1.
Present Tenses
a) Simple Present
Structure: Subject + base verb (+s/es for he/she/it)
✅ Example: She eats breakfast every morning.
🔹 Usage:
• General truths (The sun rises in the east.)
• Habits/routines (I go to the gym every day.)
• Fixed schedules (The train leaves at 8 AM.)
b) Present Continuous (Progressive)
Structure: Subject + am/is/are + verb (-ing)
✅ Example: She is eating breakfast now.
🔹 Usage:
• Actions happening right now (I am talking to you.)
• Temporary situations (She is living in New York for now.)
• Planned future actions (We are meeting tomorrow.)
c) Present Perfect
Structure: Subject + has/have + past participle (V3)
✅ Example: She has eaten breakfast already.
🔹 Usage:
• Action completed at an unspecified time (I have visited France.)
• Experience (He has never seen snow.)
• Action started in the past and still relevant (I have lived here for 5 years.)
d) Present Perfect Continuous
Structure: Subject + has/have + been + verb (-ing)
✅ Example: She has been eating breakfast for 20 minutes.
🔹 Usage:
• Action started in the past and is still continuing (I have been studying since morning.)
• Recently finished actions with visible results (You look tired. Have you been running?)
2. Past Tenses
a) Simple Past
Structure: Subject + past tense verb (V2)
✅ Example: She ate breakfast at 8 AM.
🔹 Usage:
• Completed actions in the past (I met her yesterday.)
• Storytelling (Once upon a time, there was a king.)
b) Past Continuous
Structure: Subject + was/were + verb (-ing)
✅ Example: She was eating breakfast when I called.
🔹 Usage:
• Ongoing action at a specific past time (At 5 PM, I was watching TV.)
• Interrupted actions (I was sleeping when the phone rang.)
• Parallel actions (She was cooking while he was reading.)
c) Past Perfect
Structure: Subject + had + past participle (V3)
✅ Example: She had eaten breakfast before I arrived.
🔹 Usage:
• Action completed before another past event (I had finished my work before he came.)
d) Past Perfect Continuous
Structure: Subject + had + been + verb (-ing)
✅ Example: She had been eating breakfast for 20 minutes before I arrived.
🔹 Usage:
• Ongoing action before another past action (I had been waiting for an hour before the
train arrived.)
3. Future Tenses
a) Simple Future
Structure: Subject + will + base verb
✅ Example: She will eat breakfast tomorrow.
🔹 Usage:
• Predictions (It will rain tomorrow.)
• Spontaneous decisions (I will help you.)
• Promises (I will call you later.)
b) Future Continuous
Structure: Subject + will be + verb (-ing)
✅ Example: She will be eating breakfast at 8 AM tomorrow.
🔹 Usage:
• Ongoing action at a specific future time (At 5 PM, I will be traveling.)
• Polite inquiries (Will you be attending the meeting?)
c) Future Perfect
Structure: Subject + will have + past participle (V3)
✅ Example: She will have eaten breakfast by 9 AM.
🔹 Usage:
• Action completed before a specific future time (By next year, I will have graduated.)
d) Future Perfect Continuous
Structure: Subject + will have been + verb (-ing)
✅ Example: She will have been eating for 20 minutes by 9 AM.
🔹 Usage:
• Ongoing action up to a point in the future (By 2025, I will have been working here for
10 years.)
Summary Chart of All 12 Tenses
Tense Example Sentence Usage
Simple Present She eats. Habit, fact, schedule
Present Continuous She is eating. Ongoing, temporary, planned
Present Perfect She has eaten. Experience, past with result
Present Perfect
She has been eating. Ongoing past until now
Continuous
Simple Past She ate. Completed past action
Past Continuous She was eating. Ongoing past action, interrupted action
Past Perfect She had eaten. Past action before another past action
Ongoing past action before another past
Past Perfect Continuous She had been eating.
action
Simple Future She will eat. Future plans, predictions
Future Continuous She will be eating. Ongoing future action
Future Perfect She will have eaten. Completed action before future time
Future Perfect She will have been
Ongoing action until a future point
Continuous eating.
