Verbs and Tenses

In one line

Tense is the form of the verb that shows the time of an action and whether it is complete, and English has three times crossed with four aspects, which gives twelve forms.

The grid

Learn it as a grid rather than as twelve separate items. Take the verb "to write", first person singular.

The four aspects, in one line each. Simple: the action as a whole. Continuous: in progress. Perfect: completed, with a result that matters now. Perfect continuous: continuing over a period up to now.

Present tenses, and what each is for

Simple present. Four uses, and only the first is what students expect.

1. A habit: he attends court every morning.
2. A universal or permanent truth: water boils at a hundred degrees; a minor's agreement is void.
3. A planned future event on a timetable: the term begins on 15 June.
4. Narration of a story or of the facts of a case, called the historic present: Soapy hears the anthem and resolves to reform.

Note the second use particularly. Statements of law are written in the simple present because they are treated as permanently true: "Section 11 provides", "the rule is", "a contract without consideration is void". This is why law reports read as they do.

Present continuous. An action going on now: the court is hearing the matter. Also a definite arrangement for the near future: I am appearing in the Sessions Court tomorrow. Not used with verbs of state, which is the commonest error and is dealt with below.

Present perfect. A completed action with a present consequence, or an action in a period not yet over: he has filed the reply; the court has delivered four judgments this week. The rule that decides most questions: the present perfect is never used with a finished past time. Not "he has filed it yesterday" but "he filed it yesterday".

Present perfect continuous. An action that began in the past and continues: he has been waiting since eleven o'clock; she has been practising for six years. Since takes a point of time, for takes a period.

Past tenses

Simple past. A finished action at a definite past time: the court dismissed the appeal in March. Also a past habit: he read the reports every evening.

Past continuous. An action in progress at a past moment, often interrupted: he was arguing when the court rose; while she was reading, the telephone rang.