Tenses in English for children

129

17 March 2025

English-learners

Oleksandra Kulish

Book expert

English tenses can seem complicated, especially when it comes to explaining the rules correctly to children at the very beginning of their learning journey. Each of them has its own peculiarity and is used in specific situations. So how do you not only understand them, but also learn them without mechanical memorization? Let's take a closer look at the theory and find new ways to master this difficult topic using secondary school English textbooks.

How many tenses are there in English?

Unlike Ukrainian, where there are only three main tenses (past, present and future), English has 12 main tenses. They are divided into three main groups - Present, Past and Future. In addition, each group has four subgroups, each of which is a separate form of tense with its own characteristics and rules of use. The names of these subgroups are Simple, Continuous, Perfect, and Perfect Continuous. It is the combinations of groups and forms that make up the 12 tenses of the English language.

Table of English tenses with examples

The principle of forming English tenses is quite simple. The formula itself always consists of the subject, the auxiliary verb “to be” and the main verb in the appropriate form (ending in a certain time or in the appropriate form, which you need to know by heart). For detailed examples, see the table below.

Time	Formula	Example
Present Simple	subject + verb + object	I watch movies.
Present Continuous	subject + am/is/are + verb -ing + object	I am watching a movie.
Present Perfect	subject + have/has + past participle + object	I have watched the movie.
Present Perfect Continuous	subject + have/has + been + verb -ing + object	I have been watching the movie for two hours.
Past Simple	subject + verb past form + object	I watched a movie yesterday.
Past Continuous	subject + was/were + verb -ing + object	I was watching the movie when you called.
Past Perfect	subject + had + past participle + object	I had watched the movie before I went to bed.
Past Perfect Continuous	subject + had + been + verb -ing + object	I had been watching the movie for an hour before you called.
Future Simple	subject + will + verb + object	I will watch a movie tomorrow.
Future Continuous	subject + will be + verb -ing + object	I will be watching the movie at 8 PM.
Future Perfect	subject + will have + past participle + object	I will have watched the movie by tomorrow.
Future Perfect Continuous	subject + will + have + been + verb -ing + object	I will have been watching the movie for two hours by then.

Choosing the right formula helps to convey the meaning of your statement more accurately. Let's look at how to use the correct verb form.

Peculiarities of using verb forms in English

When choosing a verb form, a native speaker pays attention to when the action takes place and its duration. Here are examples of the main forms you need to know and when they are used:

The infinitive is an impersonal initial or base form. Its peculiarity is that it remains unchanged. It is used in the present tense or in certain grammatical constructions.
The past tense - the so-called Past form - is used to emphasize that an action took place in the past. In this case, you need to use the special ending -ed or a special form for irregular verbs (V3).
The perfect is extremely important for the correct use of the Present Perfect, Past Perfect, and Future Perfect. Here you will also need the -ed ending or the V3 form of irregular verbs.
Present participle (with the ending -ing) is the form of all Continuous tenses that always indicates the duration of an action.

For confident use of the first three forms for children, English textbooks for elementary school are ideal. For a detailed analysis of the Past Participle, it is best to consider learning materials from the B1 level.

Common uses of tenses

Knowing when to use different tenses will help you convey the meaning of a particular statement. Let's look at the most popular uses.

Present Simple - habits and regular activities, general facts, schedules and timetables.
Present Continuous - an action that is happening at the moment of speaking.
Present Perfect - an action that began in the past but is related to the present or took place at an indefinite time.
Present Perfect Continuous - an action that began in the past and is still going on.
Past Simple - a completed action or sequence of events in the past.
Past Continuous - used for actions that took place at a certain point in the past; parallel actions in the past.
Past Perfect - an action that happened before another in the past.
Past Perfect Continuous - an action that lasted until a specific moment in the past.
Future Simple - predictions about the future. Indicates promises, intentions, and decisions made at the time of speaking.
Future Continuous - an action that will take place at a certain point in the future. Indicates parallel actions in the future.
Future Perfect - an action that will be completed by a certain time in the future
Future Perfect Continuous - actions that will continue until a certain point or before another event in the future.

It can be difficult to memorize so many tenses and conditions, but with practice, it is quite possible.

How to memorize all the main tenses of English quickly?

Children often learn grammar worse than vocabulary. This is because English rules are so different from Ukrainian ones. However, there are several effective methods for learning tenses without the mechanical memorization that children are used to at school:

The most interactive and interesting method is watching your favorite cartoons and TV shows and listening to trendy music in English. This will help them learn how native English speakers use the tenses.
Of course, you can't do it without repetition. But you can replace the usual format and create flashcards with words and sentences in the appropriate tense.
Making real-life associations between a tense and a specific rule for using it will also help. Train schedules are Present Simple, a list of vacation plans is Future Simple, and so on.

A prerequisite for effective learning of the tenses is not just tables and formulas. The English language should be associated with something pleasant, not irritating.

A humorous memo on the use of English tenses

As you know, children have a very developed imagination. This is something that can be used for good when classical learning systems no longer work. Learning something in a playful way is something that makes it easier for a child to grasp the English tenses.

Ask your child to imagine a lazy cat and illustrate his or her usual day together. Use the learned forms as follows:

Present Simple - My cat eats fish every day.
Present Continuous - My cat is sleeping on the sofa right now.
Past Simple - My cat played with the ball yesterday.

Using and learning humorous structures and fun characters is a great creative way to have fun in English.

Exercises with Dinternal Education books

In order to learn English and see the desired results, it is important to use textbooks that provide not only a clear explanation of the rules, but also effective practical exercises. The books we offer at Dinternal Education make it easy to learn grammar in practice with interesting tasks and relevant examples in real English.

Our store offers high-quality literature from leading publishers, including Pearson Education Ltd. This guarantees an exciting and effective learning process for you and your children.

Order textbooks from our assortment and learning the English tenses will become not only effective, but also interesting.