12 TENSES IN ENGLISH

GRAMMAR
BY: MAYLA REA ZAPANTA ALOC
 Present Simple: Used to describe general
truths, habits, and routines. Also used in
storytelling to describe events in the present.
Example: She works at a hospital.
SIMPLE
Past Simple: Used to describe completed
TENSES actions or events in the past.
Example: They went to the beach yesterday.

Future Simple: Used to talk about actions that

will happen in the future.
Example: I will meet you at the cafe tomorrow.
Present Simple:
Format: Subject + base verb (s/es for third person singular)
Example: She works at a hospital.

Past Simple:
Format: Subject + past tense verb
Example: They went to the beach yesterday.

Future Simple:
Format: Subject + will + base verb
Example: I will meet you at the cafe tomorrow.
 Present Continuous: Used to describe actions
that are happening at the moment of speaking or
around the present time.
Example: He is reading a book right now.

CONTINUOUS Past Continuous: Used to describe actions that

(PROGRESSIVE) were ongoing in the past.
Example: She was studying all night yesterday.
TENSES
Future Continuous: Used to describe actions that
will be ongoing at a specific point in the future.
Example: We will be working on the project at 3
PM tomorrow.
Present Continuous:
Format: Subject + am/is/are + present participle (-ing form)
Example: He is reading a book right now.

Past Continuous:
Format: Subject + was/were + present participle (-ing form)
Example: She was studying all night yesterday.

Future Continuous:
Format: Subject + will + be + present participle (-ing form)
Example: We will be working on the project at 3 PM tomorrow.
 Present Perfect: Used to describe actions that happened at
an unspecified time before the present. Focus is on the
result or relevance to the present.
Example: She has visited Paris several times.

PERFECT Past Perfect: Used to describe actions that happened

before another action in the past. It establishes a sequence
TENSES of events.
Example: By the time I arrived, they had already eaten.

Future Perfect: Used to describe actions that will be

completed before a specific point in the future.
Example: By next year, she will have graduated.
Present Perfect:
Format: Subject + have/has + past participle
Example: She has visited Paris several times.

Past Perfect:
Format: Subject + had + past participle
Example: By the time I arrived, they had already eaten.

Future Perfect:
Format: Subject + will + have + past participle
 Present Perfect Continuous: Used to describe actions that
started in the past, continued into the present, and are
relevant to the present moment.
Example: They have been studying for three hours.
PERFECT
CONTINUOUS Past Perfect Continuous: Used to describe actions that
were ongoing in the past before another action took place.
(PROGRESSIVE)
Example: She had been working at that company for five
TENSES years before she moved.

Future Perfect Continuous: Used to describe actions that

will be ongoing up to a specific point in the future.
Example: By 8 PM, I will have been waiting for an hour.
Present Perfect Continuous:
Format: Subject + have/has + been + present participle (-ing form)
Example: They have been studying for three hours.

Past Perfect Continuous:

Format: Subject + had + been + present participle (-ing form)
Example: She had been working at that company for five years
before she moved.

Future Perfect Continuous:

Format: Subject + will + have + been + present participle (-ing form)
Example: By 8 PM, I will have been waiting for an hour.
 REMEMBER

These formats provide a basic

The choice of tense also depends on
structure for each tense, and the usage
the context of the sentence and when
may vary based on the context and the
the action occurred or will occur. Also,
specific subject of the sentence. Also,
there are variations in tense usage for
remember that there are variations for
different types of sentences (positive,
negative and interrogative sentences,
negative, and interrogative) and
which involve using auxiliary verbs
different subjects (I, you, he/she/it,
(e.g., "do," "does," "did," "will") in
we, they).
combination with the main verbs.