Simple Verb Tenses

• Verbs indicate when an action occurs.
• Actions take place in the present, past, or future.
• The present tense signifies an action occurring at the moment of speaking.
• The past tense indicates an action that occurred previously.
• The future tense describes an action that will occur.

Verb Aspects

• Aspect illustrates how an action relates to time, such as if it's simple, ongoing, completed, or a combination.
• Each of the three tenses (present, past, future) has four aspects: simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous.

Simple Aspect

• Focuses on an action without indicating its completion or progress.
• Present Simple: Describes habitual actions or general truths; e.g., She writes letters every day.
• Past Simple: Describes a completed action at a specific time; e.g., She wrote a letter yesterday.
• Future Simple: Describes an action that will happen in the future; e.g., She will write a letter tomorrow.
• Usage includes expressing facts/truths (Water boils at 100°C), regular actions (He plays soccer every weekend), completed actions (She finished her homework), and future events (They will travel next summer).

Continuous (Progressive) Aspect

• Emphasizes ongoing or unfinished actions.
• Present Continuous: Describes action happening now; e.g., She is writing a letter.
• Past Continuous: Describes action in progress at a specific past time; e.g., She was writing a letter when I called.
• Future Continuous: Describes action that will be in progress in the future; e.g., She will be writing a letter at 5 PM tomorrow.
• Usage includes actions happening now (I am studying), actions interrupted (She was sleeping when the phone rang), and future planned actions (We will be traveling next week).

Perfect Aspect

• Shows a completed action related to another point in time.
• Present Perfect: Describes an action completed before now or continuing until now; e.g., She has written three letters today.
• Past Perfect: Describes an action completed before another past event; e.g., She had written the letter before he arrived.
• Future Perfect: Describes an action that will be completed before a future time; e.g., She will have written the letter by tomorrow.
• Usage includes, actions at an unspecified time (I have visited France), action completed before another (He had left before I arrived), and actions completed before a deadline (By next year, I will have graduated).

Perfect Continuous Aspect

• Describes actions that began in the past and are ongoing.
• Present Perfect Continuous: Action started in the past and continues; e.g., She has been writing letters for two hours.
• Past Perfect Continuous: An action in progress before another past event; e.g., She had been writing letters for two hours before she took a break.
• Future Perfect Continuous: Action will continue before a future time; e.g., She will have been writing letters for two hours by noon.
• Usage includes continuing actions (He has been working here for five years), actions continuing to a past point (She had been waiting for hours), and actions continuing to a future point (By next month, he will have been studying for a year).