A verb tense is a grammatical form that indicates the time at which an action or state described by a verb occurs. In English, verb tenses are used to convey the timing and duration of events or states in relation to the present, past, or future.
There are three main verb tenses in English, including present tense, past tense, and future tense. Each tense has a specific meaning, and it is used to indicate when the action or state of being occurs in relation to the present moment.
For example:
- The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that are always true.
- The past tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past.
- The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
Verb tenses are an important aspect of English grammar, and they help to convey the timing of events in a clear and concise way.
How many tenses are there in English?
There are three main tenses in English: past, present, and future. Each of these tenses can be further divided into four aspects: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
- The simple tense refers to a single action or state that is completed in the past, present, or future.
- The continuous tense refers to an ongoing action or state that is occurring in the present or past.
- The perfect tense refers to an action or state that was completed at some point in the past and has an effect on the present.
- The perfect continuous tense refers to an ongoing action or state that started in the past and is still continuing in the present.
In total, there are 12 tenses in English, as you can see in the Tenses chart below.
| Tenses | Sub types |
|---|---|
| Present Tense | Simple Present Tense |
| Present Perfect Tense | |
| Present Continuous Tense | |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense | |
| Past Tense | Simple Past Tense |
| Past Perfect Tense | |
| Past Continuous Tense | |
| Past Perfect Continuous Tense | |
| Future Tense | Simple Future Tense |
| Future Perfect Tense | |
| Future Continuous Tense | |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense |
12 Basic Verb Tenses in English Grammar
Now let’s talk about all 12 tenses in English one by one:
Tense Chart with Rules and Examples
Here’s the tense chart of all 12 verb tenses with structure and examples:
Past tenses
Past simple tense
The simple past tense (past indefinite tense) is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. It is often used to describe events that have already happened. To form the simple past tense in English, you generally add “–ed” or “–d” to regular verbs or use the second form of irregular verbs.
Here are some examples of the past simple tense:
Past continuous tense
The past continuous tense is used to describe a continuous or ongoing action that was happening at a specific point in the past. It is formed using the past tense of the verb “to be” (was/were) and the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.
Here are some examples of the past continuous tense:
The past continuous can also be used to describe two or more actions that were happening at the same time in the past.
In this sentence, the action of eating dinner and the action of studying for exams were both happening at the same time in the past. The past continuous tense is used to describe these actions because they were in progress at the same time.
Past Perfect tense
The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before a specific point in the past. It is formed using the auxiliary verb “had” and the past participle (3rd form) of the main verb.
In this sentence, the action of finishing homework was completed before the specific point in the past when the person watched TV.
Here are some examples of the past perfect tense:
Past Perfect continuous tense
The past perfect continuous tense, also known as the past perfect progressive tense, is used to describe an action that was in progress before a certain point in the past and may have continued up until that point.
It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “had” plus the present participle of the main verb “been” plus the present participle of the main verb.
Here are some examples of the past perfect continuous tense:
Present tenses
Present simple tense
The present simple tense is a verb tense that is used to describe actions that are happening regularly, habitually, or are currently true. The present simple tense is often used with adverbs of frequency such as “always,” “usually,” and “never.”
The present simple tense is formed using the base form of the verb (for example, “write,” “think,” “speak”). If the subject is a singular noun or pronoun, add -e/es to the base form of the verb.
Here are some examples of the present simple tense:
It is often used to describe things that are always true, such as:
It is also used to describe routine actions, such as:
Present continuous tense
The present continuous tense is a verb tense that indicates that something is happening at present. It is used to describe actions that are in progress at the moment of speaking or writing.
The present continuous tense is formed using the present tense of the auxiliary verb (helping verb) “to be” (for example, “am,” “is,” “are”) and the present participle of the main verb (which is typically formed by adding -ing to the base form of the verb, such as “writing,” “speaking,” “eating”).
Here are some examples of the present continuous tense:
Present perfect tense
The present perfect tense is a verb tense that can be used to describe actions that began in the past and have recently been completed or continued up to the present moment. It is often used to describe personal experiences or changes that have occurred over a period of time.
To form the present perfect tense, you use the auxiliary verb “to have” (have/has) and the past participle (3rd form) of the main verb.
Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:
Present perfect continuous tense
The present perfect continuous tense is a verb tense that describes an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment. It is used to describe an action that has been happening for a certain period of time.
To form the present perfect continuous tense, you use the present perfect tense of the auxiliary verb “to be” (have/has been) and the present participle of the main verb (the verb ending in -ing).
Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:
Future tenses
Future simple tense
The simple future tense is a verb tense that is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. It can be used to make predictions about the future, express willingness or intention, and describe future plans or arrangements.
It is formed with the auxiliary verb “shall/will” followed by the base form of the main verb.
Note: Both shall and will can be used with “I” and “we”.
Here are some examples of the future simple tense:
Here’re some examples of the future simple tense referring to make predictions about the future.
Here’re some examples of the future simple tense referring to express willingness or intention.
Future continuous tense
The future continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
It is formed with the auxiliary verbs “shall/will” and “be” followed by the present participle (-ing form) of the main verb.
Here are some examples of the future continuous tense:
The future continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be happening at a specific time in the future and that will continue for an extended period of time.
It can also be used to describe a temporary situation that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
Future Perfect tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will be completed at some point in the future by a specific time.
It is formed with the auxiliary verbs “shall/will” and “have” followed by the past participle (third form) of the main verb.
Here are some examples of the future perfect tense:
The future perfect tense is also used to describe an action that will be completed at some point in the future before another action or event takes place.
Future perfect continuous tense
The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. It is used to show that something will have been happening for a certain period of time up to that point in the future. This tense is often used with time expressions such as “for,” “since,” or “by the time.”
It is formed using the auxiliary verb “shall/will” followed by the verb “have” and the present participle of the main verb with the ending “-ing.
Here are some examples of the future perfect continuous tense:
Here is the complete summary table of all 12 verb tenses with examples.
| Tense | Simple | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect Continuous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Subject + Verb (base form) + s/es (in case of third-person singular subjects) Example: I walk to school. He walks to school. | Subject + “am/is/are” + Verb (-ing form) Example: I am walking to school. | Subject + “have/has” + Past Participle (3rd form) Example: I have walked to school. | Subject + “have/has been” + Verb (-ing form) Example: I have been walking to school. |
| Past | Subject + Verb (past tense/2nd form) Example: I walked to school yesterday. | Subject + “was/were” + Verb (-ing form) Example: I was walking to school. | Subject + “had” + Past Participle (3rd form) Example: I had walked to school. | Subject + “had been” + Verb (-ing form) Example: I had been walking to school. |
| Future | Subject + will + Verb (base form) Example: I will walk to school tomorrow. | Subject + will be + Verb (-ing form) Example: I will be walking to school. | Subject + will have + Past Participle (3rd form) Example: I will have walked to school. | Subject + will have been + Verb (-ing form) Example: I will have been walking to school. |
Verb Tense FAQs
Here are the most common Verb Tense FAQs :
What’s the difference between Simple Past and Present Perfect?
- Simple Past: Specific time in the past – “I visited Paris last year.”
- Present Perfect: Connection to present – “I have visited Paris” (experience)
When do I use Past Perfect?
Use it to show which action happened first in the past:
- “She had already left when I arrived.” (leaving happened first)
Present Continuous vs. Simple Present?
- Simple Present: Habits/facts – “I work every day.”
- Present Continuous: Happening now – “I am working right now.”
Future: Will vs. Going to?
- Will: Spontaneous decisions, predictions – “I’ll help you.”
- Going to: Plans, evidence-based predictions – “I’m going to study tonight.”
Can I use Present Perfect with specific time?
No. Don’t use specific past times:
Since vs. For with Present Perfect?
- Since: Starting point – “since 2020,” “since Monday”
- For: Duration – “for two years,” “for a week”
What about conditionals and tenses?
- First conditional: If + present, will + base verb
- Second conditional: If + past simple, would + base verb
- Third conditional: If + past perfect, would have + past participle