Tenses:
demonstrate the time of action in a sentence usually performed by or centred around the subject of the sentence. The actions are called verbs. Verbs change according to tenses and other issues. As verbs are the most important elements of English sentences, tenses also carry paramount importance in English grammar.
Simple Tenses: First tenses to learn in English, Simple tenses refer to a single action, expresses facts and situations that exist in present, will exist in future, or existed in the past.
- Simple Present tense: I cook food every day.
- Simple Past tense: I cooked food yesterday.
- Simple Future tense: I will cook food every day.
Continuous (Progressive) Tenses: also called as progressive tenses used to express the unfinished events
- Past progressive: I was cooking food when you called.
- Present progressive: I am cooking food now.
- Future progressive: I will be cooking food when you call.
Perfect Tenses: express the idea that one event happens before another event.
- Present perfect: I have cooked that food.
- Past perfect: I had already driven that road in the past.
- Future perfect: I will have driven 200 miles by tomorrow.
Perfect Progressive Tenses: express duration, or how long? Perfect progressive tenses usually include the adverbs for or since.
- Present perfect progressive: I have been cooking since this morning.
- Past perfect progressive: I had been cooking for three hours before I stopped to get gas.
- Future perfect progressive: I will have been cooking for five hours by the time I arrive.