It's a question that has puzzled linguists, grammarians, and time travelers alike. Why do we need so many verb tense options, you ask?
In the past, our ancestors only had to worry about three tenses: past, present, and future. But then came the dawn of the 21st century, and things got complicated.
We've got the present simple, where you can finally relax, because you're not doing anything exciting, and you're just going to keep on doing it.
We've got the present continuous, where you're in the middle of doing something, but you're not sure if you'll finish it, or if it will finish you.
We've got the past simple, where you did something, and you're not going to do it again, so who cares.
We've got the past continuous, where you were doing something, but you're not sure if you were doing it right, or if it was just a wild dream.
We've got the future simple, where you're going to do something, but you're not sure if you'll remember it by the time it happens.
We've got the future continuous, where you're going to be doing something, but you're not sure if you'll be doing it well, or if you'll just be pretending.
And let's not forget the conditional tense, where you're trying to do something, but you're not sure if you can do it.
So, why do we need so many verb tense options? Well, it's not just because we're a bunch of grammarians with a love for complexity. It's because language is a beautiful, ever-changing beast, and we need all the tools we can get to tame it.
Read the conclusion to find out more.