Guide Overview

This comprehensive resource explains all English verb tenses with French explanations, making it ideal for French speakers learning English. The guide covers 12 tenses with clear usage rules, examples, and formation patterns.

 French Language Resource

This guide is particularly useful for French speakers as all explanations are provided in French. Key grammatical concepts are explained with French equivalents, such as "plus-que-parfait" for past perfect.

Present Tenses

  • Simple Present
  • Present Continuous
  • Present Perfect
  • Present Perfect Continuous

Past Tenses

  • Simple Past
  • Past Continuous
  • Past Perfect
  • Past Perfect Continuous

Future Tenses

  • Simple Future (will)
  • Future (to be going to)

 Present Tenses

1. Simple Present Beginner

Usage (French explanation)

Pour les habitudes - For habits

Pour les vérités générales - For general truths

Pour les faits - For facts

Examples

• He always/never/often/sometimes comes late to class.

• The sun rises everyday/every Monday/every year.

• They are friendly.

 Formation

Wh don't/doesn't + bv, bv + s (3° personne du singulier)

Note: "bv" = base verbale (base form of verb)

2. Present Continuous Beginner

Usage (French explanation)

Pour les descriptions dans le présent - For descriptions in the present

Pour les actions en cours au moment où l'on parle - For actions happening at the moment of speaking

Possibilité de traduire par « en train de » - Can be translated as "in the process of"

Examples

• The girl is running in the hallway as we are in class.

• I am explaining something to the class now/at the moment.

• She is trying to understand English.

 Formation

Wh am/is/are (not) + bv + ing

Time Perspective: Action happening now

Past ———— [PRESENT ACTION] ———— Future

3. Present Perfect Intermediate

Usage (French explanation)

Pour tracer un bilan et insister sur le résultat - To take stock and emphasize the result

Pour inscrire le passé dans le présent - To place the past in the present

Pour parler de son expérience - To talk about one's experience

Examples

• I have studied English for seven years/since 2009.

• I have just finished my homework. / I haven't finished my homework yet.

• I have already/never been to an F1 race. Have you ever been there?

 Formation

Wh have/has (not) + participe passé

 Past Tenses

4. Simple Past Beginner

Usage (French explanation)

Pour les habitudes - For habits (in the past)

Pour les vérités générales - For general truths (in the past)

Pour les faits ou les actions passées et achevées - For facts or past and completed actions

Examples

• He went to class yesterday/last month/last year.

• Two years ago, I went to Spain.

• When I was young/in 1980 my parents moved to Canada.

 Formation

Wh didn't + bv + ed (for regular verbs)

Note: Irregular verbs have special past forms (went, saw, etc.)

5. Past Perfect Advanced

Usage (French explanation)

Pour un flashback dans le passé - For a flashback in the past

Pour parler du moment le plus ancien - To talk about the oldest moment

Plus-que-parfait français - French "plus-que-parfait" equivalent

Examples

• I had already studied my lessons when she came to visit.

• It was the first time she had ever fallen in love.

• I had seen this boy before but I had never really noticed him.

 Formation

Wh had (not) + participe passé

TenseFrench EquivalentKey Time WordsExample
Simple PastPassé simple/composéyesterday, ago, last, in 1990I visited Paris last year.
Present PerfectPassé composé (certain uses)for, since, already, yet, everI have visited Paris.
Past PerfectPlus-que-parfaitalready, before, by the timeI had visited Paris before I moved to London.

 Future Tenses

6. Simple Future (Will) Beginner

Usage (French explanation)

Pour parler de l'avenir (qui ne dépend pas de nos décisions) - To talk about the future (which doesn't depend on our decisions)

Examples

• Tomorrow it will rain.

• Next Sunday/next month/next year it will be cold.

• If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I will go to the beach.

 Formation

Wh will (not) + bv

7. Future (To Be Going To) Beginner

Usage (French explanation)

Pour parler de l'avenir (qui dépend de nos décisions) - To talk about the future (which depends on our decisions)

Examples

• Tomorrow I am going to the cinema with a friend.

• Next Sunday/next month/next year we are going to fly to the USA.

 Formation

Wh am/is/are (not) going to + bv

Will vs. Going To:

Will = spontaneous decisions, predictions

Going to = plans, intentions, evidence-based predictions