English grammar
English tenses: an overview 📕
English verbs change form to show when something happens. Each tense also has a continuous form (be + -ing) for actions in progress.
| Tense | Example | Used for |
| Present simple | I work. | habits, facts |
| Present continuous | I am working. | now, temporary |
| Past simple | I worked. | finished past |
| Past continuous | I was working. | in progress in the past |
| Present perfect | I have worked. | past with a link to now |
| Present perfect continuous | I have been working. | duration up to now |
| Past perfect | I had worked. | before another past event |
| Future with will | I will work. | decisions, predictions |
| Future with going to | I am going to work. | plans |
💡 Start with the present simple, present continuous and past simple. These three are the most common in everyday English.