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Study Resource: Comparing English verb tenses

By: Isabel McKay

Let’s compare some past, present, and future perfect continuous verbs to other verb tenses in English!

Past tenses

Verb Tense
Example
Explanation

Simple past

Nelson cooked dinner.

The dinner was finished.

Past continuous

Nelson was cooking dinner.

At a past moment, Nelson was in the middle of making dinner.

Past perfect

Nelson had cooked dinner.

At a particular past time, the dinner was finished.

Past perfect continuous

Nelson had been cooking dinner.

At a particular past time, the dinner was started, but not finished.

Present tenses

Verb Tense
Example
Explanation

Simple past

Nelson cooks dinner.

Nelson habitually cooks.

Past continuous

Nelson is cooking dinner.

Right now, Nelson is in the middle of making dinner.

Past perfect

Nelson has cooked dinner.

Right now, the dinner is finished.

Past perfect continuous

Nelson has been cooking dinner.

Right now, Nelson is in the middle of making dinner

The focus is on the process leading up to this point.

Future tenses

Verb Tense
Example
Explanation

Simple past

Nelson will cook dinner.

Nelson plans to cook.

Past continuous

Nelson will be cooking dinner.

At some future moment, Nelson will be in the middle of cooking dinner.

Past perfect

Nelson will have cooked dinner.

At some future moment, the dinner will be finished.

Past perfect continuous

Nelson will have been cooking dinner (for an hour).

At some future moment, Nelson will be in the middle of cooking dinner.

This is used only to describe the duration before the future moment.

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