Verb tense helps place an event or state in time. English has distinct present and past forms, as in walks and walked. English also uses several constructions to talk about the future, including will followed by the base form.
Present and past verb forms
- Present. The ferry leaves at noon every day. The present form leaves describes a regular event.
- Past. The ferry left at noon yesterday. The past form left describes a specific departure.
Ways to talk about the future
In The ferry will leave at noon, will combines with the base form leave. A schedule can use the present, as in The ferry leaves at noon tomorrow. A plan can use going to, as in We’re going to take the noon ferry.
Tense and aspect together
Compare The ferry left, The ferry was leaving, and The ferry had left. All three use a past-tense verb. Their aspect presents the departure as a whole event, an event in progress, or an event earlier than a past reference point.
