English Grammar: Verb Tenses

Exploring Verb Tenses

Present Simple

• Used to describe:
  • Habits and routines
  • General truths
  • Fixed schedules
• Formation:
  • Base form of the verb (e.g., I go, you eat, she writes)
• Examples:
  • I get up at 7:00 am every day.
  • Water boils at 100°C.

Future in the Past

• Used to describe:
  • An action that was planned or expected to happen at a specific point in the past
  • Often used with verbs like "would", "was going to", and "were going to"
• Formation:
  • was/were going to + base form of the verb
• Examples:
  • I was going to study abroad, but I didn't get the visa.
  • They were going to get married, but they broke up.

Past Perfect Continuous

• Used to describe:
  • An action that started before another action in the past and continued up to that point
  • Emphasizes the duration of the action leading up to the past moment
• Formation:
  • had been + present participle of the verb
• Examples:
  • I had been studying English for three years before I moved to the US.
  • They had been waiting in line for hours before the concert started.

Conditional Tenses

• Zero Conditional
  • Used to describe:
  • Scientific facts or universal truths
  • Formation:
    • If + present simple, ... + present simple
  • Examples:
    • If you heat ice, it melts.
    • If you don't water plants, they die.
• First Conditional
  • Used to describe:
  • Future situations and their consequences
  • Formation:
    • If + present simple, ... + future simple
  • Examples:
    • If it rains, I will take an umbrella.
    • If you don't study, you won't pass the exam.
• Second Conditional
  • Used to describe:
  • Unreal or hypothetical situations and their consequences
  • Formation:
    • If + past simple, ... + would + base form of the verb
  • Examples:
    • If I won the lottery, I would buy a house.
    • If it snowed, we would go skiing.
• Third Conditional
  • Used to describe:
  • Past hypothetical situations and their consequences
  • Formation:
    • If + past perfect, ... + would have + past participle of the verb
  • Examples:
    • If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
    • If it had snowed, we would have gone skiing.

Exploring Verb Tenses

Present Simple

• Describes habits and routines, general truths, and fixed schedules
• Formed using the base form of the verb (e.g., I go, you eat, she writes)
• Examples: I get up at 7:00 am every day, Water boils at 100°C

Future in the Past

• Describes an action that was planned or expected to happen at a specific point in the past
• Often used with verbs like "would", "was going to", and "were going to"
• Formed using was/were going to + base form of the verb
• Examples: I was going to study abroad, but I didn't get the visa, They were going to get married, but they broke up

Past Perfect Continuous

• Describes an action that started before another action in the past and continued up to that point
• Emphasizes the duration of the action leading up to the past moment
• Formed using had been + present participle of the verb
• Examples: I had been studying English for three years before I moved to the US, They had been waiting in line for hours before the concert started

Conditional Tenses

Zero Conditional

• Describes scientific facts or universal truths
• Formed using If + present simple,...+ present simple
• Examples: If you heat ice, it melts, If you don't water plants, they die

First Conditional

• Describes future situations and their consequences
• Formed using If + present simple,...+ future simple
• Examples: If it rains, I will take an umbrella, If you don't study, you won't pass the exam

Second Conditional

• Describes unreal or hypothetical situations and their consequences
• Formed using If + past simple,...+ would + base form of the verb
• Examples: If I won the lottery, I would buy a house, If it snowed, we would go skiing

Third Conditional

• Describes past hypothetical situations and their consequences
• Formed using If + past perfect,...+ would have + past participle of the verb
• Examples: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam, If it had snowed, we would have gone skiing

Test your knowledge of verb tenses in English, including present simple and future in the past, with examples and formation rules.