12 Tenses in English with Examples — A Complete Guide for Parents, Teachers & Students

English tenses are the backbone of grammar. They help us talk about actions happening in the past, present, or future. But for many learners — and even adults — tenses can feel confusing.

In this guide, you’ll learn all 12 tenses in English with simple explanations and easy examples you can use in the classroom or at home.

Why Learn Tenses?

Mastering tenses improves speaking, writing, and understanding. It helps children express themselves clearly and adults avoid common mistakes.

The 12 English Tenses Explained

English tenses are divided into three main time frames:

1. Present

2. Past

3. Future

Each time frame has four aspects:

• Simple

• Continuous (Progressive)

• Perfect

• Perfect Continuous

Let’s break them down with definitions and examples.

1. Simple Present Tense

Use: For daily habits, general truths, and facts.
Formula: Subject + base verb (+ s/es for he/she/it)
Example:

• She reads every night.

• The sun rises in the east.

• She loves to play cricket.

• He writes an e-mail to his best friend every day

2. Present Continuous Tense

Use: For actions happening now or temporary actions.
Formula: Subject + am/is/are + verb + ing
Example:

• I am writing a blog.

• They are playing outside.

• My dad is working on a project.

• The students are preparing for the game.

• Our company is launching a new product.

• She is learning to play guitar.

3.Present Perfect Tense

Use: For actions that started in the past and continue, or just completed actions.
Formula: Subject + has/have + past participle
Example:

• He has finished his homework.

• We have lived here for five years.

• You have joined the debate club

• He has prepared the dinner

• We have driven to the beach

4.Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Use: For actions that started in the past and are still happening (focuses on duration).
Formula: Subject + has/have been + verb + ing
Example:

• She has been studying for two hours.

• I have been working here since 2010.

• He has been reading this book in the last three hours

5.Simple Past Tense

Use: For completed actions in the past.
Formula: Subject + past form of verb
Example:

• They visited the zoo yesterday.

• He watched a movie last night.

• I played cricket yesterday.

• We ate food.

• When

6.Past Continuous Tense

Use: For an action that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Formula: Subject + was/were + verb + ing
Example:

• I was reading when you called.

• They were playing football at 5 PM.

7.Past Perfect Tense

Use: For an action completed before another action in the past.
Formula: Subject + had + past participle
Example:

• She had left before I arrived.

• We had finished dinner when the guests came.

8.Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Use: To show how long something had been happening before another past event.
Formula: Subject + had been + verb + ing
Example:

• They had been waiting for an hour when the bus arrived.

• He had been studying all day before the exam.

9.Simple Future Tense

Use: For actions that will happen later.
Formula: Subject + will/shall + base verb
Example:

• I will call you tomorrow.

• She will visit her grandparents.

10.Future Continuous Tense

Use: For an action that will be in progress at a future time.
Formula: Subject + will be + verb + ing
Example:

• This time tomorrow, I will be traveling.

• They will be watching the match tonight.

  11.Future Perfect Tense

  Use: For an action that will be completed before a specific future time.
  Formula: Subject + will have + past participle
  Example:

  • By next week, she will have finished the project.

  • They will have left by 10 PM.

    12.Future Perfect Continuous Tense

  Use: To show how long an action will have been happening up to a point in the future.

  Formula: Subject + will have been + verb + ing
  Example:

  • By next year, I will have been working here for ten years.

  • She will have been studying for three hours by noon.

Tips to Teach Tenses to Kids

1️⃣ Use simple examples from daily life.
2️⃣ Make a tense chart and stick it near their study desk.
3️⃣ Practice with worksheets and short quizzes.
4️⃣ Encourage them to speak in English using different tenses.
5️⃣ Play games — for example, say a sentence and ask them to change its tense.