verb tenses for essay

Verb Tenses

What this handout is about.

The present simple, past simple, and present perfect verb tenses account for approximately 80% of verb tense use in academic writing. This handout will help you understand how to use these three verb tenses in your own academic writing.

Click here for a color-coded illustration of changing verb tenses in academic writing.

Present simple tense

The present simple tense is used:

In your introduction, the present simple tense describes what we already know about the topic. In the conclusion, it says what we now know about the topic and what further research is still needed.

“The data suggest…” “The research shows…”

“The dinoflagellate’s TFVCs require an unidentified substance in fresh fish excreta” (Penrose and Katz, 330).

“There is evidence that…”

“So I’m walking through the park yesterday, and I hear all of this loud music and yelling. Turns out, there’s a free concert!” “Shakespeare captures human nature so accurately.”

Past simple tense

Past simple tense is used for two main functions in most academic fields.

“…customers obviously want to be treated at least as well on fishing vessels as they are by other recreation businesses. [General claim using simple present] De Young (1987) found the quality of service to be more important than catching fish in attracting repeat customers. [Specific claim from a previous study using simple past] (Marine Science)

We conducted a secondary data analysis… (Public Health) Descriptional statistical tests and t-student test were used for statistical analysis. (Medicine) The control group of students took the course previously… (Education)

Present perfect tense

The present perfect acts as a “bridge” tense by connecting some past event or state to the present moment. It implies that whatever is being referred to in the past is still true and relevant today.

“There have been several investigations into…” “Educators have always been interested in student learning.”

Some studies have shown that girls have significantly higher fears than boys after trauma (Pfefferbaum et al., 1999; Pine &; Cohen, 2002; Shaw, 2003). Other studies have found no gender differences (Rahav and Ronen, 1994). (Psychology)

Special notes

Can i change tenses.

Yes. English is a language that uses many verb tenses at the same time. The key is choosing the verb tense that is appropriate for what you’re trying to convey.

What’s the difference between present simple and past simple for reporting research results?

• Past simple limits your claims to the results of your own study. E.g., “Our study found that teenagers were moody.” (In this study, teenagers were moody.)
• Present simple elevates your claim to a generalization. E.g., “Our study found that teenagers are moody.” (Teenagers are always moody.)

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Biber, Douglas. 1999. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English . New York: Longman.

Hawes, Thomas, and Sarah Thomas. 1997. “Tense Choices in Citations.” Research into the Teaching of English 31 (3): 393-414.

Hinkel, Eli. 2004. Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Penrose, Ann, and Steven Katz. 2004. Writing in the Sciences: Exploring the Conventions of Scientific Discourse , 2nd ed. New York: Longman.

Swales, John, and Christine B. Feak. 2004. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills , 2nd ed. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Introduction to Verb Tenses

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Only two tenses are conveyed through the verb alone: present (“sing") and past (“sang"). Most English tenses, as many as thirty of them, are marked by other words called auxiliaries. Understanding the six basic tenses allows writers to re-create much of the reality of time in their writing.

Simple Present: They walk.

Present Perfect: They have walk ed .

Simple Past: They walk ed .

Past Perfect: They had walk ed .

Future: They will walk.

Future Perfect: They will have walk ed .

Usually, the perfect tenses are the hardest to remember. Here’s a useful tip: all of the perfect tenses are formed by adding an auxiliary or auxiliaries to the past participle, the third principal part.

1 st principal part (simple present): ring, walk

2 nd principal part (simple past): rang, walked

3 rd principal part (past participle): rung, walked

In the above examples, will or will have are the auxiliaries. The following are the most common auxiliaries: be, being, been, can, do, may, must, might, could, should, ought, shall, will, would, has, have, had.

Present Perfect

The present perfect consists of a past participle (the third principal part) with "has" or "have." It designates action which began in the past but which continues into the present or the effect of which still continues.

1. Simple Past : “Betty taught for ten years.” This means that Betty taught in the past; she is no longer teaching.

2. Present Perfect : “Betty has taught for ten years.” This means that Betty taught for ten years, and she still teaches today.

1. Simple Past : “John did his homework so he can go to the movies.” In this example, John has already completed his homework.

2. Present Perfect : “If John has done his homework, he can go to the movies.” In this case, John has not yet completed his homework, but he will most likely do so soon.

Present Perfect Infinitives

Infinitives also have perfect tense forms. These occur when the infinitive is combined with the word “have.” Sometimes, problems arise when infinitives are used with verbs of the future, such as “hope,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” or “want.”

I wanted to go to the movies.

Janet meant to see the doctor.

In both of these cases, the action happened in the past. Thus, these would both be simple past verb forms.

Present perfect infinitives, such as the examples below, set up a sequence of events. Usually the action that is represented by the present perfect tense was completed before the action of the main verb.

1. I am happy to have participated in this campaign! The current state of happiness is in the present: “I am happy.” Yet, this happiness comes from having participated in this campaign that most likely happened in the near past. Therefore, the person is saying that he or she is currently happy due to an event that happened in the near past.

2. John had hoped to have won the trophy. The past perfect verbal phrase, “had hoped,” indicates that John hoped in the past, and no longer does. “To have won the trophy” indicates a moment in the near past when the trophy was still able to be won. Thus, John, at the time of possibly winning the trophy, had hoped to do so, but never did.

Thus the action of the main verb points back in time; the action of the perfect infinitive has been completed.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense designates action in the past just as simple past does, but the past perfect’s action has been completed before another action.

1. Simple Past : “John raised vegetables.” Here, John raised vegetables at an indeterminate time in the past.

2. Past Perfect : “John sold the vegetables that he had raised .” In this sentence, John raised the vegetables before he sold them.

1. Simple Past : “Renee washed the car when George arrived.” In this sentence, Renee waited to wash the car until after George arrived.

2. Past Perfect : “Renee had washed the car when George arrived.” Here, Renee had already finished washing the car by the time George arrived.

In sentences expressing condition and result, the past perfect tense is used in the part that states the condition.

1. If I had done my exercises, I would have passed the test.

2. I think Sven would have been elected if he hadn't sounded so pompous.

Further, in both cases, the word if starts the conditional part of the sentence. Usually, results are marked by an implied then . For example:

If I had done my exercises, then I would have passed the test.

If Sven hadn’t sounded so pompous, then he would have been elected.

Again, the word then is not required, but it is implied.

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense is used for an action that will be completed at a specific time in the future.

1. Simple Future : “On Saturday, I will finish my housework.” In this sentence, the person will finish his or her housework sometime on Saturday.

2. Future Perfect : “By noon on Saturday, I will have finished my housework.” By noon on Saturday, this person will have the housework already done even though right now it is in the future.

1. Simple Future : “You will work fifty hours.” In this example, you will work fifty hours in the future. The implication here is that you will not work more than fifty hours.

2. Future Perfect : “You will have worked fifty hours by the end of this pay period.” By the end of this pay period, you would have already worked fifty hours. However, as of right now, this situation is in the future. The implication here is that you could work more hours.

1. Judy saved thirty dollars. (past—the saving is completed)

2. Judy will save thirty dollars. (future—the saving has not happened yet)

3. Judy has saved thirty dollars. (present perfect—the saving has happened recently)

4. Judy had saved thirty dollars by the end of last month. (past perfect—the saving occurred in the recent past)

5. Judy will have saved thirty dollars by the end of this month. (future perfect—the saving will occur in the near future, by the end of this month)

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Verb Tenses

• By English Essay Writing Tips

A Summary of English Verb Tenses

by Owen Fourie

To speak of an English verb tense can cause students to become tense.

The first use of tense in the opening sentence is as a noun. It refers to the aspect of a language that enables us to tell the time of any action or condition. Tense indicates time and also tells us if an action or a state of being is to be regarded as complete or continuing.

The second use of tense in the opening sentence is as an adjective. It describes the state of mental or nervous tension experienced by students faced with the task of using verb tenses correctly.

The purpose of this article is to present a simple and useful reference point for anyone struggling with verb tenses.

English verb tenses: a quick overview

3 basic tenses x 4 forms = 12 tenses

Three basic tenses

• Progressive
• Perfect Progressive

Twelve tenses

Simple Present

Simple Past

Simple Future

Present Progressive

Past Progressive

Future Progressive

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

Future Perfect

Present Perfect Progressive

Past Perfect Progressive

Future Perfect Progressive

What does each of these tenses do? The following definitions will tell you, and the examples that conclude this article will show you how these tenses are used.

English verb tenses: definitions

The simple present tense reports present actions, habits, facts, and conditions. It speaks of regularly performed or recurring actions, generally accepted facts or truths, and present or usual feelings and conditions.

The simple past tense reports a completed action started and finished at some time in the past.

The simple future tense reports an action that will take place in the future.

The present progressive tense reports an action that is in progress now, at this moment.

The past progressive tense reports an action that was continuing for some time in the past.

The future progressive tense reports an ongoing action that will exist in the future.

The present perfect tense reports an action that is completed in the present.

The past perfect tense reports an action that has been completed in the past.

The future perfect tense reports an action that will be completed in the future.

The present perfect progressive tense reports an action that started in the past and is continuing now, or it stopped recently and has some impact on present conditions.

The past perfect progressive tense reports an action that continued for some time in the past and was completed at some point in the past.

The future perfect progressive tense reports an action that will continue until a certain point in the future

In these definitions, the word action is used. Other words such as event , situation , and condition could also be used in addition to action to broaden the scope of some definitions.

English verb tenses: examples

He always climbs Mount Everest and none of the other Himalayan peaks.

The highest mountains in the world are in the Himalayas.

The height of Mount Everest is 8,848 meters.

He likes the challenge of mountaineering.

He climbed Mount Everest in 1984.

He wrote an article about that expedition.

He will climb Mount Everest again next year.

He is going to climb Mount Everest next year.

He climbs Mount Everest tomorrow.

He is climbing Mount Everest at this moment.

He was climbing Mount Everest last month.

He will be climbing Mount Everest next year.

He has climbed Mount Everest.

He has written articles about some of his adventures.

He had climbed Mount Everest in 1984.

By this time next year, he will have climbed Mount Everest.

By this time next year, he will have written about that event.

He is tired because he has been climbing .

He had been climbing for two hours before he took his first break.

He will have been climbing for two hours by the time he takes his first break.

Don’t let English verb tenses cause you to be tense. Relax and use this article as a handy reference point to relieve your tension.

Click on the following link to a video that will give you a well-constructed overview of English verb tenses .

—–

If you are still unsure about any point concerning verb tenses, ask here for clarification. Your comments, observations, and questions are welcome.

Here are more articles to help you with English words , grammar , and essay writing .

Copyright © 2013 by English Essay Writing Tips www.englishessaywritingtips.com

English Essay Writing Tips

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• fly on April 23, 2018 at 05:34

Thank you so much! You are great!

In this example, the main verb is be, right?

• English Essay Writing Tips on April 23, 2018 at 14:35 Author

What you have in your example is a linking verb (linking verb phrase), has been , and an adjective, obnoxious , describing a state of being. So there is not a main verb as such. If you take a slightly different example: “She has been fuming all day,” you would then have the helping verbs, has been , and an action verb or main verb, fuming .

• fly on April 22, 2018 at 08:02

I still cannot understand the difference between present perfect and present perfect progressive.

In sentences like: “She has been obnoxious all day,” what is the tense? Is it present perfect or present perfect progressive?

• English Essay Writing Tips on April 22, 2018 at 16:57 Author

Your clue in the example you have given is has been which would indicate a state of continuance whether it be something going on now or the current effect of something that has now stopped. That would make it present perfect progressive: She started being obnoxious earlier in the day and has continued being that way all day. To qualify for present perfect you would have to say something like “She has fumed all day.” So present perfect progressive is the tense of your example.

• Business School Essays that Made a Difference, 4th Edition (Graduate School Admissions Guides) | WWW.MY-INFOPAGES.COM on December 24, 2013 at 02:23

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Grammar: Verb Tenses

Most common verb tenses in academic writing.

According to corpus research, in academic writing, the three tenses used the most often are the simple present , the simple past , and the present perfect (Biber et al., 1999; Caplan, 2012). The next most common tense for capstone writers is the future ; the doctoral study/dissertation proposal at Walden is written in this tense for a study that will be conducted in the future.

Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of written and spoken English . Pearson. https://doi.org/10.1162/089120101300346831

Caplan, N. A. (2012). Grammar choices for graduate and professional writers . University of Michigan Press.

Simple present: Use the simple present to describe a general truth or a habitual action. This tense indicates that the statement is generally true in the past, present, and future.

• Example: The hospital admits patients whether or not they have proof of insurance.

Simple past : Use the simple past tense to describe a completed action that took place at a specific point in the past (e.g., last year, 1 hour ago, last Sunday). In the example below, the specific point of time in the past is 1998.

• Example: Zimbardo (1998) researched many aspects of social psychology.

Present perfect: Use the present perfect to indicate an action that occurred at a nonspecific time in the past. This action has relevance in the present. The present perfect is also sometimes used to introduce background information in a paragraph. After the first sentence, the tense shifts to the simple past.

• Example: Numerous researchers have used this method.
• Example: Many researchers have studied how small business owners can be successful beyond the initial few years in business. They found common themes among the small business owners.

Future: Use the future to describe an action that will take place at a particular point in the future (at Walden, this is used especially when writing a proposal for a doctoral capstone study).

• Example: I will conduct semistructured interviews.

Keep in mind that verb tenses should be adjusted after the proposal after the research has been completed. See this blog post about Revising the Proposal for the Final Capstone Document for more information.

APA Style Guidelines on Verb Tense

APA calls for consistency and accuracy in verb tense usage (see APA 7, Section 4.12 and Table 4.1). In other words, avoid unnecessary shifts in verb tense within a paragraph or in adjacent paragraphs to help ensure smooth expression.

• Use the past tense (e.g., researchers presented ) or the present perfect (e.g., researchers have presented ) for the literature review and the description of the procedure if discussing past events.
• Use the past tense to describe the results (e.g., test scores improved significantly).
• Use the present tense to discuss implications of the results and present conclusions (e.g., the results of the study show …).

When explaining what an author or researcher wrote or did, use the past tense.

• Patterson (2012) presented, found, stated, discovered…

However, there can be a shift to the present tense if the research findings still hold true:

• King (2010) found  that revising a document three times improves the final grade.
• Smith (2016) discovered that the treatment is effective.

Verb Tense Guidelines When Referring to the Document Itself

To preview what is coming in the document or to explain what is happening at that moment in the document, use the present or future tense:

• In this study, I will describe …
• In this study, I describe …
• In the next chapter, I will discuss …
• In the next chapter, I discuss …

To refer back to information already covered, such as summaries of discussions that have already taken place or conclusions to chapters/sections, use the past tense:

• Chapter 1 contained my original discussion of the research questions.
• In summary, in this section, I presented information on…

Simple Past Versus the Present Perfect

Rules for the use of the present perfect differ slightly in British and American English. Researchers have also found that among American English writers, sometimes individual preferences dictate whether the simple past or the present perfect is used. In other words, one American English writer may choose the simple past in a place where another American English writer may choose the present perfect.

Keep in mind, however, that the simple past is used for a completed action.  It often is used with signal words or phrases such as "yesterday," "last week," "1 year ago," or "in 2015" to indicate the specific time in the past when the action took place.

• I went to China in 2010 .
• He completed the employee performance reviews last month .

The present perfect focuses more on an action that occurred without focusing on the specific time it happened. Note that the specific time is not given, just that the action has occurred.

• I have travelled to China.

The present perfect focuses more on the result of the action.

• He has completed the employee performance reviews.

The present perfect is often used with signal words such as "since," "already," "just," "until now," "(not) yet," "so far," "ever," "lately," or "recently."

• I have already travelled to China.
• He has recently completed the employee performance reviews.
• Researchers have used this method since it was developed.

Summary of English Verb Tenses

The 12 main tenses:

• Simple present : She writes every day.
• Present progressive: She is writing right now.
• Simple past : She wrote last night.
• Past progressive: She was writing when he called.
• Simple future : She will write tomorrow.
• Future progressive: She will be writing when you arrive.
• Present perfect : She has written Chapter 1.
• Present perfect progressive: She has been writing for 2 hours.
• Past perfect: She had written Chapter 3 before she started Chapter 4.
• Past perfect progressive: She had been writing for 2 hours before her friends arrived.
• Future perfect: She will have written Chapter 4 before she writes Chapter 5.
• Future perfect progressive: She will have been writing for 2 hours by the time her friends come over.

Conditionals:

Zero conditional (general truths/general habits).

• Example: If I have time, I write every day.

First conditional (possible or likely things in the future).

• Example: If I have time, I will write every day.

Second conditional (impossible things in the present/unlikely in the future).

• Example : If I had time, I would write every day.

Third conditional (things that did not happen in the past and their imaginary results)

• Example : If I had had time, I would have written every day.

Subjunctive : This form is sometimes used in that -clauses that are the object of certain verbs or follow certain adjectives. The form of the subjective is the simple form of the verb. It is the same for all persons and number.

• Example : I recommend that he study every day.
• Example: It is important that everyone set a writing schedule.

Verbs Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Grammar for Academic Writers: Common Verb Tenses in Academic Writing (video transcript)
• Grammar for Academic Writers: Verb Tense Consistency (video transcript)
• Grammar for Academic Writers: Advanced Subject–Verb Agreement (video transcript)
• Mastering the Mechanics: Helping Verbs (video transcript)
• Mastering the Mechanics: Past Tense (video transcript)
• Mastering the Mechanics: Present Tense (video transcript)
• Mastering the Mechanics: Future Tense (video transcript)

Related Resources

Knowledge Check: Verb Tenses

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Verbs are direct, vigorous communicators. Use a chosen verb tense consistently throughout the same and adjacent paragraphs of a paper to ensure smooth expression.

Use the following verb tenses to report information in APA Style papers.

Verb tense is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 4.12 and the Concise Guide Section 2.12

From the APA Style blog

Check your tone: Keeping it professional

When writing an APA Style paper, present ideas in a clear and straightforward manner. In this kind of scholarly writing, keep a professional tone.

The “no second-person” myth

Many writers believe the “no second-person” myth, which is that there is an APA Style guideline against using second-person pronouns such as “you” or “your.” On the contrary, you can use second-person pronouns in APA Style writing.

The “no first-person” myth

Whether expressing your own views or actions or the views or actions of yourself and fellow authors, use the pronouns “I” and “we.”

Navigating the not-so-hidden treasures of the APA Style website

This post links directly to APA Style topics of interest that users may not even know exist on the website.

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This blog post provides insight into how this change came about and provides a forum for questions and feedback.

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• Knowledge Base
• Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples

Published on 20 October 2022 by Shane Bryson . Revised on 11 September 2023.

Tense communicates an event’s location in time. The different tenses are identified by their associated verb forms. There are three main verb tenses: past ,  present , and  future .

In English, each of these tenses can take four main aspects:  simple ,  perfect ,  continuous  (also known as  progressive ), and  perfect continuous . The perfect aspect is formed using the verb  to have , while the continuous aspect is formed using the verb  to be .

In academic writing , the most commonly used tenses are the  present simple , the  past simple , and the  present perfect .

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Table of contents

Tenses and their functions, when to use the present simple, when to use the past simple, when to use the present perfect, when to use other tenses.

The table below gives an overview of some of the basic functions of tenses and aspects. Tenses locate an event in time, while aspects communicate durations and relationships between events that happen at different times.

It can be difficult to pick the right verb tenses and use them consistently. If you struggle with verb tenses in your thesis or dissertation , you could consider using a thesis proofreading service .

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The present simple is the most commonly used tense in academic writing, so if in doubt, this should be your default choice of tense. There are two main situations where you always need to use the present tense.

Describing facts, generalisations, and explanations

Facts that are always true do not need to be located in a specific time, so they are stated in the present simple. You might state these types of facts when giving background information in your introduction .

• The Eiffel tower  is in Paris.
• Light  travels faster than sound.

Similarly, theories and generalisations based on facts are expressed in the present simple.

• Average income differs by race and gender.
• Older people express less concern about the environment than younger people.

Explanations of terms, theories, and ideas should also be written in the present simple.

• Photosynthesis  refers to  the process by which plants  convert sunlight into chemical energy.
• According to Piketty (2013), inequality grows over time in capitalist economies.

Describing the content of a text

Things that happen within the space of a text should be treated similarly to facts and generalisations.

This applies to fictional narratives in books, films, plays, etc. Use the present simple to describe the events or actions that are your main focus; other tenses can be used to mark different times within the text itself.

• In the first novel, Harry learns he is a wizard and travels  to Hogwarts for the first time, finally escaping the constraints of the family that raised him.

The events in the first part of the sentence are the writer’s main focus, so they are described in the present tense. The second part uses the past tense to add extra information about something that happened prior to those events within the book.

When discussing and analyzing nonfiction, similarly, use the present simple to describe what the author does within the pages of the text ( argues , explains , demonstrates , etc).

• In The History of Sexuality , Foucault asserts that sexual identity is a modern invention.
• Paglia (1993) critiques Foucault’s theory.

This rule also applies when you are describing what you do in your own text. When summarising the research in your abstract , describing your objectives, or giving an overview of the  dissertation structure in your introduction, the present simple is the best choice of tense.

• This research  aims to synthesise the two theories.
• Chapter 3 explains  the methodology and discusses ethical issues.
• The paper  concludes with recommendations for further research.

The past simple should be used to describe completed actions and events, including steps in the research process and historical background information.

Reporting research steps

Whether you are referring to your own research or someone else’s, use the past simple to report specific steps in the research process that have been completed.

• Olden (2017) recruited 17 participants for the study.
• We transcribed and coded the interviews before analyzing the results.

The past simple is also the most appropriate choice for reporting the results of your research.

• All of the focus group participants agreed  that the new version  was an improvement.
• We  found a positive correlation between the variables, but it  was not as strong as we  hypothesised .

Describing historical events

Background information about events that took place in the past should also be described in the past simple tense.

• James Joyce  pioneered the modernist use of stream of consciousness.
• Donald Trump’s election in 2016  contradicted the predictions of commentators.

The present perfect is used mainly to describe past research that took place over an unspecified time period. You can also use it to create a connection between the findings of past research and your own work.

Summarising previous work

When summarising a whole body of research or describing the history of an ongoing debate, use the present perfect.

• Many researchers  have investigated the effects of poverty on health.
• Studies  have shown a link between cancer and red meat consumption.
• Identity politics has been a topic of heated debate since the 1960s.
• The problem of free will  has vexed philosophers for centuries.

Similarly, when mentioning research that took place over an unspecified time period in the past (as opposed to a specific step or outcome of that research), use the present perfect instead of the past tense.

• Green et al.  have conducted extensive research on the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction.

Emphasising the present relevance of previous work

When describing the outcomes of past research with verbs like fi nd ,  discover or demonstrate , you can use either the past simple or the present perfect.

The present perfect is a good choice to emphasise the continuing relevance of a piece of research and its consequences for your own work. It implies that the current research will build on, follow from, or respond to what previous researchers have done.

• Smith (2015) has found that younger drivers are involved in more traffic accidents than older drivers, but more research is required to make effective policy recommendations.
• As Monbiot (2013)  has shown , ecological change is closely linked to social and political processes.

Note, however, that the facts and generalisations that emerge from past research are reported in the present simple.

While the above are the most commonly used tenses in academic writing, there are many cases where you’ll use other tenses to make distinctions between times.

Future simple

The future simple is used for making predictions or stating intentions. You can use it in a research proposal  to describe what you intend to do.

It is also sometimes used for making predictions and stating hypotheses . Take care, though, to avoid making statements about the future that imply a high level of certainty. It’s often a better choice to use other verbs like  expect ,  predict,  and  assume to make more cautious statements.

• There  will be a strong positive correlation.
• We  expect  to find a strong positive correlation.
• H1  predicts a strong positive correlation.

Similarly, when discussing the future implications of your research, rather than making statements with will,  try to use other verbs or modal verbs that imply possibility ( can ,  could ,  may ,  might ).

• These findings  will influence  future approaches to the topic.
• These findings  could influence future approaches to the topic.

Present, past, and future continuous

The continuous aspect is not commonly used in academic writing. It tends to convey an informal tone, and in most cases, the present simple or present perfect is a better choice.

• Some scholars are suggesting that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.
• Some scholars suggest   that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.
• Some scholars have suggested   that mainstream economic paradigms are no longer adequate.

However, in certain types of academic writing, such as literary and historical studies, the continuous aspect might be used in narrative descriptions or accounts of past events. It is often useful for positioning events in relation to one another.

• While Harry is traveling to Hogwarts for the first time, he meets many of the characters who will become central to the narrative.
• The country was still recovering from the recession when Donald Trump was elected.

Past perfect

Similarly, the past perfect is not commonly used, except in disciplines that require making fine distinctions between different points in the past or different points in a narrative’s plot.

Sources for this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Bryson, S. (2023, September 11). Verb Tenses in Academic Writing | Rules, Differences & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 29 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/english-language/verb-tenses/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

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Understanding Verb Tenses

Having a thorough understanding of verb tenses is crucial for effective communication. But verb tenses go beyond the past, present, and future. This guide covers tense and aspect, helping you learn how to use them accurately.

Verb Tenses: Quick Summary

Verb tenses indicate when an action (or state) happens—either in the past, present, or future. But they can also reveal important information about whether the action is ongoing or completed. There are 12 verb tenses in English, formed by combining the past, present, and future tenses with the simple, progressive, perfect, or perfect progressive aspects.

Learn About:

• Present Tense
• Future Tense

Present Progressive

Past progressive, future progressive, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect, present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive, future perfect progressive, what are verb tenses.

Verb tenses are grammatical forms that indicate the time an action took place—either in the present, past, or future.

In addition to conveying time, verb tenses also include grammatical aspects that provide vital information about continuity or completion. These aspects— simple, progressive (also known as continuous ) , perfect, and perfect progressive —combined with the past, present, and future tenses, result in twelve primary verb tenses in English.

Here’s what the grammatical aspects represent:

Having a thorough understanding of verb tenses is vital to avoid errors and misunderstandings. Below, we’ll go over each verb tense, show you how to construct them, and provide examples of each.

Let’s begin!

Verb Tenses (With Examples)

Simple present.

The simple present tense indicates actions occurring now, those occurring habitually, and those that are always true. Usually, the simple present tense is just the base verb unless the subject is in the third person singular. In that case, you’d add “–s” or “–es” to the root.

I study every morning.

She studies every morning.

Simple Past

The past tense describes actions that occurred at a specific time prior and do not extend into the present. In other words, the action is completed. The past tense is usually formed by adding “–ed” to the base of the verb, unless it’s an irregular verb.

I studied yesterday.

Simple Future

The simple future tense describes actions that will happen in the future. To form this tense, use [will] + the base form of the verb.

I will study tomorrow morning.

Use the present progressive tense to indicate that an action is in progress or happening in the future. It is formed by using [am/is/are] + the present participle.

I am studying .

We are studying tomorrow.

What Is a Present Participle?

A present participle is a form of a verb that ends in “–ing” and is used to form progressive tenses, but can also be used as adjectives.

• I am singing .
• Look at that singing bird.

The past progressive tense is used to describe continuous actions in the past, especially if the action was interrupted by another. It is formed by using [was/were] + the present participle.

I was studying when you arrived.

The future progressive tense indicates an action that will be in progress in the future, especially when a specific time is mentioned. It is formed by using [will be] + the present participle.

I will be studying at 8 AM tomorrow.

The present perfect refers to actions that began in the past and were either completed at some unspecified time in the past or continued into the present. It is formed by using [have/has] with the past participle.

I have studied before.

The past perfect tense describes an action that happened before another past action or time. It is formed by using [had] + the past participle.

I had studied before I went to bed last night.

Use the future perfect tense to indicate that an action will be completed by a specified time in the future. It is formed by using [will have] + the past participle.

I will have studied the entire textbook by the time you arrive.

The present perfect progressive indicates an ongoing action that began in the past and continued into the present. It is formed by using [have/has been] + the present participle.

I have been studying all morning.

The past perfect progressive indicates continuing actions in the past that began before a specific time or before some other past action began. To form this tense, use [had been] + the present participle.

I had been studying for an hour before I left.

Use the future perfect progressive to indicate continuing actions that will be completed by some specified time in the future. To construct this tense, use [will have been] + the present participle.

I will have been studying for two hours by the time you arrive.

Using the Correct Verb Tense

We cannot stress enough how crucial it is to have a good grasp of verb tenses to communicate effectively. Incorrect use can result in misunderstandings. Luckily, LanguageTool ensures that your writing employs proper verb tenses. This advanced, multilingual writing assistant can correct various types of errors, suggest better wording, and help in rephrasing sentences to achieve the desired tone.

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Shifty Tenses

Many students believe that tense changes should always be avoided. However, sometimes a shift in tense is necessary to indicate a change in the timeframe of the action. It is the unnecessary shifts in tense that sometimes cause awkwardness and should be avoided.

What is tense?

Tense is the grammatical word to describe the ending of a verb (usually -ed for past and -s for present). English usually marks the sense of time with an adverb (for example: it is happening today or it happened yesterday.) When proofreading for unnecessary tense shifts, there are several questions to keep in mind: “When do I want to set this action?” and “Has the time period changed?” For example, I may be writing an essay about my experiences on a recent trip to Virginia and want to say that I saw the Mason-Dixon line for the first time. I have several options. I can write my paper in the past tense, which is the style most people are used to reading in novels or short stories, as follows:

Then the driver pointed to a white line painted on the road and said , “There's the Mason-Dixon line.”

However, I may choose to make my essay more immediate by placing the action in the present. This is also an acceptable writing style, especially for an essay:

Then the driver points to a white line painted on the road and says , “There's the Mason-Dixon line.”

In this case, the tense is merely a matter of style; it is your choice.

Should I ever change tense?

Sometimes it is necessary to change tense. For example, if the time frame of the action changes from past to present, the tense should change to indicate this:

Although it was only a four-hour ride from my home in Pennsylvania to my boyfriend's home in Virginia, I was terrified. Looking back, I think my feelings may have been influenced by stereotypes of the Old South.

Although this paragraph starts in the past tense, the phrase “Looking back” clearly shows the time frame of the action “think.” The tense change is perfectly acceptable without this phrase also:

Although it was only a four-hour ride from my home in Pennsylvania to my boyfriend's home in Virginia, I was terrified. I think my feelings may have been influenced by stereotypes of the Old South.

The reason for this tense change is that I am thinking now—in the present time. Notice how putting that sentence in the past tense changes the time frame and ameaning of the action.

I thought my feelings may have been influenced by stereotypes of the Old South.

Now it sounds as though I was reflecting during the car ride, but I wanted to imply that it was only later that I had this thought.

When is it wrong to shift tense?

There are other times, though, when a tense shift is not correct. For example, if the action all happened in the same time—past, present, or future—then the verbs should be consistent in tense. This “mistake” is often heard in speech, and it is even used in very informal writing. However, from a grammatical viewpoint, this type of unnecessary shift in tense should be avoided in more formal (such as academic) writing.

I climbed out of the car, walked through the door, and prepared to meet “the parents,” but instead a large, honey-colored dog runs to meet me at the door.

Here is a better way of writing this sentence:

I climbed out of the car, walked through the door, and prepared to meet “the parents,” but instead a large, honey-colored dog ran to meet me at the door.

What tense is best for my paper?

There are other uses of tense that a college student should be aware of. English majors and others who write analysis papers will often write in the literary present. This allows a writer to write about fictional or nonfictional information from a literary work in the present tense.

Shakespeare uses many risqué puns in his plays. In one scene, he disguises sexual references as sword-fighting terms.

Although Shakespeare wrote many years ago, his work can still be talked about in the present because it still exists. Again, though, there is no hard and fast rule about tense. If you wanted to stress that this happened in the past, perhaps as part of a biography of Shakespeare which was describing how he used to write, you may choose to write it in past tense instead of the literary present:

Shakespeare used many risqué puns in his plays. In one scene, he disguised sexual references as sword-fighting terms.

This is also grammatically correct, but it changes the focus of the sentence slightly. Now it reads more like a narrative than an analysis. In a situation like this, when both styles are equally grammatically correct, it becomes a choice of deciding which is better for your purposes. Are you analyzing or narrating?

I'm still confused. Do you have an example of a paper that uses tense changes well?

The following is an example of an essay that uses tense changes successfully. Read the description of how the student changes tense and then pay attention to the effects of the tense changes as you read his essay. Some of the verbs in the essay are in bold to help you spot these changes. (This example is taken from a paper by a former student in Professor Blackledge's Theater Criticism class.)

This writer begins in past tense to talk about a specific production of the play. Then he shifts into something called the universal present to make the reader feel like an observer watching the play unfold. Then he shifts back to past tense when making a comment about the play—something he felt when he was watching it. Then he shifts again to present tense in the final paragraph to state his overall evaluation of the play.

The Pittsburgh Public Theater production of The Pirates of Penzance presented their audience with a lighthearted theatrical experience that could be enjoyed by theater goers, young and old alike. Written over one hundred years ago by the legendary operetta team Gilbert and Sullivan, Pirates has enjoyed great success with each new incarnation. Pittsburgh Public managed to hold to this tradition once again by bringing this ageless piece of musical theater to life with freshness as well as a salute back to the days of theater past. This look back to the theater of Victorian England was most evident in the set design of Michael Schweikardt. When the audience first enters the theater their eyes are drawn to a large, false proscenium painted bright red to resemble a large red curtain found in an old opera house. At the top of the proscenium are the stylized letters “G&S” to acknowledge the plays creators. Hanging from the ceiling are two gaslight chandeliers helping to transport the viewers back in time to the world of Gilbert and Sullivan. The playing area in front of the proscenium is painted in a fashion which resembles the lobby of a grand opera house. Disrupting this grand Victorian vision are two brown boulders placed on either side of the stage, foreshadowing the scene that is to be staged. These aspects create a mood for the audience by acknowledging them and allowing them to just enjoy the show. As the curtain rises , the audience views the backdrop depicting a rocky beach with a ship anchored in the distance. Set in front of the backdrop is a rocky hill indicating that the action will take place on a flat of land above the beach. Cut into the hill is a tiny cave which will serve as a hiding place later in the act. The actors' entrances are made coming over this rocky structure and entering onto the stage. I felt that Michael Schweikardt's design was very effective in meeting the needs of this scene. We must take into account that most of the action takes place in front of this set and allows the twenty-member cast to move freely within their world. Once again, the image of a late nineteenth-century production is perceived with the use of the simplistic structures and the simply painted backdrop. I feel that Mr. Schweikardt's challenge in designing this production would be to provide a functional set without taking away from the spirit of this timeless tale. The Pirates of Penzance was written for a different audience from today's. In a time when landing helicopters on stage and giant chandeliers come crashing down dramatic finales, audiences expect more. By focusing the spectacle of his set to bring the audience into the time this operetta was first produced, the audience is satisfied from the beginning. They can better understand why there is still a demand for century-old productions like The Pirates of Penzance and enjoy the experience today.

by Jessica Knouse

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Common Issues with Tenses

4-minute read

• 6th June 2022

Using verbs correctly is one of the trickiest parts of writing . Anyone can make mistakes with verb tenses, but it’s especially easy for those who aren’t native English speakers. In this post, we’ll explain the nine main tenses and highlight the most common mistakes writers make when using them. So, read on if you want to make verb tense mistakes a thing of the past!

What Are the Main Tenses in English?

Every action happens in the past, present, or future. Each of these time frames is further divided into the simple , continuous, or perfect form. Here’s an example of each:

●  Simple past – things that happened before now:

I wrote an essay last week.

●  Past continuous – an ongoing action in the past:

He was writing a poem yesterday morning.

●  Past perfect – an action that ended before a point in the past:

By lunchtime, he had written six lines.

●  Simple present – a habitual action:

She writes at her desk by the window.

The simple present is also used to describe actions happening at this moment:

I want a desk like that.

●  Present continuous – an ongoing action happening right now:

I am writing a future bestseller!

●  Present perfect – an action that began in the past and is still happening now, or one that happened at an unspecified time:

He has written stories since he was a child.

I have written 1000 birthday cards.

●  Simple future – things that’ll happen and then stop happening:

I will read the first chapter of the book tomorrow.

●  Future continuous – things that’ll begin in the future and continue for some time:

I will be writing a book report.

●  Future perfect – an action that’ll end at some point in the future:

I will have written it by the end of the week.

With so many tenses to choose from, it’s no wonder people make mistakes. Don’t worry, though, because for most academic writing, you don’t need to use all of them. Essays and assignments are nearly always written in the simple present tense, and if you’re describing your own research methodology (e.g., an experiment or survey), you would use the simple past tense.

What Are the Most Common Verb Tense Errors?

Mistakes with verb tenses usually fall into one of three categories:

• Changing from one tense to another.
• Overusing continuous tenses.
• Confusion with irregular verbs.

Use tenses consistently

Your readers will get confused if you switch tenses unexpectedly:

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The car drove into the tunnel, and it comes out the other end. ✘

The car drove into the tunnel, and it came out the other end. ✔

The car drives into the tunnel, and it comes out the other end. ✔

This doesn’t mean changing tense mid-sentence is always wrong. But make sure you’re saying what you intend to say!

I practiced using different tenses, and now I understand them better. ✔

Limit your use of continuous tenses

Your writing can easily become quite clunky if you use a lot of continuous verb forms:

It was pouring rain while we were camping, and the children were complaining because their blankets were getting wet.

It poured rain while we were camping, and the children complained because their blankets got wet.

The first sentence contains four present participles (i.e., verb forms that end in ing ), which makes it quite a chore to read and rather repetitive. In the second version, we’ve replaced three of them with the simple past tense. This makes the writing more concise and easier to read.

Watch out for irregular verbs

We form the simple past tense and the past participle of most verbs by simply adding ed to the base verb (e.g., walk – walked; open – opened ). However, there are many verbs that don’t obey such rules, and we call these irregular verbs . Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to learn how to conjugate irregular verbs because they don’t follow an obvious pattern, as these examples show:

I buyed bought a gigantic jar of honey.

It costed cost $10.

I hided hid it in the back of the cupboard.

I soon forgetted forgot all about it.

As you read English texts and listen to people speaking in conversation, you’ll recognize more irregular verbs and become familiar with how they work.

Proofreading for Perfect Grammar

We hope you now feel confident about using different tenses in your writing. If you’d like an expert to check your work for incorrect verbs and any other mistakes in grammar, spelling, or punctuation, our proofreaders are here to help. Send us a free trial document to find out more.

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Tenses in writing

Verb tenses.

The present tense is used to express anything that is happening now or occurring in the present moment. The present also communicates actions that are ongoing, constant, or habitual. For example:

Use the past tense to indicate past events, prior conditions, or completed processes. For example:

The future tense indicates actions or events that will happen in the future. For example:

Aspect allows you to be more precise in your selection of verbs. Aspect falls into two categories: continuous and perfect. To indicate the continuous aspect, add a form of the verb "to be" and a present participle to your main verb. The perfect aspect is created with a form of the verb "to have" and a past participle. The following chart shows twelve forms of the verb "to write" that result from combining time with aspect.

( aspect summary )

A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective.

Aspect in Detail

The continuous aspect is created with a form of "to be" and a present participle ( about participles ). For example:

The perfect aspect is created with a form of the verb "to have" and a past participle. For example:

The perfect aspect is often the most challenging to understand, so here's a brief overview.

Past Perfect describes a past action completed before another. For example, the next two sentences describe one action followed by another, but each achieves a different rhetorical effect by using different verb forms.

"Wrote" and "reread" sound equally important in the first sentence. In the second, the past perfect form "had written" emphasizes the action "reread."

Present Perfect refers to completed actions which endure to the present or whose effects are still relevant.

Future Perfect refers to an action that will be completed in the future.

One final note: the terms used to describe aspect have changed over time, and different terms are often used to describe the same aspect. It may help to know that the following terms are equivalent:

• "simple present" (or) "present indefinite"
• "past continuous" (or) "past progressive" (or) "past imperfect"
• "past complete" (or) "past perfect"
• "past perfect continuous" (or) "past perfect progressive"

Verb Tenses in Context

Conventions governing the use of tenses in academic writing differ somewhat from ordinary usage. Below we cover the guidelines for verb tenses in a variety of genres.

Academic Writing

• Books, Plays, Poems, Movies, etc.

Historical Contrast

Research proposals, resumes and cover letters, stories/narrative prose.

1. Academic writing generally concerns writing about research. As such, your tense choices can indicate to readers the status of the research you're citing. You have several options for communicating research findings, and each has a different rhetorical effect. For example:

• 1.3 According to McMillan (1996), the most common cause of death was car accidents.

If you choose the present tense, as in Example 1.1, you're implying that the findings of the research are generally accepted, whereas the present perfect tense in 1.2 implies not only general acceptance but also current relevance and, possibly, the continuity of the findings as an authoritative statement on the causes of death. On the other hand, the past tense in Example 1.3 emphasizes the finding at the time the research was conducted, rather than its current acceptance.

However, if you are writing about specific research methods, the process of research and data collection, or what happened during the research process, you will more commonly use the past tense, as you would normally use in conversation. The reason is that, in this instance, you are not emphasizing the findings of the research or its significance, but talking about events that occurred in the past. Here is an example:

• 1.4 During the data collection process, Quirk conducted 27 interviews with students in his class. Prior to the interviews, the students responded to a brief questionnaire.

Books, Poems, Plays, Movies

2. When you are discussing a book, poem, movie, play, or song the convention in disciplines within the humanities is to use the present tense, as in:

• 2.1 In An Introduction to English Grammar (2006), Noam Chomsky discusses several types of syntactic structures.
• 2.2 In Paradise Lost , Milton sets up Satan as a hero who changes the course of history.

3. In cases where it is useful to contrast different ideas that originate from different periods , you can use the past and the present or present perfect tense to do so. The past tense implies that an idea or a theory has lost its currency or validity, while the present tense conveys relevance or the current state of acceptance.

For example, when you want to discuss the fact that a theory or interpretation has been supplanted by new perspectives on the subject:

• 3.1 Stanley Fish (1993) maintained a reader-response stance in his analysis of Milton's L'Allegro and Il Penseroso . However, recent literary critics consider/have considered this stance to be inappropriate for the two poems.

The verb tenses used above emphasize the contrast between the old view (by Stanley Fish), which is indicated by the past tense, and the new view (by "recent literary critics"), which is indicated by the present tense or the present perfect tense. The difference between the present tense and the present perfect (i.e. between consider and have considered ) is that the present perfect suggests that the current view has been held for some time.

4. The future tense is standard in research proposals because they largely focus on plans for the future. However, when writing your research paper, use the past tense to discuss the data collection processes, since the development of ideas or experiments— the process of researching that brings the reader to your ultimate findings—occurred in the past.

5. In a resume, the past tense is used for reporting past experience and responsibilities. However, in a statement of purpose, a personal statement, or a cover letter, the present perfect tense is commonly used to relate past experience to present abilities, e.g., "I have managed fourteen employees."

6. The past tense is commonly used when writing a narrative or a story , as in:

• 6.1 Once upon a time, there was a peaceful kingdom in the heart of a jungle . . .

Some writers use the present tense in telling stories, a technique called the "historical present" that creates an air of vividness and immediacy. For example:

• 6.2 Yesterday when I was walking around downtown, the craziest thing happened. This guy in a suit comes up to me, and says , "If you know what's good for you . . . "

In this example, the speaker switches from the past tense in giving context for the story to the present tense in relating the events themselves.

Back to Grammar in College Writing

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• Inconsistent Verb Tenses

In formal writing, it is important to keep verb tenses consistent so that readers can follow the progress of ideas and arguments easily. In creative writing, verb tenses may be used inconsistently for effect, but in academic writing, it is important to use verb tenses consistently throughout a paper, carefully signaling any necessary shifts in tense.

Was, felt, and thrived are past tense; trains and seems are present tense. All of the action in the passage above occurred in the past, so all of the verbs there should be in the past tense.

Rule to Remember

Choose the specific tense to be used in the essay, paper, or report and then coordinate all other verbs with it.

Correcting Inconsistent Tenses

Sometimes in academic writing, it is necessary to signal to the reader that one event was completed in the past before another past event occurred. This is where the perfect form of verbs can be used ( have + verb).

The phrase " by the time " signals that the action in the second clause occurred before the action in the first clause. This kind of signal helps the reader follow any shifts in time.

When discussing a specific essay or piece of literature , use the present tense throughout the paper.

To eliminate illogical shifts in tenses, the writer should choose the specific tense to be used in the essay and then coordinate all other verbs with it to reflect future and past events in relation to the chosen tense.

The passage above is full of illogical shifts from the past tense to the present and the future. Since most actions happened in the past, we need to make the verb forms consistent.

Here is the revised version of the passage in which the use of the past tense is consistent:

• Adjective or Adverb
• Commonly Confused Words
• Dangling Modifiers
• Double Negatives
• Misplaced Modifiers
• Parallelism
• Pronoun Agreement
• Relative Clauses
• Split Infinitives
• Subject-verb Agreement
• Use of Numbers
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• Organization

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• Simple Present Tense | Examples, Use & Worksheet

Simple Present Tense | Examples, Use & Worksheet

Published on March 20, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on September 25, 2023.

The simple present tense is a verb form used to talk about habits, unchanging situations, facts, and planned events in the near future.

The simple present tense of most verbs is the infinitive form (e.g., “sing”). However, the third person singular (e.g., “he,” “she,” and “it”) takes an “s” at the end of the verb (e.g., “write” becomes “writes”).

Table of contents

How to use the simple present, present simple vs. present continuous, how to form negatives, how to form questions, how to form the passive voice, worksheet: simple present vs. present continuous, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions about the simple present tense.

The simple present is used to refer to habits , unchanging situations or states , general truths , and scheduled events in the future .

Most verbs in the simple present tense use the infinitive form (e.g., “run”). The only exception is the third person singular (used with “he,” “she,” “it,” and any singular noun), which is usually formed by adding “s” to the end of the verb.

I speak French.

The Earth revolves around the sun.

The simple present is also used along with future simple tense constructions to talk about a future action. In these instances, the simple present construction is usually preceded by a subordinating conjunction (e.g., “after,” “before,” “as soon as,” “when”).

Forming the third person singular

The third person singular is usually formed by adding “s” to the end of the verb (e.g., “run” becomes “runs”). However, this can vary depending on the verb’s ending.

• I have a cat.
• Sandra has an old bike.

Irregular verb: “Be”

The stative verb “be” is used in the simple present to refer to unchanging situations (e.g., “You are clever”) and to temporary present situations (e.g., “Ramone is hungry”). This verb changes in form more than any other, as shown in the table below.

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While the present simple is typically used to refer to habits, states, and facts, the present continuous is used to describe a temporary action that is currently taking place.

Justin is eating dinner right now. [describing a temporary action in the present] Note While most verbs in the present simple are not used to talk about temporary situations in the present, stative verbs (e.g., “be,” “have,” “want,” “know”) can be used in the simple present to describe temporary states of being.

These verbs are typically not used in the present continuous tense :

• I am wanting ice cream.
• I want ice cream.

For most subjects, negative statements are formed by adding “do not” (or the contraction “don’t”) between the subject and the verb . The third person singular uses “does not” (or “doesn’t”).

Abby doesn’t like traveling . Note Negative constructions in the simple present use the infinitive form of the verb, regardless of subject (i.e., the third person singular form never takes an “s”).

• The clock doesn’t works .
• The clock doesn’t work .

The verb “be” is made negative by adding the adverb “not” after the verb . This is the case for all subjects.

Even though he didn’t sleep much last night, Andrew is not tired. Note Don’t negate other verbs in the same way as “be,” by just adding “not” after the verb. This only applies to “be.” For other verbs, use “do not” or “does not” as described above.

• Jamie exercises not much.
• Jamie doesn’t exercise much.

To ask a yes–no question using the simple present, add “do” before the subject and the infinitive form of the verb. Again, the exception is the third person singular, which uses “does” instead of “do.”

To ask a question using a wh-word (an interrogative pronoun like “what” or an interrogative adverb like “when”), place the pronoun or adverb before “do” (or “does” for the third person singular).

What do you want?

Passive sentences are ones in which the subject is acted upon (rather than performing the action). In the simple present, the passive voice uses a conjugated form of the verb “be” along with a past participle .

The stray cat is fed by everyone in the neighborhood.

You can test your understanding of the difference between the simple present and the present continuous with the worksheet below. Fill in one of the two options in each sentence.

• Practice questions
• Answers and explanations
• I _______ every morning before work. [run/am running]
• Kevin _______ the kitchen right now. [cleans/is cleaning]
• Humans _______ about 12 times per minute. [blink/are blinking]
• The train _______ at 12 p.m. every day. [leaves/is leaving]
• Allie _______ at the moment. [studies/is studying]
• “Run” is correct. In this instance, the simple present is used to refer to a habit.
• The present continuous form “is cleaning” is correct because it refers to a temporary action in the present.
• The present simple form “blink” is correct. In this instance, it’s used to express a fact.
• The present simple form “leaves” is correct. In this instance, it’s used to refer to a planned future event.
• The present continuous form “is studying” is correct because it refers to a temporary action that is currently taking place.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Possessive nouns
• Indefinite pronouns
• Relative pronouns
• Interrogative pronouns
• Present perfect tense
• Modal verbs
• Conditional sentences
• Subjunctive mood
• Imperative mood
• Interjections
• Determiners
• Prepositions

In the simple present tense , the stative verb “be” is used to describe temporary present situations (e.g., “I am tired”) and unchanging situations (e.g., “Laura is a doctor”). The form of the verb varies depending on the subject:

• The first person singular uses “am” (e.g., “I am”)
• The third person singular uses “is” (e.g., “he is,” “she is,” “it is”)
• All other subjects use “are” (e.g., “you are,” “we are,” “they are”)

The “-ing” form of a verb is called the present participle . Present participles can be used as adjectives (e.g., “a thrilling story”) and to form the continuous verb tenses (e.g., the present continuous : “We are partying ”).

Gerunds also use the “-ing” form of a verb, but they function only as nouns (e.g., “I don’t enjoy studying ”).

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Ryan, E. (2023, September 25). Simple Present Tense | Examples, Use & Worksheet. Scribbr. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/verbs/simple-present/

Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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A Comprehensive Guide to Verb Tenses in English

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Written by  Scribendi

When studying a foreign language, one of the biggest challenges learners face is verb conjugation. Some languages are plagued with irregular verbs. Others, like German, move the position of the root verb to indicate the past tense. So many rules to follow! So many endings to memorize!

It will probably come as no surprise to hear that learning verb tenses in English is no walk in the park, either. As a language that haunts ESL learners  with its spelling irregularities and seemingly random article usage, English can also be kind of confusing when it comes to verb tenses.

But never fear, this comprehensive guide to English verb tenses is just the crash course you need to get your perfects and progressives straight. You might even learn some things you didn't know about the history of the English language, too.

The English Language: A Historical Overview

English is a fairly unique language that developed out of England's long early history of occupation. Unlike other European languages, it doesn't stem from a single language family. Its linguistic roots are Germanic, Scandinavian, French, and Latin. 

Here's how it happened.

Shortly after the Celts—the ancestors of today's Welsh and Irish—repelled the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons invaded what is now known as England. Although there weren't many of them, they changed the Celtic languages in some key ways, such as adding the interrogative.

The Vikings were the next wave of Germanic invaders to settle down in England. They assimilated into the native population, and Old Norse words and language patterns gradually became interwoven with Old English. The Normans—Vikings who had first settled in northern France—came a few centuries later, adding 10,000 French words to the English language.

As these waves of war and invasion came and went, England began to consolidate its power within a few different kingdoms, which were unified by the end of the fifteenth century. England's rise to a global power, the invention of the printing press, and the Reformation added some final touches to the evolving English language. Scholars began to take an interest in this language of the common people; however, they wanted it to appear more erudite. Consequently, a number of Latin words were added into the mix.

The Controversy over Verb Tense

According to some modern linguists , the English language has only two tenses: the past and the present. That's because all of the other tenses are formed by adding auxiliary verbs, such as "be," "do," and "have." In those tenses, the root verb doesn't change; they are not morphological. In other words, because only the past and present tense are, in fact, morphological—"I saw the bear; now, it sees me"—they are the only tenses that count.

Others linguists argue that morphology doesn’t matter. Rather, they stress that the "will" or "shall" one adds to make the future tense—"I will get up in a minute"—has undergone a grammatical shift, rendering it unimportant as a word in its own right when it is used for the purpose of changing tense. In other words, auxiliary verbs are vestigial.

As it so happens, this controversy about the number of verb tenses in English is centuries old. One of the very first grammarians , Ben Jonson, spoke of "three times" in his guide to verb tenses and other grammatical constructions,  The English Grammar . According to him, the "times" were the past, present, and future. However, just a century later, another grammarian named Joseph Priestly argued that there were only two tenses and a number of additional "orders." 

Among people who are not linguists or grammarians, there is also some legitimate confusion over what constitutes a tense. If you Google "how many verb tenses are there in English," you might get two or three as an answer, but there's an equally good chance you'll get the number 12. That's because people tend to lump tenses together with aspects .

So what's the difference, and what is an aspect anyhow?

While both tenses and aspects are properties of verbs, tense refers to the fixed time when an action takes place. Aspects, on the other hand, describe time in relation to other actions or events on a timeline. 

Here's an example: In the simple past tense, you say, "She lost the race."

However, here’s an example of the perfect aspect of the past tense: "She had lost the race the moment her shoe came off." It describes a completed action in relation to another action. When did she lose the race? Right at the moment her shoe fell off. 

The progressive aspect of the past tense, or the perfect progressive aspect , might read as follows: "She had been losing the race until Ashley's shoe came off." Since it describes an action that is ongoing in relation to other actions, this aspect indicates that an action was ongoing until something else happened to stop it.

An Overview of the Tenses and Aspects

Scholarly debates aside, the popular consensus is that there are three simple verb tenses that indicate the time in which an action or a state of being occurs. These are the present, past, and future:

• I eat avocado toast every morning.
• I ate avocado toast at that trendy restaurant.
• I will eat avocado toast; it's just a matter of time.

In addition to the three tenses, there are two primary aspects. The perfect aspect indicates a completed action—"He had written the essay before it was due."—and the progressive aspect describes an ongoing action—"She is still writing her essay even though class already started."

Although there may be as many as 30 combinations and permutations, there are 12 main tenses in the English language, the result of the following combination of tenses and aspects:

• Present perfect
• Past perfect
• Future perfect
• Present progressive
• Past progressive
• Future progressive
• Present perfect progressive
• Past perfect progressive
• Future perfect progressive

The Simple Verb Tenses

To begin, let's take a closer look at the simple present, past, and future verb tenses. 

The simple present tense indicates actions that are habitual or generally true.

• I like sushi.
• The weather in Texas is hot.
• When we visit Bologna, we walk under miles of porticos.

In particular, notice the use of the simple present when stating a habitual action. It would sound incorrect to say, "I eat pasta," in response to the question, "What are you doing right now?" Instead, you would use the progressive tense: "I am eating pasta." 

You do use the simple present to describe a routine action, though.

• He paints portraits.
• I eat fresh strawberries in the summer.
• The dogs bark whenever she takes a conference call.

You also use the simple present with stative verbs , which indicate possession, senses, emotions, or states of being.

• I love that new song.
• That shirt belongs to me.
• She thinks spinach is delicious.

The simple past tense indicates an action that is already complete. To form the past tense of a regular verb in English, you add the suffix "ed." Sadly, for ESL speakers, there are a number of irregular verbs that do not follow this rule, such as felt, came, and thought.

• I donated to the food drive yesterday.
• He felt nauseous after riding the roller coaster.
• Thousands of Chinese immigrants came to the United States in the nineteenth century.

Future 

The simple future tense indicates an action or state of being that will take place in the future. You form it by adding auxiliary words (such as "will," "shall," or "am going to") to the main verb.

• I am going to love my trip to Hawaii.
• The principal shall make the announcement tomorrow.
• He'll bring a casserole to the potluck if you don't have enough food. 

The Progressive Verb Tenses 

To describe actions that are ongoing in the past, present, or future, you apply the progressive aspect to each of the three simple tenses. The three progressive tenses can be formed by adding the correct form of the auxiliary verb "to be" to verbs ending in "ing." Although there are exceptions, it's important to note that you can use only the progressive tense with dynamic verbs. Dynamic verbs describe actions that are willed or voluntary, for example, "I am playing soccer." Alternatively, in most cases, stative verbs cannot be used with the progressive tense. Remember that stative verbs describe feelings, qualities, or attributes that are mostly innate, for example, "I like soccer."

Present Progressive

The present progressive tense describes an ongoing action that is happening right now. The action began in the past and will continue into the future.

• She's filing the divorce papers.
• I’m checking my social media accounts.
• The neighbor's dog is barking loudly and enthusiastically.

Past Progressive

The past progressive tense indicates an action that was ongoing in the past. It began at some point and may continue after a second action has taken place. 

• She was talking to her friend when their biology class ended.
• I was watering my plants when three cop cars sped down the street.
• They were driving up the coast when it began snowing so hard they could barely see.

Future Progressive

The future progressive tense indicates an ongoing action that will take place in relation to some future event.

• I will be coming home for the holidays.
• She’ll be heading out the door the minute she wins the lottery.
• We will be singing the same song, undoubtedly, when our daughter graduates from college. 

The Perfect Verb Tenses

The perfect verb tense describes an action or state of being that is finished or already completed. You form each of the three perfect tenses by adding the correct form of the auxiliary verb "to have" to the past participle of the verb. Perfect tenses can be used with dynamic or stative verbs.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense indicates an accomplishment, experience, or action that occurred over an indefinite period of time. The action may have ended sometime before the present moment or may still be happening. The present perfect and the simple past are sometimes used interchangeably in the English language. In fact, the difference between them boils down to context.

• I have been horseback riding.
• The train has been delayed until future notice.
• The English language has been transformed several times since the Anglo-Saxon invasion.

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense indicates that a past action was completed before another action took place.

• Gwen had invested in the company just before it went bankrupt.
• We had argued for peace, but the opposition decided to wage war.
• I had fixed the drywall cracks before the mud storm shifted the home's foundation again.

Future Perfect

The future perfect verb tense indicates an action that will have been completed in some future time.

• The dogs will have been fed before we arrive home.
• She will have been exhausted by playing with her nieces and nephews.
• By the time we see their light, stars will have been already alive for billions of years.

The Perfect Progressive Verb Tenses

The perfect progressive tense describes an action that occurred in the past and is ongoing in relation to some past, present, or future point in time. While the perfect tense indicates a completed action, the three perfect progressive tenses describe continuous action. 

To form the perfect progressive tense, you use the correct form of the auxiliary verb "to have" and the past tense of the auxiliary verb "to be" in combination with a verb ending in "ing."

Present Perfect Progressive 

The present perfect progressive tense describes an action that began in the past and is still ongoing in the present.

• I have been watching Netflix all morning.
• They have been trying to build their new desk.
• The lawyers have been eager to get the testimony of a key witness.

Past Perfect Progressive

The past perfect progressive tense describes an action that was ongoing in the past but stopped before the present time, often because of another action.

• They had been working until the pizza arrived.
• I had been shopping for Christmas presents until I exceeded my credit limit.
• She had been daydreaming about visiting Italy for so long that it felt strange to actually be there.

Future Perfect Progressive

The future perfect progressive tense indicates an action in the future that will be ongoing and may continue past the time of another event, though the second future event often implies the cessation of the event that is ongoing.

• I will have been working for ten hours by the time I go to bed.
• The legal team will have been compiling research even if the parties agree to settle.
• She will have been eating meat for 40 years if she decides to become a vegetarian in the New Year.

What about Conditionals?

Depending on who you ask, conditionals—both present and perfect—are additional verb tenses in the English language. How many tenses? Would you be surprised to learn that there is no consistent answer? Some say two, others three, four, or even five . It may be easier to explain the general purpose and mechanics of this often overlooked English verb tense. 

The conditional is a compound tense that you form by combining the past tense form of the verb "will" with the infinitive form of a root verb.

• I would do that if you asked me nicely.
• They would excel given the opportunity.
• She would ski all week if the conditions were right.

Conditionals can take place only if other specific conditions or situations occur. In a sense, they are hypotheticals, and as such, they lie outside a temporal order. In the third example above, it's not clear whether she is going to ski at all, or whether the week in question is this week, some future week, or any week.

Since they don't refer to real actions, but rather only ones that would occur under certain conditions, it makes sense to classify conditionals as outside of the main 12 tenses. They do function like other tenses, however, in that you can form the conditions in other tenses.

• Present conditional: She would give her permission for the party if it fell on a weekend. 
• Perfect conditional: She would have given her permission for the party if he had been there to chaperone. 
• Perfect continuous conditional: She would have been giving her permission for the party all night if the students had behaved themselves.

Congratulations on reaching the end of our guide to verb tenses. As you might have gathered by now, you shouldn't ask a linguist how many verb tenses there are in English unless you're prepared to listen to a lengthy argument! However, it does boil down to a few simple things. Verb tenses are fixed; verb aspects are relational. In most cases, you can't use a stative verb with one of the progressive tenses. Finally, people use the present progressive to describe actions that they are doing right now.

Still confused? There's nothing wrong with seeking help from a professional editor so that your tenses are worded properly every single time.

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