Top 12 Verb Tenses in English

Present Simple

Present Continuous/Progressive

Present Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive

Past Simple

Past Continuous/Progressive

Past Perfect)!

Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive

Future Simple

Future Perfect

Future Continuous/Progressive

Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive

Present Simple

When you use present simple, you are using a routine. It’s something that you always do every day,
month or year. Or it’s something that you never do.

1 verb needed

I, You, We, They: travel every day.

He, She, It: travels every day.

I never eat butter.

He never walks to work.

They never go on holiday.

Present Continuous/Progressive
When you use present continuous, you are referring to what is happening right now. Also, it can be
an action that is not yet complete.

2 verbs needed

I am traveling right now.

They are watching a movie.

She is attending university.

Present Perfect

Although it’s easy to confuse this verb tense with present simple, the main difference is that the
action is complete for present perfect. In other words, you are looking at the result without any
words referring to time.

2 verbs needed

I have been to Italy.

They have eaten at that restaurant.

Often, we use the work already in such sentences.

I have already been to Italy.

They have already eaten in that restaurant.

Consequently, we can also make the sentence negative with never:

I have never been to Italy.

They have never eaten in that restaurant.

Question formation: When we forma question using present perfect, the two necessary verbs are
typically separated by a pronoun or a name:

Has he (ever) eaten in that restaurant?

Have Janet and Dave (ever) been to Italy?

Present Perfect Continuous

In this verb tense, an action starts in the past but it’s still continuing now. Often, but not always, be
make reference to a duration of time or point in time, in such sentences.

3 verbs needed

They have been traveling for two weeks.

I have been studying this book for over a month.

They have been eating in this restaurant for over thirty years.

We have been arguing about this since last Monday.

Past Simple Verb Tense

For past simple, it includes a finished action and time.

1 verb needed

He flew to Japan yesterday.

We watched the movie last night.

They ate breakfast this morning.

Past Continuous

When you use past continuous, you are often using two actions. However, one action is not finished
in the past, and another is complete and interrupts the other action.

2 verbs needed

She was traveling by bus to her parents’ home… when she got the news.

They were eating dinner …when the phone rang

He was studying engineering at IPSA… when he won the Euromillions lottery.

Past Perfect
This verb tense can be confusing to master! Why? Because it is often used as a story-telling verb
tense. When you are trying to recount the events of a past period of time, the life of person who is
not longer alive, or some other time that has ended, we use this tense frequently.

It is similar to the present perfect like in the sentence, “Jane has already been to Italy”. But the fact
that we say “Jane has been to Italy” indicates that Jane is still alive! She is still here!

However, in the past perfect, the entire period of time one is referring to is finished. This could
literally be used to tell the story of a person’s life, periods of their life or other experiences in their
life.

2 verbs needed

She had been to Italy. (What period of time is finished? Maybe a period of her life!)

-She had been to Italy as a young girl. (This sentence will feel to a native speaker as if you are talking
about someone who is dead.)

They had flown to Japan. (What period of time is over? Maybe a certain experience in their life)

-They had flown to Japan together when they were students at the same university.

I had gone to see her in the hospital. (What period of time is over? Maybe the life of the person in
the hospital.)

-I had gone to see her in the hospital two days before she passed away.

Past perfect passive

A mistake had been made

Past Perfect Continuous

Again, this is a narrative or story- telling verb tense. In everyday, regular conversation, we don’t
use past perfect continuous very often. But in books and articles, it is more common. This verb tense
has an action that began and is in process before a second action interrupts it. Typically, you often
make reference to a duration of time when using this tense.

3 verbs needed

They had been driving for over three hours when the car broke down on the highway.

She had been practicing the violin for almost ten years when she suddenly decided to study medicine
instead.

It had been raining non-stop for 8 hours before the flooding began.

Future Simple

This verb tense is about planning things to do in the future. The plans may be real plans or fantasy.
They can be based on real facts or wishful thinking.

You have two choices. You can use “will” or “going to” to indicate the future. However, the nuance
can be difficult to master. Take a look!

1 verb needed

Will

He will fly to Indonesia tomorrow. ( Based on facts; he has a ticket.)

He will succeed at his goal. ( Based perhaps on facts, but maybe, it is just wishful thinking.)

She will be the first woman to walk on the moon. (Perhaps based on facts, she is an astronaut on the
Artemis program! Or , it may be just a strong wish…)

2 verbs needed

Going to

I am going to see a good friend this weekend. ( This is based on an actual plan made by the person).

I am going to the supermarket after work today. ( Based on an actual plan made by the person.)

Later this month, I am going to start a new class at the university. ( Based on a plan…)

Nuance:

I will win the lottery tonight! (Based on a plan or wishful thinking?)

You will meet a handsome stranger. ( ?)

You will clean up your room! (?)

He will do very well in his studies. (?)

Future Continuous

Often, we use this verb tense in combination with another. ( But not always.) In this case, the future
continuous is an action that is in process when another action happens, both in the future. The
second action is typically expressed using the present tense form of the verb.

But again, it can be used without a second action.

3 verbs needed

They will be working when you arrive.

She will be starting her new school program when the other group begins their internship.

Used without a second action

His father will be moving the family to Brazil next year.

Future Perfect

In this tense, an action is completed in the future before another action is completed in the future.

Again, the second action is typically expressed using the present tense form of the verb.

This verb tense is a combination of will + present perfect.

3 verbs needed

He will have driven all the way to Sweden by the time you wake up tomorrow morning.

They will (already) have built three new skyscrapers in the city before the end of 2024.

She will have already been elected before they draft the new bill.

(In this example “elected” is not part of the verb tense. “Elected” here serves as an adjective.)

Future Perfect Continuous

In this tense, an action will be in process in the future. Often, it is used to compare or contrast with
another event scheduled to happen in the future.

4 verbs needed 

She will have been traveling for over three hours when you are scheduled to arrive.

He will have been working in his job for 3 months by the time he and his fiancée get married.

They will have been competing professionally in tennis for 15 years by the end of next year.