The Six Tenses at a Glance
English uses several past and present tenses, each with a different focus. This page reviews the six most important ones at B1 level.
| Tense | Form | Key idea |
|---|
| Simple Past | verb + -ed / irregular | Completed action in the past, often with yesterday, last week, ago |
| Past Progressive | was/were + -ing | Action in progress at a specific past moment |
| Past Perfect | had + past participle | The earlier of two past events |
| Past Perfect Progressive | had been + -ing | Action in progress before a past moment |
| Present Perfect | have/has + past participle | Past event connected to or relevant now |
| Present Perfect Progressive | have/has been + -ing | Action started in the past, still continuing now |
Simple Past & Past Progressive
Use the simple past for completed actions. Use the past progressive for an action that was in progress at a specific past moment — often interrupted by a simple past event.
Simple past: She visited her grandmother last Sunday.
Past progressive: What was happening inside their bodies when they were migrating?
They didn't finish the project on time. → completed event
He was reading when the phone rang. → in progress, then interrupted
Present Perfect & Present Perfect Progressive
Use the present perfect for a past event that is relevant now or for experiences up to the present. Use the present perfect progressive for an action that started in the past and is still continuing.
Present perfect: No single butterfly has ever made the whole trip.
Present perfect progressive: The number of butterflies has been falling since the 1980s.
She has worked here for five years. → relevant to now
I have been studying English for three years. → still continuing
Past Perfect & Past Perfect Progressive
Use the past perfect for the earlier of two past events. Use the past perfect progressive for an action that was in progress up to a past moment.
Past perfect: Scientists hadn't found a logical explanation. (before they eventually did)
Past perfect progressive: Scientists had been asking themselves questions for many years.
By the time we arrived, the show had already started. → earlier past event
She had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally came. → in progress before a past moment
⚠ Common mistakes:
✗ I have seen him yesterday. → ✓ I saw him yesterday. (finished time reference = simple past)
✗ She was work when I called. → ✓ She was working when I called. (past progressive = was/were + -ing)
✗ They have been lived here for ten years. → ✓ They have been living here for ten years. (need -ing after have been)
✗ By the time I arrived, she already left. → ✓ she had already left. (earlier past event = past perfect)