Learn 12 English Tenses with 36 Example Sentences (PDF)
We need English tenses to tell people what we want, what we did, and what our plans for the future are. In this post, you will learn the 12 English tenses with 36 example sentences in positive, negative and question forms. You can also download a free practice PDF at the end of this post.
The English language has 12 tenses, and they are divided into 3 groups: present, past and future. Download 12 English tenses with question and examples PDF at the end of this article.
12 English Tenses – 36 Example Sentences
Present Tenses
1. Present Simple Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + V1 (+s/es for he, she, it)
Use: habits, routines and general facts.
Positive: I go to work every day.
Negative: I do not go to work every day.
Question: Do I go to work every day?
2. Present Continuous Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + am/is/are + V-ing
Use: actions happening now or around now.
Positive: She is eating mangoes now.
Negative: She is not eating mangoes now.
Question: Is she eating mangoes now?
3. Present Perfect Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + have/has + V3 (past participle)
Use: actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or past actions with a result now.
Positive: Mary has lived here for ten years.
Negative: Mary has not lived here for ten years.
Question: Has Mary lived here for ten years?
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + have/has been + V-ing
Use: actions that started in the past and are still continuing, with an emphasis on duration.
Positive: Mary has been eating mangoes for an hour.
Negative: Mary has not been eating mangoes for an hour.
Question: Has Mary been eating mangoes for an hour?
Past Tenses
5. Past Simple Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + V2 (negative and question: did + V1)
Use: finished actions at a specific time in the past.
Positive: We watched a movie yesterday morning.
Negative: We did not watch a movie yesterday morning.
Question: Did we watch a movie yesterday morning?
6. Past Continuous Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + was/were + V-ing
Use: actions that were in progress at a time in the past.
Positive: I was learning Turkish last month.
Negative: I was not learning Turkish last month.
Question: Was I learning Turkish last month?
7. Past Perfect Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + had + V3
Use: an action that happened before another action in the past.
Positive: Harry had known about the plan before the meeting.
Negative: Harry had not known about the plan before the meeting.
Question: Had Harry known about the plan before the meeting?
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + had been + V-ing
Use: a continuing action that lasted until another moment in the past.
Positive: They had been playing football for two hours before it rained.
Negative: They had not been playing football for two hours before it rained.
Question: Had they been playing football for two hours before it rained?
Future Tenses
9. Future Simple Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + will + V1
Use: decisions, promises and predictions about the future.
Positive: We will go home.
Negative: We will not go home.
Question: Will we go home?
10. Future Continuous Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + will be + V-ing
Use: actions that will be in progress at a time in the future.
Positive: They will be waiting for you.
Negative: They will not be waiting for you.
Question: Will they be waiting for you?
11. Future Perfect Tense with Examples
Formula: Subject + will have + V3
Use: actions that will be completed before a time in the future.
Positive: By next week, I will have finished this work.
Negative: By next week, I will not have finished this work.
Question: Will I have finished this work by next week?
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Formula: Subject + will have been + V-ing
Use: the duration of an action up to a point in the future.
Positive: By next June, I will have been studying English for two years.
Negative: By next June, I will not have been studying English for two years.
Question: Will I have been studying English for two years by next June?
Download the Free PDF
You can download the 12 English tenses below. This free PDF includes a tenses chart, explanations, examples and signal words.
12 English Tenses with Question and Examples PDF – download
Thanks for this! Awesome. Nagi osman
Please change this page as there are grammatical errors. Eg.
Present simple tense – I go to home – incorrect. Subject + base verb + (object or other information)
Past perfect continuous tense – incorrect.
They had not been being playing football since last year.
You do not add another being before the main verb. There are many other errors above.
Future continuous tense – for is missing.
Future simple tense – this is incorrect.
The preposition “to” before “home” is not used when home means the place where someone lives and indicates direction.
Correct grammar is: go home.
Thank you for your careful review, and sorry for the mistakes! You were right. We have updated our 12 English tenses page:
Present simple: “go home” (no “to” before “home”).
Past perfect continuous: removed the extra “being” → They had not been playing football for two hours before it rained.
Future continuous: added the missing “for.”
Future simple: corrected the examples.
For more help, see our English tenses guide or download the free tenses PDF. If you find any other errors, please tell us. Thanks for helping us improve!