Verb Usage in Different Tenses | English Grammar Guide for French Students

• 1 Indicate time of action (past, present, future)
• 2 Show duration and completion of actions
• 3 Require specific verb forms or auxiliary combinations
• 4 Help establish temporal relationships between events

1 Formula: Subject + Base verb (add -s for third person singular)
2 Usage: Habitual actions, general truths, scheduled events
3 Examples: "I work every day", "She works on Mondays"
4 Negative: "I don't work", "She doesn't work"

1 Formula: Subject + am/is/are + verb + -ing
2 Usage: Actions happening now, temporary situations
3 Examples: "I am working now", "She is studying for exams"
4 Negative: "I am not working", "She is not studying"

1 Formula: Subject + past form of verb (regular: add -ed, irregular: varies)
2 Usage: Completed actions in the past, specific moments in time
3 Examples: "I worked yesterday", "She visited Paris"
4 Negative: "I didn't work", "She didn't visit"

1 Formula: Subject + was/were + verb + -ing
2 Usage: Actions in progress at a specific time in the past
3 Examples: "I was working when you called", "They were studying all night"
4 Negative: "I was not working", "They were not studying"

1 Formula: Subject + will + base verb
2 Usage: Predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises
3 Examples: "I will work tomorrow", "She will visit next week"
4 Negative: "I won't work", "She won't visit"

1 Formula: Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb
2 Usage: Planned actions, intentions, predictions based on evidence
3 Examples: "I am going to work tomorrow", "She is going to visit next week"
4 Negative: "I am not going to work", "She is not going to visit"

1 Formula: Subject + have/has + past participle
2 Usage: Actions completed at unspecified time, ongoing actions that started in the past
3 Examples: "I have worked here", "She has visited many countries"
4 Negative: "I haven't worked", "She hasn't visited"

1 Formula: Subject + had + past participle
2 Usage: Actions completed before another past action
3 Examples: "I had worked before I arrived", "She had visited France"
4 Negative: "I hadn't worked", "She hadn't visited"

1 Formula: Subject + will have + past participle
2 Usage: Actions that will be completed by a certain point in the future
3 Examples: "I will have worked for five years", "She will have visited ten countries"
4 Negative: "I won't have worked", "She won't have visited"

Tense	Formula	Example	Usage
Simple Present	Subject + base verb	I work	Habitual actions, general truths
Present Continuous	Subject + am/is/are + verb + -ing	I am working	Actions happening now
Simple Past	Subject + past form	I worked	Completed past actions
Past Continuous	Subject + was/were + verb + -ing	I was working	Actions in progress in the past
Present Perfect	Subject + have/has + past participle	I have worked	Unspecified past completion
Past Perfect	Subject + had + past participle	I had worked	Completed before another past action
Future Simple	Subject + will + base verb	I will work	Predictions, promises, decisions
Going to Future	Subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb	I am going to work	Plans, intentions

• 1 Using present tense for past events: "I work yesterday" (incorrect)
• 2 Mixing up auxiliary verbs: "I have went" (incorrect)
• 3 Forgetting to add -s in simple present: "She work" (incorrect)
• 4 Using wrong forms for irregular verbs: "I seen" instead of "I saw"

1 ✓ Correct: "I worked yesterday"
2 ✗ Incorrect: "I work yesterday"
3 ✓ Correct: "She has been working"
4 ✗ Incorrect: "She have been working"

1. I _______ (work) at the company since 2020.

2. She _______ (work) right now.

3. They _______ (study) every evening.

4. He _______ (read) a book when I arrived.

5. We _______ (visit) Paris last summer.

6. She _______ (already finish) her homework.

7. I _______ (watch) TV when the phone rang.

8. They _______ (live) in London for five years.

9. I _______ (start) my new job next month.

10. She _______ (already decide) to study abroad.

1. have worked (Present Perfect)

2. is working (Present Continuous)

3. study (Simple Present)

4. was reading (Past Continuous)

5. visited (Simple Past)

6. had already finished (Past Perfect)

7. was watching (Past Continuous)

8. had lived (Past Perfect)

9. will start (Future Simple)

10. will have already decided (Future Perfect)

1 English: Uses auxiliary verbs extensively (I am working, I have worked)
2 French: Often uses simple forms (Je travaille, J'ai travaillé)
3 English: Has continuous forms that don't exist in French
4 French: Uses compound forms differently (passé composé vs imparfait)

• 1 English has more complex tense forms than French
• 2 Pay attention to continuous tenses that don't exist in French
• 3 Practice using auxiliary verbs consistently
• 4 Notice how English expresses ongoing actions differently

1 Present Continuous: Think "right now" - "am/is/are + -ing"
2 Present Perfect: Think "unspecified past" - "have/has + past participle"
3 Future Simple: Think "prediction/decision" - "will + base verb"
4 Regular practice: Create sentences about your daily routine using different tenses

• 1 Practice with real-time activities: "I am writing", "I have written"
• 2 Create timelines to visualize tense relationships
• 3 Read English texts to see natural usage patterns
• 4 Focus on time markers associated with each tense

• Simple tenses use basic verb forms with time markers
• Continuous tenses use "be" + -ing form
• Perfect tenses use "have" + past participle
• Perfect continuous use "have been" + -ing form
• Each tense has specific time references and usage patterns

Remember: Simple = Basic Action, Continuous = Ongoing Action, Perfect = Completed Action

• Start with simple tenses before moving to complex ones
• Focus on time markers that indicate each tense
• Practice with real-life examples regularly