Master All English Tenses: From Starters to KET Made Easy!
- Tuana Kahya
- 28 Nis
- 5 dakikada okunur
Güncelleme tarihi: 2 Haz
Learning English tenses can feel tricky and hard, especially when you're preparing for important exams like Cambridge Starters, Movers, Flyers, or KET. But there’s no need to worry! This guide will help you understand all the English tenses you need to know at each level—quickly and clearly. Let’s get started!
You can see all the tenses and the levels they belong to below. Just click on the one you want to study!
1️⃣ Present Simple (Starters, Movers, Flyers, KET)
Usage:
We use Present Simple to talk about routines, facts and things that happen regularly.
Verb Forms:
Subject | Verb (to play) | Example sentence |
I | play | I play football. |
You | play | You play football. |
He / She / It | plays | She plays football. |
We | play | We play football. |
They | play | They play football. |
Note: Add -s or -es for he, she, it.
In the present simple tense, we use adverbs of frequency. Let's talk about it.
Never: 0%
Rarely: 10-20%
Sometimes: 50%
Often: 70%
Always: 100%
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
2️⃣ Present Continuous (Starters, Movers, Flyers, KET)
Usage:We use the Present Continuous to talk about actions happening right now or temporary situations.
Verb forms:
Subject | Verb (to be) + verb + -ing | Example sentence |
I | am + playing | I am playing football. |
You | are + playing | You are playing football. |
He / She / It | is + playing | She is playing football. |
We | are + playing | We are playing football. |
They | are + playing | They are playing football. |
Basic Examples:
1)I am studying now.
2)He is watching TV at the moment.
3)They are playing outside.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
3️⃣ Past Simple (Starters, Movers, Flyers, KET) Usage: We use the Past Simple to talk about actions that happened and finished in the past.
Verb forms (regular verbs):
Subject | Verb (to play) - past form | Example sentence |
I | played | I played football yesterday. |
You | played | You played football yesterday. |
He / She / It | played | She played football yesterday. |
We | played | We played football yesterday. |
They | played | They played football yesterday. |
Verb forms (irregular verbs): No “-ed” ending; the verb changes completely or stays the same.
Verb | Past form | Example sentence |
go | went | He went to school last week. |
have | had | They had dinner at 7 o’clock. |
see | saw | I saw a movie yesterday. |
know | knew | She knew the answer. |
Basic Examples:
1)I watched TV last night.
2)She went to the park yesterday.
3)They had a party last weekend.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
4️⃣ Future Simple – will (Movers, Flyers, KET)
Usage:We use will to talk about decisions made at the moment, promises, or predictions about the future.
Verb forms:
Subject | Will + base verb | Example sentence |
I | will + play | I will play football tomorrow. |
You | will + play | You will play football tomorrow. |
He / She / It | will + play | She will play football tomorrow. |
We | will + play | We will play football tomorrow. |
They | will + play | They will play football tomorrow. |
Basic Examples:
1)I will call you later.
2)He will help you.
3)They will arrive soon.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
5️⃣ Future Simple – going to (Movers, Flyers, KET)
Usage:We use going to to talk about plans or intentions and things we are sure will happen.
Verb forms:
Subject | To be + going to + base verb | Example sentence |
I | am going to + play | I am going to play football tomorrow. |
You | are going to + play | You are going to play football tomorrow. |
He / She / It | is going to + play | She is going to play football tomorrow. |
We | are going to + play | We are going to play football tomorrow. |
They | are going to + play | They are going to play football tomorrow. |
Basic Examples:
1)I am going to visit my friend.
2)He is going to study tonight.
3)They are going to travel next week.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
6️⃣ Present Perfect (Flyers, KET)
Usage: We use the Present Perfect to talk about actions that happened at an unspecified time before now, or that started in the past and continue to the present.
Verb forms:
Subject | Have/Has + past participle | Example sentence |
I | have + played | I have played football. |
You | have + played | You have played football. |
He / She / It | has + played | She has played football. |
We | have + played | We have played football. |
They | have + played | They have played football. |
Note: Use has for he, she, it; have for others.
Basic Examples:
1)I have visited London.
2)She has finished her homework.
3)They have seen that movie.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
7️⃣ Past Continuous (KET)
Usage:We use the Past Continuous to talk about actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past.
Verb forms:
Subject | Was/Were + verb + -ing | Example sentence |
I | was + playing | I was playing football at 5 pm. |
You | were + playing | You were playing football at 5 pm. |
He / She / It | was + playing | She was playing football at 5 pm. |
We | were + playing | We were playing football at 5 pm. |
They | were + playing | They were playing football at 5 pm. |
Basic Examples:
1)I was reading a book when you called.
2)He was watching TV last night.
3)They were playing outside all afternoon.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
8️⃣ First Conditional (KET)
Usage: We use the First Conditional to talk about real or possible situations in the future and their results.
Structure: If + Present Simple, will + base verb
Examples:
If-clause (condition) | Main clause (result) | Example sentence |
If I study | I will pass | If I study, I will pass the exam. |
If she is late | she will miss the bus | If she is late, she will miss the bus. |
If they work hard | they will succeed | If they work hard, they will succeed. |
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
9️⃣ Imperatives (Movers)
Usage:We use imperatives to give commands, instructions, advice, or requests.
Structure:The base verb without a subject.
Examples:
1)Open the door.
2)Don’t touch that!
3)Please sit down.
4)Be careful!
Notes:
💗Use don’t + base verb for negative commands (Don’t run!).
💗Often used in recipes, manuals, and everyday instructions.
You can reinforce what we’ve learned in this topic thanks to the test I created for you:
In this lesson, we explored the key English tenses that will help you speak and write more clearly and confidently. Now you’re ready for the Cambridge Exam.
Remember, learning grammar is a journey — every step you take makes you stronger and smarter! 💪✨
If you ever have questions or need extra help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email. We’re always here to support you! 💌
Thanks for studying with us, superstar! 🌟
Want to keep improving? Check out our other fun and easy posts to boost your English skills even more! 🚀
Yorumlar