English Grammar Guide


Comparing Tenses


Usage - Comparing Tenses

We use the present simple tense for facts, routines and permanent things.

We use the present continuous tense for temporary actions happening now or around now.

We use the past simple tense for completed events that happened at a specific time in the past.

We use the present perfect tense for life experiences and events that have happened at least once in the past. We don't say the time that it happened.

  • The Present Simple:
  • FACT
  • ROUTINE
  • NOW (state)
  • PERMANENT
  • The Present Continuous:
  • ... now/... at the moment
  • NOW (action)
  • TEMPORARY
  • The Past Simple:
  • ... in 2010
  • ... 2 years ago
  • ... last week/last year/yesterday
  • The Present Perfect:
  • EXPERIENCE
  • UNSPECIFIED TIME

Grammar - The Present Simple

  • Be:
  • (Q. +) Am/Are/Is + SUBJ. ... ?
  • I + am
  • You/We/They + are
  • He/She/It + is
  • Verbs:
  • (Q. +) Do/Does + SUBJ. + INF. ... ?
  • I/You/We/They + INF.
  • He/She/It + INFINITIVE-s

Examples - Be: Present Simple

Q.BES. SUBJ.BEANSWER
Whereareyou?➤ Iamat work.
Howishe?➤ HeisOK.

Examples - Verbs: Present Simple

Q.AUX.S.INF. S.VERBANS.
Whatdoyouplay?➤ Iplayfootball.
Wheredoeshelive?➤ Helivesin Rome.

Grammar - The Present Continuous

  • (Q. +) Am/Are/Is + SUBJ. + INF.-ing ... ?
  • I + am + INF.-ing
  • You/We/They + are + INF.-ing
  • He/She/It + is + INF.-ing

Examples - The Present Continuous

Q.AUX.S....-ing ANSWER
Whereareyougoing?➤ I'm going home.
Whatishedoing?➤ He's swimming.

Grammar - The Past Simple

  • Be:
  • (Q. +) Was/Were + SUBJ. ... ?
  • I/He/She/It + was
  • You/We/They + were
  • Verbs:
  • (Q. +) Did + SUBJ + INF. ... ?
  • I/You/He/She/It /We/They + V2

Examples - Be: Past Simple

Q.BES.... ANSWER
Wherewereyoulast week?➤ I was at work.
Howwasheyesterday?➤ He was OK.

Examples - Verbs: Past Simple

QUESTION ANSWER
What did you play earlier?➤ I played golf.
What did he do yesterday?➤ He watched TV.

Grammar - The Present Perfect

  • (Q. +) Have/Has + SUBJ. + V3 ... ?
  • I/You/We/They + have + V3
  • He/She/It + has + V3

Examples - The Present Perfect

QUESTION ANSWER
What have you seen?➤ I've seen a tiger.
Where has he been to?➤ He's been to LA.
Symbols & Abbreviations
ANS.Answer
AUX.Auxiliary
INF.Infinitive
Q.Question Word
S.Subject
SUBJ.Subject
V2Past Verb
V3Past Participle

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See Also

01) Be in the Present Simple Tense: am/are/is

02) The Present Simple Tense: Verb Forms

03) Have Got: Forms

04) Be in the Past Simple Tense: was/were

05) The Past Simple Tense: Regular Verbs

06) The Present Continuous Tense: Verb Forms

07) Future Predictions: will/won't/might

08) Future Plans: be going to

09) The Present Continuous Tense: Future Arrangements

10) The Present Perfect Tense: Regular Verbs

11) Dates and Ordinal Numbers

12) Time Phrases: Frequency Expressions

13) Time Phrases: Adverbs of Frequency

14) Time Phrases: Future

15) Time Phrases: Past

16) Irregular Verb List

17) The Past Continuous Tense: Verb Forms

18) The Present Perfect Tense: yet/already/still/just

19) The Passive Voice: Present Simple Tense




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