English Verb Tenses

Complete Interactive Lesson

Past

Present

Future

A comprehensive guide to all 12 English verb tenses

Learning Objectives

Identify

Recognize all 12 verb tenses in context

Construct

Form tenses correctly using proper structure

Apply

Use appropriate tenses in real conversations

Master

Achieve fluency in tense usage

The 12 English Verb Tenses

Time	Simple	Continuous	Perfect	Perfect Continuous
Past	I walked	I was walking	I had walked	I had been walking
Present	I walk	I am walking	I have walked	I have been walking
Future	I will walk	I will be walking	I will have walked	I will have been walking

Present Simple

Formation

Subject + Base Verb (+s for 3rd person)

Uses

Habits & Routines: I drink coffee every morning.
Facts & Truths: The sun rises in the east.
Scheduled Events: The train leaves at 8 PM.

Examples

Positive: She works in a bank.

Negative: He doesn't like spicy food.

Question: Do you speak English?

Present Continuous

Formation

Subject + am/is/are + Verb + ing

Uses

Actions happening now: I am writing a letter.
Temporary situations: She is staying with friends.
Future arrangements: We are meeting tomorrow.

Examples

Positive: They are playing football.

Negative: It isn't raining right now.

Question: Are you listening to music?

Present Perfect

Formation

Subject + have/has + Past Participle

Uses

Life experiences: I have visited Paris.
Recent actions: She has just arrived.
Unfinished time: I have read three books this month.

Examples

Positive: We have finished our homework.

Negative: He hasn't seen that movie.

Question: Have you ever been to Japan?

Present Perfect Continuous

Formation

Subject + have/has been + Verb + ing

Uses

Duration until now: I have been studying for 3 hours.
Recent activity: You look tired. Have you been running?
Temporary situations: She has been living here since 2020.

Examples

Positive: They have been working all day.

Negative: It hasn't been raining lately.

Question: How long have you been waiting?

Past Simple

Formation

Subject + Past form of verb

Uses

Completed actions: I visited London last year.
Past habits: When I was young, I played tennis.
Sequences of events: She arrived, unpacked, and went to bed.

Examples

Positive: He bought a new car yesterday.

Negative: We didn't go to the party.

Question: Did you enjoy the concert?

Past Continuous

Formation

Subject + was/were + Verb + ing

Uses

Actions in progress: I was reading when you called.
Background actions: While it was raining, we stayed inside.
Interrupted actions: She was cooking when the doorbell rang.

Examples

Positive: They were playing chess at 8 PM.

Negative: I wasn't sleeping when you arrived.

Question: Were you watching TV last night?

Past Perfect

Formation

Subject + had + Past Participle

Uses

Earlier past action: I had finished my work before you arrived.
Past experiences: She had never seen snow before moving to Canada.
Cause and effect: He was tired because he had worked all night.

Examples

Positive: We had left before the rain started.

Negative: He hadn't eaten lunch when I saw him.

Question: Had you finished your homework?

Past Perfect Continuous

Formation

Subject + had been + Verb + ing

Uses

Duration before past: I had been waiting for an hour when she arrived.
Cause of past situation: He was tired because he had been running.
Ongoing past activity: They had been living there for 5 years.

Examples

Positive: She had been studying English for 3 years.

Negative: We hadn't been expecting visitors.

Question: How long had you been working there?

Future Simple

Formation

Subject + will + Base Verb

Uses

Predictions: It will rain tomorrow.
Spontaneous decisions: I'll help you with that.
Promises: I will call you later.

Examples

Positive: They will arrive at 6 PM.

Negative: She won't be late.

Question: Will you join us for dinner?

Future Continuous

Formation

Subject + will be + Verb + ing

Uses

Future in progress: I will be working at 9 AM tomorrow.
Polite inquiries: Will you be using the computer?
Future interruptions: I'll be sleeping when you arrive.

Examples

Positive: We will be traveling next week.

Negative: He won't be attending the meeting.

Question: Will you be staying long?

Future Perfect

Formation

Subject + will have + Past Participle

Uses

Completed by future time: I will have finished by 5 PM.
Future achievements: She will have graduated by next year.
Assumptions about past: He will have left already.

Examples

Positive: They will have arrived by noon.

Negative: We won't have finished the project.

Question: Will you have completed the task?

Future Perfect Continuous

Formation

Subject + will have been + Verb + ing

Uses

Duration until future: I will have been working here for 10 years.
Ongoing future activity: By 2025, she will have been teaching for 20 years.
Cause of future situation: He will be tired because he will have been running.

Examples

Positive: We will have been living here for 5 years.

Negative: They won't have been waiting long.

Question: How long will you have been studying?

Tense Timeline Visualization

Visual representation of how verb tenses relate to time

NOW

PAST

Past Perfect Continuous had been working

Past Perfect had worked

Past Continuous was working

Past Simple worked

PRESENT

Present Simple work / works

Present Continuous am/is/are working

Present Perfect have/has worked

Present Perfect Continuous have/has been working

FUTURE

Future Simple will work

Future Continuous will be working

Future Perfect will have worked

Future Perfect Continuous will have been working

Point in time (Simple/Perfect)

Duration/Process (Continuous)

Past-Present Connection (Present Perfect)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

Wrong: I have seen him yesterday.

Correct: I saw him yesterday.

Don't use present perfect with specific past time expressions.

Future Will vs Going To

Unnatural: I will go to the doctor tomorrow. (appointment already made)

Better: I'm going to go to the doctor tomorrow.

Use "going to" for pre-planned actions.

Continuous with State Verbs

Wrong: I am knowing the answer.

Correct: I know the answer.

State verbs (know, like, want) don't usually use continuous forms.

Past Perfect Overuse

Unnecessary: Yesterday I had gone to the store and had bought milk.

Better: Yesterday I went to the store and bought milk.

Only use past perfect when showing sequence is important.

Interactive Practice

Choose the correct tense:

I _____ (work) here for five years.

Score: 0/10

Signal Words & Time Expressions

Present Tenses

always, usually, often now, right now already, just, yet since, for

Past Tenses

yesterday, last week while, when before, after by the time

Future Tenses

tomorrow, next week will, going to by (future time) in (time period)

Examples in Context

Since → I have lived here since 2020.

While → While I was cooking, the phone rang.

By → I will have finished by 6 PM.

Real-world Applications

Job Interviews

Experience: "I have worked in marketing for 3 years."

Achievements: "I increased sales by 20% last quarter."

Future goals: "I will be pursuing an MBA next year."

Daily Conversations

Plans: "We're having dinner at 7 PM."

Recent events: "I've just finished my homework."

Stories: "When I was young, I lived in Paris."

Email & Writing

Updates: "I am writing to inform you..."

Deadlines: "The report will be completed by Friday."

Experience: "I have been working on this project..."

News & Media

Recent news: "The president has announced..."

Ongoing events: "Scientists are studying..."

Future events: "The conference will take place..."

Lesson Summary

What We've Learned

All 12 English verb tenses and their formations
When and how to use each tense appropriately
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Signal words that indicate specific tenses
Real-world applications in different contexts

Key Takeaways

Context determines tense choice

Time expressions are crucial clues

Practice makes perfect

Listen for natural usage patterns

Practice Activities

Fill in the Blanks

Complete sentences with the correct tense form of given verbs.

Tense Transformation

Change sentences from one tense to another while maintaining meaning.

Error Detection

Find and correct tense errors in paragraphs and dialogues.

Story Completion

Complete stories using appropriate tenses based on context.

Quick Assessment

Test Your Understanding

Loading assessment questions...

Additional Resources

Reference Materials

English Grammar in Use (Murphy)
Practical English Usage (Swan)
Oxford English Grammar Course
Cambridge Grammar of English

Online Resources

BBC Learning English
British Council Learn English
Perfect English Grammar
Grammar Girl Podcast

Mobile Apps

Grammarly
English Grammar Test
Johnny Grammar's Word Challenge
LearnEnglish Grammar

Video Content

English with Lucy (YouTube)
EngVid (YouTube)
Learn English with TV Series
TED-Ed Grammar Videos

Thank You!

Questions & Discussion

You've completed the English Verb Tenses Master Class!

Next Steps:

Practice with the interactive exercises
Review the timeline visualization
Apply tenses in your daily English usage
Continue with advanced grammar topics

For questions or additional support:

Continue your English learning journey!