The standard tense in English is the present tense, which is usually just the root form of the verb. Verb tenses list: How many tenses are there in English? These grammatical aspects are the simple tense, perfect tense, continuous tense, and perfect continuous tense. There are also additional aspects that give extra details, such as the length of time the action occurred, which actions happened first, or whether a past action has an impact on the present. The main verb tenses are the past, present, and future. Verb tenses show when an action took place, as well as how long it occurred. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly What is a verb tense?