Language
Continuous and perfect tenses
Recognize and form the present continuous, past continuous and present perfect.
The simple tenses tell you when. The continuous and perfect tenses tell you something extra: whether an action was still unrolling at the time, or whether it is finished and still matters now.
Present continuous — happening now
A form of be plus the -ing verb: She is reading. Use it for what is going on at this moment, or around this moment.
Past continuous — was going on then
Was or were plus the -ing verb: She was reading when I called. It sets the longer action, and a simple past verb usually cuts across it.
Present perfect — finished, but still relevant
Have or has plus the past participle: She has read the book. Notice there is no stated time. Add a time like yesterday and you must switch to the simple past.
For and since pull you into the perfect
When a sentence says how long something has gone on — for ten years, since 2018 — and it is still true, the present perfect is the tense that carries it.
Worked example
Choose the tense: "We ____ (wait) here since eight o'clock."
Find the time expression: "since eight o'clock".
Since marks a starting point that reaches up to now.
Try it together
Let us build three tenses from one verb.
The verb is "read" and the person is "he". Each answer is two words — a helping verb and a main verb.
1.Present continuous — it is happening now. Write the two words: He ____ a comic at the moment.
Have a go
Which sentence is in the present perfect?
Ready to practice?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.