Understanding verb tenses is one of the keys to mastering English, but with 12 different tenses to choose from, it can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re learning English as a second language or brushing up on your grammar skills, knowing how and when to use each tense correctly can make a huge difference in clarity and confidence.
In this article, we’ll break down each of the 12 English verb tenses—past, present, and future, along with their simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous forms. We’ll explain when to use each tense, provide clear examples, and highlight common mistakes to avoid. By the end, you’ll have a solid grasp of how to navigate time in English with precision and ease. Let’s dive in!
Simple Present
Definition: Simple present tense is used to express general truths and habitual action. It describes facts that are always true and actions that happen regularly. For example, “the sun rises from the east” is a universal truth, and “he eats breakfast every morning” is a habitual action.
There is a formula to differentiate between simple present, past, and future. If you Learn their formulas, you can use tenses correctly and efficiently.
Formula: subject + 1st form of the verb + s, es, ies + object / complement.
Example: He plays Football.
Note: s, es, and ies suffixes are used with he, she, and it, since they are singular pronouns; however, with plural pronouns (I, we, you, they), you have to remove the suffix and use the base form of the verb.
Examples:
| Singular Pronouns (he, she, it) | Plural Pronouns (I, we, you, they) |
| He plays football every evening. | I play football every evening. |
| She reads a book before bed. | We read books before bed. |
| It makes a loud noise. | You make a loud noise. |
| He goes to work at 9 AM. | They go to work at 9 AM. |
| She drinks coffee every morning. | I drink coffee every morning. |
Negative formula: subject + does / do + not + 1st form of the verb + object / complement
Example: He does not play football.
Note: “do” is used with plural pronouns, while “does” is used with singular pronouns in negative and interrogative sentences.
Look at the table below, where I have converted the positive sentences into negative ones.
| Singular Pronouns (he, she, it) | Plural Pronouns (I, we, you, they) |
| He does not play football every evening. | I do not play football every evening. |
| She does not read a book before bed. | We do not read books before bed. |
| It does not make a loud noise. | You do not make a loud noise. |
| He does not go to work at 9 AM. | They do not go to work at 9 AM. |
| She does not drink coffee every morning. | I do not drink coffee every morning. |
Like the formula, “does + not” is added after singular pronouns, while “do + not” is added after plural pronouns.
If you wish to change the interrogative sentence, here is the formula.
Formula: Do / does + subject + base from the verb + object / complement +?
Example: Does he play football?
| Singular Pronouns (he, she, it) | Plural Pronouns (I, we, you, they) |
| Does he play football every evening? | Do I play football every evening? |
| Does she read a book before bed? | Do we read books before bed? |
| Does it make a loud noise? | Do you make a loud noise? |
| Does he go to work at 9 AM? | Do they go to work at 9 AM? |
| Does she drink coffee every morning? | Do I drink coffee every morning? |
Present Continuous
Definition: An action or condition that is happening right now, frequently, and may be ongoing. For example, I am eating breakfast. Unlike simple present tense, the two auxiliary verbs (to be and to have) are used alongside the “ing” after the verb.
Positive formula: subject + auxiliary verb + 1st form of the verb + ing + object / complement.
Negative formula: subject + auxiliary verb + not + 1st form of the verb + ing + object / complement.
Interrogative formula: auxiliary verb + subject + 1st form of the verb + ing + object/complement +?
| Positive | Negative | interrogative |
| He is playing football. | He is not playing football. | Is he playing football? |
| She is reading a book. | She is not reading a book. | Is she reading a book? |
| It is raining outside. | It is not raining outside. | Is it raining outside? |
| I am playing football. | I am not playing football. | Am I playing football? |
| We are reading a book. | We are not reading a book. | Are we reading a book? |
| You are studying English. | You are not studying English. | Are you studying English? |
| They are watching TV. | They are not watching TV. | Are they watching TV? |
Present Perfect
Definition:The present perfect is used to talk about an action or event completed at an unspecified time in the past but still connected to the present. For example, he broke his leg. It is an event that happened in the past, but the pain and recovery are connected to the present.
Formula: subject + have/has + 3rd form of the verb + object/complement.
Negative: subject + have/has + not + 3rd form of the verb + object/complement.
Interrogative: have/has + subject + 3rd form of the verb + object/complement + ?
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| She has learned how to play the guitar. | She has not learned how to play the guitar. | Has she learned how to play the guitar? |
| They have traveled to several countries. | They have not traveled to several countries. | Have they traveled to several countries? |
| I have seen that movie already. | I have not seen that movie yet. | Have I seen that movie already? |
| We have made progress on the question. | We have not made progress on the question. | Have we made progress on the question? |
| He has attended all the classes this week. | He has not attended all the classes this week. | Has he attended all the classes this week? |
| You have cleaned the kitchen, right? | You have not cleaned the kitchen, right? | Have you cleaned the kitchen, right? |
| Apple has launched a new product. | Apple has not launched a new product. | Has Apple launched a new product? |
Present Perfect Continuous
Definition: The present perfect continuous expresses an action that began in the past and has continued up to the present. For example, she has been teaching for five years. In this example, she started teaching five years ago and is still teaching today.
Formula: subject + have/has + been + 1st form of the verb + ing + object/complement.
Negative formula: subject + have/has + been + not + 1st form of the verb + ing + object/complement.
Interrogative formula: have/has + subject + 1st form of the verb + ing + object/complement.
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| She has been learning how to play the guitar. | She has not been learning how to play the guitar. | Has she been learning how to play the guitar? |
| They have been traveling to several countries. | They have not been traveling to several countries. | Have they been traveling to several countries? |
| I have been watching that movie. | I have not been watching that movie. | Have I been watching that movie? |
| We have been making progress on the question. | We have not been making progress on the question. | Have we been making progress on the question? |
| He has been attending all the classes this week. | He has not been attending all the classes this week. | Has he been attending all the classes this week? |
| You have been cleaning the kitchen, right? | You have not been cleaning the kitchen, right? | Have you been cleaning the kitchen, right? |
| Apple has been launching a new product. | Apple has not been launching a new product. | Has Apple been launching a new product? |
Note: When you want to mention the duration of an action, you have to use “for” or “since” in the present perfect tense.
- “For” is used to show a period.
- “Since” is used to show a specific time in the past.
Examples:
- They have been living here for five years.
- They have been living here since 2019.
Simple Past
Definition: It is used to define an action that started in the past and finished at a specific point in the past. For example, “He visited the Taj Mahal last year”. In this example, the action was completed at a particular time.
Formula: subject + 2nd form of the verb + object/complement.
Negative: subject + did + not + base verb + object/complement.
Interrogative: did + subject + base verb + object/complement.
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| I watched a movie last night. | I did not watch a movie last night. | Did I watch a movie last night? |
| She traveled to Japan last summer. | She did not travel to Japan last summer. | Did she travel to Japan last summer? |
| They studied for the exam yesterday. | They did not study for the exam yesterday. | Did they study for the exam yesterday? |
| We visited our grandparents last weekend. | We did not visit our grandparents last weekend. | Did we visit our grandparents last weekend? |
| He cooked dinner for the family last Friday. | He did not cook dinner for the family last Friday. | Did he cook dinner for the family last Friday? |
Past Continuous
Definition: The past continuous refers to an action that happened in the past and continued over a period of time. For example, I was doing my assignment when the doctor called.
Formula: subject + was/were + base verb + ing + object/complement.
Negative: subject + was/were + not + base verb + ing + object /complement.
Interrogative: was/were + object + base verb + ing + object/complement?
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| I was reading a book when you called. | I was not reading a book when you called. | Was I reading a book when you called? |
| She was studying for the exam all night. | She was not studying for the exam all night. | Was she studying for the exam all night? |
| They were playing football when it started raining. | They were not playing football when it started raining. | Were they playing football when it started raining? |
| We were watching a movie at 8 PM yesterday. | We were not watching a movie at 8 PM yesterday. | Were we watching a movie at 8 PM yesterday? |
| He was working on his project when the power went out. | He was not working on his project when the power went out. | Was he working on his project when the power went out? |
Past Perfect
Definition: The past perfect tense is used to express an action that started in the past and was completed before another point in the past. It shows a sequence of events where one action happened earlier than another, both of which are in the past.
Formula: subject + had + 3rd form of verb + object/complement.
Negative: subject + had + not + 3rd form of verb + object/complement.
Interrogative: had + subject + 3rd form of verb + object /complement +?
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| He had finished his exam before the bell rang. | He had not finished his exam before the bell rang. | Had he finished his exam before the bell rang? |
| She had submitted her assignment before the teacher checked it. | She had not submitted her assignment before the teacher checked it. | Had she submitted her assignment before the teacher checked it? |
| They had arrived at school before the gates closed. | They had not arrived at school before the gates closed. | Had they arrived at school before the gates closed? |
| We had studied for the test before the teacher announced a revision. | We had not studied for the test before the teacher announced a revision. | Had we studied for the test before the teacher announced a revision? |
| It had rung before the students entered the classroom. | It had not rung before the students entered the classroom. | Had it rung before the students entered the classroom? |
Past Perfect Continuous
Definition: The past perfect continuous describes an action that started in the past, continued for some time, and was still in progress up until another point in the past. This tense is particularly useful for explaining situations where the duration of an activity is essential. It helps us understand how long something has happened before something else interrupts it.
Formula: subject + had been + base verb + ing + object/complement.
Negative: subject + had been not + base verb + ing + object/complement.
Interrogative: had + subject + been + base verb + ing + object/complement + ?
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| I had been studying for hours. | I hadn’t been studying for hours. | Had I been studying for hours? |
| She had been working on the project all week. | She hadn’t been working on the project all week. | Had she been working on the project all week? |
| They had been living in London for five years. | They hadn’t been living in London for five years. | Had they been living in London for five years? |
| He had been playing the guitar since he was ten. | He hadn’t been playing the guitar since he was ten. | Had he been playing the guitar since he was ten? |
| We had been waiting for the bus for an hour. | We hadn’t been waiting for the bus for an hour. | Had we been waiting for the bus for an hour? |
Simple Future
Definition: Is used to show an action that will happen or is expected to happen in the future. The simple future is used for promises, predictions, offers, requests, etc. It is formed using will and 1st form of the verb.
Formula: Subject + will + 1st form of the verb + object/complement.
Negative: Subject + will not + 1st form of the verb + object/complement.
Interrogative: Will + subject + 1st form of the verb + object/complement +?
Examples:
| Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
| I will go to the store. | I will not go to the store. | Will I go to the store? |
| She will eat dinner later. | She will not eat dinner later. | Will she eat dinner later? |
| They will play soccer tomorrow. | They will not play soccer tomorrow. | Will they play soccer tomorrow? |
| The dog will bark at strangers. | The dog will not bark at strangers. | Will the dog bark at strangers? |
Future Continuous tense
Definition: The future continuous tense is used to talk about an action or an event that we think will continue at a particular time in the future. Native English speakers commonly use this tense, which is also often referred to as the Future Progressive tense.
Formula: subject + will be + base form of verb + ing + object/complement.
Negative: subject + will not be + base form of verb + ing + object/complement.
Interrogative: will + subject + be + base of verb + ing + object/complement + ?
Example:
| Positive Sentence | Negative Sentence | Interrogative Sentence |
| They will be playing football all afternoon. | They will not be playing football all afternoon. | Will they be playing football all afternoon? |
| I will be studying for my exam tonight. | I will not be studying for my exam tonight. | Will I be studying for my exam tonight? |
| She will be traveling to Europe next summer. | She will not be traveling to Europe next summer. | Will she be traveling to Europe next summer? |
| We will be watching a movie at 8 PM. | We will not be watching a movie at 8 PM. | Will we be watching a movie at 8 PM? |
| He will be working on his project all week. | He will not be working on his project all week. | Will he be working on his project all week? |
Future Perfect Tense
Definition: The future perfect tense expresses an action that will occur before another action or time.
Formula: subject + will have + 3rd form of verb + object/complement.
Negative: subject + will not have + 3rd form of verb + object/complement.
Interrogative: will + subject + have + 3rd form of verb + object/complement +?
Examples:
| Positive Sentence | Negative Sentence | Interrogative Sentence |
| I will have finished my homework by 5 PM. | I won’t have finished my homework by 5 PM. | Will I have finished my homework by 5 PM? |
| She will have eaten lunch by noon. | She won’t have eaten lunch by noon. | Will she have eaten lunch by noon? |
| They will have played the game by dinner. | They won’t have played the game by dinner. | Will they have played the game by dinner? |
| We will have seen the movie by Sunday. | We won’t have seen the movie by Sunday. | Will we have seen the movie by Sunday? |
| He will have read the book by next week. | He won’t have read the book by next week. | Will he have read the book by next week? |
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Definition: The future perfect continuous is used to talk about an ongoing action before some point in the future.
Formula: subject + will have been + base verb + ing + object/complement.
Negative: subject + will not have + been + base verb + ing + object/complement.
Interrogative: will + subject + have been + base verb + ing + object/complement +?
Examples:
| Positive Sentence | Negative Sentence | Interrogative Sentence |
| I will have been studying for two hours by 8 PM. | I won’t have been studying for two hours by 8 PM. | Will I have been studying for two hours by 8 PM? |
| She will have been playing the piano for an hour when her lesson starts. | She won’t have been playing the piano for an hour when her lesson starts. | Will she have been playing the piano for an hour when her lesson starts? |
| They will have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes by the time it arrives. | They won’t have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes by the time it arrives. | Will they have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes by the time it arrives? |
| We will have been watching TV for three hours by 10 PM. | We won’t have been watching TV for three hours by 10 PM. | Will we have been watching TV for three hours by 10 PM? |
| He will have been working on his project for a week by Friday. | He won’t have been working on his project for a week by Friday. | Will he have been working on his project for a week by Friday? |
Conclusion
Whether writing, reading or speaking, mastering English tenses is fundamental for effective communication. You have seen the 12 tenses together with their definition, their formula and examples. Remember, consistent practice is key. Don’t be afraid to use these tenses daily: the more you practice, the more confident you’ll become in your English skills.