What Verb Tense or Tenses Can I Use to Show Repeated Action?

What Verb Tense or Tenses Can I Use to Show Repeated Action?

by Angie Cantu
(San Antonio )

Hi,

OK, I know that I can't use the past tense because that is for a completed action.

But for the perfect and continuous tenses, can I use them to express repeated actions?

Like the past perfect, can I use it for a repeated action that was occurring in the past till present? Or like the future perfect, can I use it for a repeated action that will happen before another future action? And so on... Please help.

I am very confused.

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Jan 01, 2013
Answer
by: Chelsey

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

For repeated actions we usually use the present simple tense.

One common use of the present simple tense is to show repeated actions or habits.

This type of sentence uses adverbs of repeated time, such as:

• always
• never
• frequently
• sometimes
• rarely
• once a ______ (day, minute, hour, year, week, etc.)
• every _______ (day, night, minute, year, week, etc.)

Examples

1. John sometimes rides his back to school.
2. I balance my checkbook every week.
3. You must walk the dog three times a day while I am gone.
4. She rarely visits France.
5. I always buy groceries on Sundays.

Although the past perfect tense and future perfect tense are not commonly used in this way, you can use them to show repeated actions.

PAST PERFECT TENSE

The past perfect tense could also be used for a repeated action that happened in the past before another action in the past. To do this, you would need to use an adverb of repeated time (listed above).

Examples

1. They had practiced four times a week before the big game last year.
2. John had studied his English every night to graduate high school.
3. He had owned a truck for many years before buying a car in 2012.

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

The future perfect tense could be used for a repeated action that will happen before another future action.

Examples
1. He will have practiced his speech five times before he goes to school.
2. His mom will have made five calls to his friends by the time he gets home.
3. By the time he leaves work, he will have fired ten people.

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