English has three time zones (present, past, future) and four aspects (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous), which gives twelve tenses. The table below shows each tense with its formula and a typical example; click a tense for a full explanation with signal words and common mistakes.
The 12 tenses at a glance
| Tense | Level | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | A1 | I/you/we/they + verb · he/she/it + verb-s | I walk to school every day. |
| Present Continuous | A1 | subject + am/is/are + verb-ing | She is cooking dinner now. |
| Present Perfect | A2 | subject + have/has + past participle | I have already eaten. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | B1 | subject + have/has + been + verb-ing | It has been raining since morning. |
| Past Simple | A1 | subject + verb-ed (regular) · subject + second form (irregular) | She visited her grandmother on Sunday. |
| Past Continuous | A2 | subject + was/were + verb-ing | I was watching TV at eight. |
| Past Perfect | B1 | subject + had + past participle | She had already left when I called. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | B2 | subject + had been + verb-ing | I had been waiting for an hour when the bus came. |
| Future Simple | A1 | subject + will + base verb | I will see you tomorrow. |
| Future Continuous | B1 | subject + will be + verb-ing | At nine tomorrow I will be sitting in a meeting. |
| Future Perfect | B2 | subject + will have + past participle | By 2030 she will have graduated. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | C1 | subject + will have been + verb-ing | In May we will have been living here for a decade. |
How to choose the right tense
- Ask when the action happens: now, before now, or after now (present, past, future).
- Ask how you see it: a simple fact or habit (simple), something in progress (continuous), something completed with a link to another time (perfect), or an activity that has been going on (perfect continuous).
- Look for signal words: always, now, yesterday, already, for, since, by the time, tomorrow.
- Remember that some verbs (know, like, want, belong) describe states and are rarely used in the continuous forms.
Tip: learn the tenses in pairs (for example Present Simple and Present Continuous) and compare them – the contrast is what makes the difference clear.
Frequently asked questions
How many tenses are there in English?
Twelve in the usual classroom system: present, past and future, each in simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous form. Other ways of talking about the future, such as “going to”, are used in addition.
Which tenses should a beginner learn first?
Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple and the future with “will” and “going to” (levels A1–A2). Then the Present Perfect and Past Continuous, and later the perfect continuous tenses.