The 12 English Verb Tenses
Kindergarten | Primary | Secondary | AdultEnglish has twelve basic verb tenses, grouped into four categories: simple, progressive (continuous), perfect, and perfect progressive. Learning these tenses with examples will help you speak and write English accurately.
There are twelve basic English tenses, which can be divided into four categories: simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive. The progressive verb tense, is also known as the continuous tense.
Simple Tenses
1. Present Simple: used to describe habitual actions, general truths or states that are always true.
Example: "I eat breakfast at 7 a.m. every day."
2. Past Simple: used to describe completed actions in the past.
Example: "I ate dinner at 6 p.m. last night."
3. Future Simple: used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
Example: "I will eat with my friends tomorrow."
Progressive Tenses
4. Present Progressive: used to describe actions that are happening right now or are currently in progress.
Example: "I am eating lunch right now."
5. Past Progressive: used to describe actions that were in progress in the past.
Example: "I was eating when you called me."
6. Future Progressive: used to describe actions that will be in progress in the future.
Example: "I will be eating dinner at 8 p.m."
Perfect Tenses
7. Present Perfect: used to describe actions that started in the past and are still relevant to the present.
Example: "I have eaten at that restaurant before."
8. Past Perfect: used to describe actions that were completed before another action in the past.
Example: "I had eaten by the time the guests arrived."
9. Future Perfect: used to describe actions that will be completed before another action in the future.
Example: "I will have eaten by the time you arrive."
Perfect Progressive Tenses
10. Present Perfect Progressive: used to describe actions that started in the past and are still in progress.
Example: "I have been eating healthier food lately."
11. Past Perfect Progressive: used to describe actions that were in progress for a period of time before another action in the past.
Example: "I had been eating for an hour when the movie started."
12. Future Perfect Progressive: used to describe actions that will be in progress for a period of time before another action in the future.
Example: "By the end of the month, I will have been eating at this restaurant for five years."
The 12 English Verb Tenses of ' To Study '
Present
1. Present Simple: I study every evening after dinner.
2. Present Continuous: I am studying for my exams right now.
3. Present Perfect: I have studied all the chapters already.
4. Present Perfect Continuous: I have been studying for three hours without a break.
Past
5. Past Simple: I studied for the test last night.
6. Past Continuous: I was studying when you called me.
7. Past Perfect: I had studied the material before the lecture.
8. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been studying for two hours when he arrived.
Future
9. Future Simple: I will study tomorrow morning.
10. Future Continuous: I will be studying at the library this afternoon.
11. Future Perfect: I will have studied all the topics by the time the exam starts.
12. Future Perfect Continuous: By next week, I will have been studying for this test for a month.
The 12 English Verb Tenses of ' To Walk '
Present
1. Present Simple: I walk to work every day.
2. Present Continuous: I am walking to the store right now.
3. Present Perfect: I have walked this path many times before.
4. Present Perfect Continuous: I have been walking for an hour without stopping.
Past
5. Past Simple: I walked to the park yesterday.
6. Past Continuous: I was walking home when it started to rain.
7. Past Perfect: I had walked to the store before it closed.
8. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been walking for ten minutes when I realized I forgot my wallet.
Future
9. Future Simple: I will walk to the meeting tomorrow.
10. Future Continuous: I will be walking my dog this evening.
11. Future Perfect: I will have walked 5 miles by the time I reach home.
12. Future Perfect Continuous: By the end of this week, I will have been walking every morning for a month.
The 12 English Verb Tenses of ' To Watch '
Present
1. Present Simple: I watch TV every evening.
2. Present Continuous: I am watching a movie right now.
3. Present Perfect: I have watched that series twice already.
4. Present Perfect Continuous: I have been watching this show for hours.
Past
5. Past Simple: I watched a documentary last night.
6. Past Continuous: I was watching the news when you called.
7. Past Perfect: I had watched the entire season before the new one started.
8. Past Perfect Continuous: I had been watching TV for an hour when the power went out.
Future
9. Future Simple: I will watch the game tomorrow.
10. Future Continuous: I will be watching my favorite show this evening.
11. Future Perfect: I will have watched all the episodes by the weekend.
12. Future Perfect Continuous: By the end of the week, I will have been watching this series for a month.