The #1 secret to using the correct verb tenses in English

jadi kindred, pmp

English Business Coach & Founder of Accent Unique Inc. 

Ninety percent of my clients tell me that on the first day of evaluations that been tenses are their #1 problem. They know a bunch of words but are "mixed up" when using them.

Luckily, there is a remarkably simple rule. Ready for it? The rule I always teach is “key words”, sometimes known as signal words. There are special key words that signal or indicate which verb tense to use in each sentence.

So, if you want to ensure you create a correct sentence, you can rely on the following key words to conjugate the verb accordingly. As simple as that!
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The most essential key words to know in the English language for grammatical verb tenses are the following:

​Just recently, I was explaining this to one of my clients who gasped when I told her this little secret. She said this rule “will change her life”.  I laughed, but she was serious. Why? Because she struggled her entire life knowing which verb tense to use, always second guessing herself, speaking quietly or not even speaking up for fear of using the incorrect verb tense. 

When an English teacher can offer small tips and tricks such as this one to the learner, the learner quickly gain self-assurance when they speak and therefore more confidence.  If you want to learn how to increase your confidence speaking English, I highly recommend our blog post: 8 ways to increase your confidence speaking English.