names of the tenses

[Pete]

Alma Portugal sent me e-mail asking if there is an easier way to remember the names of the English tenses than memorizing each of them individually.

I think the best way to think of the tenses in English is to think separately about (pure) tense and aspect. The (pure) tense is one of past, present, and future. The tense most usually places the action of the verb in time (but there are other uses as well). You do have to memorize those three tense names.

There are 4 different possible aspects of a verb: simple, continuous (also called progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous. The aspect of a verb describes the internal structure of the action, at whatever time the action takes place. You have to memorize the 4 different aspects.

Now every general tense (as opposed to a pure tense) is a combination of a pure tense and an aspect (where the simple aspect leaves the pure tense unchanged.) If you multiply 3 pure tenses by 4 aspects, you get 12 general tenses (= 12 tense-aspect combinations):

• past
  • past simple
    walked
  • past continuous
    was walking / were walking
  • past perfect
    had walked
  • past perfect continuous
    had been walking
• present
  • present simple
    walk / walks
  • present continuous
    is walking / are walking
  • present perfect
    has walked / have walked
  • present perfect continuous
    has been walking / have been walkng
• future
  • future simple
    will walk
  • future continuous
    will be walking
  • future perfect
    will have walked
  • future perfect continuous
    will have been walking

By thinking of tenses this way, they fit into a logical pattern, and there is less to memorize. Good luck.