There is one topic in the study of the language, which, perhaps, can be discussed endlessly. Of course, we mean tenses in English. Learners who are just starting out with the language can sometimes find it hard to get used to the way English-speakers make time for themselves. In fact, each temporary form in English has its own analogue in Russian, it’s just that we don’t single out these forms as separate groups. Therefore, it is not at all difficult to understand the times, and today you will see for yourself.

To start, let's do short review of all temporary groups, so that you have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat will be discussed today. As in Russian, English sentences can be built in the past, present and future. But besides these tenses, English also has 4 tenses, namely: Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous. In general, it turns out that one idea can be expressed in twelve temporary forms. Each form has a different way of forming the verbs that appear in the sentence. They can be used to determine the time. Detailed table for clarity:

Formation of tenses in English
Time / Type	Simple (Simple)	Continuous or Progressive (long)	Perfect (perfect)	Perfect Continuous / Progressive (Perfect Continuous)
Past (past)	V2	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	had + V3	had + been + v-ing
Present (present)	V1	to be (1st form) + V-ing	have / has + V3	have / has + been + v-ing
Future (future)	will + V1	will be + v-ing	will + have + V3	will + have + been + v-ing

Having briefly analyzed the English tenses, let's move on to their more detailed study and consider the rules for the formation of tenses with examples.

Why are tenses needed in English?

But first I would like to dwell on the question of why the tenses of the English language are needed and whether it is worth learning them all. The system of tenses in English helps to correctly convey your idea to others. That is, you can make it clear what action is in question. Was it in the past or present? Has it ended or is it still going on? Or does it happen regularly? - all these questions will disappear on their own , if it is known what tense was used in the sentence.

“So I’m just starting to learn the language, and I immediately have to learn all 12 tenses of the English language?” - you ask. Ideally yes, you need to learn all tenses. But, most likely, you will not be able to do it all at once. Therefore, start your training from the time of the Simple group. Knowing simple time, you will be able to explain what happened to you or will happen to you, what you need and why. But you should not be limited to this time, and therefore, having dealt with it, gradually continue to study other groups. The latest can be considered the Perfect Continuous group. Often they resort to it when the level of the language of the students is already "passing" for the average, because the tenses of this group are used quite rarely and are used more to demonstrate their knowledge.

Tenses in English: Simple group

Simple (Simple)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	V1	V2	will + V1
	—	do / does + not + V1	did + not + V1	will + not + V1
	?	Do/Does…V1?	Did…V1?	Will…V1?

present simple

Present Simple or simple present tense , perhaps the most used. The use of this English tense is necessary to express regularly repeated actions, habits, schedules and facts.

As you can see from the table above, the present tense is formed using the verb in its initial form, that is, in the form in which the word is listed in the dictionary. However, this form may vary slightly depending on the person and number. So, if the action is performed by a third person in the singular, the verbs end in -s (-es):

The auxiliary verb do is used to form negative and interrogative sentences. If it is used with third persons in the singular, then this verb turns into does, because it takes the ending -s (-es) from the semantic verb.

Examples:

As you can see, this time does not have any complex grammatical rules.

past simple

Past Simple or simple past tense in English is used to express the same simple repetitive actions, but only in the past. For its formation, a verb in the second form is used. It is of two types. If the verb is correct, then it is enough to add the ending -ed to it. If it is incorrect, then you just need to memorize the second form, because each irregular verb has its own. Compare:

In this case, the person performing the action does not affect the verb in any way, that is, for all persons the form of the verb is the same. Consider the use of this tense with the help of examples:

In this case, the auxiliary verb did is used to form negative and interrogative sentences. It takes over the function of the past tense determiner, so the semantic verb returns to its original form:

Future Simple

The Future Simple or the simple future tense in English is used to express simple actions that will happen in the future. It has an auxiliary verb will in all three forms of the sentence:

	She will help you.	She will help you.
	I will explain you how to do this.	I will explain to you how to do it.
	They will share their main ideas.	They will share their main ideas.
	You will not (won't) remember anything.	You won't remember anything.
	She won't be available because she'll turn off her phone.	She won't be available because she'll turn off her phone.
	They won't sign the documents.	They won't sign the papers.
	Will you be with me?	You will be with me?
	Will they like the description of the product?	Will they like the product description?
	Will he lie or not?	Will he lie or not?

Tenses in English: Continuous group

continuous / Progressive (Long)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	to be (1st form) + V-ing	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	will be + v-ing
	—	to be (1st form) + not + V-ing	to be (2nd form) + not + V-ing	will + not + be + v-ing
	?	to be (1st form) … V-ing?	to be (2nd form) … V-ing?	Will … be V-ing?

Present Continuous

Present Continuous (Present Progressive) or present continuous in English (also known as continuous tense in English) is a tense that shows that the action is going on, that is, is in the process of being performed in this moment time. It is usually built with the help of the auxiliary verb to be, which is expressed in three forms, depending on the person and number:

Examples:

	I am typing him a message right now.	Right now I'm typing a message for him.
	We are watching TV all day long.	We watch TV all day.
	They are translating the text at the moment.	AT this moment they translate the text.
	He is not (isn't) reading now.	He is not reading now.
	Jim isn't writing a new post.	Jim is not writing a new post.
	I am not (‘m not) learning Turkish.	I don't study Turkish.
	Is she working here till summer?	Does she work here until the summer?
	Are you doing this on purpose, huh?	You're doing this on purpose, right?
	Are they studying the course at the moment?	Are they studying this course at the moment?

Past continuous

(Past Progressive) or the past continuous tense is used to show that some action lasted at a certain point in the past. For its formation, auxiliary and semantic verbs are also required. The same verb to be acts as an auxiliary, but only in the past tense:

Pronouns	to be in past tense
I	was
We	were

The semantic verb is formed in the same way as for the present continuous tense.

Examples:

	I was sleeping when he called me.	I was asleep when he called me.
	She was cooking while I was reading a newspaper.	She was cooking while I was reading the newspaper.
	They were watching a cartoon when the electricity was suddenly cut off.	They were watching a cartoon when the lights suddenly went out.
	He was not (wasn't) surfing the Internet at 8 in the evening.	He wasn't surfing the internet at 8 pm.
	They were not (weren't) talking to each other when I came in.	When I entered, they did not speak to each other.
	I wasn't analyzing the results.	I didn't analyze the results.
	Was she laughing during your presentation?	Did she laugh during your presentation?
	Were they training in the evening?	Did they train in the evening?
	Was she teaching her student at 3 p.m.?	Was she studying with her student at 3pm?

Future Continuous

Accordingly, Future Continuous (Future Progressive) or future continuous shows an action that will take place at a particular moment in the future. All 3 forms of the sentence in this tense need an auxiliary verb will be and a semantic verb with the ending -ing:

	When I come back, they will be listening to music.	When I return, they will be listening to music.
	I will be passing the exam this time tomorrow.	I will be taking my exam at this time tomorrow.
	They will be rehearing here at 9 p.m.	They will rehearse here at 9pm.
	Diana will not (won't) be recording a song tonight.	Diana will not be recording a song tonight.
	Unfortunately, I will not be spending time with my friends during my vacations.	Unfortunately, I will not be spending time with my friends during the holidays.
	They will not be building a website this time on Monday.	They will not be developing the website at this time on Monday.
	Will they be chilling the whole day?	Will they chill all day?
	Will she be washing the dishes when we go downstairs?	Will she wash the dishes when we go downstairs?
	Will they be conducting a research?	Will they do research?

Tenses in English: Perfect Group

Perfect (Perfect)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	have / has + V3	had + V3	will + have + V3
	—	have / has + not + V3	had + not + V3	will + not + have + V3
	?	Have/Has…V3?	Had…V3?	Will … have V3?

Present Perfect

The present perfect or present perfect tense is a tense in English used to express actions that have completed by now. It differs from the simple past tense in that it emphasizes the result in the present that caused the action in the past.

This tense requires the auxiliary verb have, which changes to has in the third person. But with verbs used in the role of semantic, not everything is so simple. Past participles are responsible for them. The participle can be formed in two ways:

• If the verb is correct, then it is enough to add the ending -ed:

Suggestion examples:

	The son has broken the window with a ball.	The son broke the window with the ball.
	My children have already made the list of presents.	My children have already made a list of gifts.
	I have heard this story many times.	I have heard this story many times.
	I have not (haven't) hurt people ever.	I have never hurt people.
	She has not (hasn't) decided yet.	She hasn't made a decision yet.
	They haven't learned these formulas by heart; that's why I'm sure they have written cheat sheets	They didn't memorize these formulas, so I'm pretty sure they wrote the spurs.
	Has she been to Europe?	Has she been to Europe?
	Have you ever watched an eclipse?	Have you ever watched an eclipse?
	Have they met him yet?	Have they already met him?

past perfect

Or the past perfect tense is used to show that some action took place before a specific moment in the past. It is formed using the auxiliary verb had and all the same past participles:

	I had prepared a surprise for my children by 7 o'clock in the evening.	I have prepared a surprise for kids by 7 pm.
	We had considered all suggestions by Friday.	We considered all proposals by Friday.
	I wanted to visit her but she had moved already.	I wanted to visit her, but she had already moved.
	She had not (hadn't) spent too much time before she understood the concept.	She didn't spend too much time before she understood the concept.
	They hadn't finished the construction by the deadline.	They didn't finish building by the deadline.
	We hadn't published the magazine by Monday.	We hadn't published the magazine by Monday.
	Had she edited everything by the end of the day?	She edited everything before the end of the day?
	Had he learned the details carefully before he started doing the project?	Did he carefully study all the details before starting the project?
	Had she come back by Thursday?	Was she back by Thursday?

Future Perfect

Future Perfect or future perfect tense, as you might have guessed, shows that the action will be completed by a certain moment in the future. To form this tense, in addition to the auxiliary verb have, the verb will will be required. The semantic participle is the past tense:

	I will have changed everything by this time.	By this time I will change everything.
	She will have been in the Maldives at 3 a.m.	She will be in the Maldives at 3 am.
	The builders will have built the stadium by next winter.	The builders will build the stadium by next winter.
	They will not (won't) have spent much time on family till they understand its value.	They will not spend much time on the family until they understand its value.
	She won't have reached her goals until she starts working.	She won't achieve her goals until she starts working.
	I think George and Quincy won't have made up before your birthday party.	I think George and Quincy won't make up before your birthday.
	Will they have made it by March?	Will they make it by March?
	Will she have got his real intentions before they get married?	Will she understand his true intentions before they get married?

Tenses in English: Perfect Continuous Group

Perfect (Perfect)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	have / has + been + v-ing	had + been + v-ing	will + have + been + v-ing
	—	have / has + not + been + v-ing	had + not + been + v-ing	will + not + have + been + v-ing
	?	Have / Has … been + V-ing?	Had…been + V-ing?	Will … have + been + V-ing?

Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous or Present Perfect Continuous is a tense used to show an action that started and lasted up to a certain point or continues to continue to this day.

It has the auxiliary verbs have been, which change to has been in the third person. The semantic verb is the same verb that was used in Continuous tenses. Among all tenses of the English language of this group, Present Perfect Continuous is the most common:

	It has been raining all day long.	It rained all day.
	My friend has been persuading me to go with him for an hour.	My friend urges me to go with him for an hour.
	I'm tired because we have been creating a studio all night.	I'm tired because we've been creating the studio all night.
	She has not (hasn't) been learning French since she moved from Canada.	She hasn't studied French since she moved from Canada.
	Bryan hasn't been enjoying his weekends since his mother-in-law came to visit them.	Brian didn't enjoy the weekend because his mother-in-law came to visit.
	We haven't been sleeping all night.	We didn't sleep all night.
	How long have you been living here?	How long have you been living here?
	Have you been fighting again?	Did you fight again?
	Who has been touching my documents?!	Who touched my documents?!

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous or Past Perfect Continuous is used in the same way as Present Perfect Continuous, only in this case the action ends at a certain point in the past. Sentences are formed in this tense with the help of the auxiliary verbs had been and the semantic verb with the ending -ing. Since this form is not used very often and there are not many options for its use, consider just a few examples:

Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous or future perfect long time implies a certain moment in the future. Time is used in very rare cases. It uses the auxiliary verbs will have been and the same semantic verb:

That's all. We hope that the explanation of the topic helped you, and the use of tenses in English is no longer a problem for you. Try to use all tense forms as often as possible when speaking, compose examples with them, perform various exercises on English tenses and make a translation.

In order not to constantly return to this article, redraw or make your own table of English tenses. It will be like a cheat sheet for you. Refer to it periodically, even if you have completed the study of this topic, since repetition of the past will never be harmful. If at first you still have a little confusion with the times, with proper practice you will quickly understand how to use them. The main thing is that we deal with all tenses in stages and do not move from one group to another until we fully master the material.

They are divided into 4 groups: simple (Simple / Indefinite), continued (Continuous / Progressive), perfect (Perfect) and continued perfect (Perfect Continuous) tenses. What will help us choose the right option?

marker words time in English help to correctly determine the species-temporal form, therefore it is recommended to memorize them. Asterisk* ambiguous indicators of time are marked, which can occur in different cases.

Table of satellite words for all tenses of the English language

Used to describe actions in the present that occur regularly, with repetition, and not just at the moment of speech. Used to describe routines, schedules, habits, etc.

Usually- usually
I usually wake up at 7 o'clock. I usually wake up at 7 o'clock.
Always- always
Alice always gets good marks at school. Alice always gets good grades at school.
Often- often
Terry often drinks tea in the morning. Terry often drinks tea in the morning.
Every day / morning / week – every day/every morning/every week
Every week Rob goes to the gym. Rob goes to the gym every week.
Sometimes / from time to time / occasionally - sometimes
Sometimes I visit my Granny in the suberbs of Moscow. Sometimes I visit my grandmother in the suburbs of Moscow.
At the weekend / on weekends / on Saturdays / on Friday – Weekends / Saturdays / Fridays
We have a party on Fridays. On Fridays we have a party.
Seldom / rarely- rarely
We rarely go to the swimming pool. We rarely go to the pool.
Never* / hardly ever- never/almost never
Ann never watches horror films. Ann never watches horror movies.

2. Companion words Past Simple

Used to describe actions that happened in the past.

Yesterday- yesterday
Yesterday we were at home. Yesterday we were at home.
A week / a year ago– a week/year ago
Alex moved to the USA a week ago. Alex moved to the US a week ago.
Last month / year– last month/year
Last month Fred sold his car. Fred sold his car last month.
When*- when
I was in the kitchen when you came. I was in the kitchen when you arrived.

3. Companion words Future Simple

Used to describe actions that will take place in an indefinite future.

Tomorrow- tomorrow
Tomorrow Jared will go to London. Tomorrow Jared will leave for London.
Next month / year– next month/year
Jack will finish school next year. Jack will finish school next year.
In … days/years– after … days/years
Ronald will arrive in 2 days. Ronald will arrive in 2 days.

4. Companion words Present Continuous

Used to describe actions that are happening at the moment, at the moment of speech.

Now- now
Mary is playing the guitar now. Now Mary plays the guitar.
At the moment- Currently
The refrigerator isn't working at the moment. The refrigerator is not working at the moment.
Still*- still
John is still washing the dishes. John is still washing the dishes.

5. Companion words Past Continuous

It is used to describe actions that took place at some point or period in the past.

From … till …*- From to …
Helen was watching a movie at the cinema yesterday from 5 till 7. Helen was watching a movie at the cinema yesterday from 5 to 7.
- all day
He was working hard all day long. He worked hard all day.

6. Companion words of Future Continuous

Used to describe actions that will take place at a particular moment or period in the future.

from … till …*- From to …
Tony will be working in the office tomorrow from 9 to 11 o'clock. Tony will be working in the office tomorrow from 9 am to 11 am.
All day long* / for the whole day* - all day
He will be writing an article all night long. He will be writing the article all night.

7. Companion words Present Perfect

Used to describe actions completed by the time of speech or by the present as a whole.

Just- just now
Harry has just made a cake. Harry just made a cake.
Already- already
I have already done my homework. I have already done my homework.
Yet- still
Liza hasn't chosen the flowers yet. Lisa still hasn't picked flowers.
Since- With
I haven't played football since finishing the university. I haven't played football since graduating from university.
Recently- recently
Sally has recently been at the theatre. Sally was at the theater recently.
Never* / ever*- never / ever
I have never been to London. I've never been to London.

8. Companion words Past Perfect

Used to describe an action that has completed at some point in the past.

before* / after*- before after
I had brushed my teeth before I went to bed. I brushed my teeth before going to bed.
By*- to
Ann had spoken with her boss by 12 o'clock yesterday. By 12 o'clock yesterday Ann had spoken to her boss.

9. Companion words of Future Perfect

Used to describe actions that will last until a specific moment or period in the future.

By*- to
I will have been finished my project by the end of the month. I will finish my project by the end of the month.
Before*- before
Chris will have found a job before Christmas. Chris will find a job before Christmas.

10. Perfect Continuous Marker Words

As you might guess from the name, the Perfect Continuous tenses are a mixture of Perfect and Continuous. Therefore, their function is a long-term action that led to a result in the past / present / future.

for*- during
I had been reading for 5 hours. I have been reading for 5 hours.
I have been reading for 5 hours. I have been reading for 5 hours now.
I will have been reading for 5 hours. I will be reading for 5 hours already.

WARNING: marker words are not a panacea! As we can see, some of them occur in several times at once. Often this can be explained like this: take the phrase “from … till …” and see that it is a sign of the duration of the action, and the duration can be in the past, present and future tenses. However, the presence of a satellite word is a very good sign of the correct tense form.

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

in front of you table of english tenses with examples and translation. For convenience, in each sentence, the most important points that you should pay attention to are highlighted. This refers to auxiliary verbs, endings, as well as indicators of a particular tense. The table of English tenses with examples makes it possible to analyze the use of each tense thanks to the column "use".

Table of English tenses with examples and translation

Tense	use	example	Time indicators
1. Present Simple (simple present)	well-known facts, regular activities, actions repeated time after time	She go es abroad every summer(She goes abroad every summer)	often, every day, seldom, sometimes, rarely, regularly, every year, etc.
2. Present Continuous(present continuous)	something is in progress	I "m read ing a new novel this week(I'm reading a new novel this week)	now, at the moment, this week, this month, etc.
3. Present Perfect Simple (present perfect)	smth happened but result is important, not concrete time. The action is connected with the present somehow. Smth happened in the past but we see & talk about the results now.	I have read this book before(I have read this book before) I have met him today(I met him today)	already, just, yet, recently, today, this year, this week
4 Present Perfect Continuous (present perfect continuous tense)	The action started in the past and is still going on now or has just finished.	I have been writing this essay for 2 hours already (I have been writing this essay for 2 hours already) I have known him for ages (I've known him for ages)	for, since NB! If the verb cannot be used in Continuous, apply Present Perfect Simple
5. Past Simple (simple past)	actions happened in the past and we know when.	When I was a child, I ate a lot of vegetables (When I was a child, I ate a lot of vegetables)	yesterday, the day before, last Monday, in 1991, etc.
6. Past Continuous (past continuous)	the action was going on at a concrete moment in the past. We want to stress the process.	She was reading a book when I phoned her(She was reading a book when I called her)	at 5 p.m. yesterday, at this time last Monday, etc.
7. Past Perfect (past perfect tense, prepast tense)	the action happened before one more event in the past	I had forgotten to ask him that question before I left (I forgot to ask him that question before leaving)	before, after, etc.
8. Past Perfect Continuous (past perfect continuous)	shows that some process was going on before the action in the past.	I had been watching TV before you came (I was watching TV before you came)	before, since
9. Future Simple (simple future)	decisions taken at the moment of speech, promises, repeated actions in the future	I will always love you (I will always love you)	always, later, when I arrive, next year, next month, etc.
10. Present Continuous (for future)	smth is going to happen in the nearest future. You have the verb of movement and concrete info as for the time or day.	They "re leaving for Paris today(They are leaving for Paris today)	today, tomorrow, tonight, this Monday, etc.
11. to be going to(for future)	smth will happen from your point of view. You are not sure if it is going to happen. For talking about the weather.	It is going to rain (Gonna rain) Look out! You are going to fall (Caution! You will fall)	today, tomorrow, some day, in some time, next week, year, etc.
12. Future Perfect(future perfect)	The action will happen by concrete time in the future.	I will have finished the project by the time you come (I will have completed the project by the time you come).	by the time you…, by this time tomorrow, by 6 p.m. tomorrow, etc.

I advise you to immediately move on to compiling your own proposals for each time. This will allow you to better remember and start applying English tenses table with examples and translation.

Want to spend more time on each rule? We offer a General English course at our school! You can sign up by simply contacting Skype fluentenglish24

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There are present, past and future tenses in both Russian and English. Verbs ( verbs ) change with time ( tenses ). But this is where the similarity with Russian times ends, because for each of these three times the English have more varieties. In this article, we will provide a short and simple guide based on diagrams and tables to understand tenses in English for dummies ( dummies ).

Table and examples of tenses:

Aspect	Time
	present	Past	Future
Simple	Martha cooks every day.(Martha cooks every day.)	Martha cooked a roast chicken yesterday.(Martha cooked fried chicken yesterday.)	Martha will cook a huge cake for my birthday.(Martha will make a huge cake for my birthday.)
Continuous	Martha is cooking fish at the moment.(Martha is cooking fish now.)	Martha was cooking a soup when we came home.(When we got home, Martha was making soup.)	Martha will be cooking a rice pudding soon.(Martha will be making rice pudding soon.)
Perfect	Martha has already cooked many dishes.(Martha has already prepared many dishes.)	Martha had cooked for 2 hours by the time I joined her.(Martha had been cooking for 2 hours by the time I joined her.)	Martha will have cooked at least 20 dishes by 10 o'clock.(Martha will have cooked at least 20 meals by 10 o'clock.)

All three tenses (past, present and future) have three main aspects: simple ( simple ), long ( continuous ) and perfect ( perfect ). Long are used for repeated actions, or those actions that last in time.

Perfect tenses exist to describe actions or states of being that happened in the past, no matter when. The main thing is that at the time of the conversation they had already ended. These tenses are used whenever we need to link past and present.

Simple tenses in English for dummies

simple tenses ( simple tenses ) are applied to actions or states in the past, present or future.

The table shows that the form of the verb in the simple past tense does not change by person, so it is very easy to remember the scheme for constructing sentences. Well, knowledge of irregular verbs will come with the practice of reading and listening.

Simple future tense ()

Talks about events that have not yet happened. It is formed the same for all persons - by adding an auxiliary verb will + base verb.

Long tenses in English for dummies.

long times ( continuous tenses ) are needed to describe the actions that occur at the moment of speech. It can be both in the present period, and in a specific period in the past or future.

Present continuous ()

The diagram clearly shows the difference between the long and simple forms of the present tense.

Formed with an auxiliary verb to be + ing - the form of the semantic verb (Present Participle) .

Past continuous (Past Continuous)

Built with an auxiliary verb to be in past tense + semantic verb in ing-form .

Future continuous (Future Continuous)

This tense is used to talk about activities that may be interrupted in the future, or to say what will happen at a certain time in the future. Compare the diagram with Future Simple .

Future Continuous is formed according to the following formula: Will be + verb-ing

Perfect or perfect tenses in English for dummies

They express completed actions, the result of which is important at the moment of the story. May be accompanied by adverbs already (already), yet (not yet), just (just now), for (during), since (since) ever (ever) never (never). Formed with an auxiliary verb have + semantic verb in the Past Participle form.

present perfect

From the following diagram, it can be understood that the main difference between the present perfect and the simple past is in the moment of the past when the action ended. For Present Perfect, it doesn’t matter when it happened, but for Past Simple, it matters.

How is the present perfect tense formed?

Example: Has not already paid for the dinner. (He has already paid for dinner.)

Understand, repeat or learn tenses in English? Yes, you are joking! It's almost like a Chinese letter! In fact, no, and we know a few secrets on how to easily and quickly learn and remember English tenses (table attached).

It is the times that become the very main brake that prevents you from easily and simply learning this most beautiful and most popular language in the world. Sit back, because now we will tell you how to quickly and easily learn and remember verb tenses in English.

Method 1: how to quickly learn verb tenses in English

Students are confused from the very beginning, believing that there are 100500 tenses in English. In fact, English also has 3 tenses: present (Present), past (Past) and future (Future). Later, as soon as you master these basics, you will need to impose the rest of the knowledge on the existing foundation.

Now is the time to learn that all verbs denoting actions in English can be divided into ongoing and non-continuous (i.e. continuous and non-continuous).

How to distinguish between them: if an action occurs, has occurred or will occur within a certain period of time, then it is continuous (long or long). For example, Kolya was sleeping, Lena was doing her homework, Artem was reading a book.

If the sentence contains the following constructions, use Continuous - a long time:

• at the moment
• from 5 to 7,
• the whole day,
• when he came and so on.

It applies when it comes to about an unfinished process, action that was done, is being done or will be done in a specific period of time.

Group Times Indefinite or Simple are used to denote an action that occurs regularly, every day, and its exact moment is unknown. It is characterized by words-indicators: usually, twice, a week, on Sundays, often, sometimes, never, in summer, hardly, ever and so on. These words state the fact that an action is taking place.

When talking about completed action, use Perfect if the sentence contains phrases:

• already,
• just,
• recently,
• lately, etc.

These indicator words testify about the presence of a result by a certain moment: something happened now or yesterday by 5 o'clock, or will be ready by tomorrow morning.

Now we define whether it is important for understanding the meaning by what point in time this action will be completed. Thanks to this, we will understand whether we use perfect tense or not (Perfect or non-Perfect). It's time to bring together all the signs of action we have identified. So we get a complete definition of the available time. For example, Past Continuous Perfect.

Perfect Continuous group times real life are practically not used. However, to pass the test and understand the literary language, it still does not hurt to study them. For example: In April I'll have been working on the book for 10 months. In Russian, it will sound something like this: in April it will be 10 months since I started work on the book.

Method 2: how to quickly learn English tenses (table)

There is another way if nothing happened with the previous one. There is nothing easier than learning the table of tenses in English.

This table shows all the signs of action. Comparing one sign with another, it will not be difficult for you to determine what time has appeared before you.

When studying tenses, you will need to learn the forms of auxiliary verbs and verbal words that serve to form one or another tense. And be sure to learn the table with irregular verbs!

And if there is still not enough time to prepare for the test or control in English, do not be shy - contact the student assistance service. Service specialists know everything about times, if not more, and they certainly know how to help you. And to broaden your horizons or just keep abreast of student life, subscribe to our telegram channel.

And here is a video on how to quickly and easily learn the time in English: