The sequence of tenses
FoundationThree times, four aspects. Every form in the paper is one cell of this grid.
The aspect is what most questions turn on, not the time. Simple states a fact, continuous states it in progress, perfect relates it to a later point.
| Aspect | Past | Present | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | wrote | writes | will write |
| Continuous | was writing | is writing | will be writing |
| Perfect | had written | has written | will have written |
| Perfect continuous | had been writing | has been writing | will have been writing |