Verb tenses
English has 12 main tenses, but 4–5 cover most communication.
The essential tenses
Present simple
Form: Base verb (+s for third person) Use: Habits, facts, schedules
| Subject | Verb |
|---|---|
| I/you/we/they | work |
| he/she/it | works |
- "The meeting starts at 9 AM."
- "She handles client relations."
Past simple
Form: Verb + -ed (regular) or irregular form Use: Completed past actions
- "We launched the product last month."
- "The team finished ahead of schedule."
Present continuous
Form: am/is/are + verb-ing Use: Actions happening now, temporary situations
- "We're working on the new feature."
- "Sales are increasing this quarter."
Present perfect
Form: have/has + past participle Use: Past actions with present relevance, experience
- "We have completed the analysis."
- "She has worked here for five years."
Future with "will"
Form: will + base verb Use: Predictions, promises, decisions
- "I'll send the report tomorrow."
- "The market will recover."
All 12 tenses overview
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present simple | I work |
| Present continuous | I am working |
| Present perfect | I have worked |
| Present perfect continuous | I have been working |
| Past simple | I worked |
| Past continuous | I was working |
| Past perfect | I had worked |
| Past perfect continuous | I had been working |
| Future simple | I will work |
| Future continuous | I will be working |
| Future perfect | I will have worked |
| Future perfect continuous | I will have been working |
Modal verbs
| Modal | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can | ability, permission | "I can help." |
| could | past ability, polite request | "Could you send that?" |
| may | possibility, formal permission | "Sales may increase." |
| might | lower possibility | "It might rain." |
| must | obligation, certainty | "You must submit by Friday." |
| should | advice, expectation | "You should review the data." |
| would | conditional, polite | "Would you mind waiting?" |
Common tense mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| "I am knowing" | "I know" | State verbs don't take continuous |
| "Did you finished?" | "Did you finish?" | Base form after "did" |
| "Since three years" | "For three years" | "Since" for points, "for" for periods |
| "I have seen him yesterday" | "I saw him yesterday" | Past simple with specific past time |