English Tenses

Definition

Tense shows the time of an action or state—whether it happens in the present, happened in the past, or will happen in the future.

English has 12 traditional tenses, divided into four groups:

This lecture covered the first six tenses:

1. Simple Present
2. Present Continuous
3. Simple Past
4. Past Continuous
5. Present Perfect
6. Present Perfect Continuous

Key Points

1. Simple Present Tense

Use: Regular, repeated, habitual actions; facts and general truths.

Common time expressions:

• every day
• every week
• always
• usually
• often
• regularly
• frequently

Affirmative:

For he, she, it, the verb usually takes -s, -es, or -ies.

Examples:

• I go to university every day.
• They play tennis every week.
• She walks every morning.
• He washes his clothes.

Negative:

• I don’t go to university every day.
• They don’t play tennis.
• She doesn’t walk every morning.
• He doesn’t wash his clothes.

After doesn’t, always use the base form (V1):

❌ He doesn’t washes

✅ He doesn’t wash

Question:

• Do they play tennis?
• Does she walk every morning?
• Does he wash his clothes?

Other uses:

• Schedules/timetables: The class starts at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
• News/headlines: The president visits Russia next week.
• Storytelling: Historical events can sometimes be narrated using the present tense for vividness.

2. Present Continuous / Progressive Tense

Use: An action happening now, around the present time, temporary situations, planned near-future arrangements, and sometimes repeated actions that annoy the speaker.

Affirmative:

• I am studying now.
• She is walking in the park.
• They are playing tennis.

Negative:

• I am not studying.
• She is not walking.
• They are not playing tennis.

Question:

• Am I studying?
• Is she walking?
• Are they playing tennis?

Near-future arrangement:

• Mohammad is traveling to India next month.
• I am going to Pakistan this summer.

Temporary action:

• We are writing an article these days.
• We are having many guests this week.

Complaining/annoying repeated behavior:

Usually used with words such as always, constantly, forever, never.

• You are always coming late.
• Your dog is constantly barking.

This use often expresses irritation, rather than simply describing a normal repeated action.

3. Simple Past Tense

Use: Completed actions that happened in the past.

Common expressions:

• yesterday
• last night
• last year
• last summer
• two days ago
• in 2020

Affirmative:

• I visited Herat last year.
• She finished the lesson at 9.
• They arrived, ate, and left.
• He wrote his homework.
• We slept last night.

Regular and Irregular Verbs

Regular verbs form the past using patterns such as -ed, -d, or -ied.

Irregular verbs do not follow the regular -ed pattern.

Negative:

• I did not visit Herat.
• She did not finish the lesson.
• They did not arrive.
• He did not write his homework.

Question:

• Did you visit Herat?
• Did she finish the lesson?
• Did he write his homework?

Important: After did/didn’t, use V1, not V2.

❌ Did you went?

✅ Did you go?

4. Past Continuous / Progressive Tense

Use: An action that was in progress at a particular time in the past.

It is also commonly used when:

• one past action was interrupted by another action
• two actions were happening simultaneously

Affirmative:

• I was reading at 8 p.m.
• She was cooking when I called.
• They were talking while I was working.
• We were playing football.

Negative:

• I was not reading at 8 p.m.
• She was not cooking when I called.
• They were not talking while I was working.

Question:

• Was I reading at 8 p.m.?
• Was she cooking when I called?
• Were they talking?
• Were we playing football?

Was/Were:

• I → was
• He/She/It → was
• You/We/They → were

5. Present Perfect Tense

Use: Connects a past action or situation with the present.

The exact past time is usually not specified.

Affirmative:

• I have finished my work.
• She has visited Kabul twice.
• They have taken the test.
• We have started a new business.

Have/Has:

• I/You/We/They → have
• He/She/It → has

With “Since”

Since introduces the starting point of an action or situation that continues to the present.

• I have been sick since last night.
• She has been in Kabul since March.
• He has been happy since 2020.

With “For”

For introduces the duration/length of time.

• We have been married for ten years.
• I have worked here for nine months.
• We have watched cricket for two hours.

Since = starting point

since 2020, since Monday, since morning

For = duration

for two hours, for three years, for ten days

Present time period

Present Perfect can also be used when an action happened during a time period that has not finished yet.

• I have finished university this week.
• I have visited several places this year.

Negative:

• I have not finished my work.
• She has not visited Kabul.
• They have not taken the test.

Question:

• Have I finished my work?
• Has he visited Kabul?
• Have they taken the test?

6. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Use: An action that started in the past and has continued up to now, with emphasis on the duration or ongoing activity.

Affirmative:

• I have been teaching for two hours.
• She has been studying since morning.
• They have been sleeping since 10 o’clock.

Negative:

• I have not been teaching for two hours.
• She has not been studying since morning.
• They have not been sleeping since 10 o’clock.

Question:

• Have I been teaching for two hours?
• Has she been studying since morning?
• Have they been sleeping since 10 o’clock?

Auxiliary and Main Verbs

Auxiliary verbs are helping verbs used with main verbs to form grammatical structures such as tenses, questions, and negatives.

Common auxiliary verbs include:

• be → am, is, are, was, were
• do → do, does, did
• have → have, has, had

Main verbs carry the main meaning of the sentence.

Dynamic Verbs

Dynamic verbs describe actions or activities.

• He plays cricket.
• He played cricket.
• She is studying.

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs describe a state, condition, feeling, possession, thought, or existence rather than an action.

• He is a doctor. → state
• I am happy. → state
• I am at home. → location/existence
• I know the answer. → mental state

Many stative verbs are normally not used in the continuous form. For example:

✅ I know the answer.

❌ I am knowing the answer.

Example / Code

Practice 1 — Choose the Correct Tense

1. She __ (teach) English every day.
2. Listen! The students __ (talk).
3. We __ (visit) Bamyan last summer.
4. At 9 p.m. yesterday, I __ (study).
5. I __ (finish) my assignment already.
6. They __ (work) since morning.

Answers

1. She teaches English every day. → Simple Present
2. Listen! The students are talking. → Present Continuous
3. We visited Bamyan last summer. → Simple Past
4. At 9 p.m. yesterday, I was studying. → Past Continuous
5. I have finished my assignment already. → Present Perfect
6. They have been working since morning. → Present Perfect Continuous

Practice 2 — Correct the Mistakes

1. She don’t like coffee.
2. I am study English now.
3. Did you went to class yesterday?
4. They was watching a movie.
5. He has went home.
6. We have been learn English for two years.

Correct Answers

1. She doesn’t like coffee.
2. I am studying English now.
3. Did you go to class yesterday?
4. They were watching a movie.
5. He has gone home.
6. We have been learning English for two years.

Explanation

Quick Comparison of the Six Tenses

The Most Important Differences

Simple Present vs Present Continuous

• I study English every day. → routine
• I am studying English now. → happening now

Simple Past vs Past Continuous

• I studied at 8 p.m. → completed action
• I was studying at 8 p.m. → action was in progress

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

• I have studied English for two years. → focuses more on the fact/result
• I have been studying English for two years. → emphasizes the ongoing activity/duration

”Since” vs “For”

Think of it this way:

Since → When did it start?

since Monday since 2020 since morning

For → How long?

for two hours for five years for three weeks

Output (if any)

There is no programming output in this lecture. The expected practice answers are:

Practice 1:

1. teaches
2. are talking
3. visited
4. was studying
5. have finished
6. have been working

Practice 2:

1. doesn’t like
2. am studying
3. go
4. were watching
5. has gone
6. have been learning

Common Mistakes

1. Using V2 after does/did

   • ❌ She doesn’t walks.
   • ✅ She doesn’t walk.
   • ❌ Did you went?
   • ✅ Did you go?

2. Forgetting -s/-es with third-person singular

   • ❌ He play football.
   • ✅ He plays football.

3. Using the wrong form of be

   • ❌ They was studying.
   • ✅ They were studying.

4. Forgetting “been” in Present Perfect Continuous

   • ❌ I have studying for two hours.
   • ✅ I have been studying for two hours.

5. Confusing since and for

   • ❌ I have studied for 2020.
   • ✅ I have studied since 2020.
   • ❌ I have studied since two years.
   • ✅ I have studied for two years.

6. Using Present Continuous for every present action

   • ❌ I am knowing the answer.
   • ✅ I know the answer.

7. Confusing V2 and V3

   • Simple Past → V2: I went.
   • Present Perfect → V3: I have gone.

Short Exam Notes

• Simple Present: S + V1 (+ s/es) + C → habits, routines, facts.
• Present Continuous: S + am/is/are + V-ing → happening now, temporary actions, arrangements.
• Simple Past: S + V2 + C → completed past actions.
• Past Continuous: S + was/were + V-ing → action in progress in the past.
• Present Perfect: S + have/has + V3 → past action connected to present; unspecified time.
• Present Perfect Continuous: S + have/has + been + V-ing → action continuing from past until now.
• Do/Does/Did + V1 in questions and negatives.
• Have/Has + V3 → Present Perfect.
• Have/Has + been + V-ing → Present Perfect Continuous.
• Since = starting point.
• For = duration.
• V2 = Simple Past.
• V3 = Past Participle, used with have/has/had in perfect constructions.
• Was → I/he/she/it.
• Were → you/we/they.