Tenses Overview at a glance
I study.
Read the rule, inspect the example, then check yourself.
Overview
English tenses combine time with aspect. Time tells when; aspect tells how the action is viewed.
Time is not the only question
Choose a tense by asking whether the action is a fact, process, result, completed event, plan, or prediction.
- I study.
- I am studying.
- I have studied.
- I studied.
Main Rules
The four main aspect families are simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
Simple
Use simple forms for facts, habits, completed events, and neutral future meaning.
- She studies every day.
- They visited yesterday.
Continuous
Use continuous forms for actions in progress around a time.
- She is studying now.
- They were waiting at six.
Perfect
Use perfect forms to connect two times or show result, experience, or earlier completion.
- I have finished.
- She had left before I arrived.
Patterns
These formulas are the core tense-building blocks.
Tense patterns
| Aspect | Formula idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| simple | main verb or auxiliary + base | She works. / Did she work? |
| continuous | be + verb-ing | She is working. |
| perfect | have + past participle | She has worked. |
| perfect continuous | have + been + verb-ing | She has been working. |
Examples
Signal words help, but meaning is more important than a single keyword.
I lived in London in 2022.
A finished past time usually needs Past Simple.
I have lived here for two years.
The situation started in the past and continues now.
I am meeting my tutor tomorrow.
Present Continuous can show a fixed future arrangement.
Common Mistakes
Do not choose a tense only by translating the verb form from another language.
I already ate.
I have already eaten.
Both can be possible in some English varieties, but Present Perfect is the safer form when the result matters now.
Have you gone yesterday?
Did you go yesterday?
Yesterday is a finished past time, so use Past Simple.