Every element of English grammar is important – but tenses are probably the most important!
Here’s everything you need to know about improving tenses, and becoming more fluent in English!
What are Tenses?
Tenses are modifications of a verb that help to indicate time, that is when a particular action takes place.
These are the main types of tenses everyone must know:
-
Present
|
Tense |
When to use |
How to use |
Example |
|
Present Simple |
For anything that generally/always happens/is true. |
Use the verb as it is |
I like mangoes. |
|
Present Continuous |
For anything that is happening continuously, right now. |
Helping verb ‘is/are’ + verb + ing |
It is raining heavily. |
|
Present Perfect |
For anything that happened in the recent past i.e. just before the ‘now’. |
Helping verb ‘has/have’ + verb + ed/en |
I have eaten my lunch. |
-
Past
|
Tense |
When to use |
How to use |
Example |
|
Past Simple |
For anything happened in the past. |
Verb + ed |
He hated mangoes. |
|
Past Continuous |
For anything that was happening continuously, in the past. |
Helping verb ‘was/were’ + verb + ing |
I was travelling to Mumbai. |
|
Past Perfect |
For anything that happened and was completed in the past. |
Helping verb ‘had’ + verb + ed/en |
I had finished my homework. |
-
Future
|
Tense |
When to use |
How to use |
Example |
|
Future Simple |
For anything that is going to happen in the future. |
Helping verb ‘will’ + verb |
They will arrive at 6 pm. |
|
Future Continuous |
For anything that will be happening continuously, in the future. |
Helping verb ‘will be’ + verb + ing |
She will be calling me tomorrow. |
Why should you learn Tenses?
Tenses are a fundamental part of the English language. They help in the following ways:
-
To describe things that take place at different times – past, present and future.
-
To build complex sentence structures, for conveying complex ideas.
-
To bring clarity into your communication.
In other words, if you want to speak English, you have to learn the tenses perfectly!
Strategies for Improving Tenses
Here’s what you need to do to improve your knowledge of tenses in English.
-
Learn and Understand the Rules
The first thing to be done is to learn the rules for forming tenses.
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Don’t try to learn all the rules all at once! Break it down into three sections – Present, Past and Future. Take them one at a time, and move on only when you feel you’ve understood the first.
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Look for the patterns. For instance, present, past and future continuous all have ‘verb + ing’ – if you remember this, you will never forget it!
-
Use examples to learn the rules. For each tense-type, have 2-3 example sentences and learn them by heart. Recall them whenever you need to remember the rules!
-
Learn the exceptions. There are certain verbs that do not follow the same rules. Pay special attention to these! e.g. ‘to be’
2. Sentence-building
While learning the rules, it is important to put them into practice. Think of different scenarios and practice writing as many sentences as you can for each tense. Pay special attention to the exceptions!
3. English Exposure Everyday
For anything you want to improve in English, exposure is the key! Read books, watch good movies or TV series, read the news in English – anything that helps you gain more exposure. The correct way of speaking and writing will soon come to you more easily.
Did you find the blog helpful? Join Hurray’s Spoken English Training course for much more. Reach out at info@hurrayedutech.com
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