English Tenses Chart with Examples

Present simple

subject + base verb

routines, facts, and regular situations

usually, every day, often

Maya takes the early bus to work every day.

Present continuous

am/is/are + verb-ing

something happening now or temporarily

now, at the moment, this week

Maya is taking the bus this week because her car is being repaired.

Present perfect

have/has + past participle

a past action connected to now or life experience

already, yet, ever, since, for

Maya has already finished her report.

Present perfect continuous

have/has been + verb-ing

an activity continuing up to now or showing a present result

for, since, all morning, lately

Maya has been working on the report since breakfast.

Past simple

subject + past form

a finished event in the past

yesterday, last week, in 2022

Maya finished the report before lunch yesterday.

Past continuous

was/were + verb-ing

an action in progress at a past time or interrupted by another event

while, when, at eight o’clock

Maya was checking the figures when her manager called.

Past perfect

had + past participle

the earlier of two past events

already, before, by the time

Maya had saved the file before the computer restarted.

Past perfect continuous

had been + verb-ing

an activity continuing before a past point

for, since, all day, before

Maya had been studying for two hours before the lesson began.

Future simple with will

will + base verb

decisions, predictions, and promises

tomorrow, I think, probably

I think Maya will pass the interview.

Future continuous

will be + verb-ing

an action in progress at a future time

this time tomorrow, at noon

Maya will be traveling to the office at nine tomorrow.

Future perfect

will have + past participle

something completed before a future point

by, before, by the time

By Friday, Maya will have completed the training.

Future perfect continuous

will have been + verb-ing

the duration of an activity up to a future point

for, by the time, by next year

By June, Maya will have been working here for a year.

will + base verb

a spontaneous decision, prediction, or promise

I’ll call the office now.

be going to + base verb

a plan already in your mind or a prediction based on evidence

We are going to visit the museum next weekend.

present continuous

an arranged plan with a time or place

I’m meeting my tutor on Thursday.