Here is a detailed explanation of all 12 English tenses in a clear, exam-friendly format.
This
version includes structures, usages, timelines, signal words, and examples to help you fully
understand and recall each tense during your exam.
Tenses in English Grammar – Detailed Notes
1. Present Simple Tense
• Structure:
Subject + base verb (+s/es for he/she/it)
Don’t/Doesn’t + base verb (for negatives)
Do/Does + subject + base verb (for questions)
• Usage:
o Regular habits or routines
o Universal truths or facts
o Scheduled events (especially in timetables)
• Examples:
o She goes to school every day.
o The sun rises in the east.
o Do you play cricket?
• Signal Words: always, usually, often, never, every day, sometimes
2. Present Continuous Tense
• Structure:
Subject + am/is/are + verb-ing
am/is/are + not + verb-ing
Am/Is/Are + subject + verb-ing?
• Usage:
o Action happening right now
o Temporary situations
o Near future plans (often with “tonight”, “tomorrow” etc.)
• Examples:
o I am studying English now.
o She is watching a movie.
o Are they playing football?
• Signal Words: now, at the moment, currently, look!, listen!
3. Present Perfect Tense
• Structure:
Subject + has/have + past participle (V3)
has/have + not + past participle
Has/Have + subject + past participle?
• Usage:
o Actions with present relevance
o Unspecified time in the past
o Life experiences, recent events
• Examples:
o He has visited Japan.
o I have lost my wallet.
o Have you eaten lunch?
• Signal Words: just, already, yet, ever, never, so far, recently, since, for
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure:
Subject + has/have + been + verb-ing
has/have + not + been + verb-ing
Has/Have + subject + been + verb-ing?
• Usage:
o Actions started in the past and still continuing
o Emphasizes duration
• Examples:
o They have been working since morning.
o She has been studying for 2 hours.
• Signal Words: since, for, all day, how long
5. Past Simple Tense
• Structure:
Subject + verb (past form)
Subject + did not + base verb
Did + subject + base verb?
• Usage:
o Completed actions at a specific time in the past
o Sequence of past events
• Examples:
o He watched a movie last night.
o Did she go to the party?
• Signal Words: yesterday, last night, ago, in 2020, when
6. Past Continuous Tense
• Structure:
Subject + was/were + verb-ing
was/were + not + verb-ing
Was/Were + subject + verb-ing?
• Usage:
o Action in progress at a past time
o Interrupted action
o Parallel past actions
• Examples:
o I was sleeping at 10 PM.
o While he was reading, she was cooking.
• Signal Words: while, when, as, at that moment
7. Past Perfect Tense
• Structure:
Subject + had + past participle
had + not + past participle
Had + subject + past participle?
• Usage:
o Action that occurred before another past action
o Reported speech
• Examples:
o She had left before I arrived.
o Had they finished the work?
• Signal Words: before, after, already, just, when, by the time
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure:
Subject + had been + verb-ing
had not been + verb-ing
Had + subject + been + verb-ing?
• Usage:
o Duration of an action before a certain past point
o Cause of something in the past
• Examples:
o He had been waiting for 2 hours.
o I had been studying, so I was tired.
• Signal Words: for, since, all day, the whole week
9. Future Simple Tense
• Structure:
Subject + will/shall + base verb
will/shall + not + base verb
Will/Shall + subject + base verb?
• Usage:
o Future facts, predictions, promises, decisions at the moment
• Examples:
o I will call you later.
o Will you attend the meeting?
• Signal Words: tomorrow, soon, next week, in 2025, later
10. Future Continuous Tense
• Structure:
Subject + will be + verb-ing
will not be + verb-ing
Will + subject + be + verb-ing?
• Usage:
o Action in progress at a specific future time
• Examples:
o She will be sleeping at midnight.
o Will they be travelling at that time?
• Signal Words: at 5 PM, this time tomorrow, next week
11. Future Perfect Tense
• Structure:
Subject + will have + past participle
will not have + past participle
Will + subject + have + past participle?
• Usage:
o Action that will be completed before a specific time in future
• Examples:
o I will have finished the work by 6 PM.
o Will they have reached the station?
• Signal Words: by, by the time, before, until
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure:
Subject + will have been + verb-ing
will not have been + verb-ing
Will + subject + have been + verb-ing?
• Usage:
o Ongoing action continuing till a future point
o Shows duration before another future event
• Examples:
o By next month, I will have been working here for 5 years.
o Will you have been studying for 3 hours?
• Signal Words: for, since, by then, by the time
Tips to Remember
Keyword Meaning
Simple Habit or fact
Continuous Ongoing action
Perfect Completed before now/then
Perfect Continuous Duration + ongoing till a point
Bonus Chart: Helping Verbs (Quick Recall)
Tense Group Helping Verbs
Present do/does, am/is/are, has/have
Past did, was/were, had
Future will/shall, will have
