8 Examples of How to Use Tenses when Speaking English
Learning to use the correct tense in any language is an important way of communicating with others. English is a universal language spoken throughout the world being used both socially and in business. We all need to be able to use the correct tense whether we are talking about the present, the future and the past. Here are 8 examples of how to use tenses when speaking English:
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PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE
We use the present simple tense for an action we do generally or often, perhaps even on a daily basis, and is an action we do at the present time.
For example:
I watch TV most evenings
He works from Monday to Friday
We eat dinner together every day
I listen to music on my mobile phone
I use my computer every day at work
You work from home
She is self-employed
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
We use the present continuous tense for an action that we are doing now.
For example:
I am eating breakfast now
He is listening to the radio at the moment
She is reading a book now
They are travelling to Spain now.
We like working together
You are writing a book at the moment
PAST SIMPLE TENSE
We use the past simple tense for an action that finished in the past and the time was specified.
For example:
I watched television last night
He went to England last year
She spoke to her friend yesterday
We walked in the park on the Monday
They played football last Saturday
He had an English lesson two days ago
They saw the film at the cinema last week
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PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
We use the past continuous tense for a continuous action that we were doing in the past.
For example:
I was watching television when he arrived
They were working hard all day yesterday
He was working on the computer when the phone rang
We were playing in a tennis match when bad weather stopped play
PAST PERFECT TENSE
We use the past perfect tense for two actions in the past when one action comes before the other.
For example:
I had eaten my breakfast before I went to work today
He had studied English before he went to England
We had finished the project before it had to be handed in to be marked
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
We use the future simple tense for an action that we will do in the future.
For example:
I will visit London next week
He will work tomorrow
She will move flats next week
They will go on holiday next Sunday
You will see your friend this afternoon
The sun will shine tomorrow
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
We use the future continuous tense for a continuous action we will be doing at a particular time in the future.
For example:
They are travelling next week as they are driving through Europe.
I will be making a birthday cake tomorrow for my
daughter’s birthday party
We will be flying to New York on Saturday
We will be visiting our daughter in a week’s time
FUTURE INTENTION “TO BE GOING”
We use the future intention of ‘to be going’ when we intend to do an action usually in the near future.
For example:
I am going to the theatre tonight
She is going to a party on Saturday
They are going to get a new puppy next week
When speaking English, we use tenses to tell others what is happening now, what will happen and what did happen. It is very important to understand that English speakers need to know whether an event happened in the past, is happening in the present or will happen in the future. The word ‘tense’ comes from the Latin word ‘tempus’ that translates into the word time. Once we understand the use of tenses, we can learn to speak and write more fluently and be understood by other English speakers.
Related articles on grammar for Speaking English:
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/x-of-the-basic-grammar-rules/
