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English Tenses

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Learning the Tenses

The English language boasts a total of 12 different tenses which can be used to speak about the past, the present, and the future. Each of the English tenses has a specific meaning, covered in the table below. The example sentences given will help you decide when you should use each particular one of the English tenses.

Name	Past, Present, or Future	When to use this English tense	Frequency of use	Examples of use
Simple Present	Present	Use this one of the English tenses when an action is happening now or when it is a continuous action that happens either currently or in the past or the future	High	I play football every Saturday. I work in this building.
Present Progressive	Present	Use this one of the English tenses when an action is known to be temporary or when it is actually taking place at the moment of speaking.	High	I am working in London for the next two days. I am having dinner now so I will call you later.
Present Perfect	Present	There are three different ways to use this tense. To express an experience which happened in the past. To talk about an action which is new or is a change. For an action which began in the past but which is still continuing	Medium	I have been on holiday to Barcelona. I have bought a new computer. I have lived here since January.
Present Perfect Progressive	Present	Use this one of the English tenses to state an action which started in the past when a period of time needs to be expressed. It is also used for an action which started in the past but has now finished and has a direct result.	Medium	I have been working here for ten years. I have been working hard so I am very tired.
Simple Past	Past	This is the most basic of the English tenses used to describe the past and is used to express an action that happened in the past either once, many times or for a set period of time.	High	I went on holiday. I swam competitively when I was younger.
Past Progressive	Past	This one of the English tenses is used to express an action that took place over a period of time in the past or that was interrupted.	High	The sun was shining yesterday. I was eating my dinner when the doorbell rang.
Past Perfect	Past	The two common uses for this tense are To express an action that has been completed in the past and which has been followed by another action. To explain something that had happened in the past.	High	When I arrived, they had eaten dinner. It had rained all night so the football match was cancelled.
Past Perfect Progressive	Past	This one of the English tenses is used for two purposes. To express an action which started in the past and carried on until another action takes place where a period of time is specified. To describe an action in the past that was the cause of something else	Low	I had been working there for a year when I was promoted. The ground was icy, it had been freezing cold all night.
Simple Future	Future	There are four uses for this English tense. A prediction for the future. A decision made in the present A fact about the future. A promise	High	I think Man Utd will be champions next season. I will eat lunch at home. It will get dark earlier tomorrow. I will help you fix your car.
Future Progressive	Future	This tense is used to Express an action in the future which is continuous and which is interrupted by an action or by time. Express a complete action that should take place in the future. Express a guess about an action.	Medium	I will be eating when you get here. The exam results will be published later today. My sister will be studying now.
Future Perfect	Future	This one of the English tenses is used to express an action in the future that will have finished before a certain time although the specific finish time is unknown.	Low	By eight o’clock I will have finished decorating the cake.
Future Perfect Progressive	Future	This is used to express an action which started in the past and which will continue up to a point in the future. It is normally used with a time or specified date.	Medium	In January 2015, I will have been living here for 15 years.