Why Learning Tenses Feels Hard
If you’ve ever tried to tell a story in English and found yourself stuck thinking, Do I say: “I eat,’ ‘I ate,’ or ‘I have eaten’?” – You’re not alone. Many English learners feel lost when it comes to 12 English tenses. As an English teacher, I’ve helped thousands of students who were scared of grammar finally become confident speakers. The good news is tenses are not as complicated as they look. Once you see the big picture, you’ll realize that English only has three time frames (past, present, and future), and each one has four main types:
1. Simple—Facts or general truths.
2. Continuous (Progressive)—Actions in progress.
3. Perfect—Completed actions.
4. Perfect Continuous—Actions continuing over time.
That’s it! Let’s break them down, one by one, so you’ll never feel confused again, before we start read more about verb to be and understand verb will make you to to understand English tenses easily.
How to Learn 12 English Tenses Easily
Here’s a simple way to master tenses to learn 12 English tenses we will follow these three steps:
Step 1: Learn the time markers. Search for words like “yesterday,” “now,” “since,” and “by next year.”
Step 2: Focus on meaning, not just only formulas. Ask yourself: “Is this action finished, ongoing, or expected?” This will help you to learn how and when each and every tense to use in your real-life daily use.
Step 3: Practice in real-life conversation.
At the beginning of your journey you can skip tense but as well as your English grow, your will to learn English tenses more and more so, to make your life easier, here’s a quick overview table:
| Time | Simple | Continuous | Prefect | Perfect continuous |
| present | I do | I am doing | I have done | I have been doing |
| past | I did | I was doing | I had done | I had been doing |
| future | I will do | will be doing | I will have done | I will have been doing |
The 12 English tenses are deeply explained.
Let’s dive into each tense with definition formulas, examples, and mistakes.
and tips. read well and carefully you will master easily 12 English tenses
• 1. Present Simple
Simple present tense describes an action that happens regularly and is used for habits, facts, and truths.
Formula: Subject + base verb (+ s/es for he/she/it)
Formula: Subject + base verb (for I/we/you/they)
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, you, we, They | do |
| he, she, it | does |
Examples
• I eat breakfast at 7 am.
• She plays the piano beautifully.
• The sun rises in the east.
• I go to school every day.
• You eat past every night.
• They go to the gym every morning.
• We travel every month.
Common mistake: Forgetting “s” in third-person singular.
❌️ She play football. ✅️ She plays football.
If it’s always true or a habit, use Present Simple.
2. Present Continuous
Present continuous/progressive, indicates the actions which are taking place right in the moment of speaking.
Formula: Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I | am |
| you, we, they | are |
| he, she, it | Is |
Examples
• I am reading this article.
• They are studying English this week.
• He is making the bed now.
Native speakers use this tense a lot when making plans:
“I’m meeting my friend tomorrow.”
3. Present Perfect
Present perfect tense is used to express a special action which has just finished or completed before minutes.
Formula: Subject + have/has + past participle
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, you, we, They | Have |
| he, she, it | Has |
Examples
• I have visited London twice.
• She has already finished her homework.
Use it with “ever,” “never,” “already,” “yet,” “since,” and “for.”
4. Present Perfect Continuous
Present perfect continuous tense is used when we talk about an action that started in the past and is still happening now, or just stopped but had been going on for some time.
Formula: Subject + have/has been + verb-ing
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, you, we, They | Have been |
| he, she, it | Has been |
Examples
I have been studying for 3 hours.
She has been working here since 2020.
5. Past Simple
simple past tense is used for an action which happened in the past time or took place before the time of speaking.
Formula: Subject + past verb
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, you, we, They, he, she, it | did |
Examples
I watched a movie yesterday.
They visited Paris last summer.
6. Past Continuous
Past progressive tense or Past continuous tense is used for an action or event that took place in the past time.
Formula: Subject + was/were + verb-ing
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| you, we, They | Were |
| he, she, it, I | Was |
Examples
I was reading when the phone rang.
We were playing outside when our father come.
7. Past Perfect
The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before an other action or time in the past.
Formula: Subject + had + past participle
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, you, we, They, he, she, it | had |
Example
I had eaten dinner before she arrived.
8. Past Perfect Continuous
Past perfect continuous tense, also known as past perfect progressive, is used of an action or event started at one point in the past and continued until a specific time in the past.
Formula:-Subject + had + been + present participle + the rest of the sentence
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, you, we, They, he, she, it | had been |
Example
I had been studying for hours before the test.
9. Future Simple
simple future tense is used to express an action which will happen in the future time.
Formula:- Subject + shall/will + root form of the verb
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, we | Wil/shall |
| He, she, it, you, they | Will |
Example
I will call you tomorrow.
10. Future Continuous
The Future continuous tense is used to describe about an action or event that will be happening at the specific time in the future time.
Formula:- Subject + will be/shall be + participle
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, we | Wil/shall be |
| He, she, it, you, they | Will be |
Example
This time next week, I will be traveling.
11. Future Perfect
The future perfect tense is used to describe an action or event that will be finished before a specific time in the future.
Formula: Subject + will/have + past participle of the main verb
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, we | Wil/shall have |
| He, she, it, you, they | Will have |
Example
By next year, I will have graduated.
12. Future Perfect Continuous
The future perfect continuous describes an action/event that will have been happening for a period of time at a specific moment in the future.
Formula: Subject + will have been + verb-ing + (object)
| pronouns | Auxiliary verb |
| I, we | Wil/shall have been |
| He, she, it, you, they | Will have been |
Example
In 2026, I will have been teaching English for 10 years.
12 types of tenses with examples and formula
Here’s a simple table of all 12 English tenses with clear formulas and examples. This will help you quickly understand how each tense is formed and used.
| Tense | Formula | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Subject + Base Verb (+s/es for he/she/it) | She plays the piano every day. |
| Present Continuous | Subject + is/are/am + Verb+ing | They are studying for the exam. |
| Present Perfect | Subject + has/have + Past Participle | I have finished my homework. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Subject + has/have + been + Verb+ing | He has been reading for two hours. |
| Past Simple | Subject + Past Verb | We visited London last summer. |
| Past Continuous | Subject + was/were + Verb+ing | She was cooking when I called. |
| Past Perfect | Subject + had + Past Participle | They had left before the party started. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Subject + had been + Verb+ing | He had been working all day. |
| Future Simple | Subject + will + Base Verb | She will travel to Paris next month. |
| Future Continuous | Subject + will be + Verb+ing | At 8 PM, I will be watching TV. |
| Future Perfect | Subject + will have + Past Participle | By next year, they will have graduated. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + will have been + Verb+ing | By noon, I will have been working for 5 hours. |
This table makes it easy to see all tense formulas and examples at a glance. Review it often to remember the structure and improve your grammar skills.
12 English Tenses Exercise With Answers
1) She _____ (study) for three hours when you arrive.
2) I ______ (finish) my homework before dinner yesterday.
3) They ______ (travel) to Paris every summer.
4) He ______ (watch) TV now.
5) She _____ ( write) an email for 30 days.
6) We ______ ( visit) last year.
7) By the next month ____ I ( learn) French.
8) At the 10 PM, they ______ (study)
9) She _______ ( cook) dinner when I arrived.
10) He _____ (save) money for 5 years.
11) They _____ (play) football when they started to rain.
12) By moon, we _____ (work) for 5 years.
13) She _______ (visit) the museum yesterday.
14) I _______ (see) this movie before.
15) They _______ (read) when I called.
Expected answers
1. She will have been studying for three hours when you arrive.
2. I had finished my homework before dinner yesterday.
3. They travel to Paris every summer.
4. He is watching TV now.
5. She has been writing an email for 30 minutes.
6. We visited London last year.
7. By next month, I will have learned French.
8. At 10 PM, they will be studying.
9. She was cooking dinner when I arrived.
10. He has been saving money for five years.
11. They were playing football when it started to rain.
12. By noon, we will have been working for five hours.
13. She visited the museum yesterday.
14. I have seen this movie before.
15. They were reading when I called.
Conclusion
Mastering all 12 active voice tenses will help you communicate clearly and accurately. By practicing regularly, linking related topics, and understanding the rules, you’ll build confidence and fluency.
also you can read : Help verbs, linking verbs, verb to be and singular and plural nouns.
Frequently Asked Questions On 12 English Tenses
Q1. How can I memorize all 12 English tenses easily?
A: Use charts, examples, and regular practice to understand their differences.
Q2. Are these tenses used in spoken English?
A: Yes, especially simple and continuous tenses.
Q3. Which tense is the hardest to learn?
A: Many learners find the perfect continuous tenses challenging.
Q4. Do I need to use all 12 English tenses in daily life?
A: Not always, but knowing them improves understanding and fluency.
Q5. Can I learn tenses in one week?
A: You can learn the basics, but mastery takes practice.
Looked for more grammar lessons and read this: 10 best English grammar books