this store before I met you."

Future perfect: "I will have visited that store by the time you get there."

Present perfect progressive: "I have been visiting this store for weeks."

Past perfect progressive: "I had been visiting this store for months before I stopped."

Future perfect progressive: "I will have been visiting this store for decades by the time I retire."

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Common Mistakes with Verb Tenses

One of the most common mistakes learners make with verb tenses is mixing up the present and past tenses. For example, it is common to hear learners say, "I have went," instead of the proper "I have gone," or, "I was went" instead of "I went." To avoid making these mistakes, take the time to practice using the correct verb tenses.

It is also common to hear people use the wrong verb tense in certain contexts. For example, it is common to hear learners say "I had went" instead of "I had gone" when talking about something that happened in the past. To avoid making this mistake, take the time to learn how to use the correct verb tenses in different contexts.

Another common mistake is using the wrong verb tense when expressing a wish or a possibility. For example, you might say "I wish I went" instead of "I wish I had gone" when expressing a wish about something that happened in the past. To avoid making this mistake, take the time to learn how to use the correct verb tenses when expressing wishes and possibilities.

Tips for Learning Verb Tenses

Learning verb tenses can be challenging, but there are some ways to make it a lot easier:

1. Practice using the different verb tenses regularly. You will get used to different verb tenses and how they look like.
2. Memorize the conjugation for irregular verbs. This will make it easier to find the right words in your mind when you create sentences.
3. Consider using flashcards to practice verb tenses. This will allow you to learn faster.

You can find lots of handy tools for learning tenses on Promova!

Summary

We have learned the different types of verb tenses, their uses and examples, and common mistakes to avoid when using verb tenses.

Verb tenses are an important part of the English language, and you can't express time or change without their help. Use more handy resources below to improve your mastery of verbs!