English Tenses Overview

Future Perfect

• Describes an action that will be completed at a specific point in the future.
• Emphasizes the completion of an action before a future time.
• Formed using "will have" + past participle.
• Example: "By next summer, I will have finished my degree." (The degree will be completed before the summer).

Present Progressive

• Describes actions happening now, in progress at the moment of speaking.
• Formed using "be" + present participle (-ing form).
• Example: "I am studying for my exams right now." (The studying is happening now).

Past Progressive

• Describes actions in progress at a specific time in the past.
• Formed using "was/were" + present participle (-ing form).
• Example: "She was watching TV when I called." (Indicates an action ongoing when another occurred).
• Often used with time expressions like "while," "during," or "at that time."

Present Perfect

• Describes an action that began in the past and continues to the present, or that is finished recently, but with a noticeable result in the present.
• Formed with "have/has" + past participle.
• Example: "I have lived in London for five years." (The action began in the past and continues).
• Example: "She has finished her essay." (The essay was recently completed, result is significant in the present).
• Can also express experience without specifying exactly when: "I have traveled to many countries."

Future Perfect Progressive

• Expresses an action that will continue for a period of time up to a specific point in the future.
• Formed with "will have been" + present participle (-ing form).
• Example: "By the end of the week, I will have been working on this project for three days." (Focuses on the duration leading up to a future point).

Key Differences Between Tenses

• Present Perfect vs. Past Simple: The present perfect emphasizes the connection between the past action and the present, while the past simple simply describes a completed action in the past.
• Present Progressive vs. Simple Present: The present progressive emphasizes the action's duration or ongoing nature, while the simple present describes habits or recurring actions.
• Past Progressive vs. Past Simple: The past progressive emphasizes an activity happening in the background in the past, while the past simple describes a completed action in the past.
• Future Perfect vs. Future Simple: The future perfect focuses on an action that will be completed before a point in the future, while the future simple describes an action that will happen in the future.