When we talk about tenses in English, we are referring to the different forms a verb can take to show when an action or event occurred. English has three primary tenses: the past tense, the present tense, and the future tense.
Let's take a look at each one:
1. Past Tense: This tense is used when describing actions that have already happened in the past. For example: "Yesterday, I went to the store." In this sentence, "went" is the past tense of the verb "go."
2. Present Tense: This tense is used when describing actions that are currently happening or ongoing. For example: "I am writing this sentence right now." In this sentence, "writing" is the present tense of the verb "write."
3. Future Tense: This tense is used when describing actions that will happen in the future. For example: "Tomorrow, I will go to the gym." In this sentence, "will go" is the future tense of the verb "go."
It's also worth mentioning that each of these tenses can be further divided into four subcategories: simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive.
The simple form simply shows the action happening, while the progressive form emphasizes that the action is ongoing. The perfect form indicates that the action was completed at some point between the past and the present, while the perfect progressive form indicates that the action was ongoing over that same time period.
To illustrate, here are examples of each tense in all four forms:
Past: - Simple: "She danced at the party last night." - Progressive: "She was dancing at the party last night." - Perfect: "She had danced before the party started." - Perfect Progressive: "She had been dancing for hours when the party ended."
Present: - Simple: "He runs every morning." - Progressive: "He is running right now." - Perfect: "He has run every day this week." - Perfect Progressive: "He has been running for an hour."
Future: - Simple: "They will arrive tomorrow." - Progressive: "They will be arriving at noon tomorrow." - Perfect: "They will have arrived by this time tomorrow." - Perfect Progressive: "They will have been travelling all day when they arrive tomorrow."
I hope this explanation helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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