English Tenses Explained with Examples
English has three time frames - past, present and future - each with four aspects.
| Tense | Present | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I write | I wrote | I will write |
| Continuous | I am writing | I was writing | I will be writing |
| Perfect | I have written | I had written | I will have written |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been writing | I had been writing | I will have been writing |
Tip
Use the simple present for habits and facts, and the present perfect for experiences connected to now.