Shadowing Practice: Master ALL English Verb Tenses (The Easiest Method!) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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you have two options.
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You could spend years learning all the English tenses, or you could spend 10 minutes.
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I know what I would choose.
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This lesson is the easiest way to get an overview of all 12 English tenses.
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If you have an exam tomorrow or just need a refresher, this is for you.
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Before we start, there's one thing I want to tell you.
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Want to know the secret to speaking English with real confidence?
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It's mastering the tenses.
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Once you fully understand them, you'll know with certainty that you're speaking correctly.
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Trust me, it's the best feeling.
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And because it's so important, I've made something incredibly special that you can download for free.
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It's an ebook complete with all the English tenses in one place.
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Past, present, future and conditional.
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All of it.
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Inside you'll find clear, simple explanations, loads of examples and quizzes to practice.
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This ebook is one of the best resources I've made for English learners and right now it's free.
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Click the link below or scan the QR code on screen.
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Just enter your name and email address, join my mailing list, and I'll send the e-book straight to your inbox.
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You'll also get all my future YouTube lessons and free PDFs, along with news about my courses and special offers.
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It's a free service and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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Download the e-book today, it's yours forever.
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Right, let's get started with the video.
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Let's start with the four present tenses.
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The present simple is formed with subject and base verb.
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With he, she, and it, we add s or es.
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We use the present simple for current states and facts.
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I live in the UK.
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The earth travels around the sun.
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We use it for habits.
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She goes for a run three times a week.
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We can also use the present simple to talk about scheduled future events.
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The plane leaves at seven.
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The present simple is the most common tense in English.
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Next, the present continuous.
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The form is am, is, or are plus ing verb.
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We use the present continuous for things happening now or around now.
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For example, you're learning about the tenses.
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These actions are in progress.
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They're not finished.
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We also use this tense for things we see as temporary.
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He's living with his parents to save some money And for future arrangements,
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often plans with another person involving a time or place.
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We're meeting Diane for dinner tomorrow.
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Next, present perfect simple.
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We form this with have or has plus past participle.
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We use the present perfect simple to talk about things that happened in the past but have a present result.
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I've forgotten my phone so I can't pay for dinner.
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We also use it for things that began in the past and continue to the present.
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We've lived here for five years.
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And our life experiences without saying exactly when they happened.
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They've already seen that film.
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She's never been to Wales.
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Lastly, the present perfect continuous formed with have or has been plus ing verb.
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We use this tense to talk about actions that began in the past
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and continue to the present it's been snowing all day we also use it for actions
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that stopped recently
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but have a present result the kitchen smells great have you
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been cooking okay let's put these tenses together i love coffee
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i have a cup as soon as i wake up i'm drinking coffee
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right now delicious i've drunk three cups of coffee already today
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i've been drinking coffee since i was 15 okay are they clear
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if you need more detail download the ebook you can scan the qr code on screen
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or click the link in the description okay let's move on to the four past tenses.
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First, the past simple formed by adding ed to regular verbs.
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We use the past simple to talk about finished past actions.
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We often say when something happened.
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I went to the dentist yesterday.
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She checked my teeth and everything was okay.
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The past simple is another very common tense in English.
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Next, the past continuous formed with was or were plus ing verb.
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We use the past continuous to talk about actions that were ongoing at a point in the past.
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He was playing tennis this time last week.
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He was in the middle of playing tennis at that time.
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We often use the past continuous and simple together to talk about a longer interaction interrupted by a shorter one.
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For example, he was playing tennis when his sister called.
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The past perfect simple is formed with had plus past participle.
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We use this tense to say that one action happened before another.
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The earlier action is in the past perfect and the later one is usually in the past simple.
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For example, I arrived at eight, but the meeting had started at 7.30.
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Or she was nervous because she had never flown before.
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our final past tense the past perfect continuous
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which is formed with had been plus ing verb we use this tense to talk about an action
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that was in progress before another past moment or action
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the focus is on the duration of the action and often this tense shows a cause with the result
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in the past simple.
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For example, he was exhausted because he'd been traveling all night.
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Okay, let's put those tenses together now.
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I arrived at the airport three hours before my flight.
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I was having a coffee before going through security when my husband called.
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I'd left my passport at home.
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I was heartbroken because I'd been looking forward to that trip for months.
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I hope nothing like that has ever happened to any of you.
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Okay, let's move on to look at our four future tenses plus a bonus one.
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Some people consider these tenses, some people don't we'll call them tenses for simplicity.
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The future simple is formed with will plus base verb.
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And in speech, we almost always contract will to or or.
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You'll, she'll, it'll.
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This tense is used to talk about beliefs.
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You'll love this book.
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Or to make offers and promises.
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I'll lend it to you.
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And for spontaneous reactions.
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Oh, I'll start reading it tonight.
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Okay, our bonus structure.
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We often use be going to when talking about future plans or intentions.
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It's a very common structure in English and it's followed by the base verb.
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I'm going to have a massive clear out of my wardrobe on Sunday.
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I decided to do this before speaking.
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It's not a spontaneous reaction.
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I've already decided this.
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Next, the future continuous, formed with will be plus ing verb.
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We use this tense to talk about an action that will be in progress at a point in the future.
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For example, don't call at seven.
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We'll be trying to get the baby to sleep.
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We'll probably be doing this before and after seven.
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Okay, we're very close to the end now.
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Let's discuss the future perfect simple.
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It's formed with will have plus past participle.
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It's used to talk about things that will be complete at or by a point in the future.
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For example, by the end of this video, you'll have learnt about all the tenses.
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And finally, we have our future perfect continuous formed with will have been plus ing verb.
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It's very similar to the future perfect simple, and it's also one of the least common tenses in English.
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We use it to talk about how long an action will be in progress up to a point in the future.
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For example, by June, Ellen will have been playing the cello for 10 years.
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Okay, let's put those tenses together to finish off.
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I'm going to redecorate my living room at the weekend.
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I think I'll paint it green.
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This time on Saturday, I'll be shopping for paint and brushes.
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By Sunday evening, I'll have finished the second coat.
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And by this time next month, I'll have been working on this house for over a year.
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And we're done!
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All 12 tenses plus one bonus structure in less than 10 minutes.
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Again, that was a very brief overview.
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If you'd like to go much deeper into each of the tenses, download my English Tenses ebook.
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The link is in the description box or you can click the QR code there.
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It's free and it is jam-packed with information.
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You'll love it.
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I will see you in the next lesson.
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Bye!
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Master ALL English Verb Tenses”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: tense, simple, present, plus, action. This video has 139 sentences and 1420 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:48. The speaker talks at a steady 120 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 86% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tense noun | /tɛns/ | The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists. |
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| continuous adjective | /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/ | Without stopping; without a break, cessation, or interruption. |
| participle noun | /ˈpɑɹtɪˌsɪpəl/ | A form of a verb that may function as an adjective, noun or adverb. English has two types of participles: the present participle and the past participle. In… |
| spontaneous adjective | /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/ | Self-directed; happening or acting without external cause or instigation; proceeding from natural feeling, temperament, or momentary impulse. |
| scan verb | /skæn/ | To examine sequentially, carefully, or critically; to scrutinize; to behold closely. |
| overview noun | /ˈoʊ.vɚˌvjuː/ | A brief summary, as of a book or a presentation. |
| heartbroken adjective | Suffering from grief, especially after a failed romance. | |
| learner noun | /ˈlɜɹnəɹ/ | One who is learning; one receiving instruction. |
| redecorate verb | To change the appearance of a place by altering the decor. | |
| refresher noun | /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃɚ/ | Something that refreshes. |
| unsubscribe verb | To cancel a subscription, especially to an online service. | |
| inbox noun | /ˈɪnbɑks/ | A container in which papers to be dealt with are put. |
| conditional noun | /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/ | A conditional sentence; a statement that depends on a condition being true or false. |
| interrupt verb | /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/ | To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| finish off verb | To finish completely. | |
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| look forward to verb | To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to. | |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Trust me, it's the best feeling.
- Right, let's get started with the video.
- Let's start with the four present tenses.
- For example, you're learning about the tenses.
- We've lived here for five years.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | it's been snowing · i've been drinking |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've made · I've forgotten · We've lived |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is formed |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the easiest · the best · the most common |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 43 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'll, you'll, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: refresher /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃɚ/, conditional /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, intentions /ɪnˈtɛnʃənz/, duration /dʒʊˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, brush /bɹʌʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: continuous /kənˈtɪn.juː.əs/, participle /ˈpɑɹtɪˌsɪpəl/, spontaneous /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs/, conditional /kənˈdɪʃ.ə.nəl/, simplicity /sɪmˈplɪsɪti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tense, verb, continuous.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.