We use the present simple to talk about things and situations that are generally true

Combining tense and aspect

These aspects and tenses combine to create the twelve verb patterns:

Types of past tense

Past (simple) tense-eg. I worked yesterday'
Past continuous / progressive tense- eg.I was working yesterday'
Past perfect tense-eg.I had worked yesterday'
Past perfect continuous tense-eg .'I had been working yesterday'

Types of present tense

Present (simple) tense-eg.I work'
Present continuous / progressive tense-eg.I am working'
Present perfect tense-eg.'I have worked'
Present perfect continuous tense-eg.'I have been working'
We often refer to past events using the present perfect tense, however the tense indicates a link between the present and the past as we are most interested in the result of the action (eg. 'I've already seen this film' could suggest that you don't want to watch it again!).
The present perfect continuous also suggests an ongoing link between the past and present, as the action starts in the past and continues into / affects the present (eg.'Sorry I'm late, I have been working'.)

Types of future tense

Future (simple) tense- eg.'I will work'
Future continuous / progressive tense- eg.'I will be working'
Future perfect tense-eg.'I will have worked'
Future perfect continuous tense- eg.'I will have been working'

Tenses Revision Sheet

Here is a revision sheet showing further examples of the 12 tenses in English. Study how the different tenses are formed using different verb inflections and sentence constructions: