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 to talk about the present:

London is the capital of Britain.
He works at McDonald’s.
He is working at McDonald’s.
He has worked there for three months now.
He has been working there for three months now.

 to talk about the future:

The next train leaves at this evening at 1700 hours.
I’ll phone you when I get home.
He is meeting Peter in town this afternoon.
I’ll come home as soon as I have finished work.
You will be tired out after you have been working all night.

 Grammar
Learning English grammar can be a challenging experience. Today we look at the basic tenses we
need to talk about the present, past and future.

Present
Simple Present

Base verb (+ es/es for third person):

I watch the news every day.

Present Continuous

am/is/are + present participle:

I am watching the news.

Present Perfect

Has/have + past participle:

I have watched the news already.

Present Perfect Continuous

Has/have + been + present participle:

I have been watching the news since I was a teenager.

The following table illustrates the proper use of verb tenses:

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

Last night, I read an entire I will read as much as I can

I read nearly every day.
novel. this year.

Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous

I am readingShakespeare I was reading Edgar Allan I will be reading Nathaniel

at the moment. Poe last night. Hawthorne soon.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

I had read at least 100

I have read so many books I will have read at least 500
books by the time I was
I can’t keep count. twelve. books by the end of the year.

Present Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
Continuous

I had been reading for at least I will have been reading for at
I have been readingsince I
a year before my sister least two hours before dinner
was four years old.
learned to read. tonight.

The Present Tenses

Simple Present

Present Perfect

Present Continuous

The Past Tenses

Simple Past

Past Perfect

Past Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous

Present tense (intermediate)

There are two tenses in English: past and present.
The present tense is used to talk about the present and to talk about
the future.

There are four present tense forms:

Present simple: I work
 Present continuous: I am working

Present perfect: I have worked

Present perfect continuous: I have been working

We can use all these forms:

The Future Tenses

Simple Future

Future Perfect

Future Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous

Verbs: basic forms

from English Grammar Today

Verbs: the three basic forms

Main verbs have three basic forms: the base form, the past form and the -ed form
(sometimes called the ‘-ed participle’):

base form: used as the infinitive form, with to or without to (Do you want to
come with us? I can’t leave now.) and for the present simple (I always read before
I go to sleep every night.) except third person singular, which uses the -s form
(She works at the university.)

past form: used for the past simple (He opened the door and went out.)

-ed form: used after auxiliary have and be (I’ve always wanted a piano and
I was givenone last week.).