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Let's Talk Tenses by Susan Thurman

English verbs are divided into three main tenses, all of which relate to time: present, past, and future. Each main tense is also subdivided into other categories: simple tense, progressive tense, perfect tense, and perfect progressive tense. These subcategories differentiate when a particular action has been done (or is being done or will be done).

Clear as mud? Take a look at this chart:

<tgroup cols="5" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="4" colname="col4" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="5" colname="col5" colwidth="20%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <thead> <tr> <td><para/></td> <td><p>Simple<footnote xml:id="ast1"><p>Indicates action that is usual or is repeated.</p></footnote></p></td> <td><p>Progressive<footnote xml:id="ast2"><p>Indicates action that is ongoing.</p></footnote></p></td> <td><p>Perfect<footnote xml:id="ast3"><p>Indicates action that is completed.</p></footnote></p></td> <td><p>Perfect Progressive<footnote xml:id="ast4"><p>Indicates ongoing action that will be completed at some definite time.</p></footnote></p></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><B>Present</B></p></td> <td><p>hide</p></td> <td><p>am/is/are hiding</p></td> <td><p>have/has hidden</p></td> <td><p>have/has been hiding</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>Past</B></p></td> <td><p>hid</p></td> <td><p>was/were hiding</p></td> <td><p>had hidden</p></td> <td><p>had been hiding</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><B>Future</B></p></td> <td><p>will/shall hide</p></td> <td><p>will be hiding</p></td> <td><p>will have hidden</p></td> <td><p>will have been hiding</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <p>Each of these tenses signals the time something is done, will be done, or has been done relative to when it's being written or spoken about. You still don't quite get the whole thing? Don't worry; all will be cleared up in the next few pages, starting with explanations for each of the tenses. To lighten the mood, why don't we start with a little joke:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>Professor Reynolds says to her student, “Conjugate the verb ‘to walk’ in the simple present tense.”</emphasis></p> </div> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>The student says, “I walk. You walk. He…”</emphasis></p> </div> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>Interrupting, Professor Reynolds says, “More quickly, please.”</emphasis></p> </div> <p><emphasis>The student replies, “I run. You run. …”</emphasis></p> <h2><emphasis>It's Elementary: The Simple Tense</emphasis></h2> <p>The <emphasis>simple present tense</emphasis> tells an action that is usual or repeated:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I hide from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Looked at in a different way, the simple present tense relates actions that happen often or that state a fact or opinion.</p> <p>To make sure they're using the correct verb form for the present tense, some writers find it helpful to begin the sentence with the word <emphasis>today</emphasis>:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>Today I hide from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>The <emphasis>simple past tense</emphasis> tells an action that began and ended in the past:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I hid from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>To make sure they're using the correct verb form for the past tense, some writers find it helpful to mentally begin the sentence with the word <emphasis>yesterday</emphasis>:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>Yesterday I hid from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>The <emphasis>simple future tense</emphasis> tells an upcoming action that will occur:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I will hide from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>To make sure they're using the correct verb form for the future tense, some writers find it helpful to mentally begin the sentence with the word <emphasis>tomorrow</emphasis>:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>Tomorrow I will hide from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>That's simple enough, isn't it? It's the simple present tense. After this, though, the explanations of the other tenses get a little tricky.</p> <h2><emphasis>One Step Beyond: The Progressive Tense</emphasis></h2> <p>Use the <emphasis>present progressive tense</emphasis> to show an action that's in progress at the time the statement is written:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I am hiding from the stalker today</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Present progressive verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>am</emphasis>, <emphasis>is</emphasis>, or <emphasis>are</emphasis> and adding-<emphasis>ing</emphasis> to the verb. Use the <emphasis>past progressive tense</emphasis> to show an action that was going on at some particular time in the past:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I was hiding from the stalker yesterday</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Past progressive verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>was</emphasis> or <emphasis>were</emphasis> and adding-<emphasis>ing</emphasis> to the verb. Use the <emphasis>future progressive tense</emphasis> to show an action that's continuous and that will occur in the future:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I will be hiding from the stalker tomorrow</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Future progressive verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>will be</emphasis> or <emphasis>shall be</emphasis> and adding-<emphasis>ing</emphasis> to the verb.</p> <h2><emphasis>No Room for Improvement: The Perfect Tense</emphasis></h2> <p>Use the <emphasis>present perfect tense</emphasis> to convey action that happened sometime in the past or that started in the past but is ongoing in the present:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I have hidden from the stalker for more than five years</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Present perfect verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>has</emphasis> or <emphasis>have</emphasis> and the past participle form of the verb. Use the <emphasis>past perfect tense</emphasis> to indicate past action that occurred prior to another past action:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I had hidden from the stalker for more than five years before I entered the Witness Protection Program</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Past perfect verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>had</emphasis> and the past participle form of the verb. Use the <emphasis>future perfect tense</emphasis> to illustrate future action that will occur before some other action:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>I will have hidden from the stalker for more than five years before entering the Witness Protection Program</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Future perfect verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>will have</emphasis> and the past participle form of the verb.</p> <h2><emphasis>Particulars of the Perfect Progressive Tense</emphasis></h2> <p>Use the <emphasis>present perfect progressive</emphasis> to illustrate an action repeated over a period of time in the past, continuing in the present, and possibly carrying on in the future:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>For the past five years, I have been hiding from the stalker</emphasis>.</p> </div> <p>Present perfect progressive verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>has been</emphasis> or <emphasis>have been</emphasis> and the past participle form of the verb.</p> <p>Use the <emphasis>past perfect progressive</emphasis> to illustrate a past continuous action that was completed before some other past action:</p> <p><emphasis>Before I entered the Witness Protection Program, I had been hiding from the stalker for more than five years</emphasis>.</p> <p>Past perfect progressive verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>had been</emphasis> and adding-<emphasis>ing</emphasis> to the verb.</p> <p>Use the <emphasis>future perfect progressive</emphasis> to illustrate a future continuous action that will be completed before some future time:</p> <div class="npsb"> <p><emphasis>Next month I will have been hiding from the stalker for five years</emphasis>.</p> </div> <div class="npsb"> <h2></h2> <p>Try the interactive quizzes on verb tenses at these Web sites:</p> <table width="100%" frame="none"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="1" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>tinyurl.com/2sz9up</emphasis></p></td> <td><p><emphasis>tinyurl.com/2th72n</emphasis></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p><emphasis>tinyurl.com/3y5d6k</emphasis></p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> </div> <p>Future perfect progressive verbs are always formed by using <emphasis>will have been</emphasis> and adding-<emphasis>ing</emphasis> to the verb.</p> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/grammar/figuring-out-some-finicky-forms/" title="Figuring Out Some Finicky Forms">Figuring Out Some Finicky Forms</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/grammar/figuring-out-some-finicky-forms/those-irritating-irregular-verbs.htm" title="Those Irritating Irregular Verbs">Those Irritating Irregular Verbs</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a 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