Learning all 12 English tenses can feel overwhelming, but with this easy English tense guide, you’ll understand how to use English tenses effectively for fluency. And there’s a secret: native speakers mostly use just 8 of them in daily conversations. That means if you focus on these 8 key tenses, you’ll already be well on your way to speaking naturally and confidently in English.
In this guide, we’ll go over all 12 tenses, so you can see the full picture. But we’ll first focus on the 8 tenses that matter most—making it easier for you to learn what’s really useful in everyday English. Let’s dive in and start making English tenses feel simple and clear!
CONTENTS
The top 8 English language tenses include:
- The Present Continuous Tense
- The Simple Present Tense
- The Simple Past Tense
- The Simple Future Tense
- The Present Perfect Tense
- The Past Continuous Tense
- The Future Continuous Tense
- The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The 4 less commonly used English tenses include:
Cheat Table for ALL 12 tenses
Conclusion
#1. The Present Continuous Tense
The Present Continuous Tense, one of the most commonly used English tenses, is used for actions happening right now. We also use it to talk about actions or events planned for the near future.
To form the present continuous tense, you use the present tense of the auxiliary verb "to be" (am, is, are) + the present participle of the main verb. The present participle is formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of the verb.
Let's look at examples:
Most Common Mistakes in Using The Present Continuous Tense
Mistake 1: It's important to note that the present continuous tense is not used to describe general truths or permanent states. For these types of actions or events, we use the simple present tense.
For example:
- Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (general truth, not a specific action happening at the moment of speaking)
- She lives in New York. (permanent state, not a specific action happening at the moment of speaking)
Mistake 2: Using it for Permanent States
- Incorrect: She is being tall.
- Correct: She is tall.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the Auxiliary Verb To Be
- Incorrect: She eating lunch.
- Correct: She is eating lunch.
#2. The Simple Present Tense
we use the simple present tense to describe actions or events happening regularly, habitually, or currently true. It can also be used to describe a general truth or a permanent state.
To form the simple present tense, you use the base form of the verb. The base form is the infinitive form of the verb without "to" (e.g., "eat," "run," "speak," "be").
Let's look at examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Simple Present Tense
Mistake 1: It's important to note that the simple present tense is not used to describe actions or events happening at the moment of speaking or writing. We use the present continuous tense for these types of actions or events.
For example:
- I am eating lunch right now. (action happening at the moment of speaking, not a regular or habitual action)
- She is studying for her exams. (action happening at the moment of speaking, not a permanent state)
Mistake 2: Using it for Ongoing Actions
- Incorrect: She reads a book now.
- Correct: She is reading a book now.
Mistake 3: Incorrect Verb Forms with He/She/It
- Incorrect: He eat lunch.
- Correct: He eats lunch.
#3. The Simple Past Tense
We use the simple past tense to describe actions that happened or were completed in the past. It is often used to describe events that happened at a specific time in the past, or to describe habits or routines that occurred regularly in the past.
To form the simple past tense, we typically add "-ed" to regular verbs or use the second form of irregular verbs. For example:
Regular verbs:
- walk + ed = walked
- talk + ed = talked
Irregular verbs:
- go + second form = went
- have + second form = had
Let's look at examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Simple Past Tense
Mistake 1: The simple past tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the past and are not continuing into the present. If you want to describe an action that started in the past and is continuing into the present, you would use the present perfect tense. For example:
- I have been walking to that store every day. (action started in the past and is continuing into the present. i.e. you keep going to that store every day)
Mistake 2: Using Incorrect Verb Form with Negation
- Incorrect: I didn't went there.
- Correct: I didn't go there.
Mistake 3: Using Past Continuous Instead
- Incorrect: I was went there.
- Correct: I went there.
#4. The Simple Future Tense
The simple future tense is a verb tense used to describe an action that will take place in the future. It is often used to express plans or intentions.
To form the simple future tense in English, we use the auxiliary verb "will" followed by the base form of the main verb.
Let's look at examples:
In some cases, the simple future tense can also be formed using the auxiliary verb "be going to" followed by the base form of the main verb. This is used to express a stronger intention or plan.
‍For example:
- "I am going to visit my grandparents next weekend." (I have a strong plan to visit my grandparents next weekend.)
- "She is going to start a new job next month." (She has a definite plan to start a new job next month.)
Common Mistakes in Using The Simple Future Tense
Mistake 1: Using "Will" for Planned Actions
- Incorrect: I will going to the store.
- Correct: I am going to the store.
Mistake 2: Using Double Modals
- Incorrect: I will can do it.
- Correct: I will be able to do it.
#5. The Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is a verb tense used to describe actions or events that began in the past and continue up to the present moment. It is used to describe the duration of an action or event and is often used to describe past events with some present connection or relevance.
To form the present perfect tense in English, we use the auxiliary verb "have" or "has" followed by the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is usually formed by adding -ed to regular verbs, but there are many irregular verbs that have different past participles.
Let's look at examples:
The present perfect tense is often used with time expressions such as "for," "since," and "already."
Examples:
- I have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes. (I started waiting for the bus in the past and continue to wait now.)
- She has been studying French since she was a child. (She started studying French in the past and continues to study it now.)
- We have already eaten dinner. (We started eating dinner in the past and have now finished it.)
Common Mistakes in Using The Present Perfect Tense
Mistake 1: It's important to note that the present perfect tense is not used to describe specific past events. For that, we use the simple past tense.
Examples:
- "I finished my homework at 5pm." (This is a specific past event and is not ongoing.)
- "She worked at the company from 2015 to 2020." (This is a specific past event and is not ongoing.)
- "We lived in this city from 2012 to 2017." (This is a specific past event and is not ongoing.)
Mistake 2: Using Simple Past for Ongoing Actions
- Incorrect: I lived here since 2010.
- Correct: I have lived here since 2010.
Mistake 3: Incorrect Participle Form
- Incorrect: I have went there.
- Correct: I have gone there.
#6. The Past Continuous Tense
The past continuous tense is used to describe actions or events that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past. It often sets the scene, providing a backdrop for other actions that happened simultaneously or interrupted the ongoing action.
To form the past continuous tense, you use the past tense of the auxiliary verb "to be" (was, were) + the present participle of the main verb (formed by adding "-ing" to the base form of the verb).
Here are 5 examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Past Continuous Tense
Mistake 1: It's crucial to note that the past continuous tense is not used for actions that were completed; for that, we use the simple past tense.
Mistake 2: Incorrect Auxiliary Verb To Be
- Incorrect: I were reading.
- Correct: I was reading.
Mistake 3: Using it for Completed Actions
- Incorrect: I was read the book.
- Correct: I read the book.
#7. The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions or events that started in the past and have continued up to the present or were happening recently. It emphasizes the duration or ongoing nature of the action.
To form this tense, you use the present perfect tense of the auxiliary verb "to have" (have, has) + been + the present participle of the main verb.
Let's look at examples:
This tense is often used with time expressions like "for," "since," and "lately."
Common Mistakes in Using The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Mistake 1: Incorrect Time Expressions
- Incorrect: I have been reading since two hours.
- Correct: I have been reading for two hours.
Mistake 2: Using Simple Present Instead
- Incorrect: I am reading since morning.
- Correct: I have been reading since morning.
#8. The Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous tense is used to describe actions or events that will be ongoing at a specific moment in the future. It often indicates planned events or actions that will happen over a period.
To form the future continuous tense, you use the auxiliary verbs "will be" + the present participle of the main verb.
Let's look at examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Future Continuous Tense
Mistake 1: Like the other continuous tenses, the future continuous is not used for actions that are completed; it focuses on ongoing or unfinished actions in the future.
Mistake 2: Incorrect or Missing Auxiliary Verb To Be
- Incorrect: I will reading.
- Correct: I will be reading.
Mistake 3: Using it for Definite Future Actions
- Incorrect: I will be read the book tomorrow.
- Correct: I will read the book tomorrow.
#9. The Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense describes actions or events that were completed before another action in the past. It’s often used to show the order of past events and helps clarify what happened first.
To form the past perfect tense, you use the auxiliary verb “had” + the past participle of the main verb. The past participle is often formed by adding “-ed” to regular verbs, though irregular verbs have unique forms.
Let's look a examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Past Perfect Tense
Mistake 1: It’s essential to note that the past perfect is not used to simply describe events in the past; it specifically clarifies which event occurred first.
Mistake 2: Using Simple Past for Earlier Actions
- Incorrect: I finished my homework before dinner.
- Correct: I had finished my homework before dinner.
Mistake 3: Using Present Perfect Instead of Past Perfect
- Incorrect: She has left before he arrived.
- Correct: She had left before he arrived.
#10. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing up to a certain point in the past or that continued until another past action. It emphasizes the duration or continuity of an activity before another event.
To form the past perfect continuous tense, you use the auxiliary verbs “had been” + the present participle of the main verb (formed by adding “-ing” to the base verb).
Let's look a examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Mistake 1: Using Simple Past Instead of Past Perfect Continuous
- Incorrect: I studied for hours before the test began.
- Correct: I had been studying for hours before the test began.
Mistake 2: Forgetting the “Been” in the Past Perfect Continuous
- Incorrect: She had working at the company for five years.
- Correct: She had been working at the company for five years.
#11. The Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the completion of an activity by a certain time.
To form the future perfect tense, use the auxiliary verbs “will have” + the past participle of the main verb.
Let's look a examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Future Perfect Tense
Mistake 1: Using Simple Future for Actions with Completion by a Future Time
- Incorrect: I will finish the report by tomorrow.
- Correct: I will have finished the report by tomorrow.
Mistake 2: Using “Will” Without “Have” in the Future Perfect
- Incorrect: She will graduated by next June.
- Correct: She will have graduated by next June.
#12. The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The future perfect continuous tense describes actions that will have been ongoing for a certain duration by a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the duration of an action up to a future moment.
To form the future perfect continuous tense, you use the auxiliary verbs “will have been” + the present participle of the main verb (formed by adding “-ing” to the base verb).
Let's look a examples:
Common Mistakes in Using The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Mistake 1: Using Simple Future or Future Continuous for Ongoing Actions with Duration
- Incorrect: She will be studying for hours by the time the exam starts.
- Correct: She will have been studying for hours by the time the exam starts.
Mistake 2: Forgetting “Been” in the Future Perfect Continuous
- Incorrect: I will have working here for a year by next month.
- Correct: I will have been working here for a year by next month.
Quick Cheat Table for All 12 Tenses
Conclusion
I hope this quick guide to mastering English tenses helped you understand their common mistakes and practical usage. Whether you're chatting with friends, acing that job interview, or just trying to sound like a pro, getting these tenses down is your ticket to effective English communication. And hey, If you liked this article, you might also like our list of 21 best tools, resources and sites to improve your English grammar.
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