Uses of English verb forms facts for kids

English verbs change their form to show when something happened. These changes are called tenses. Understanding tenses helps you talk about the past, present, and future clearly. It's like having a time machine for your words!

There are many tenses in English, but we'll focus on the most common ones. Each tense has a special way it's formed and specific times when you should use it.

Present Simple: What's Happening Now or Regularly?

The Present Simple tense is used for things that happen all the time, facts, or scheduled events.

How to Form the Present Simple

For most verbs, you use the basic form of the verb. For he, she, or it, you add an s or es to the verb.

• Example: I play football.
• Example: Cats like milk. (Cats is like 'they')
• Example: He plays football. (He is 'third person singular')

When to Use the Present Simple

• Repeated Actions: Use it for things you do regularly or habits.
  • Example: I play football every Saturday.
• Facts or General Truths: Use it for things that are always true.
  • Example: Cats like milk.
• Scheduled Events: Use it for things that are planned for the near future, like a timetable.
  • Example: The match starts at 2 o'clock.
• Non-Continuous Verbs: Some verbs don't usually use the -ing form. For these, use the Present Simple even if it's happening now.
  • Example: I am here now. (Instead of "I am being here now")

Present Continuous: What's Happening Right Now?

The Present Continuous tense describes actions that are happening at the exact moment you are speaking or actions that are in progress.

How to Form the Present Continuous

You use a form of the verb "to be" (am, is, or are) followed by the -ing form of the main verb (called the present participle).

• Example: I am sitting.
• Example: She is studying.
• Example: They are playing.

When to Use the Present Continuous

• Actions Now: Use it for things happening at this very moment.
  • Example: I am sitting at my desk.
• Longer Actions in Progress: Use it for actions that are ongoing, even if not at the exact second.
  • Example: I am studying to become a doctor. (This takes a long time!)
• Near Future Plans: Use it for plans you have made for the near future.
  • Example: I am meeting some friends after work.
• Repetition and Irritation: With words like "always," it can show something happens repeatedly and is annoying.
  • Example: She is always coming to class late!

Past Simple: What Happened and Finished?

The Past Simple tense is for actions that started and finished in the past.

How to Form the Past Simple

For regular verbs, you add -ed to the end. For irregular verbs, the form changes completely.

• Example (regular): I finished work.
• Example (irregular): I saw a movie yesterday.

When to Use the Past Simple

• Completed Action: Use it for an action that is completely over.
  • Example: I saw a movie yesterday.
• Series of Actions: Use it for several actions that happened one after another.
  • Example: I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.
• Duration in the Past: Use it to say how long something lasted in the past.
  • Example: I lived in Brazil for two years. (I don't live there now.)
• Habits in the Past: Use it for things you used to do regularly.
  • Example: I studied French when I was a child.
• Past Facts: Use it for things that were true in the past.
  • Example: She was shy as a child.

Past Continuous: What Was Happening?

The Past Continuous tense describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.

How to Form the Past Continuous

You use "was" or "were" followed by the -ing form of the main verb.

• Example: I was watching TV.
• Example: They were making dinner.

When to Use the Past Continuous

• Interrupted Action: Use it for an action that was happening when another action interrupted it.
  • Example: I was watching TV when she called. (Watching was in progress, calling interrupted it.)
• Specific Time as Interruption: Use it to show what you were doing at a precise moment in the past.
  • Example: Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• Parallel Actions: Use it for two or more actions happening at the same time in the past.
  • Example: I was studying while he was making dinner.
• Atmosphere or Setting: Use it to describe the background scene of a story.
  • Example: The sun was shining. The birds were singing.
• Repetition and Irritation (Past): Similar to Present Continuous, but for past annoying habits.
  • Example: She was always coming to class late!

Present Perfect: What Has Happened?

The Present Perfect tense connects the past to the present. It's used for actions that happened at an unspecified time before now, or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

How to Form the Present Perfect

You use "has" or "have" followed by the past participle of the main verb. (The past participle often ends in -ed for regular verbs, but many irregular verbs have unique forms.)

• Example: I have seen that movie.
• Example: She has had a cold.

When to Use the Present Perfect

• Unspecified Time: Use it for an action that happened at some point before now, but the exact time isn't important or known.
  • Example: I have seen that movie twenty times. (We don't know exactly when.)
• Duration from Past to Now: Use it for actions that started in the past and are still true or ongoing now, especially with non-continuous verbs.
  • Example: I have had a cold for two weeks. (The cold started two weeks ago and is still here.)

Present Perfect Continuous: How Long Has It Been Happening?

The Present Perfect Continuous tense emphasizes the duration of an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment, or has just finished.

How to Form the Present Perfect Continuous

You use "has been" or "have been" followed by the -ing form of the main verb.

• Example: They have been talking.
• Example: I have been feeling.

When to Use the Present Perfect Continuous

• Duration from Past to Now: Use it for actions that started in the past and are still happening.
  • Example: They have been talking for the last hour. (They started an hour ago and are still talking.)
• Recently/Lately: Use it for actions that have been happening recently.
  • Example: Recently, I have been feeling really tired. (This action has been ongoing.)

Past Perfect: What Had Happened Before That?

The Past Perfect tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It's like looking back from a point in the past.

How to Form the Past Perfect

You use "had" followed by the past participle of the main verb.

• Example: You had studied English.
• Example: He had been in London.

When to Use the Past Perfect

• Completed Action Before Another Past Action: Use it for an action that finished before another past event.
  • Example: You had studied English before you moved to New York. (First, you studied; then, you moved.)
• Duration Before a Past Point: Use it for actions that continued up to a certain point in the past, especially with non-continuous verbs.
  • Example: By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years. (He was in London for eight years before he finished.)

Past Perfect Continuous: How Long Had It Been Happening?

The Past Perfect Continuous tense describes an action that was ongoing for a period of time before another action or point in the past.

How to Form the Past Perfect Continuous

You use "had been" followed by the -ing form of the main verb.

• Example: They had been talking.
• Example: He had been jogging.

When to Use the Past Perfect Continuous

• Duration Before a Past Point: Use it for an action that was happening for a while before another past event.
  • Example: They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived. (The talking happened for an hour before Tony came.)
• Cause of Something in the Past: Use it to explain why something happened in the past.
  • Example: Jason was tired because he had been jogging. (Jogging caused him to be tired.)

Simple Future: What Will Happen?

The Simple Future tense talks about actions that will happen in the future.

How to Form the Simple Future

You can use "will" + the basic form of the verb, or "am/is/are going to" + the basic form of the verb.

• Example: I will send you the information.
• Example: He is going to spend his vacation.

When to Use the Simple Future

• Voluntary Action ("will"): Use "will" for decisions made at the moment of speaking, or offers.
  • Example: I will send you the information when I get it. (I'm deciding now.)
• Promises ("will"): Use "will" to make a promise.
  • Example: I will call you when I arrive.
• Plans ("be going to"): Use "be going to" for plans you've already made.
  • Example: He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii. (He planned this.)
• Predictions ("will" or "be going to"): Both can be used for predictions, but "be going to" often implies there's evidence now.
  • Example: The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.
  • Example: Look at those clouds! It is going to rain.