You know past, present and future. Now each of those splits into two — SIMPLE (a fact or habit) and CONTINUOUS (an action still in progress). That makes six tenses in total, and each one has its own clear job.
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Simple tenses talk about a FACT, a HABIT, or a completed/planned action — not something happening at this exact moment.
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | base verb (+s) | She plays every day. |
| Simple Past | verb + ed / irregular | She played yesterday. |
| Simple Future | will + base verb | She will play tomorrow. |
Continuous tenses show an action IN PROGRESS at a certain time — happening, not finished.
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Continuous | is/am/are + verb-ing | She is playing right now. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + verb-ing | She was playing at 5 pm. |
| Future Continuous | will be + verb-ing | She will be playing at 5 pm tomorrow. |
Spelling rule for -ing: run → running (double the last letter); make → making (drop the silent e); play → playing (just add -ing).
Look for the clue words. "Right now", "at this moment" → continuous. "Every day", "usually", "yesterday" → simple.
12 IEO-style questions on the six tenses. 🍀
