How to learn tenses ...

Hi,

it's much easier to learn tenses when you know the parts of each tense. If you want to build a tense you can simply build it from its parts.

e.g. present | perfect | simple-> 

part 1: present; 

part 2: perfect;

part 3: simple

What do you have to know?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
present: he, she, it the *s* must fit.
past: 2nd form (IR) / -ed
will-future: will + INF
going-to-future: form of "to be" + going to + INF
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
perfect: form of "to have" + past particliple (3rd form - IR) / -ed
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
simple: -----
progressive/continous: form of "to be" + present participle (ing-form)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you know all these parts by heart you can easily build any tense you would like to build.

First example 

S(ubject) V(erb) O(bject)

Harry | learn | English

tense: present perfect simple

Harry _______________________________ English.

step 1: take the verb "learn" and put it in simple. => nothing happens & the verb "learn" has to move on.

 Harry _______________________________ English.

step 2: "learn" moves to the next part - perfect => past participle of learn = learnt; leftover "form of "to have"" has to move

Harry ___________________learnt English.

step 3: "form of "to have"" moves to the next part - present => Harry=he: have -> has

Harry has learnt English.

Second example 

S(ubject) V(erb) O(bject)

Harry | learn | English

tense: going-to-future perfect progressive (very unlikely tense)

Harry _______________________________ English.

step 1: take the verb "learn" and put it in progressive => present participle of learn = learning; leftover "form of "to be"" has to move

Harry ___________________ learning English.

step 2: "form of "to be"" moves to the next part - perfect => past participle of be = been; leftover "form of "to have"" has to move

 Harry ______________ been learning English.

step 4: "form of "to have"" moves to the next part - going-to-future => infinitive of have= have; add going to; Harry=he: be -> is

 Harry is going to have been learning English.