The Complete Guide to English Tenses For ESL Learners
- Rose Sensei
- Aug 8, 2023
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
Learning English tenses can feel like a big challenge — but don’t worry!
🌟 This guide will make everything clear and simple. We’ll cover all 12 English tenses with examples, common mistakes, and extra practice links (stories, worksheets, quizzes, and videos).
By the end, you’ll have a clear map of English grammar that you can use in everyday conversations.
📖 What Are Tenses in English?
Tenses show us when an action happens:
Present → now
Past → before now
Future → after now
Each tense can also show:
Simple → a basic action
Continuous (Progressive) → an action in progress
Perfect → a completed action with a connection to another time
Perfect Continuous → an action in progress with duration
🕒 The 12 English Basic Tenses
🔹 Present Tenses
1. Present Simple [do/does, base verb] → facts, habits, routines
✅ I work in an office.
✅ She drinks coffee every morning.
🎯Common Mistake to avoid:
❌ He go to school every day.
✅ He goes to school every day.
💡 Grammar Tip:
Use the Present Simple for routines, habits, and general truths.
👉 “I drink coffee every morning.” / “The sun rises in the east.”
🧠 Remember: We add -s or -es for he / she / it.
👉 “She works hard.” ✅ not “She work hard.” ❌
✨ Pro Tip:
Add time expressions like every day, usually, on Mondays to sound more natural.
🔗 Keep Learning:
5 Uses for Present Simple Tense + Adverbs of Frequency: Examples
See this tense in action: Emma’s Morning Routine Story.
2. Present Continuous [am / is / are + verb-ing]
→ happening now, temporary actions
✅ I am studying English right now.
✅ They are watching a movie.
🎯Common Mistakes to avoid:
❌ She watching TV.
✅ She is watching TV.
❌ She study now.
✅ She is studying now.
💡 Grammar Tip:
Use the Present Continuous to talk about actions happening now or temporary situations.
👉 “I’m reading a blog.” / “She’s studying English this month.”
✨ Pro Tip:
Use the Present Continuous for plans too!
👉 “We’re meeting friends tonight.”
🔗 Keep Learning:
🎥Checkout the YouTube Video with 🗣️voice narration to practise listening
3. Present Perfect [have/has + Past Participle]
→ experience, recently finished action
✅ I have visited Japan twice.
✅ She has just finished her homework.
🎯 Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ They have arrive in London.
✅ They have arrived in London.
💡 Grammar Tip:
Use the Present Perfect to talk about experiences or actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past, or that have a result now
✨ Pro Tip:
Add signal words like ever, never, just, already, yet, or since/for to sound more fluent.
e.g She has never eaten Chinese food before.
🔗 Keep Learning:
🎥 Youtube Video:
4. Present Perfect Continuous [have/has + been+ verb-ing]
→ action started in the past, still continuing
✅ I have been learning English for two years.
✅ He has been waiting for an hour.
🎯 Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ I am learning English for two years.
✅ I have been learning English for two years.
(Use have been + -ing, not am when talking about duration until now.)
❌ She has been work here since 2020.
✅ She has been working here since 2020. (Don’t forget the -ing form.)
❌ They have learned English since five years.
✅ They have been learning English for five years.
(Use for + a period; since + a starting point.)
💡 We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show how long something has been happening — starting in the past and continuing now.
🧠 Tip: Use for + period (for two years) or since + starting point (since 2020).
🔗 Keep Learning:
🔗 Keep Learning:
Worksheet: Present Perfect Continuous Exercises.
Video: When to Use Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Continuous.
Write your own sentence with “have been ___ing” and share it below!
🔹 Past Tenses
5. Past Simple [verb + -ed / irregular verbs]
→ finished action in the past at a fixed time
✅ I visited Paris last year.
✅ She watched a film yesterday.
🎯Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ I have seen that movie yesterday.
✅ I saw that movie yesterday.
(Don’t use Present Perfect with specific past time words like yesterday.)
❌ He don’t went to work.
✅ He didn’t go to work. (Use didn’t + base verb, not past form after did.)
❌ She was study hard for the exam.
✅ She studied hard for the exam. (No was + verb in Past Simple.)
🕰️ Past Simple
💡 Use the Past Simple for actions that are finished and happened at a specific time.
🧠 Tip: Common time markers: yesterday, last week, in 2010, two days ago.
🔗 Keep Learning:
🎥Shorts Video: Past Simple or Present Perfect? Let's Fix It!
6. Past Continuous [was / were + verb -ing]
→ action in progress at a past time
✅ I was reading when the phone rang.
✅ They were cooking dinner at 7 p.m.
🎯Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ I was play football when it rained.
✅ I was playing football when it rained. (Use was/were + -ing form.)
❌ They were slept when I called.
✅ They were sleeping when I called. (Don’t use past form after were.)
❌ When I arrived, she cooked dinner.
✅ When I arrived, she was cooking dinner.
(Use Past Continuous for ongoing action.)
📖 Past Continuous
💡 Use the Past Continuous to describe an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past.
🧠 Tip: Often paired with Past Simple for interruption: I was reading when she called.
🔗 Keep Learning:
7. Past Perfect [had + past participle]
→ action completed before another past action
✅ I had finished my work before dinner.
✅ She had already left when I arrived.
🎯Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ After he had saw the film, he went home.
✅ After he had seen the film, he went home.
(Use past participle, not past form.)
❌ I had eaten dinner when my friend arrived.
✅ I had eaten dinner before my friend arrived.
(Avoid confusing time order — make the sequence clear.)
❌ She didn’t had finished her work.
✅ She hadn’t finished her work.
(Use hadn’t + past participle.)
⏳ Past Perfect
💡 The Past Perfect shows which action happened first before another past event.
🧠 Tip: Look for time words like before, after, when, by the time.
🔗 Keep Learning:
8. Past Perfect Continuous [had been + verb-ing]
→ ongoing action before another past event
✅ I had been working all day, so I was tired.
✅ He had been waiting for two hours when the bus arrived.
🎯Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ I had working all day before the meeting.
✅ I had been working all day before the meeting. (Use had been + -ing.)
❌ He had been study since morning.
✅ He had been studying since morning. (Add the -ing form.)
❌ They had waited for an hour when the bus arrived.
✅ They had been waiting for an hour when the bus arrived.
(Use Past Perfect Continuous to show duration.)
🕐 Past Perfect Continuous
💡 Use the Past Perfect Continuous to talk about an ongoing action before another event in the past.
🧠 Tip: It often explains the reason for a past situation: She was tired because she had been studying all night.
🔗 Keep Learning:
🔹 Future Tenses
9. Future Simple [will + base verb] → predictions, instant decisions
✅ I will call you tomorrow.
✅ It will rain later.
🎯Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ I will to go to the party.
✅ I will go to the party. (Don’t use “to” after will.)
❌ She will goes shopping later.
✅ She will go shopping later. (Use the base verb after will, not -s.)
❌ I’m going to will call you tomorrow.
✅ I’m going to call you tomorrow. OR I will call you tomorrow.
(Don’t mix will and going to together.)
🔮 Future Simple
💡 Use the Future Simple (will) for predictions, promises, or quick decisions.🧠
🧠 Tip: Common with I think, I’m sure, maybe, probably.
🔗 Keep Learning:
10. Future Continuous [will be + verb-ing]
→ action in progress at a future time
✅ I will be studying at 8 p.m.
✅ They will be travelling next week.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ This time tomorrow, I will work.
✅ This time tomorrow, I will be working.
(Use will be + -ing for actions in progress at a future time.)
❌ She will studying when you arrive.
✅ She will be studying when you arrive. (Don’t forget be after will.)
❌ They will be works tomorrow.
✅ They will be working tomorrow. (Use the -ing form after be.)
🕐 Future Continuous
💡 Use the Future Continuous to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific future time.
🧠 Tip: Great for polite questions: Will you be joining us for dinner?
🔗 Keep Learning:
11. Future Perfect [will have + past participle]
→ action completed before a future time
✅ By 2026, I will have finished my degree.
✅ She will have left by the time you arrive.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ By 2026, I will finished my degree.
✅ By 2026, I will have finished my degree.
(Use will have + past participle.)
❌ She will have saw the movie before you.
✅ She will have seen the movie before you.
(Use the correct past participle, not the past form.)
❌ They will has completed the project by Friday.
✅ They will have completed the project by Friday.
(Use have, not has, after will.)
⏰ Future Perfect
💡 Use the Future Perfect to show that something will be completed before a future point in time.
🧠 Tip: Look for by + time expression: by tomorrow, by next year.
🔗 Keep Learning:
12. Future Perfect Continuous [will have been + -ing]
→ ongoing action continuing into the future
✅ By next year, I will have been working here for 10 years.
✅ They will have been studying for 5 hours by noon.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ By next month, I will have work here for five years.
✅ By next month, I will have been working here for five years.
(Use been + -ing for duration.)
❌ She will has been studying all night.
✅ She will have been studying all night. (Use have, not has, after will.)
❌ They will have been wait for two hours when the train arrives.
✅ They will have been waiting for two hours when the train arrives.
(Add -ing form after been.)
⏳ Future Perfect Continuous
💡 Use the Future Perfect Continuous to show how long something will have been happening before a future time.
🧠 Tip: Use for + time period: By next month, I’ll have been working here for a year.
🔗 Keep Learning:
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
Forgetting -ing in continuous tenses
❌ I am study → ✅ I am studying.
Using “will” for plans (instead of “going to”)
❌ I will visit grandma tomorrow → ✅ I am going to visit grandma tomorrow.
🎯 Quick Practice (Test Yourself!)
Fill in the blanks with the correct tense:
She __________ (read) a book when I called.
I __________ (live) in Singapore since 2020.
By next year, he _____________ (finish) his studies.
They ___________ (play) football every Saturday.
👉 Scroll down for the answer key ⬇️
📥 Free Download
👉 Download your FREE English Tenses Chart (PDF) — all 12 tenses on one page with examples. Perfect for study, printing, or classroom use.
Final Tips 🌟
Don’t try to memorise all 12 tenses in one go.
Practice with stories, conversations, and quizzes.
Link tenses to your own life to make them stick.
👉 Next step:
Choose one tense you find difficult and explore the extra practice links (stories, worksheets, or quizzes). Step by step, your English will feel more natural and confident.
✅ Conclusion
Learning English tenses doesn’t have to be hard. Once you understand when and why to use each tense, everything becomes easier. Use this guide as your reference tool and practice with real-life examples every day.
👉 Next, check out these guides:
🔑 Answer Key
was reading
have lived / have been living
will have finished
play
Thank you so much for reading!
Happy Learning. Questions ? Ask us anything.
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