The following tables provide contexts and examples for when each of the 12 English verb tenses can be used.
The Present Simple
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| Facts or generalization |
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Electric cars run on lithium batteries. Carbon emissions accelerate global warming. The sun emits solar power. |
| Habits |
Sales representatives send their monthly reports to accounting at the end of each month. Canadian employees often take their vacations in the summer. Regrettably, he never provides prompt updates. |
| States of being |
He is here now. The reporter has the microphone in her hand. Marianne Stemberger is 60 years old. Julian has the flu. |
The Present Continuous
The present continuous is sometimes also called the present progressive.
| Context | Examples |
|---|---|
| An action(s) going on at this moment |
I am replying to an e-mail. They are adjusting the faulty cable. David and Sylvia are packing the orders. |
| A trend |
Are you still working at Deloitte? Many corporations are adding CSR to their mission plans. |
| An action(s) or event(s) in the near future |
I’m meeting the office administrator in five minutes. We’re going to the session on fiscal restraint tonight. |
| To emphasize a series of actions (used with forever, always, constantly) |
He is constantly complaining about the air quality in the office. We are always looking for new products to add to our line. |
The Present Perfect
| Context | Have + Past Participle |
|---|---|
| An action(s) that began in the past but continues or is still relevant in the present |
Peter has worked here since 2010. He still works here. Jane has led the sales team for five years. She still leads the team. |
| An action(s) that was completed in the past but still has future possibility |
Joanne has already had two cups of coffee this morning. The day is not finished, so Joanne has the potential to drink more coffee. Lau and Oleg have begun the monthly sales report review. They started, but they have the potential to do a more thorough review. Our team has worked hard this week. The team still has more time to continue working. |
| An action(s) that occurred during unspecified time |
She has discussed the findings of the study with our manager on several occasions. It’s unclear and doesn’t matter when. We have visited the factory many times. It’s unclear and doesn’t matter when. |
| An action(s) that has been completed in the recent past |
They have just sent out the order. Milan Manocheri has just announced the merger. The word just is used in both sentences. |
The Present Perfect Continuous
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| An action(s) that started in the past but continues in the present |
We have been waiting for you all day. She has been working on the draft all morning. |
The Past Simple
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| An action(s) that occurred in the past and that are completely finished |
They sent the expense report to me last night. Acme Restaurant Supplier delivered the fresh asparagus this morning. The IT team loaded a new software package onto all computers on Monday. Several employees attended the presentation. |
The Past Continuous
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| An unfinished action(s) that was interrupted by another action |
I was working at the machine when he called. They were setting up the tables when it began to rain. |
| A change of mind |
We were going to look over the job application but decided to address customer concerns first. He was going to hold the conference in Toronto but decided to hold it in Montreal. |
The Past Perfect
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| To distinguish two events that occurred in the past at different times. The tense is used with subordinate clauses. The order of events is marked by the past perfect, so the positioning of content is flexible. |
When I arrived, they had already started the meeting. We had saved our work before the computer crashed. Because the presenter had re-scheduled the meeting, they had to stay overnight. Sam had changed the approach before he spoke to the other members. |
The Past Perfect Continuous
| Context | Example |
|---|---|
| An action(s) in the past the occurs before another action in the past |
Takis was very tired because he had been lifting the heavy boxes. I was not surprised that the stamping machine broke down because it had not been running well. We smelled smoke in the lunchroom. Surely. someone had been smoking in it. |
The Future Simple
| Context | Examples – Will | Examples – Going to |
| Spontaneous responses |
Speaker 1: I’ve dropped my pen. Speaker 2: I’ll pick it up. Speaker 1: The printer is out of paper. Speaker2: I’ll go to get some more. |
|
|---|---|---|
| Pre-conceived Intention |
I’m going to review the numbers as soon as I finish the tally. We’re going to revisit product placement at next week’s meeting. |
|
| Future Facts |
The polls will close at 6 p.m. Your flight will leave as scheduled. |
|
| Predictions |
Personal Opinion The Toronto Blue Jays will win tonight’s baseball game. I bet that he’ll retire by the end of the year. |
Evidence-based Opinion Pundits predict that Donald Trump is going to lose the election by a slim margin. Musk is going to win the takeover bid. He’s already submitted a bully offer. |
| Promises / requests / refusals |
I’ll help you with the audit, tomorrow. Helen Madgar will finalize the offer on Friday. We will not accept vacation requests submitted after the deadline. My car won’t start. Will you reopen the file for me? |
The Future Continuous
| Context | Example |
| An unfinished action(s) that will be in progress at a later time |
Next month, you will be assuming your new role. By January, we will be filling the orders. |
|---|---|
| To guess or predict future events |
I guess you will be feeling relieved once the project is completed. I’ll be discussing this with Alyssa next week. When you leave, I’ll still be here, crunching the numbers. |
The Future Perfect
| Context | Example |
| An action(s) that will be completed in future time |
By the time you receive this email, I will have left the office for the day. Will you have run the systems check before I arrive? They won’t have finished before we arrive. |
|---|
The Future Perfect Continuous
| Context | Example |
| An action(s) that will continue up to a point in the future |
By four o’clock, we will have been trying to resolve the issue for six hours. They will have been working without proper safety for two weeks by the time the equipment arrives. |
|---|
Exercises
Activity: Review of Verb Tenses
To practice verb tenses, access the following website
Englishmaven Verb Tenses (https://www.englishmaven.org/Pages/Verb%20Tenses.htm)
- Exercise 1 – Simple Present Tense
- Exercise 2 – Simple Present Tense
- Exercise 3 – Simple Present Tense
- Exercise 4 – Simple Present Tense
- Exercise 5 – Simple Past Tense
- Exercise 6 – Simple Past Tense
- Exercise 7 – Simple Past Tense
- Exercise 8 – Simple Past Tense
- Exercise 9 – Simple Present and Simple Past Tense
- Exercise 10 – Simple Present and Simple Past Tense
- Exercise 11 – Present Progressive Tense
- Exercise 12 – Past Progressive Tense
- Exercise 13 – Past Perfect, Present Perfect, and Future Perfect Tense
- Final Exam – Cumulative Review