English / Tenses

Tenses are used to denote the action taken place (past, present or future) in accordance with the time.

Past Present Future

Tenses List

Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous
Past Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous
Present Simple Present Present Continuous Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous
Future Future Simple Future Continuous Future Perfect Future Perfect Continuous


Different Tenses and verb forms used in each tense

Past Present Future
Simple Played (verb + ed) Plays (verb + s) will/shall play (will/shall + verb)
Perfect had played (had + past participle) has/have played (has/have + past participle) will/shall have played(will/shall + past participle)
Continuous was/were playing(was/were + verb + ing) is/am/are playing(is/am/are + verb + ing) will/shall be playing(will/shall be+ verb + ing)
Perfect Continuous had been playing (had been + verb + ing) has/have been playing(has/have been + verb + ing) will/shall have been playing(will/shall have been + verb + ing)


Tenses Examples

Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous
Present speak / speaks am/is/are speaking have/has spoken have been speaking
Past spoke was/were speaking had spoken had been speaking
Future will speak going to speak will be speaking will have spoken will have been speaking



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