Verb Tenses Timelines
Verb forms used: present root | present participle | past root | past participle
Simple Tenses:
Simple tenses are used whenever we are talking about a point in time.
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Past Simple Use for an action that happened at a point in time in the past. e.g. - I ate breakfast this morning. |
Present Simple Use when making a general statement of truth at the present point in time. e.g. - I eat breakfast every day. |
Future Simple Use for an action that will happen at a point in time in the future. e.g. - I will eat breakfast later. |
Continuous Tenses:
Continuous tenses are used whenever we are talking about a length of time.
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Past Continuous Use for an action that was happening for a length of time in the past when another action happened in the middle of it. e.g. - I was eating breakfast when my brother arrived. |
Present Continuous Use for an action that is happening now. e.g. - Right now, I am eating breakfast. |
Future Continuous Use for an action that will be happening for a length of time in the future. e.g. - I will be eating breakfast from 9:00 to 9:30. |
Perfect Tenses:
Perfect tenses are used whenever we are talking about a point in time before another point in time.
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Past Perfect Use for an action that happened in the past before another action. e.g. - I had already eaten breakfast when my brother arrived. |
Present Perfect Use for an action that happened in the past before the present moment. e.g. - I have already eaten breakfast. |
Future Perfect Use for an action that will happen in the future before another action. e.g. - I will have already eaten breakfast by the time my brothers arrives. |
Perfect Continuous Tenses:
Perfect continuous tenses are used whenever we are talking about a length of time up to a point in time.
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Past Perfect Continuous Use for an action that was happening for a length of time in the past up to the moment when another action happened. e.g. - I had been eating breakfast for 30 minutes when my brother arrived. |
Present Perfect Continuous Use for an action that was happening for a length of time up to the present moment. e.g. - I have been eating my breakfast for 30 minutes. |
Future Perfect Continuous Use for an action that will be happening in the future for a length of time up to the moment when another action will happen. e.g. - I will have been eating my breakfast for 30 minutes by the time you arrive. |
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