the system of tenses How many tenses are there in English? How many tenses are there in English? 12 but actually it´s just 3… or maybe 3x4? past present future past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I wrote the essay last night. I write my diary every day. I will write the email straight away. SIMPLE past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I wrote the essay last night. I write my diary every day. I will write the email straight away. last night / week / month / yesterday, in 1968... every day / year / Christmas, always, sometimes, often, from time to time... next / week / month / year, tomorrow, in 2031, probably ... past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I wrote the essay last night. I write my diary every day. I will write the email straight away. I was writing the blog post the whole night. I am writing this sample sentence right now. I will be writing the article the whole weekend. SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I wrote the essay last night. I write my diary every day. I will write the email straight away. I was writing the blog post the whole night. I am writing this sample sentence right now. I will be writing the article the whole weekend. while, when... at the moment, right now... this time tomorrow ... past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I write my diary every day. I am writing this sample sentence right now. SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE I had written the essay before the teacher changed the instructions. I have written the first draft of the essay so far. I will have written the bachelor thesis by Easter. I will be writing the article the whole weekend. I will write the email straight away. I wrote the essay last night. I was writing the blog post the whole night. SIMPLE past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I write my diary every day. I am writing this sample sentence right now. SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE I had written the essay before the teacher changed the instructions. I have written the first draft of the essay so far. I will have written the bachelor thesis by Easter. I will be writing the article the whole weekend. I will write the email straight away. I wrote the essay last night. I was writing the blog post the whole night. SIMPLE before + past tense not...yet, so far, since, recently, ever, just... by+ “deadline” in future past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect I write my diary every day. I am writing this sample sentence right now. SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE I had written the essay before the teacher changed the instructions. I have written the first draft of the essay so far. I will have written the bachelor thesis by Easter. I will be writing the article the whole weekend. I will write the email straight away. I wrote the essay last night. I was writing the blog post the whole night. SIMPLE She said she had been writing it for hours. PROGRESSIVE I have been learning English for 7 years. I will have been writing my thesis for 1 year by Easter. past present future past perfect present perfect future perfect st happens at a certain frequency st is happening now SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE st had happened before st else or before a certain date in the past st has happened i the past and it has impact on now st will have happened by a given date or time st will be happening in the future (and it will take a bit longer) st will happen (no details) st happened in the past and it´s over st was happening in the past (and it took a bit longer) SIMPLE st had been happening for a given time before st else happened past before past) PROGRESSIVE st has been happening since the past, is still now and will continue st will have been happening for a given period of time by a given date