{"id":179643,"date":"2023-10-08T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T19:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/learn-english-grammar-tenses\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T03:41:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T07:41:31","slug":"learn-english-grammar-tenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/learn-english-grammar-tenses\/","title":{"rendered":"Tenses for Beginners: The Easy Guide to Learning English Grammar Tenses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Saying \u201cI <strong>eat<\/strong> fish\u201d isn&#8217;t the same as saying \u201cI<strong> am eating<\/strong> fish.\u201d\u00a0But what\u2019s the difference?\u00a0To understand why the two statements are different, you need to understand English tenses.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, I&#8217;ll cover the main <strong>English tenses for beginners<\/strong> and show you how and when to use them.<\/p>\n<p>[fluentu-toc]\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2>What Are the English Tenses?\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>There are only three basic tenses in the English language:<strong> the past, the present <\/strong>and<strong> the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The past tense <\/b>is used for anything that happened before this moment in time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The present tense<\/b> is used for anything that happens right now or for general statements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The future tense <\/b>is used for anything that will happen at some point later than right now.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>(There is also a <b>perfect tense<\/b>, but this article will stick to the three basic tenses described above.)<\/p>\n<p>These tenses have a few variations that make them more specific and talk about the exact time during which actions happen.<\/p>\n<p>All three tenses have two main types of variations:\u00a0<strong>simple<\/strong> and\u00a0<strong>continuous<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/continuous-tense-english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">continuous tenses in English<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0are used for actions that happen repeatedly over a period of time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The simple tenses<\/strong> are used for&#8230; everything else!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With this easy guide below, you&#8217;ll be able to identify exactly when to use these tenses in English.<\/p>\n<h2>The Most Important English Tenses For Beginners<\/h2>\n<h3>Simple Tenses<\/h3>\n<p>Look back at the very first example used in this blog: \u201cI eat fish.\u201d This sentence uses the <strong>simple present tense.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4>Simple Present<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/present-simple-in-english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>simple present<\/strong><\/a> tense is mostly used for three things:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">1. To describe things that are permanent or unchanging.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">2. To describe how often something happens.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">3. To talk about scheduled events.<\/p>\n<p>To use the tense, <strong>add an<em> -s <\/em>to the end of the verb\u00a0when \u201che\u201d or \u201cshe\u201d is doing the action<\/strong> (he speaks, she eats).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use the unchanged verb when anyone else is doing it<\/strong> (we speak, I eat).<\/p>\n<p>You would use this tense if you wanted to tell someone about yourself or your hobbies, share something you believe to be true, or ask about when you can catch the next bus at the stop.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some examples:<\/p>\n<p>If your hobby is the violin, you can say \u201cI <b>play<\/b> the violin.\u201d Since it\u2019s just a hobby though, you can add: \u201cI <b>am<\/b> not a professional violinist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You might be worried about your friend if you notice he\u2019s biting his nails because \u201che <b>bites<\/b> his nails when he\u2019s nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll need to get ready quickly if you want to make it to your friend\u2019s party, because she just told you that \u201cthe party <b>starts<\/b> in an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maybe you should remind your friend to bring a gift since \u201che never <b>remembers<\/b> birthdays.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Simple Past<\/h4>\n<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/past-tense-vs-past-participle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">simple past<\/a><\/strong> is used in a very similar way to the simple present.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simple past regular verbs use <\/strong><em><strong>-ed<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(I walked, he smiled). There are<strong> many irregular verbs<\/strong> that don\u2019t use the <em>-ed<\/em> form, which you will need to learn (I spoke, he ate).<\/p>\n<p>This tense talks about something that has already happened or is no longer true.<\/p>\n<p>Use the simple past if you want to describe an action that already happened.<\/p>\n<p>This description of a trip uses the simple past tense: \u201cLast year I <b>visited<\/b> New York. I <b>lived<\/b> in a hotel for a month. I <b>rode <\/b>the train, <b>took<\/b> many pictures and <b>walked<\/b> all around Central Park.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can also use this tense for many of the same reasons as the simple present. It can be used to describe a hobby or habit you <strong>had<\/strong> in the past, or something you<strong> used to<\/strong> believe was true.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the words \u201cused to\u201d are often used for this tense. You can say it either way: \u201cI <b>used to<\/b> <b>play <\/b>the violin when I was young\u201d has the same meaning as \u201cI <b>played<\/b> the violin when I was young.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Continuous Tenses<\/h3>\n<p>The word <strong>continuous<\/strong>\u00a0means something that\u2019s ongoing, happening right now.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>continuous tense uses the <em>-ing<\/em> ending of a verb<\/strong> (eating, speaking) in both the present and the past.<\/p>\n<p>But wait, if the continuous tense is happening \u201cright now,\u201d how can you have a past continuous tense? Read on to find out!<\/p>\n<h4>Present Continuous<\/h4>\n<p>You can use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-present-continuous\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>present continuous<\/strong><\/a> to talk about something ongoing that\u2019s happening now or soon.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, you are <b>reading<\/b> this article. Maybe you\u2019re <b>drinking<\/b> some coffee or <b>taking<\/b> a break from work. Later today you might be <b>meeting<\/b> some friends for dinner.<\/p>\n<p>By adding the words \u201calways\u201d or \u201cconstantly\u201d you can express\u00a0the frequency of\u00a0the action. For example: \u201cMy mother-in-law is <b>always complaining<\/b>,\u201d or \u201cthat child is <b>constantly<\/b> <b>crying<\/b>.\u201d These are not good things, but they do use the right tense!<\/p>\n<h4>Past Continuous<\/h4>\n<p>The <strong>past continuous<\/strong> tense is used to describe a continuous action that got interrupted. If you got a phone call late at night, you could say \u201cI <b>was sleeping<\/b> last night when I got the call.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can also use this tense to say what you were doing at a specific time in the past. For example: \u201cI <b>was<\/b> already <b>writing<\/b> at 6 in the morning,\u201d or \u201cyesterday in the evening I <b>was eating<\/b> dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Looking to the Future<\/h3>\n<p>The future is anything that hasn&#8217;t happened yet. It can be a few seconds from now or a few years from now.<\/p>\n<h4>Simple Future<\/h4>\n<p>Speaking about the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">future is pretty simple<\/a><\/strong>: just <strong>add the words \u201cwill\u201d or \u201cis going to\u201d before an unchanged verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>How do you know when to use \u201cwill\u201d and when to use \u201cis going to\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t worry about it too much\u2014you can usually use either one! You can say \u201cI <b>will<\/b> <b>call <\/b>you later,\u201d or \u201cI <b>am going to call<\/b> you later.\u201d They are both correct.<\/p>\n<p>The slight difference is in the meaning: \u201cgoing to\u201d is used more often for things that are planned. So in the above example, the first sentence is more offhand (without giving it too much thought), but the second sentence sounds like you will <i>make sure <\/i>to call later.<\/p>\n<p>The difference is subtle (not too big) and you can get away with using either one. Just remember that \u201cwill\u201d is used more often for promises and things you do by choice, and \u201cgoing to\u201d is used for making plans.<\/p>\n<p>Both can be used for predictions too, or things you think will happen. You can say \u201cthe world <b>will end<\/b> in ten years,\u201d and you can also say \u201cthe world <b>is going to end<\/b> in ten years.\u201d Either way is correct\u2014but hopefully the prediction is wrong!<\/p>\n<h4>Future Continuous<\/h4>\n<p>This last way to talk about the future has the same uses as the past continuous.<\/p>\n<p>You use the <strong>future continuous<\/strong> to talk about things that might be interrupted in the future, or to say what will be happening at a specific time in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Just add the<em> -ing<\/em> form of a verb after the words \u201cwill be\u201d or \u201cam going to be.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you know your friend is coming to visit you tomorrow, for example, you could tell her to come before 7 because \u201cwe <b>will be eating<\/b> dinner at 7.\u201d You can also tell her: \u201cI\u00a0<b>will be waiting <\/b>for you at the train station.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A Quick Summary of English Tenses<\/h3>\n<p>Here is everything this post has covered, summarized in a quick list:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Simple present<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Something that is unchanging, general, scheduled or happening at certain intervals.<\/li>\n<li>Uses: \u201cverb\u201d \/ \u201cverb-s.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Present continuous<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Something that is happening now or in the near future.<\/li>\n<li>Uses: \u201cIs + verb-ing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Simple past<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Something that happened before now.<\/li>\n<li>Uses: \u201cVerb-ed.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Past continuous<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Something that got interrupted by an event or a time.<\/li>\n<li>Uses: \u201cWas + verb-ing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Simple future<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Something that will happen later than now.<\/li>\n<li>Uses: \u201cWill + verb,\u201d \u201cIs going to + verb.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Future continuous<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Something that will be interrupted by an event or a time.<\/li>\n<li>Uses: \u201cWill be + verb-ing ,\u201d \u201cIs going to be + verb-ing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Resources to Review English Tenses<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know the different tenses in the English language, it&#8217;s time to practice them so you can start using them in your conversations!<\/p>\n<p>The resources below are great options. No matter your level of English or preferred style of learning, there&#8217;s a tool for you.<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/learnenglish.britishcouncil.org\/en\/english-grammar\/verbs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">British Council<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-176579 size-thumbnail alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1-65x65.jpg 65w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/british-council-1.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>The British Council English learning website is full of free resources to help you refresh your understanding of grammar and English tenses, along with short exercises for each section.<\/p>\n<p>Most of us have that one particular English tense that we find a bit difficult. In the <a href=\"https:\/\/learnenglish.britishcouncil.org\/en\/grammar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grammar section<\/a>, you can find easy-to-understand explanations of grammar rules according to your English level.<\/p>\n<p>To feel more comfortable using them in your own conversations, take some time to listen to how these tenses are used by native English speakers.<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>FluentU<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n<div style=\"float: right;\" id=\"fluen-2779798464\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"FluentU New iOS App Icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x.png\" alt=\"FluentU New iOS App Icon\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x.png 512w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x-65x65.png 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\r\n<strong><a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FluentU lets you turn authentic media into personalized language lessons, so you can learn English exactly the way native speakers use it.<\/a><\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\tWith FluentU\u2019s Chrome extension, you can use our interactive learning tools with <strong>any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix<\/strong>. You can even import your favorite YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account for customized learning!<\/p><p>\r\n\t<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12844 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-English-Netflix-Subtitles.jpg\" alt=\"learn-english-with-fluentu-chrome-extension\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nFluentU also gives you access to a <strong>huge library of real-world English videos<\/strong>\u2014movie trailers, news clips, music videos, and more\u2014all organized by topic and level.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2097\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/4\/English-5.png\" alt=\"learn-english-with-videos\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nNo more stopping to look up words or struggling to keep up with fast speech. While you watch, FluentU\u2019s <strong>interactive captions<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, audio, image, and example sentences.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1235 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-English-vocab-viral-on-app.jpg\" alt=\"learn-english-with-fluentu\" width=\"320\" height=\"568\" \/><\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nWorried you\u2019ll forget all those new words from the videos? We\u2019ve got you! Our <strong>fun, adaptive quizzes<\/strong> reinforce what you\u2019ve learned and even give you extra practice with words you find difficult, making sure they stick for the long run.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<p>\r\n\t<a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-12844 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-English-vocab-quiz-web.jpg\" alt=\"learn-english-with-adaptive-quizzes\" width=\"600\" height=\"390\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>\r\nReady to make every video a language lesson? Start using FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the FluentU app from the App Store or Google Play. <a data-bid=\"1\" data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/try\/april-sale-3331\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/learn\/verb-passives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Verb Tenses and Passives&#8221; course from UC Irvine<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-50225 size-thumbnail alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo-65x65.png 65w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo-120x120.png 120w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/coursera-logo.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>This course from the well-known University of California, Irvine will give you a structured learning experience and the opportunity to interact and discuss with people from other parts of the world.<\/p>\n<p>It covers 12 English verb tenses and how to mix them together the way native speakers often do.<\/p>\n<p>If\u00a0you feel that a routine or schedule helps you to focus, online Coursera classes like this one are a great option. They push you to follow through and do a bit of homework, all from the comfort of your sofa!<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.englishforeveryone.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EnglishForEveryone<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Everyone learns in a slightly different way. I find doodling and writing things down help me remember better. If you&#8217;re like me, EnglishForEveryone is just the thing.<\/p>\n<p>On this website, you&#8217;ll find a variety of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.englishforeveryone.org\/Topics\/Verb-Tenses.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">downloadable verb worksheets available in PDF form<\/a>, organized according to tense type.<\/p>\n<p>They&#8217;re one-page exercises, which means you can do them quickly whenever you get a spare moment. It&#8217;s handy to have them saved on the computer or phone or print them out. That way, you have them on hand when you&#8217;re waiting for the doctor or that colleague of yours that&#8217;s always late to meetings!<\/p>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarbank.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GrammarBank<\/a><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GrammarBank.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-211361 size-thumbnail alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GrammarBank-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GrammarBank-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GrammarBank-65x65.png 65w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GrammarBank-120x120.png 120w, https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/GrammarBank.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>As the name indicates, this is where you can go for all things grammar. Some of their exercises\u00a0are a real workout. For example, there are several where you have to compare English tenses and structures that are often confused, like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarbank.com\/present-perfect-or-past-perfect.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Present Perfect vs. Past Perfect&#8221;<\/a> or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarbank.com\/will-vs-going-to-exercises.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Will vs. Going To.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>GrammarBank also has some great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarbank.com\/verb-tenses-exercises.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mixed verb tense exercises<\/a>, so you can practice the different tenses.<\/p>\n<p>They&#8217;re online exercises, but you could easily print them out as well.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Now you know the tenses in English, you&#8217;re ready to start using them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Practice them and you&#8217;ll soon start incorporating them naturally into your own English conversations and writing!<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saying \u201cI eat fish\u201d isn&#8217;t the same as saying \u201cI am eating fish.\u201d\u00a0But what\u2019s the difference?\u00a0To understand why the two statements are different, you need to understand English tenses. In&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":152,"featured_media":251161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Tenses for Beginners: The Easy Guide to Learning English Grammar Tenses | FluentU English Blog","description":"Want to learn tenses for beginners? Learn English grammar tenses with this easy guide. Covering the basic present, past and future tenses to five useful resources you can use to practice them, this guide has everything you need to start learning how and when to use each tense. Click here to start learning!"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,696,707],"tags":[],"coauthors":[169],"class_list":["post-179643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-grammar-english","category-tenses-and-conjugation-grammar-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/152"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179643"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254012,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179643\/revisions\/254012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179643"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=179643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}