Mastering Tenses: Past, Present, and Future 

Lesson Overview

• Present Tense: Talking About Now (and Always)
• Past Tense: Talking About Yesterday (or Any Time Before Now)
• Future Tense: Talking About Tomorrow (and Beyond)
• Quick Reference: Clue Words and Tense Signals
• Practice: Sample Questions and Explanations

Tenses tell when an action happens – in the past, present, or future. In English, verb tense indicates when something happens:

• Past Tense – actions or states that happened before now (yesterday, last year, a minute ago).
• Present Tense – actions or states happening right now or generally true nowadays.
• Future Tense – actions or states that will happen after now (later or tomorrow).

Think of time as a line. The past is behind us, the present is the current moment, and the future lies ahead. Let's visualize this with a simple timeline:

In English, we have three basic tenses (past, present, future), and each can be expressed in different forms (for example, simple vs. continuous). For this lesson, we'll focus on recognizing simple past, present, and future, as well as some continuous forms, because these are the most common for 7th graders.

Present Tense: Talking About Now (and Always)

The present tense is used for things that are happening now or generally true. It actually has two main flavors:

• Simple Present – for habits, facts, and regular truths.
• Present Continuous (also called Present Progressive) – for actions happening right now or temporary ongoing situations.

Simple Present is the base form of the verb (add -s or -es for he/she/it). Use it for routines and facts:

• Habits/Routines: "I walk to school every day." (a regular habit)
• General truth: "Water freezes at 0°C." (a scientific fact)

Present Continuous uses "am/are/is + verbing". Use it for actions occurring at this very moment or current temporary activities:

• "She is studying for the quiz right now." (happening at this moment)
• "They are becoming more confident with grammar." (a current trend or change)

Notice the differences:

Time clues can signal that a sentence is in the present tense:

• Words like "now", "currently", "today", "at the moment" often mean the action is present.
• Phrases like "these days", "nowadays" suggest a general current state or trend, which calls for present tense.

For example, consider the sentence: "Currently, teens have more freedom to speak up about their experiences." The word "currently" (meaning right now) and the verb "have" (present form) both indicate its talking about the present​

Another example: "These days, social media platforms are becoming increasingly influential." The phrase "these days" signals we're talking about the present time, and the verb phrase "are becoming" is present continuous, confirming it's in present tense.

Common misunderstandings in present tense often involve form and consistency. One frequent mistake is forgetting to add -s for third-person singular (he, she, it) in simple present. 

For instance, saying "He play soccer" instead of "He plays soccer." Another is overusing the -ing form. Some students put "is ...ing" for everything, even when not needed (teachers note that "Everything is ‘he ____ing'" is a pattern among some learners​

Quick Tips for Present Tense:

• Listen for clue words: If you see "now", "today", or "currently," it's a big hint the sentence is present tense​file-1eucynkzcpbz53pe1usmes.
• Check the verb form: In present tense, the base form is used. Add -s for he/she/it. (✔️ "She runs fast." / ❌ "She run fast.")
• Consistency in context: When writing, keep the present tense throughout if you're describing current conditions. Don't jump back and forth between present and past without reason – it confuses the reader. For example, "This restaurant has a great atmosphere. You have to go to the counter to order." Both verbs are present, which is logical if you're describing how the restaurant is generally (it's true even now)​.

Take This Quiz:

Test about all Tenses

Past Tense: Talking About Yesterday (or Any Time Before Now)

The past tense is used for actions or states that happened and are over. In simple terms, if something already happened, we use past tense. The basic form is often verb + -ed for regular verbs (liked, walked, played), but be careful: many common verbs are irregular in the past (go → went, eat → ate, take → took).

We mainly use the Simple Past to narrate events that have finished:

• "I went to the museum last Saturday." (completed action in the past)
• "She visited her grandma yesterday." (yesterday = past time)

There is also Past Continuous (was/were + verbing) for ongoing past actions, often used in storytelling (e.g., "I was doing homework when the phone rang."). But the key idea is still that it happened in the past. We'll focus on recognizing the simple past for now.

Time clues that signal past tense include specific past time expressions:

• "... ago" (e.g., "two days ago" means two days before now, so past),
• "yesterday", "last [night/week/year]",
• "in [2020]" or "on [Monday]" (finished dates or days in the past),
• Phrases like "in the past", "a long time ago", "formerly", etc.

For example: "In the past, there were just a few popular role models." The phrase "in the past" and the past-tense verb "were" both show this is about a past situation​

Another one: "Fifty years ago, teens always turned to their parents for advice." The words "fifty years ago" clearly place this action in the past. Even without "ago," a verb like turned (the past form of turn) is a clue. .

Quick Tips for Past Tense:

• Look for past time words: If you spot words like "ago," "yesterday," "last [night]" in a sentence, it's a strong hint the verb should be in past tense​file-1eucynkzcpbz53pe1usmes​file-1eucynkzcpbz53pe1usmes. For example, "last night we watched a movie."
• Regular vs. irregular: For regular verbs, just add -ed (I worked, we visited). For irregulars, if you're not sure of the form, take a moment to recall or check a list. It's better to memorize the most common 10–20 irregular verbs first​
• No double past forms: Remember that if you use did in a question or negative, the main verb shouldn't have -ed. (✔️ "Did you go?" / ❌ "Did you went?"). This is a frequent mistake, but just think: "did" = already past, so don't make the other verb past as well​
  

Future Tense: Talking About Tomorrow (and Beyond)

The future tense in English talks about things that have not happened yet but will happen. Unlike past and present, English future tense often uses extra helper words because we don't have a special ending for future. There are a couple of common ways to express future:

• Will + base verb (Simple Future) – for predictions, promises, or decisions made on the spot. Example: "It will rain later." / "I will help you with your homework."
• Be going to + base verb – for planned actions or things you see coming. Example: "I am going to start my project tonight." (I plan it) / "Look at those clouds – it is going to rain." (there's evidence, so prediction with ‘going to').
• Present Continuous can also indicate near future if a time is given (e.g., "We are meeting tomorrow at 5.") – but to keep it simple, you can think of this as a special use of the present for future plans.

Time clues that you're dealing with future:

• Words like "tomorrow", "soon", "next [week/month]", "in X days/years", "in the future", or phrases like "in 2030" (a year that hasn't come yet).
• The presence of "will" or "going to" in the sentence usually means future tense is intended.

For example: "In the near future, the concept of a role model will be questioned by teenagers." The phrase "in the near future" literally tells you it's about the future, and the use of "will be" confirms the future tense​. 

Quick Tips for Future Tense:

• Watch for "will" or "going to": These are your flashing signs of future tense in a sentence. If a sentence has "will," it's talking about what will happen. If it has "am/is/are going to," that's also future (usually a plan or prediction. Example: "She will graduate in 2025." / "She is going to graduate in 2025." Both are future.
• Time words check: Does the sentence mention tomorrow, next year, soon, or in the future? Those words imply the action hasn't happened yet, so use a future form. "The match is next week" can be understood as future, but it's clearer to say "The match will be next week."
• Consistency: Just like with past and present, keep your tenses consistent. If you're writing about future plans, don't slip back into present tense in the same context. For example, avoid: "Next year we will travel to France and learn new things." (The verb "learn" here should also be in future form to match, e.g. "will learn"). Consistency makes your meaning clear.

Take This Quiz:

English Tenses Exam Quiz

Quick Reference: Clue Words and Tense Signals

It helps to memorize or have a quick reference of common time expressions that signal each tense. Here's a handy table:

Use these clues when you're unsure: they are often your easiest guide to identifying the tense of a sentence on quizzes and in reading.

Practice: Sample Questions and Explanations

Now let's practice with some examples. Read each sentence, decide whether it's referring to the past, present, or future, and think about why. Check the explanation to see if you got it right and understand the clues.

1. Sentence: "Nowadays, it is easier to share ideas and find support for personal issues because of social networks."

 Your Answer: ________ (Past / Present / Future?)

Correct Answer: Present. The word "nowadays" indicates we're talking about current times (the present)​. The verb "is" is also in present tense. Overall, the sentence describes something that is true in modern life (sharing ideas is easier now thanks to social networks), so it's present tense. (If it were past, we'd see something like "used to be" or a year in the past; if it were future, we might see "will be.")

2. Sentence: "In the near future, the concept of a role model will be questioned by teenagers."
   Your Answer: ________

Correct Answer: Future. Time clue: "in the near future" explicitly says this is about the future. Also, the verb phrase "will be questioned" uses "will," which is the helping verb for future tense​. So this sentence is predicting something that hasn't happened yet (it's looking forward to a change in how teenagers think, which will happen soon, but not right now).

3. Sentence: "In the past, there were just a few popular role models."
   Your Answer: ________

Correct Answer: Past. The phrase "In the past" is a clear indicator of a past-time context, and the verb "were" is the past tense of "are"​. The sentence describes a completed state in earlier times (having fewer role models is something that was true before, not now).

4. Sentence: "These days, teens find counsel in music lyrics and celebrities' tweets."
   Your Answer: ________

Correct Answer: Present. The expression "These days" means currently or in our time, which points to present tense​. The verb "find" is in base form (present tense). So it's describing what teens do nowadays (seek advice or comfort in music and social media). If it were past, it might start with "Back then," and if future, maybe "In a few years, teens will find…". But "these days" = now, so present.

5. Sentence: "Soon, role models will be more similar to day-to-day teenagers."
   Your Answer: ________

Correct Answer: Future. The word "Soon" suggests something that hasn't happened yet but is expected to happen in the near future​. Also, we see "will be," which is the future tense construction. So this sentence is making a prediction about what will happen soon (role models becoming more like regular teens).

Take This Quiz:

A Practice Test on Tenses!