The 12 Basic English Tenses

The English Tense System

The links below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic English tenses. In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:

• Structure: How do we make the tense?
• Use: When and why do we use the tense?

Some lessons look at additional matters, and most of them finish with a quiz to check your understanding.

• Present Simple
  I do, I do do
• Present Continuous
  I am doing
• Present Perfect
  I have done
• Present Perfect Continuous
  I have been doing

• Past Simple
  I did, I did do
• Past Continuous
  I was doing
• Past Perfect
  I had done
• Past Perfect Continuous
  I had been doing

• Future Simple
  I will do
• Future Continuous
  I will be doing
• Future Perfect
  I will have done
• Future Perfect Continuous
  I will have been doing

Many English learners worry too much about tense. If you stopped 100 native English speakers in the street and asked them about tense, 1 of them might give you an intelligent answer - if you were lucky. The other 99 would know little about terms like "past perfect" or "present continuous". And they would know nothing about aspect, voice or mood. But they can all speak fluent English and communicate effectively. Of course, for ESL it helps to know about tenses, but don't become obsessed with them. Be like those native speakers! Speak naturally!