Help your students understand and compare English verb tenses and aspects. The tense of a verb tells us when something happens; in the past or in the present. The aspect refers to the flow of time. All verbs have both tense and aspect. Because there are three verb tenses (including the future forms) and four verb aspects, there are twelve possible combinations of tense and aspect.
English Verb Tense and Aspect Chart 1

Overview
BusinessClass essentials
Level
Beginner: A1Elementary: A2
Included 1 student page
Teaching time Any
Language functions Comprehending text
Language forms
Continuous formsFuture formsModal and auxiliary verbsPast formsPerfect formsPresent tenseVerb forms
Activities Reading
Related lessons
You might also like these…
Giving and Receiving Presents
Level A2
3 pages
120 mins
Daily lifePeople and placesSeasonal
Students read about presents/gifts people would like to receive and the reasons they want them before being introduced to infinitives…
Asking How Questions
Level A2, A2+
3 pages
120 mins
Daily lifePeople and places
Students learn about and practice asking and answering ‘how’ questions through a discussion based activity about the USA and a…
What did you do on holiday?
Level A1, A2
2 pages
60 mins
Travel
Students learn some verb noun collocations used to talk about holidays. Students build conversations about what they did on their…
Talking about your Abilities
Level A1
3 pages
90 mins
Daily life
Students learn how talk about their abilities and ask questions using the modal verb can. Students also practice saying the…
Janet is an English Teacher
Level A1, A2
2 pages
60 mins
Daily life
Students are introduced to the indefinite article (a/an) and the definite article (the). Students will be comfortable using articles and…
Halloween Plans
Level A1, A2
2 pages
60 mins
Seasonal
Students are introduced to ‘be going to’ and how to use it to talk about plans in the future. Students…
What are you going to do for Christmas?
Level A1, A2
3 pages
120 mins
Seasonal
Students read a conversation about Christmas plans then learn the basic future forms ‘will’ and ‘be going to’. Students will…
Questions and Answers with you/he/she
Level A1, A2
2 pages
60 mins
Daily life
Students will be able to ask and answer present simple questions focusing on the second person singular ‘you’ and the…
Past Simple Questions with Did and Queen
Level A2
2 pages
60 mins
Students practice forming past simple questions with did. A reading activity about the rock band Queen helps to keep this…