English Tenses Timeline

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