English Verb Tenses: A Comprehensive Guide

Present Continuous

Actions that are happening now.

• Add -ing to the verb (e.g., I am talking, he/she/it is eating, you/we/they are talking).

Present Simple

Actions that happen regularly or habitually.

• For I, you, we, and they, use the base form of the verb (e.g., talk, eats, learn).
• For he, she, and it, add -s to the verb (e.g., talks, eats, learns).
• For questions, use do/does and do not add -s (e.g., Do you talk?, Does he eat?).
• For negatives, do not add -s (e.g., I don't talk, he doesn't learn).
• Use time expressions (e.g., always, usually, often, sometimes) before the verb.

Present Perfect

Past actions that have relevance to the present.

• For I, you, we, and they, add have.
• For he, she, and it, add has.
• Affirmative: I have (I've) talked to Peter, they have (they're) learned English.
• Negative: I haven't talked to Peter, they haven't learned English.
• Interrogative: Have you talked to Peter?, Has she gone to work?
• Use never, ever, for, or since to indicate the time frame.

Present Perfect Continuous

Actions that started in the past and are still continuing in the present.

• For I, you, we, and they, use have been + -ing (e.g., talking, studying, waiting).
• For he, she, and it, use has been + -ing (e.g., talking, waiting).
• Affirmative: They're (they have) been talking for three hours.
• Negative: They haven't been talking for more....
• Interrogative: Have/Has (Have you been waiting long?).
• Use for or since to indicate the duration.

Past Simple

Completed actions in the past (add -ed to the verb; if the verb ends in -y, change it to -i).

• For been, use was (I, he, she, it) or were (you, we, they).
• For do, use did.
• For have, use had.
• Affirmative: She was a doctor, I wanted to dance.
• Negative: She wasn't a doctor, they keys weren't in the drawer.
• Interrogative: Was she a doctor?, Did you want to dance?
• Use time expressions (e.g., last year, this morning, yesterday) to indicate when the action happened.

Past Continuous

Actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past.

• For I, he, she, and it, use was + -ing (e.g., talking, going).
• For you, we, and they, use were + -ing.
• Negative: I wasn't or weren't.
• Interrogative: Were you talking?, Was he eating?
• Use when or while to indicate that something else was happening at the same time.

Prepositions

• In: inside.
• At: near, on time.
• On: on a surface.
• Above: higher than.
• On the right: to the right.
• Left: to the left.
• Next to: beside.
• Opposite: facing.
• Under: below.
• Between: in the middle of.

Example: Making a Margarita

First, we add ice to the shaker. Then, we add tequila, lemon juice, triple sec, and salt. Next, we shake the closed shaker. Finally, we serve in the glass and decorate with salt on the edge of the glass and a lemon wedge.

ss and a lemon wedge.