Verb Tenses

Verb tenses are verb forms (went, go, will go) which English speakers use to talk
about the past, present, and future in their language. There are twelve verb tense
forms in English as well as other time expressions such as used to. For English
learners, knowing how to use English tenses can be quite a challenge. Never fear.
Englishpage.com's verb tense tutorial will teach you to think like a native speaker.
Let's get started!

How to use this tutorial:

1. Read Types of Verbs, Active vs. Passive, and the verb tense descriptions you
want to learn.
2. Do the verb tense exercises below. Each exercise has links to the tenses covered.
And don't miss our Verb Tense Final Test.
3. Use our Verb Tense Chart to learn about the types of tenses, and read
through Common Questions about Verb Tenses.

Verb Tense Chart

Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future

I study English Two years ago, If you are having

every day. I studied English problems, I will
in England. help you study
English.

I am going to
study English next
year.

Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous

I am I was I will be
studying English studying English studying English
now. when you called when you arrive
yesterday. tonight.

I am going to be
studying English
when you arrive
tonight.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

I have I had studied a I will have

studied English in little English studied every
several different before I moved to tense by the time I
 I am going to be
studying English
when you arrive
tonight.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

I have I had studied a I will have

studied English in little English studied every
several different before I moved to tense by the time I
countries. the U.S. finish this course.

I am going to have
studied every
tense by the time I
finish this course.

Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect

Continuous Continuous Continuous

I have been I had been I will have been

studying English studying English studying English
for five years. for five years for over two hours
before I moved to by the time you
the U.S. arrive.

I am going to have
been
studying English
for over two hours
by the time you
arrive.

About the Verb Tense Chart

Look at the verb tense chart above. Do you see how it is arranged? It tells you a lot
about how English speakers understand time. There are four present tenses, four
past tenses, and four future tenses.
There are also three simple tenses, three continuous tenses, three perfect tenses
and three perfect continuous tenses. These groupings can help you learn how
English verb tenses are used.
For example, all simple tenses have similar uses. Perfect tenses also behave in the
same way. Keep this in mind while reading our verb tense descriptions.
Did you also notice that present tenses and past tenses only have one form whereas
future tenses have two forms?

Common Questions about Verb Tenses

How can I learn verb tenses?
Our native language changes the way we think about time. It also changes the way
we use verb tenses. For example, Germans often make mistakes with present
perfect. Why? Because it looks like a tense in German, which is NOT the same.
For this reason, you have to learn to think like an English speaker. You must learn
how we see time. Our in-depth verb tense descriptions will help you.
Make sure you understand the details. Do you know how non-continuous and mixed
verbs change tense usage? If not, read those pages again.
It is also good to know active and passive verb forms well. You don't want to have to
stop in the middle of a sentence to think about forms.
You should also take some time to learn the large number of English irregular verbs.
Don't worry. It's easy with our irregular verb flashcards!

How many verb tenses are there?

The answer depends on who you ask.
Linguists say English has three tenses: past, present and future. They
call simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous "aspects" of each tense.
People who teach English as a foreign language say English has 12 tenses (simple
present, present continuous, etc.)
In addition to the 12 tenses, there are extra forms (used to, would always, and future
in the past) which are used to express time in English. Here at Englishpage.com, we
describe 15 verb forms.

What are the most common verb tense mistakes?

The most common mistake English learners make is to use simple present to talk
about things that are happening now. With most verbs, that's wrong. Present
continuous should be used.
Another big mistake is using present perfect with set times such as last week. That is
not correct in English. And most English learners have problems with will and be
going to.
Again, don't worry. All of these tenses are clearly explained in this tutorial.

What sources should I use to study tenses?

First, start with this Verb Tense Tutorial. You need to know the rules well.
Next, watch TV and movies in English. You should watch shows with lots of
dialogue. Comedies and dramas are best. You need to find programs with natural
language. Many teachers use shows like Friends or The Big Bang Theory in class.
You also need to read. Again, it is best to read books with lots of conversation.Take
time to look at the details. Do you understand why each tense is used?

Where can I see examples of all the verb tense forms?

Each page in this tutorial has a Forms section with a link to a Complete List of
Forms. That list shows examples of all forms for that tense. Here is the complete list
of simple present forms.