Your Guide to Verb Tenses

An important part of mastering any language is knowing which verb tenses to use in which sentences. Verb tenses can seem complicated, but with ample study and practice, you will be well on your way to becoming a verb tense master. Here is a verb tense guide from https://buyessayclub.com/research-paper-writing.php for your use when you are unsure of which tense to employ in any given sentence.

1. Present simple
The present simple tense can be used in a sentence that contains a repeated action, fixed time, or an unchanging trait. It can also be used when giving directions. For example, "Mary works at the grocery store," "The test starts at 8:00 a.m.," or "You go straight, and then turn left," are instances when the verb tense is present simple. This is one of the most widely used and easiest to understand verb tenses.

2. Present perfect
The present perfect is used when something has happened in the past and continues to happen or influence events in the present. The present perfect is formed by using have or has and then adding a past participle (a verb in the past tense, usually ending in -ed). For example, sentences using the present perfect tense include, "Mary has worked at the grocery store since 2000," or "I have gone to this beach since I was in high school."

3. Present continuous (progressive)
The present continuous tense includes two parts: the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, or are) and a present participle (a verb ending in "-ing"). It is used to describe an action that is in progress and is not yet complete. For example, "Mary is working at the grocery store," shows that this action - "working" - is currently happening.

4. Past simple
Like present simple, past simple is widely used. Past simple is used to show an event that happened in the past and is complete. For example, "Mary worked at the grocery store last year," shows that the subject completed an action in the past.

5. Past perfect
The past perfect is similar to the present perfect, except it uses "had" instead of "has," plus a past participle, to describe an action that happened before another specific event occurred in the past. For example, "The dog had been a great distraction for Mary until Bob came along."

6. Past continuous (progressive)
The past continuous tense uses "was" or "were," plus a present participle, to describe an action that had been continuing at a time in the past. It can also be used to indicate that an action was interrupted in the past. An example of a sentence using the past continuous tense would be, "Carlos was turning right before the other car hit him."

7. Future simple
The future simple tense is used to describe an action that will happen in the future. For example, "At 7:00 p.m., I will take out the trash," is an example of a sentence using the future simple tense.

8. Future perfect
The future perfect is used to convey that something will be completed at a specific time in the future. This tense is formed by adding "will have" before a past participle. For example, "I will have already arrived home by the time Willis comes to walk the dog."

9. Future continuous (progressive)
The future continues tense is used to depict an unfinished event that will be continuing at a specific time in the future. It is formed using "will be," the future tense of "to be," plus a present participle (a verb ending in "-ing"). An example of a sentence using the future continuous tense is, "I will be making a cake when Jared gets home."

10. Future perfect continuous (progressive)
The future perfect continuous tense is arguably the most complicated tense option. It is used when speaking about an event that has started before that time in the future and continues to be in progress. This tense is formed using "will have been" plus a present participle. For instance, "I will have been working at the store for three years," is an example of a sentence using the future perfect continuous tense.

Verb tenses can seem complicated at first, but if you focus on the function of the verb tense within a sentence, you will be one step closer to mastering English verb tenses.