English tenses

Front

What is a tense in English grammar?

Back

A tense is a grammatical category that locates a situation in time, indicating when an action takes place (past, present, future).

Front

What are the three main tenses in English?

Back

The three main tenses are: 1. Past Tense, 2. Present Tense, 3. Future Tense.

Front

What is the structure of the simple past tense?

Back

The simple past tense is formed by using the past form of the verb (e.g., 'saw', 'went').

Front

How do you form the present simple tense for regular verbs?

Back

The present simple tense is formed using the base form of the verb for all subjects except third person singular, which adds 's' or 'es' (e.g., 'he watches').

Front

What is the difference between the present continuous and the simple present?

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The present continuous describes actions happening now (e.g., 'I am reading'), while the simple present describes habitual actions (e.g., 'I read').

Front

What is the structure of the future simple tense?

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The future simple tense is formed using 'will' + base form of the verb (e.g., 'will see').

Front

What is the past continuous tense used for?

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The past continuous tense describes actions that were ongoing in the past (e.g., 'I was reading').

Front

How do you form the present perfect tense?

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The present perfect tense is formed using 'have/has' + past participle of the verb (e.g., 'have seen').

Front

What is the difference between 'was' and 'were'?

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'Was' is used with singular subjects (I, he, she, it), while 'were' is used with plural subjects (you, we, they).

Front

What is the structure of the future continuous tense?

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The future continuous tense is formed using 'will be' + present participle (e.g., 'will be reading').