Everybody would like to learn the tenses quickly and without a fuss, but is such a thing even possible? Some would say no, but we disagree. Yes, you have to know which tenses exist in English, you definitely must learn to distinguish between present simple and present continuous, and you surely have to become familiar with past tenses.

As difficult as it may sound, it does get easier if you find proper help at a great school of English for foreigners in San Diego. But, just in case you don’t want to attend your first class without even the slightest knowledge, let’s see if we can help you get prepared.

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How do you know what tense to use in English?

Knowing which tense to use when speaking or writing English is not as difficult as it may sound. You don’t have to be a tenured professor at the University of California Department of Linguistics to wrap your head around this little predicament.

In order to make it as easy as one, two, three, we’re going to do just that - separate the tenses into three main groups, i.e. the past, the present, and the future. From there, you’ll have no trouble using the correct tense, depending on what you want to talk about.

Mind you, we’re going to stick to the more common tenses used in speech, as well as writing. We’re not going to make it more difficult to you with Future Perfect Continuouses and co.

• The Past - When talking about the past, you have a choice of the three most common tenses. You can use the Simple Past Tense to talk about events that happened at a certain point in the past, or you can use the Past Continuous Tense when you want to emphasise that a certain action lasted for an amount of time. If you have to say that an event or an action occurred before another in the past, you have to use the Past Perfect Tense together with the Simple Past Tense. And that’s it!
• The Present - Simple Present Tense is the most commonly used tense in the English language, and you will most often use it to talk about your habits, actions you perform regularly, or just general facts. When you’re talking about an action that is happening as you speak, always use the Present Continuous Tense. Yeah, it’s as easy as that!
• The Future - You have a couple of more options when it comes to speaking about the future, but we’re just going to focus on the two main ones. You can use the Future Simple Tense for spontaneous decisions, or decisions that have nothing to do with the present or the past. If you’re making plans or promises that you plan on keeping, use Present Continuous Tense to talk about the future. Yes, that’s a possibility as well. Learn these two tenses well and you’re set for 80 percent of all things future!
• The Past → The Present - The last category is a mixed one, and it is not something you, as a beginner, would have to master. But, just in case. If you’re talking about an event from the past that has an effect on the present, or you want to describe an action that started in the past but continues to this day, there is no alternative to the Present Perfect Tense. We know we said we would not bore you with the Perfects, but this one can really come in handy!

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How can I learn tenses easily?

Although some might say that there isn’t a quick and efficient way to learn English tenses, we beg to differ. Although tenses will be tenses and there’s no way to simplify them, what you can do is organize your tense-learning endeavors in such a way that you simplify and structure the process as much as possible to make learning thoroughly worthwhile. Let’s see what you can do!

1. Separate them - Separate the tenses as we’ve done - the past, the present, and the future.
2. Focus on a single category - Don’t go learning all the tenses at once. Take your time, otherwise, there’ll be confusion. Start from the past, master it, and then move on.
3. Learn the grammar - You saw this one coming, didn’t you? You have to know how to form tenses, and the only way to do so is to learn the grammar side of them.
4. Write a bit - Before using them when speaking, write the tenses down. Take a verb, and take it through its paces.
5. Speak - First to the mirror, then to your pet, then to the world! Joking aside, once you feel you’ve mastered the grammar of it all, use various tenses while speaking as much as possible!

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“Is there a language school in San Diego where I can learn tenses easily?”

Yes, yes there is, and it’s called College of English Language. We are the best among San Diego English language schools for foreigners, and all our students master tenses quickly, easily, and thoroughly! If you’re having trouble getting your thoughts across in English when walking about the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park, become our student and put all of that behind you!