English Tenses Flashcards
Present Simple
The simple present tense is one of several forms of present tense in English. It is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements.
Present Continuous
The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the present tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main verb.
Past Simple
The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterite, is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now.
Past Continuous
The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and were still going on when another event occurred.
Present Perfect
The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the present and the past.
Present Perfect Continuous
The present perfect continuous is used to refer to an unspecified time between ‘before now’ and ‘now’.
Past Perfect
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now.
Past Perfect Continuous
The past perfect continuous corresponds to the present perfect continuous, but with reference to a time earlier than ‘before now’.
Future Simple
The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty.
Future Perfect
The future perfect is composed of two elements
the simple future of the verb “to have” (will have) + the past participle of the main verb
Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous is composed of two elements
the future perfect of the verb “to be” (will have been) + the present participle of the main verb (base + ing)
Conditionals
Conditional tenses are used to speculate about what could happen, what might have happened, and what we wish would happen.
Gerunds
The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is useful to understand the difference between the two.
Present Participle
The present participle of most verbs has the form base+ing. It is used in many different ways.
Passive Voice
The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather than the person or object that performs the action.
