English Tenses Timeline
Information
Information
Information
Information
Beispiel 1
Beispiel 2
Beispiel 3
Information 1
Simple Tenses
- Use the simple tenses to express an action in a neutral way.
- Actions expressed in the simple tenses are often factual or habitual.
- An action expressed in a simple tense takes place at a general or unspecified time in the past, present or future.
Progressive Tenses
- Use the progressive tense to express that you view an action as ongoing, incomplete or temporary.
- Actions expressed in a progressive tense are in progress at a specific time in the past, present or future.
Perfect Tense
- Use the perfect tenses to express that you view a completed action as connected to a later time.
- When an action is expressed in a perfect tense, the result of the action is emphasised.
- Actions expressed in a perfect tense take place earlier than a specific time in the past, present of future.
Perfect Progressive Tenses
- Use the perfect progressive tense to express that you view an action as incomplete or ongoing, even if the action is not in progress at the moment of speaking.
- An action expressed in a perfect progressive tense can be a singular ongoing action (She has been working at the bakery for 10 years), or a series of repeated actions that will continue beyond a certain time (She has been baking cakes all day).
- Actions expressed in the perfect progressive tenses begin earlier than a specific time in the past, present or future.
Yesterday I baked a cake.
- neutral point of view, stating a fact
- general/unspecified time in the past
Yesterday at 2 pm, I was baking a cake.
- the speaker sees the action as ongoing, incomplete or temporary
- specific moment in time in the past
Yesterday at 2pm, I had just baked a cake.
- the speaker wants to connect a completed action to a later time
- completed earlier than a specific past time
Yesterday when you arrived, I had been baking a cake.
- the speaker sees the action as incomplete, can be a single action or multiple repeated actions
- began earlier than a specific past time and continues beyond it
I always bake a cake on Saturday.
- neutral point of view, stating a fact
- general/unspecified time in the present
I am baking a cake now.
- the speaker sees the action as ongoing, incomplete or temporary
- now, at the moment of speaking
I have just baked a cake.
- the speaker wants to connect a completed action to the present time
- completed earlier than the moment of speaking
I have been baking a lot of cakes lately.
- the speaker sees the action as incomplete, can be a single action or multiple repeated actions
- began earlier than the moment of speaking and continues beyond it
Tomorrow, I will bake a cake.
- neutral point of view, stating a fact
- general/unspecified time in the future
At 2 pm tomorrow, I will be baking a cake.
- the speaker sees the action as ongoing, incomplete or temporary
- specific moment in time in the future
Tomorrow at 2 pm, I will have just baked 3 cakes.
- the speaker wants to connect a completed action to a later time
- completed earlier than a specific future time
Tomorrow at 2 pm, I will have been baking for hours!
- the speaker sees the action as incomplete, can be a single action or multiple repeated actions
- began earlier than a specific future time and continues beyond it
