Uses of English verb forms facts for kids
| Tense | Form | Uses | Example Sentences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Verb + s/es in third person. | Repeated actions. Facts or generalizations. Scheduled events in the near future. Now (non-continuous verbs). |
I play football. Cats like milk. The match starts at 2 o'clock. I am here now. |
| Present Continuous | Am/is/are + present participle. | Now. Longer actions in progress now. Near future. Repetition and irritation with "always". |
I am sitting. I am studying to become a doctor. I am meeting some friends after work. She is always coming to class late. |
| Past Simple | Verb + ed, or irregular verbs. | Completed action in the past. A series of completed actions. Duration in the past. Habits in the past. Past facts or generalizations. |
I saw a movie yesterday. I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim. I lived in Brazil for two years. I studied French when I was a child. She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing. |
| Past Continuous | Was/were + present participle. | Interrupted action in the past. Specific time as an interruption. Parallel actions. Atmosphere. Repetition and irritation with "always". |
I was watching TV when she called. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner. I was studying while he was making dinner. The sun was shining. She was always coming to class late. |
| Present Perfect | Has/have + past participle. | Unspecified time before now. Duration from the past until now (non-continuous verbs). |
I have seen that movie twenty times. I have had a cold for two weeks. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Has/have + been + present participle. | Duration from the past until now. Recently, lately. |
They have been talking for the last hour. Recently, I have been feeling really tired. |
| Past Perfect | Had + past participle. | Completed action before something in the past. Duration before something in the past (non-continuous verbs). |
You had studied English before you moved to New York. By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Had been + present participle. | Duration before something in the past. Cause of something in the past. |
They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived. Jason was tired because he had been jogging. |
| Simple Future | Will + verb. Am/is/are + going to + verb. |
"Will" to express a voluntary action. "Will" to express a promise. "Be going to" to express a plan. "Will" or "be going to" to express a prediction. |
I will send you the information when I get it. I will call you when I arrive. He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii. The year 2222 will be a very interesting year. |
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Uses of English verb forms Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.