All English Tenses Explained

Categories: Basic English

All English Tenses Explained

1. Present Tense

a) Present Simple

Form: Subject + base verb (+s/es for he/she/it)
Use: To talk about habits, general truths, and repeated actions.
Examples:

• I play football every day.

• She works in an office.

b) Present Continuous

Form: Subject + am/is/are + verb(-ing)
Use: To describe actions happening right now or temporary situations.
Examples:

• I am reading a book.

• They are playing cricket.

c) Present Perfect

Form: Subject + have/has + past participle (V3)
Use: To describe actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past and are connected to the present.
Examples:

• I have finished my homework.

• She has gone to school.

d) Present Perfect Continuous

Form: Subject + have/has + been + verb(-ing)
Use: To describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing (focus on duration).
Examples:

• I have been studying for 2 hours.

• He has been working here since 2015.

2. Past Tense

a) Past Simple

Form: Subject + past form of verb
Use: To describe completed actions in the past.
Examples:

• I played football yesterday.

• She worked in Delhi last year.

b) Past Continuous

Form: Subject + was/were + verb(-ing)
Use: To describe actions that were ongoing at a certain time in the past.
Examples:

• I was reading when you called.

• They were playing at 5 p.m.

c) Past Perfect

Form: Subject + had + past participle (V3)
Use: To describe an action completed before another past action.
Examples:

• I had eaten before he arrived.

• She had left when I called.

d) Past Perfect Continuous

Form: Subject + had + been + verb(-ing)
Use: To show that an action was ongoing in the past up to another past event.
Examples:

• I had been studying for two hours before dinner.

• They had been waiting since morning.

3. Future Tense

a) Future Simple

Form: Subject + will/shall + base verb
Use: To describe future plans, promises, or predictions.
Examples:

• I will play football tomorrow.

• She will go to Paris next week.

b) Future Continuous

Form: Subject + will be + verb(-ing)
Use: To describe actions that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future.
Examples:

• I will be reading at 8 p.m.

• They will be traveling to London.

c) Future Perfect

Form: Subject + will have + past participle (V3)
Use: To describe actions that will be completed by a certain time in the future.
Examples:

• I will have finished the project by Monday.

• She will have graduated by next year.

d) Future Perfect Continuous

Form: Subject + will have been + verb(-ing)
Use: To describe actions that will continue up to a specific time in the future.
Examples:

• I will have been studying for 3 hours by 10 p.m.

• They will have been working here for 10 years by 2030.

Tense Summary Table

That’s all 12 English tenses explained with forms, uses, and examples.