Simple past, present and future tense: review

Key Notes:

Simple Past Tense

• Definition: Describes actions that were completed in the past.
• Structure: Subject + past form of the verb (e.g., “She walked”).
• Regular verbs: Add -ed to the base form (e.g., “play” becomes “played”).
• Irregular verbs: Change form (e.g., “go” becomes “went”).
• Examples:
  • I visited my grandparents last week.
  • They watched a movie yesterday.

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Simple Present Tense

• Definition: Describes habitual actions, general truths, or current states.
• Structure: Subject + base form of the verb (add -s or -es for third person singular) (e.g., “He runs”).
• Usage:
  • For routines: “I brush my teeth every morning.”
  • For facts: “Water boils at 100°C.”
• Examples:
  • She studies every day.
  • The sun rises in the east.

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Simple Future Tense

• Definition: Describes actions that will happen in the future.
• Structure: Subject + will + base form of the verb (e.g., “They will travel”).
• Alternative structure: Subject + is/am/are + going to + base form (e.g., “I am going to visit”).
• Examples:
  • We will have a test next week.
  • He is going to start a new job soon.

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Key Differences

• Time Reference:
  • Past: Completed actions.
  • Present: Ongoing or habitual actions.
  • Future: Actions that will occur later.