Table of English Tenses
Table of English Tenses
English is one of the most common languages in the world and knowing it helps to communicate with people from different countries and cultures. However, learning English grammar and tenses can be a challenge for many students. In this article, we will look at the main English tenses, their formation rules and examples of usage to help you improve your knowledge and English grammar skills. Regardless of your level of knowledge, you will find useful information in this article to help you become more confident in using English tenses.
Below is a table of the main English tenses, along with examples of usage.
| Time | Form | Formation rule | Example of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | Simple | The verb is in the basic form | I eat breakfast every morning |
| Continuous | Verb “to be” in Present + V-ing | She is playing tennis right now | |
| Perfect | Verb “to have” in Present + V3 | We have seen that movie before | |
| Perfect Cont. | The verb “to have” in Present + been + V-ing | They have been studying for 2 hours | |
| Past | Simple | Verb + -ed or 2nd form | I went to the store yesterday |
| Continuous | The verb “to be” in Past + V-ing | They were watching TV all evening | |
| Perfect | The verb “to have” in Past + V3 | She had finished her homework by then | |
| Perfect Cont. | The verb “to have” in Past + been + V-ing | He had been studying for 3 hours | |
| Future | Simple | Will + verb in basic form | We will go to the beach next weekend |
| Continuous | Will be + V-ing | They will be playing soccer at 3 pm | |
| Perfect | Will have + V3 | She will have finished her work by 5 pm | |
| Perfect Cont. | Will have been + V-ing | By next year, I will have been living here for 10 years |
Our table contains the main tenses of the English language, together with their formation rules and examples of use. Each time is presented in a separate line of the table consisting of four columns. This table can be useful both for beginners and for those who want to update their knowledge about the tenses of the English language. Thanks to the convenient format of the table, it will be easy for readers to find the necessary information and understand the rules for using each tense.
To reinforce your knowledge, try our exercises: “Mixed tenses in English: practice (quiz)”
Why do you need each of the tenses in English?
The main tenses in English include: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Simple, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous. Each of them has its own rules of formation, use and examples of use.
1. Present Simple – is a tense used to describe regular or ongoing actions, facts, general truths, and habits. This tense is formed by the auxiliary verb “do” or “does” and the main verb in the base form.
- Example: “I always drink tea in the morning.”
2. Present Continuous – this tense is used to describe temporary actions that are happening at the moment or to describe actions that are planned to be done in the near future. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “to be” in the present tense and the main verb in the -ing form.
- Example: “She is studying English at the moment.”
3. Present Perfect – this tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past and may be related to the present moment. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “have” or “has” and the main verb in the third form.
- Example: “I have already eaten lunch.”
4. Present Perfect Continuous – this tense is used to describe actions that began in the past and continue until the present time. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “have been” or “has been” and the main verb in the -ing form.
- Example: “I have been studying English for three years.”
5. Past Simple – this tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past at a certain point in time and were completed. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “did” and the main verb in the base form.
- Example: “I went to the store yesterday.”
6. Past Continuous – this tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past, over a period of time, sometimes with a hint that they were interrupted. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “was” or “were” in the past tense and the main verb in the -ing form.
- Example: “I was cooking dinner when the phone rang.”
7. Past Perfect – this tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past before another action in the past that happened later. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “had” and the main verb in the third form.
- Example: “By the time I got to the station, the train had already left.”
8. Past Perfect Continuous – this tense is used to describe actions that continued in the past up to a certain point in the past. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “had been” and the main verb in the -ing form.
- Example: “I had been studying for two hours before I took a break.”
9. Future Simple – this tense is used to describe actions that will take place in the future immediately after the moment of conversation. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “will” and the main verb in the form of the base form.
- Example: “I will go to the store tomorrow.”
10. Future Continuous – this tense is used to describe actions that will continue at a certain point in the future. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “will be” and the main verb in the -ing form.
- Example: “This time tomorrow, I will be driving to work.”
11. Future Perfect – this tense is used to describe actions that will be completed by a certain point in the future. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “will have” and the main verb in the third form.
- Example: “By the time you arrive, I will have finished all my work.”
12. Future Perfect Continuous – this tense is used to describe actions that will continue until a certain point in the future and will be completed at that point. It is formed by the auxiliary verb “will have been” and the main verb in the -ing form.
- Example: “By next year, I will have been studying English for five years.”
Recommendations on how to learn all the tenses in English
Mastering all tenses of the English language is a difficult but possible task. Here are some recommendations to help you learn all the tenses of the English language:
- Start with the main tenses: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, and Future Simple. Learn their rules of formation, use and examples of use. This will give you a clear understanding of the basic rules of using tenses.
- Learn the tenses in context. Try to read and listen to English more often in authentic situations, paying attention to the use of different tenses. You can also try to write your own sentences with different tenses and verbs.
- Use different sources to learn English tenses. For example, textbooks, video lessons, test tasks and other materials.
- Practice using English tenses. Speak, write, read and listen to English as much as possible, trying to apply the learned tenses.
- Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Learning English tenses is a complex and long-term process, so don’t expect extraordinary results from yourself the first time. Make mistakes, learn from them and keep learning English.