Teaching past, present, and future tense can be challenging, but with the right approach, your students will grasp it in no time! Whether you’re introducing verb tenses for the first time or reinforcing them with fun activities, this guide will provide you with simple explanations, practical examples, and engaging exercises. Let’s make learning tenses easy and enjoyable for your students!
What is past, present, future tense (verb tense)?
Verb tense, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is “any of the forms of a verb that show the time of an action or state.” Tenses help convey when an event happens—whether in the past, present, or future. Understanding verb tenses is essential for clear and effective communication in English. They structure sentences, indicate chronological order, and provide precise meaning in conversations and writing.
How many verb tenses are there in English?
English has three main verb tenses:
- Past Tense – Expresses actions or states that happened at a specific time in the past.
- Example: “She visited London last summer.”
- Present Tense – Describes actions happening now or general truths.
- Example: “He studies every night.”
- Future Tense – Indicates actions that will happen in the future.
- Example: “They will travel to Japan next year.”
Each of these three main tenses has four aspects, which help express different nuances of time and action.
- Simple Tense – Describes a single event.
- Continuous (Progressive) Tense – Shows ongoing actions.
- Perfect Tense – Indicates completed actions.
- Perfect Continuous Tense – Combines aspects of completion and continuity.
This results in a total of 12 verb tenses in English:
- Past:
- Past Simple.
- Past Continuous.
- Past Perfect.
- Past Perfect Continuous.
- Present:
- Present Simple.
- Present Continuous.
- Present Perfect.
- Present Perfect Continuous.
- Future:
- Future Simple.
- Future Continuous.
- Future Perfect.
- Future Perfect Continuous.
Download this English verb tenses chart to help your students master past, present, and future tenses easily!
Past present future tenses explained
Each tense has specific usage, structure, and forms. Below, we break down each tense with definitions, formulas, and examples.
1. Past tense
Past Simple
Download this Past Simple Tense worksheet to help your students grasp past tense structures with clear explanations and examples!
Definition: The past simple tense is used to describe actions, events, or situations that were completed at a specific time in the past. These actions may have happened once, repeatedly, or over a duration but are no longer occurring in the present.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + verb (past form) + object
- Example: “She played tennis yesterday.”
- Negative: Subject + did not + verb (base form) + object
- Example: “They did not watch the movie.”
- Short Question: Did + subject + verb (base form) + object?
- Example: “Did you finish your homework?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + did + subject + verb (base form)?
- Example: “When did she arrive?”
Past Continuous
Download the Past Continuous Tense worksheet to make learning past interrupted actions fun and easy!
Definition: The past continuous tense describes actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + was/were + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: She was reading a book at 8 PM.
- Negative: Subject + was/were not + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: They were not watching TV when I arrived.
- Short Question: Was/Were + subject + verb (-ing)?
- Example: Was she studying last night?
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb (-ing)?
- Example: What were you doing at noon?
Past Perfect
Grab the Past Perfect Tense worksheet to clarify sequencing of past events with easy-to-follow examples!
Definition: The past perfect tense describes an action that was completed before another action in the past.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + had + past participle + object
- Example: She had finished her homework before dinner.
- Negative: Subject + had not + past participle + object
- Example: They had not left when we arrived.
- Short Question: Had + subject + past participle?
- Example: Had she seen the movie before?
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + had + subject + past participle?
- Example: Where had they gone?
Past Perfect Continuous
Download the Past Perfect Continuous Tense worksheet for exercises on long-duration past actions before another past event!
Definition: The past perfect continuous tense describes an action that was ongoing before another past event.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + had been + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: She had been studying for three hours before the exam.
- Negative: Subject + had not been + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: He had not been sleeping well before the trip.
- Short Question: Had + subject + been + verb (-ing)?
- Example: Had you been working there long?
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + had + subject + been + verb (-ing)?
- Example: How long had she been waiting?
Practical exercise:
Download the Past Tenses Exercises worksheet to help students master past events with engaging practice activities!
2. Present tense
Present Simple
Download the Present Simple Tense worksheet to help your students practice daily routines and general truths with clear examples!
Definition: The present simple tense describes habitual actions, general truths, or scheduled events.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + verb (base form) + object
- Example: She eats breakfast at 7 AM.
- Negative: Subject + do/does not + verb (base form) + object
- Example: He does not like coffee.
- Short Question: Do/Does + subject + verb (base form)?
- Example: Do they play soccer?
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + do/does + subject + verb (base form)?
- Example: When do you wake up?
Present Continuous
Get the Present Continuous Tense worksheet to help learners describe ongoing actions happening right now!
Definition: The present continuous tense is used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking, temporary situations, future arrangements, or repeated actions with “always” that express annoyance.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + am/is/are + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “She is reading a book now.”
- Negative: Subject + am/is/are + not + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “They are not watching TV.”
- Short Question: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb (-ing) + object?
- Example: “Is she studying for the test?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + am/is/are + subject + verb (-ing)?
- Example: “What are you doing?”
Present Perfect
Download the Present Perfect Tense worksheet to guide students in understanding past actions with present relevance!
Definition: The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into the present, past experiences without a specific time, or recent actions with present relevance.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + has/have + past participle + object
- Example: “She has visited Paris three times.”
- Negative: Subject + has/have + not + past participle + object
- Example: “I have not finished my assignment yet.”
- Short Question: Has/Have + subject + past participle + object?
- Example: “Have you ever tried sushi?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + has/have + subject + past participle?
- Example: “How many books have you read this year?”
Present Perfect Continuous
Use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense worksheet to help students express ongoing actions that started in the past and continue now!
Definition: The present perfect continuous tense is used for actions that started in the past and continue into the present, emphasizing duration. It also describes actions that recently stopped but have visible effects.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + has/have + been + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “She has been studying for hours.”
- Negative: Subject + has/have + not + been + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “They have not been sleeping well lately.”
- Short Question: Has/Have + subject + been + verb (-ing) + object?
- Example: “Have you been waiting long?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + has/have + subject + been + verb (-ing)?
- Example: “How long have you been learning English?”
Practical exercise:
Use this Present Tense exercise worksheet to have your students practice using the present tenses.
3. Future tense
Future Simple
Download the Future Simple Tense worksheet to teach students how to express future plans and predictions effectively!
Definition: The future simple tense is used for spontaneous decisions, predictions, promises, and future facts.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will + verb (base form) + object
- Example: “She will call you tomorrow.”
- Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) + verb (base form) + object
- Example: “We won’t attend the meeting.”
- Short Question: Will + subject + verb (base form) + object?
- Example: “Will you help me with my homework?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + will + subject + verb (base form)?
- Example: “When will they arrive?”
Future Continuous
Help your students master future events in progress with the Future Continuous Tense worksheet!
Definition: The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future or planned future events.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will + be + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “This time next week, she will be traveling to Japan.”
- Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) + be + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “They won’t be working on Sunday.”
- Short Question: Will + subject + be + verb (-ing) + object?
- Example: “Will you be attending the conference?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + will + subject + be + verb (-ing)?
- Example: “What will you be doing at 8 PM?”
Future Perfect
Download the Future Perfect Tense worksheet to practice actions completed before a specific future time!
Definition: The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be completed before a certain point in the future.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will + have + past participle + object
- Example: “By next month, she will have finished her project.”
- Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) + have + past participle + object
- Example: “They won’t have completed the work by Friday.”
- Short Question: Will + subject + have + past participle + object?
- Example: “Will you have graduated by next year?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + will + subject + have + past participle?
- Example: “How many books will you have read by the end of the year?”
Future Perfect Continuous
Grab the Future Perfect Continuous Tense worksheet to help learners describe long-duration actions in the future!
Definition: The future perfect continuous tense is used to emphasize the duration of an action that will be ongoing until a specific point in the future.
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will + have + been + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “By next year, she will have been working here for five years.”
- Negative: Subject + will not (won’t) + have + been + verb (-ing) + object
- Example: “They won’t have been living in this house for long.”
- Short Question: Will + subject + have + been + verb (-ing) + object?
- Example: “Will you have been studying for three hours by then?”
- Wh-Question: Wh-word + will + subject + have + been + verb (-ing)?
- Example: “How long will she have been waiting?”
Practical exercise:
Grab the Future Tenses Exercises worksheet to support learners in expressing future plans and predictions with confidence!
FAQs
1. How to identify past, present, and future tense?
- Look for time markers such as “yesterday” (past), “now” (present), or “tomorrow” (future).
- Identify verb forms (past: played, present: plays, future: will play).
- Consider the sentence’s meaning in context.
2. How do you use past tenses correctly?
- Use Past Simple for completed actions.
- Use Past Continuous for ongoing past actions.
- Use Past Perfect for an action completed before another past event.
- Use Past Perfect Continuous for a past action that continued over time before another event.
Final thoughts
Mastering past, present, and future tenses is crucial for fluency in English. By understanding the structure, usage, and formulas of each tense, learners can communicate more effectively. Whether you’re a teacher guiding students or a student learning English, these explanations, examples, and tips will help you grasp the concept with ease!
