Lesson 1: Understanding Tenses – Past, Present, and Future Forms

📚 Introduction

Have you ever told a story and confused people because they didn’t know when it happened?
Imagine saying: “Yesterday, I am eating jollof rice.”

Hmm… that sounds wrong, right?
That’s why tenses are so important — they show when actions happen!
In English, you must choose the right tense to help your listener or reader travel through time with you.
In this lesson, we’ll learn about tenses in a clear, simple way — with examples from real life, not just boring rules!

🧠 Key Concepts and Explanations

1. What is Tense?

Tense = The form of a verb that shows when an action happens (past, present, or future).

Tenses act like a time machine for your words! 🕰️

2. The Three Main Tenses and Their Variations

Each tense (past, present, future) has four forms:

🧩 Short meanings of each form:

• Simple = just the action.

• Continuous = action happening over time.

• Perfect = completed action before another time.

• Perfect Continuous = long action continuing until another time.

3. Signal Words (Clues to Tense)

You don’t always have to guess! Signal words often tell you which tense to use:

4. Real-Life Examples

🧩 Diagram: Tenses Timeline

Think of the present as the center, with past and future on either side!

📝 Step-by-Step Walkthroughs of Sample Problems

Sample 1
Question: Correct the verb in brackets:
“Last Saturday, I (go) to the market.”

👉 Step 1: Look for time word — “Last Saturday” = past
👉 Step 2: Past form of “go” = went
✅ Final Answer: “Last Saturday, I went to the market.”

Sample 2
Question: Complete using present continuous.
“She (cook) dinner now.”

👉 Step 1: Time word = “now” → Present continuous.
👉 Step 2: Form = am/is/are + verb + -ing → “is cooking”
✅ Final Answer: “She is cooking dinner now.”

Sample 3
Question: Change the sentence to future perfect tense.
“By 2026, they (build) the new bridge.”

👉 Step 1: Time clue “By 2026” → Future perfect.
👉 Step 2: Future perfect form = will have + past participle
👉 Step 3: Past participle of “build” = built
✅ Final Answer: “By 2026, they will have built the new bridge.”

🎯 Extra Practice Exercises

Practice A: Fill in the blanks with the correct tense form.

1. My friends _______ (play) football every Sunday.

2. Right now, I _______ (watch) TV.

3. Two days ago, she _______ (buy) a new dress.

4. Tomorrow, we _______ (visit) our grandparents.

5. By next week, he _______ (complete) the project.

Practice B: Identify the tense used in each sentence.

1. “She is singing beautifully.”

2. “They had eaten before I arrived.”

3. “I will travel to Kumasi next month.”

4. “We were studying when you called.”

5. “He always wakes up early.”

Practice C: Correct the tense errors.

“Yesterday, she go to the park and play football.”

✅ Correction: ______________________________________

📝 Practice Answers

Practice A:

1. play (Simple Present)

2. am watching (Present Continuous)

3. bought (Simple Past)

4. will visit (Simple Future)

5. will have completed (Future Perfect)

Practice B:

1. Present Continuous

2. Past Perfect

3. Future Simple

4. Past Continuous

5. Present Simple

Practice C:

✅ Corrected Sentence:
“Yesterday, she went to the park and played football.”
(Both verbs should be in simple past.)

🔁 Recap

In this lesson, you have learned that:

• Tenses show when actions happen — past, present, or future.

• Each tense has four forms: Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous.

• Signal words like “yesterday” or “now” give hints about which tense to use.

• Correct tense use makes your speaking and writing clear and professional!

🪞 Reflection Prompt

📝 Think about this:
Write about what you did yesterday, what you are doing today, and what you plan to do tomorrow — all in one paragraph.
Notice how you change your verbs as you move from past to present to future! 🌟