In this lesson, we are going to take a look at the All 12 tenses in English, their types, formula, with examples.
As you may know, there are 12 tenses in English divided into four groups.
Which are:
- Simple
- Perfect
- Continuous
- Perfect continuous
In this lesson, we are going to learn about all the 12 tenses in English grammar, its rules, formula with examples.
So, let’s take a look at each tense and its form with examples.
note:
S = Subject V1 = The basic form(eg: do/to do) V2 = The past form (eg: did) V3 = Past participale (eg: done)
Present Simple.
The present simple can be a fact, a habit, or an action.
Form: S + V1 + O
Examples:
| He does his grammar homework every day. | (habit) |
| She is smart. She gets high marks. | (fact) |
| He writes a letter to his aunt. | (action) |
Present Continuous.
This particular tense refers to a temporary action that is happening now.
Form: S + am/is/are + (V+ing) + O
Examples:
| I am doing my grammar homework right now. |
| Be quiet. She is sleeping. |
| They are watching a football match. |
Present Perfect.
This particular tense refers to an action that has already done without referring to time.
Form: S + have/has + V3 + O
Examples:
| I have done my grammar homework. |
| She has written many books this year. |
| He has traveled to Uk. |
Present Perfect Continuous.
This tense expresses an action that has already started in the past, but it is still ongoing in the present.
Form: S + have/has been + (v+ing) + O
Examples:
| I have been learning English for two years. |
| She has been reading books since she was 20. |
| He has been waiting for the bus for 20 min. |
Past Simple.
This tense refers to a completed action with a specific time in the past.
Form: S + V2 + O
Examples:
| I did my grammar homework yesterday. |
| He learned a new language last year. |
| She bought a new car last week. |
Past Continuous.
This tense refers to an action running in the past and intersects with another completed.
Form: S + (was/were) + (V+ing) + O
Examples:
| I was doing my grammar homework when you called. |
| She was studying when I called her. |
| They were playing, when the show started. |
Past Perfect.
This tense refers to an action that was completed in the past before another action or before a specific time.
Form: S + had + V3 + O
Examples:
| I had done my grammar homework when you called. |
| She had done her homework when I called her. |
| They had gone, by midnight. |
Past Perfect Continuous.
This tense refers to an action that was in progress for some time in the past before another action.
Form: S + had been + (v+ing) + O
Examples:
| I had been doing my grammar homework for 20 min when you called. |
| She had been learning a new language for 6 months when she applied for a new job. |
Future Simple.
This tense is a planning action for the future at the time of speaking.
Form: S + will/going to + V1 + O
Examples:
| I will do my grammar homework tomorrow. |
| I am going to visit my aunt tomorrow. |
| She will start a new business next month. |
Note:
difference between (will and going to).
- “going to” used for certainty (when we are sure about it).
- We use “will” when it not sure. We may do it as we may not.
Future Continuous.
This tense refers to an action that is in progress at a specific time in the future.
Form: S + will be + (v+ing) + O
Examples:
| I will be doing my grammar homework when you call. |
| She will be studying by the time you arrive. |
| They will be watching the new movie by the time you arrive. |
Future Perfect.
This tense refers to an action that will be completed in the future before another action or before a specific time.
Form: S + will have + V3 + O
Examples:
| I will have done my grammar homework by the time you call. |
| She will have started her homework by the time you arrive. |
| They will have finished the movie by midnight. |
Future Perfect Continuous.
This tense refers to an action that will have started and continued for some time in the future when Intersects with another action.
Form: S + will have been + (v+ing) + O
Examples:
| I will have been doing my grammar homework for hours when you call. |
| She will have been studying for hours by the time we arrive. |
| They will have been watching the new movie for a while when we arrive. |
Let’s recap all what we have seen in this lesson into a table.
All 12 types of tenses in English, table
| Past | Present | Future | |
| Simple | I did my grammar homework yesterday. | I do my grammar homework everyday. | I will do my grammar homework tomorrow. |
| Perfect | I had done my grammar homework when you called. | I have done my grammar homework. | I will have done my grammar homework by the time you call. |
| Continuous | I was doing my grammar homework when you called. | I am doing my grammar homework right now. | I will be doing my grammar homework when you call. |
| Perfect continuous | I had been doing my grammar homework for 20 min when you called. | I have been learning English for two years. | I will have been doing my grammar homework for hours when you call. |
Practice All English tenses in English with a variety of exercises from here.
Check out our tenses converter.
Share on Social Media!