The tenses in English can be a little difficult to understand. Here is a complete guide to all 12 major verb tenses in the English language, and the conditional forms. Each verb tense has Infographics to help you understand how the verbs are changed in that tense, and what time each tense is for.
When do I use the present simple?
1. When something is generally or always true.
Cars drive on the road.
Does it rain a lot in England?
Cat’s don’t (do not) eat sweets.
2. When something is long term and is not likely to change
I have 2 brothers.
Sid works at the hospital in town.
I don’t (do not) like mushrooms.
3. When a situation is a habit or is done often.
Claire plays tennis and football.
Does he fly to Jamaica every year?
I don’t (do not) smoke.
Special uses for the present simple
The present simple can be used to talk about the future when there is a fixed plan to do something like a timetable.
The train to Birmingham leaves at 09:43.
The Batman film doesn’t (does not) end until 22:30.
What time does the meeting start?
When do I use the present continuous?
1. When something is happening right now.
I am reading a Wright English booklet at the moment.
Are you eating lunch right now? We can invite Ivan over later.
He isn’t (is not) listening to me!
2. When something is generally happening, but it is short term, unusual, or temporary (When it is long term, usual or always true we use the present simple).
I am learning the guitar (This is a new hobby).
Is Christine working in China for a month or two months?
I’m (I am) not sleeping well these days.
3. When something unusual happens often. This usually comes with an adverb such as “always”, “constantly” or “forever”. This is often used to describe a habit or behaviour that is annoying.
That dog is always barking.
I am constantly locking myself out of the house.
She is forever forgetting her appointments.
Special uses for the present continuous
The present continuous can be used to talk about future situations where an event has been planned. (If something always happens on a timetable, we would use the present simple).
Sorry I can’t see you on Friday, I am meeting my friend Karen.
Suzie isn’t (is not) visiting this weekend. She’s visiting the weekend after.
Are we meeting in the conference room next week?
When do I use the past simple?
When something happened in the past and the event is finished.
I woke up at 8 this morning.
Jeff didn’t (did not) have a job in 2005.
Did you see Bethany yesterday?
2. When describing the actions in a story.
The car drove over the hill, got faster and faster, and then crashed into a bush.
I didn’t (did not) see Ken yesterday. Then I went to the office and I didn’t see him at work either.
Did you check there was enough fuel in the car before you took it to work this morning?
When do I use the past continuous?
1. When one action in the past happened in the middle of a longer action in the past.
Kate was working when you called.
Bruno wasn’t (was not) living in New Mexico when he met his wife.
Were you playing with the kids when the postman arrived?
2. When something unusual happened often in the past. This usually comes with an adverb such as “always”, “constantly” or “forever”.
That dog was always barking, but the family have moved now.
I was constantly locking myself out of the house when I was younger.
She was forever forgetting her appointments, so we stopped having her as a client.
3. To show an activity lasted longer than expected.
She was playing video games all evening.
Chris wasn’t (was not) talking to me all weekend!
He was playing with the cat for hours!
When do I use the present perfect?
1. When something started in the past and is still happening or active now.
I have lived in England for 5 years.
Have you studied at university for a long time?
He hasn’t (has not) worked here very long.
2. When talking about something that happened during a time period that is still active. Time periods that are still active can be ‘today’, ‘this week’, ‘this month’ etc.
I haven’t (have not) seen him today (Today is a time period that is still active. There is still a chance that I will see him later today).
Have you taken your medicine this week?
She has gone to that restaurant 3 times this month.
3. When something happened in the past, but the result or impact is still active. This is often used when something very important or surprising has happened.
He has eaten most of the birthday cake already (There is not enough cake left for the rest of us now).
An alien spaceship has landed in the back garden! (Everyone is now shocked about an alien spaceship, so the result of this activity is still active).
Have you done your homework? (If she hasn’t, she can’t get any feedback on her work).
4. Life experiences. This is another way of thinking about something that happened in the past and is still active. Our lives started in the past, and we are still alive!
Have you ever been to Namibia?
She hasn’t (has not) finished her university degree (she is still alive and still has the possibility to finish her studies. If she leaves school, you might use the past simple to show that it is not likely that she will finish).
I have climbed 4 mountains!
When do I use the present perfect continuous?
1. When something started in the past and is still happening, and you want to show how long it has been happening for. We usually use ‘for’ and ‘since’ to demonstrate the length of time.
I have been dating Nigel for 4 years now.
Have you been waiting for a long time?
She hasn’t been working here since 2004. She’s (she has) been working here since 2007.
2. When something started in the past and is still happening, but it is not important how long it has been happening. This is often a recent hobby or temporary situation. We often use ‘recently’ or ‘lately’ to demonstrate time.
Have you been reading a lot of Stephen King lately?
Jessie has been making videos about a new game recently.
He hasn’t (has not) been working extra hours to save up money lately, I wonder if he has saved enough now.
3. When something has very recently finished, and the outcome of that action is happening now.
He has been running, let’s give a few minutes to sit down.
I haven’t (have not) been painting, so I don’t need to change my clothes before we go out.
Have you been dancing? You look really tired.
When do I use the past perfect?
1. When you want to show that an event in the past happened before a second event in the past. The second event is usually written in the past simple.
I hadn’t eaten a large meal, so I was hungry for dessert!
The car had stopped running, so I walked the last mile
When Kathy arrived at the church, had the wedding already started?
When do I use the past perfect continuous?
1. When you want to describe how long something lasted that started in the past, and finished in the past. There is often a second event in the past that happened after the present perfect continuous event. This second event is written using the past simple.
Katie had been living in Bulgaria for 3 years before she met Alice.
I hadn’t been waiting very long before you picked me up yesterday.
Had you been working for the company for a long time before you decided to leave?
2. When you are telling a story about something that happened in the past, and you want to show the outcome for that action in the past. The result is usually written in the past simple.
Daniel had been swimming before his class, so he was very tired.
Had you been sleeping before I called you yesterday? You sounded confused on the telephone.
It hadn’t (had not) been raining for long, so the pavement was quite dry.
When do I use the future simple?
1. When you want to predict the future. This can be used to describe definite facts, or uncertain predictions.
It will be sunny tomorrow (this is a certain statement).
I don’t think Carol will eat all the chocolate biscuits. We should have enough (this is an uncertain statement).
Will Egypt win the world cup this year?
2. To make a promise to do something, offer to do something, or refuse to do something. It can also be used to ask for help.
I will buy you an ice cream if you want one (offer/promise).
I won’t (will not) go and see that film! It is terrible! (refusal).
Will you help me with this heavy box please? (asking for help).
Special uses of the future simple.
People use “going to” in the same way as the future simple to talk about predictions for the future. With the “going to” future, use the auxiliary verb “to be” and replace “will” with “going to”.
I am going to eat a lot when we go out for sushi! (I will eat a lot when I go out for sushi).
Tom isn’t (is not) going to like the new office (Tom will not like the new office).
Are you going to join us at the pub later? (Will you join us at the pub later?).
When do I use the future continuous?
1. When you want to talk about an event in the future which happens at the same time as another event in the future.
Edmund will be living in Portugal when he marries Belinda (Edmund lives in Portugal in the future, and at the same time the shorter event on marrying Belinda will also happen).
Will you be making dinner when I arrive?
Sorry, I won’t (will not) be going to the wedding in July. I will be in having an operation in hospital.
2. When you want to talk about an ongoing activity in the future. This is often used with a time to say when it will happen.
I will be teaching others soon!
I won’t (will not) be living here anymore next year.
Will you be competing in the next Olympics?
When do I use the Future Perfect?
1. When you want to say how long an action lasts in the future, before another event in the future begins.
At 12 o’clock tomorrow I will have worked on this report for three days.
Will Gregory have lived here for 2 years when he moves to a new house on Sunday?
In February I will have traveled through 8 different countries on my tour.
2. When you want to say when an action will finish in the future, but you do not know exactly when. We often use “by the time” or “when” to show when we expect the action to happen.
I will have retired by the time I am 75 years old.
Will you have finished your homework by the time your lesson starts?
I won’t (will not) have decided what I want to eat when the waitress comes back. She returns too quickly!
When do I use the Future Perfect Continuous?
1. This is very similar to the Future Perfect tense. It is used to show how long an action or activity will have been by a certain point in the future. We often use the continuous tenses to describe activities such as teaching, playing, learning, or cooking.
When you get here, I will have been looking after my little brother all day, so I might be a little tired.
Fred will have been playing football for 6 years when he plays the final on Saturday.
I will have been learning English for 5 years in the Summer
2. Like other continuous tenses, you can use the future perfect continuous to show that an event in the future ends just before another event in the future begins. This is used to explain why there is a certain result.
I will have been exercising for an hour when you get home tonight. Dinner will be later than normal.
Katharine won’t (will not) have been waiting for long when you arrive. You won’t have to say sorry for being late.
Will you have been resting long enough when I arrive? I will feel guilty if you are still tired when we go out together.
When do I use Conditional 0? (if/when +present simple, present simple).
1. Conditional 0 describes facts in the real world. These are this that are usually or always true. You can use conditional 0 to describe the outcome or result of an action. This can be written using ‘if’ or ‘when’. You can start the conditional 0 with the action or result. Conditional 0 is written using the present simple tense.
If you cook food, it gets hot.
Food gets hot if you cook it.
Does food get hot if you cook it?
Food doesn’t get hot if you put it in a fridge.
When do I use Conditional 1? (if + present simple, future simple)
1. Conditional 1 describes possible future actions and their likely outcomes. This is written using the word ‘if’, and not when, because we are not certain that it will happen. You can start the conditional 1 with the action or result. Conditional 1 is written using the present simple, and the future simple.
If it rains, the flowers will grow.
The flowers will grow if it rains.
Will the flowers grow if it rains?
The flowers won’t grow if it doesn’t (does not) rain.
If I leave home now, I will be on time for work.
I’ll (I will) be on time for work if I leave home now.
If you leave home now will you be on time for work?
I won’t (will not) be on time for work if I don’t leave now.
When do I use Conditional 2? (if + past simple, present conditional)
1. Conditional 1 describes unreal situations and their hypothetical outcomes. Conditional 2 refers to any time, but it is always an unreal situation. It is made using the past simple, and the present conditional, or present continuous conditional.
If money fell from the sky, I could buy a Ferrari.
I could buy a Ferrari if money fell from the sky.
Could you buy a Ferrari if money fell from the sky?
I couldn’t (could not) buy a Ferrari if money didn’t fall from the sky.
If I met a famous actor, I would invite him out for a meal.
I would invite a famous actor out for a meal if I met one.
If you met a famous actor, would you invite him out for a meal?
I wouldn’t (would not) invite a famous actor out for a meal if I met one.
When do I use Conditional 3? (if + past perfect, present perfect conditional)
1. Conditional 1 describes unreal situations in the past. These events did not happen, but you want to show what the outcome of an unreal situation in the past. Conditional 3 is often used to talk about things we wish were true, or situations that we are happy are not true. Conditional 3 is made using the word ‘if’ and the past perfect, and then the present perfect conditional.
If Mum and Dad had met in Berlin, I would have been German!
I would have been German if Mum and Dad had met in Berlin!
Would you have been German if your Mum and Dad had met in Berlin?
I wouldn’t (would not) have been German if mum and Dad had met in Paris.
If it had not rained, the flowers would have died.
The flowers would have died if it had not rained.
Would the flowers have died if it had not rained?
The flowers wouldn’t have died if it hadn’t (had not) rained.
When do I use the mixed conditional? (if + past perfect, present simple conditional) or (If + past simple, present perfect conditional)
1. When you want to talk about an unreal situation in the past, and the outcome of that situation happening now. There are two ways to form the mixed conditional: a) if + past perfect, present simple conditional, or b) if + past simple, present perfect conditional.
I would have better grades if I had studied more.
If I had studied more I would have better grades.
If you had studied more, would you have better grades?
I wouldn’t have better grades if I had studied more.
