1. What are the 12 basic tenses you need to know ?

The 12 basic tenses in the English Grammar are for the Present, Past & Future in the Simple, Continuous & Perfect forms:

-Present Simple

-Present Continuous

-Present Perfect Simple

-Present Perfect Continuous

-Past Simple

-Past Continuous

-Past Perfect Simple

-Past Perfect Continuous

-Future Simple

-Future Continuous

-Future Perfect Simple

-Future Perfect Continuous

2. When to use the 12 basic tenses - Examples

- In English we use verbs (tenses) to talk about time period in the Present, Past & Future form:

e.g.

Past : I went home.

Present : I'm cooking.

Future : I will call you later.

3. How do we use the 12 basic Tenses in English Grammar?

- For each of these Present, Past & Future time period, we form them into the Simple, Continuous & Perfect tenses:

e.g. speak

1. Present Simple (base verb) : I speak

2. Present Continuous (be + -ing) : I am speaking

3. Present Perfect (have + past participle): I have spoken

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4. Let's look at each of the 12 basic tenses in the English Grammar with their brief explanation, forms, uses and example Sentences:

(Click on the link for each one of the Tenses for more info about their forms, rules, more dialogue examples, etc.)

1. What is the Present Simple Tense?

a. Present Simple form: ('be' verb) & (verb - base form /+ s /es)

- 'be' verb > am, is, are

- verb (base form /+ s / + es) e.g. > go, eat, drinks, finishes, etc.

b. When to use the Present Simple tense - Example Situation

- We use the Present Simple to talk about:

1. true facts

2. routine & habits

3. notice

4. instructions

5. timetable

c. How to use the Present Simple tense - Example Sentence:

1. It always rains in the first week of June.

2. I work from 9 to 5 on weekdays.

3. Business hours are from 10 to 4 pm.

4. Leave your bags in the lockers.

5. When does the first train leave? - It leaves at 5am.

d. Time Words / Expressions you can use with the Present Simple:

e.g. always, on weekends, usually, seldom, etc.

e. How to form the Present Simple tense: 'be' verb & verb (base form)

> (subject + 'be' verb):

i. positive + (short form):

- I am (I'm)

- he / she / it is ('s)

- we / you / they are ('re)

ii. negative + (short form):

- I am not (I'm not)

- he / she /it is not ('s not / isn't)

- we / you / they are not ('re not / aren't)

iii. Yes/No Questions

- Am I...?

- Is he / she / it ...?

- Are we / you / they...?

iv. Short answers (positive)

- Yes, I am.

- Yes, he / she /it is.

- Yes, we / you / they are.

v. Short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I am not (I'm not).

- No, he / she / it is not ('s not) or (isn't).

- No, we / you / they are not ('re not) or (aren't).

> (subject + verb)

- I / you / we / they + verb (base form)

- he / she / it + verb (base form ) + 's'

e.g. work

i. positive

- I / you / we / they work

- he / she / it works

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they do not work (don't work)

- he / she / it does not work (doesn't work)

iii. Yes/No Questions

- Do I / you / we / they work?

- Does he / she / it work?

iv. Short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they do.

- Yes, he / she / it does.

v. Short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they do not (don't).

- No, he / she / it does not (doesn't).

Note!

Some verbs have '-es' endings e.g. watch >> watches, etc.

For more Present Simple Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to>> 5 Uses for Present Simple Tense + Adverbs of Frequency: Examples

The Imperative Verb (base form):

Go to>> Imperative Form for Giving Instructions, Advice, Suggestions

2. What is the Present Continuous tense?

a) Present Continuous Form: ('be' + verb-ing)

e.g. is running, are moving, etc.

b) When to use the Present Continuous tense - Example Situation

1. for action / event happening now

2. for temporary action

c) How to use the Present Continuous tense - Example Sentence

1. I am making dinner at the moment.

2. Tom is walking the dogs now.

3. The children are having a nice time at the beach.

4. What time is the bus coming?

5. Mandy isn't doing her homework.

d) Time Expressions you can use with the Present Continuous

e.g. at the moment, now, currently, etc.

e. How to form the Present Continuous tense

- (subject + am, is , are + verb-ing)

e.g. work

i. positive + (short form)

- I am working ('m working)

- you / we / they are working ('re working)

- he / she / it is working ('s working)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I am not working ('m not working)

- you / we / they are not working ('re not working / aren't working)

- he / she / it is not working ('s not working / isn't working )

iii. Yes/No Questions

- Am I working?

- Are you / we / they working ?

- Is he / she / it working ?

iv. Short answers (positive)

- Yes, I am.

- Yes, you / we / they are.

- Yes, he / she / it is.

v. Short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I am not ('m not).

- No, you / we / they are not (aren't).

- No, he / she / it is not (isn't).

For more Present Continuous Grammar tips, forms, rules, exercises & example sentences:

Go to >> 3 Ways to Use the Present Continuous Tense

3. What is the Present Perfect Simple Tense?

a. Present Perfect Simple Form: (has / have + past participle)

e.g. has eaten, have been, has not seen, etc.

b. When to use the Present Perfect Simple tense - Example Situation

- We use the Present Perfect Simple to talk about:

1. an action in the past (but we do not know exactly when)

2. a recent past (recently finished action/event)

3. a time from the past until now (experience)

c. How to use the Present Perfect Simple - Example Sentence

1. I have not done the laundry yet.

2. Nao has already spoken to the teacher.

3. They've come all the way from Toronto.

4. Has Tara mopped the floor yet?

5. Mandy hasn't been to New York before.

d. Time expressions with the Present Perfect tense

e.g. yet, before, ever , never, etc.

e. How to form the Present Perfect tense?

- (Subject + has / have + past participle)

e.g. play

i. positive + (short form)

- I / you / we / they have played ('ve played)

- he / she / it has played ('s played)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they have not played ('ve not played / haven't played)

- he / she / it has not played ('s not played / hasn't played)

iii. Yes/No Questions

- Have I / you / we / they played...?

- Has he / she / it played...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they have.

- Yes, he / she / it has.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they have not (haven't).

- No, he / she / it has not (hasn't).

For more Present Perfect Simple Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to >> Present Perfect Simple:3 Ways to Use + Example Sentence

4. What is the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

a. Present Perfect Continuous form : (has / have + been + verb -ing)

- e.g has been walking, have been talking, etc.

b. When to use the Present Perfect Continuous tense - Example Situation

- We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about:

1. past action or situation that is still going on

2. past action or situation that's just ended

3. repeated past action or situation with continued activity

c. How to use the Present Perfect Continuous - Example Sentence

1. I've been looking for a new place.

2. She has been baking since early morning.

3. Your dad's been cleaning his car all day.

4. Has she been telling you about her new boyfriend?

5. What have you been doing all this time?

d. Time expressions you can use with the Present Perfect Continuous

e.g. all morning, recently, since August, for the past few weeks, etc.

e. How to form the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

- (subject + has / have + been + verb -ing)

e.g. bake

i. positive + (short form)

- I / you / we / they have been baking ('ve been baking)

- he / she / it has been baking ('s been baking)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they have not been baking (haven't been baking)

- he / she / it has not been baking (hasn't been baking)

iii. yes/no Q

- Have I / you / we / they been baking...?

- Has he / she / it been baking...?

iv. short answers - (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they have.

- Yes, he / she / it has.

v. short answers - (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they have not (haven't).

- No, he / she / it has not (hasn't).

For more Present Perfect Continuous Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to >> Present Perfect Continuous tense - Uses & Examples

5. What is the Past Simple tense?

a. Past Simple form: 'be' verb (past simple form) & verb (past simple form)

e.g. 'be' = was, were,

e.g. main verb = went, gave, walked, etc.

b. When to use the Past Simple tense - Example Situation

- We use the Past Simple to talk about:

1. a past & completed action

2. past events

​3. telling stories

c. How to use the Past Simple - Example Sentence

1. It rained all day yesterday.

2. Last week's lessons were boring.

3. When did you go to Macau?

4. Zoe didn't move to her new house last weekend.

5. Did Alice walk home from school yesterday?

-Yes, she did.

d. Time Words / Expressions with the Past Simple:

e.g. yesterday, last week, last month, 5 years ago etc.

e. How to form the Past Simple tense?

- (subject + verb (past simple) + time expressions)

> 'be' verb

i. positive

- I was

- you / we / they were

- he / she / it was

ii. negative + (short form)

- I was not (wasn't)

- you / we / they were not (weren't)

- he / she / it was not (wasn't)

iii. yes/no Questions

- Was I ...?

- Were you / we / they ...?

- Was he / she / it ...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I was.

- Yes you / we / they were.

- Yes, he / she / it was.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I was not (wasn't)

- No, you / we / they were not (weren't).

- No, he / she / it was not (wasn't).

> (subject + verb (past simple)

e.g. come

i. positive

- I / you / we / they came

- he / she / it came

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they did not come (didn't come)

- he / she / it did not come (didn't come)

iii. yes/no Questions

- Did I / you / we / they ...?

- Did he / she / it ...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they did.

- Yes, he / she / it did.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they did not (didn't).

- No, he / she / it did not (didn't).

For more Past Simple Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to >>The Past Simple tense: Uses & Example Sentence

Note! Past Simple - action that happened at a fixed time e.g. last year, 2 years ago etc.

6. What is the Past Continuous tense?

a. Past Continuous form : (was / were + verb-ing)

e.g. was playing, were shouting, etc.

b. When to use the Past Continuous tense - Example Situation

1. an action happening at a time in the past

2. temporary actions & situations in the past

3. usually used with the Past Simple to talk about 2 actions in the past:

i) past continuous to describe a longer action in progress and

ii) past simple for the action that interrupts the longer action

e.g. I was working late at the office when suddenly all the lights went out.

(longer action) (interrupts the longer action)

c. How to use the Past Continuous tense - Example Sentence

1. Mimi was walking to the bus when she saw a little boy dashed down the street.

2. Last year we were holidaying in Macau when we met Linda.

3. Nicki was chatting to Vanessa when the boss walked in.

4. This time last week I was hiking in the mountains.

5. What was Mandy doing when you left the house earlier ?

d. Time Words you can use with the Past Continuous:

- e.g. when, while , this time last year, etc.

e. How to form the Past Continuous tense:

- (subject + was / were + verb-ing)

> Example - walk

i. positive

- I was walking

- you / we / they were walking

- he / she / it was walking

ii. negative + (short form)

- I was not walking (wasn't walking)

- you / we / they were not walking (weren't walking)

- he / she / it was not walking (wasn't walking)

iii. Yes/no Question

- Was I walking...?

- Were you / we / they walking...?

- Was he / she / it walking...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I was.

- Yes, you / we / they were.

- Yes, he / she / it was.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I was not (wasn't).

- No, you / we / they were not (weren't).

- No, he / she / it was not (wasn't).

For more Past Continuous Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences Go to>> The Past Continuous tense + Example Sentence

7. What is the Past Perfect Simple tense?

a. Past Perfect form: (had + past participle)

e.g. had gone, had walked, etc

b. When to use the Past Perfect tense - Example Situation

1. when we are already talking about the past and,

2. we want to talk about events that happened earlier than the one we are talking about

e.g. (earlier past)

- By the time I left the office at 8pm, everyone had already gone home.

(past simple) (past perfect)

c. How to use the Past Perfect tense - Example Sentence

1. By the time I reached the airport, her flight had already departed.

2. She walked all the way home because the last bus had left the station.

3. Tom was heartbroken, his girlfriend had rejected his marriage proposal.

4. She bought some plants yesterday as most of her plants had died while she was away in Turkey.

5. Her boss gave her the final warning, she had been late for work every day.

d. Time Words you can use with the Past Perfect Simple

e.g. by the time, etc.

e. How to form the Past Perfect tense - Example Sentence

- (subject + had + past participle)

> e.g. eat

i. positive + (short form)

- I / you / we / they had eaten ('d eaten).

- he / she / it had eaten ('d eaten).

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they had not eaten (hadn't eaten)

- he / she / it had not eaten (hadn't eaten)

iii. yes/no Question

- Had I / you / we / they eaten...?

- Had he / she / it eaten...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they had.

- Yes, he / she / it had.

iv. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they had not (hadn't).

- No, he / she / it had not (hadn't).

For more Past Perfect Simple Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences: Go to>> Past Perfect Simple - Uses & Example Sentence

8. What is the Past Perfect Continuous tense?

a. Past Perfect Continuous form : (had been + verb-ing)

e.g. had been going, had been doing, etc.

b. When to use the Past Perfect Continuous tense - Example Situation

- We use the Past Perfect Continuous to talk about:

- a continued past action (past perfect continuous) that was happening before the completed action (past simple).

c. How to use the Past Perfect Continuous tense - Example Sentence

1. He had been acting in TV dramas for a few years before he decided to be singer.

2. Sara bought a new bread maker as her old one hadn't been working well for a while.

3. My dad had been working in a food factory before he trained to be a sushi chef.

4. By the time we reached the hotel we had been travelling for almost 24 hours.

5. Mum was really exhausted as she had been cooking all day.

d. Time words you can use with the Past Perfect Continuous tense

e.g.

by the time, for many years, for a few hours, etc.

e. How to form the Past Perfect Continuous tense

- (subject + had been + verb -ing form)

> e.g. do

i. positive + (short form)

- I / you / we / they had been doing ('d been doing)

- he / she / it had been doing ('d been doing)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they had not been doing (hadn't been doing)

- he / she / it had not been doing (hadn't been doing)

iii. yes/no Q

- Had I / you / we / they been doing...?

- Had he / she / it been doing...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they had.

- Yes, he / she / it had.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they had not (hadn't).

- No, he / she / it had not (hadn't).

For more Past Perfect Continuous Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences: Go to>>Past Perfect Continuous + Example Sentence

9. What is the Future Simple tense?

a. Future Simple form with 'will' & 'going to'

- Form: (will + verb)

e.g. will take , will buy, will work

- (going to + verb)

e.g. going to take, going to buy, going to eat

b. When to use the Future Simple -

Example Situation:

- We can use 'will' and 'be going to' to talk about a future event:

i. 'will'

- to talk about fact, prediction, or something we believe

ii. (going to + verb)

- to talk about a decided / planned future event

c. How to use the Future Simple tense- Example Sentence

- 'will'

1. It will rain this afternoon.

2. John will be home tomorrow.

3. I will tell him later.

4. Will she be at the shop around 5 this afternoon?

5. My mum will be so happy to see you.

- 'going to'

1. We are going to have lunch with some old friends tomorrow.

2. Are you going to apologise to teacher?

3. "Tom, take an umbrella. It's going to rain soon."

4. Stella is going to marry the man of her dreams next month.

5. I'm going to make some curry for tonight's dinner.

d. Time Words you can use with the Future Simple tense

e.g. next year, in 5 years time, soon, etc.

e. How to form the Future tense - 'will' & 'going to'

> future with 'will'

- (subject + will)

> e.g. make

i. positive + (short form)

- I / you / we / they will make ('ll make)

- he / she / it will make ('ll make)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they will not make (won't make)

- he / she / it will not make (won't make)

iii. Yes/no Q

- Will I / you / we / they make...?

- Will he / she / it make...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they will.

- Yes, he / she / it will.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they will not (won't).

- No, he / she / it will not (won't).

> future with 'going to'

- (subject + going to + verb)

i. positive + (short form)

- I am going to make ('m going to make)

- you / we / they are going to make ('re going to)

- he / she / it is going to make ('s going to make)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I am not going to make ('m not going to make)

- you / we / they are not going to make (aren't going to make)

- he / she / it is going to make (isn't going to make)

iii. Yes/no Q

- Am I going to make...?

- Are you / we / they going to make...?

- Is he / she / it going to make...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I am.

- Yes, you / we / they are.

- Yes, he / she / it is.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I am not ('m not)

- No, you / we / they are not ('re not / aren't).

- No, he / she / it is not ( 's not / isn't).

For more Future Simple Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to >> Future with 'will' 'going to' 'continuous form' + Example Sentence

10. What is the Future Continuous?

a. Future Continuous form : (will + be + verb-ing)

e.g. will be making, will be living, etc.

b. When to use the Future Continuous - Example Situation

- We use the Future Continuous tense to talk about something that will be in progress at a time in the future

c. How to use the Future Continuous - Example Sentence

1. Mr T. Lim will be running for president in 2 years' time.

2. This time next month they will be hiking in Mt Fuji.

3. I will be starting a new class next week.

4. Will your parents be coming for dinner next weekend?

5. Dad will be making dinner in an hour's time.

d. Time words & expressions you can use with the Future Continuous

- e.g. in few years' time, next year etc.

e. How to form the Future Continuous

- (subject + will be + verb-ing)

e.g. - see

i. positive + (short form)

- I / you / we / they will be seeing ('ll be seeing)

- he / she / it will be seeing ('ll be seeing)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they will not be seeing ('ll not be / won't be seeing)

- he / she / it will not be seeing ('ll not be / won't be seeing)

iii. yes/no Q

- Will I / you / we / they be seeing...?

- Will he / she / it be seeing...?

iv. short answers (positive)

- Yes, I / you / we / they will.

- Yes, he / she / it will.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they will not (won't).

- No, he / she / it will not (won't).

For more Future Continuous Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences: Go to >> Future Continuous Uses + Example Sentence

11. What is the Future Perfect tense?

a. the Future Perfect form : (will + have + past participle)

e.g. will have made, will have spoken, etc.

b. When to use the Future Perfect tense - Example Situation

- We use the Future Perfect to talk about an event that will be completed by a certain time in the future.

c. How to use the Future Perfect tense - Example Sentence

1. I will have eaten my dinner by the time you come home tonight.

2. By the time she gets here the show will have started.

3. Rina will have done the housework by this afternoon.

4. They will have built their new house by the end of this year.

5. Mum will have finished cooking dinner by 6.

d. Time Words / Expressions to use with Future Perfect tense

- by next week, by the time, by this time next year, etc.

e.g. eat

i. positive + (short form)

- I / we / you / they will have eaten ('ll have eaten)

- he / she / it will have eaten ('ll have eaten)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they will not have eaten (won't have eaten)

- he / she / it will not have eaten (won't have eaten)

iii. yes/no Q

- Will I / you / we / they have eaten...?

- Will he / she / it have eaten...?

iv. short answers (positive) + (short form)

- Yes, I / you / we / they will.

- Yes, he / she / it will.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, he / she / it will not (won't).

- No, I / you / we / they will not (won't).

For more Future Perfect Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to>> Future Perfect Uses + Example Sentence

12. What is the Future Perfect Continuous tense?

a. Future Perfect Continuous form: (will + have been + verb-ing)

e.g. will have been speaking, will have been studying, etc.

b. When to use the Future Perfect Continuous tense - Example Situation

- We use the Future Perfect Continuous to talk about the length of continued event by a certain time in the future.

c. How to use the Future Perfect Continuous - Example Sentence

1. By next year, I will have been living in Tokyo for 10 years.

2. By this time next week, Togo will have been learning English for 5 years!

3. Dan and Lily will have been dating for 4 years by the time she graduates.

4. By December, my dad will have been working in the same company for 30 years.

5. By the time her husband arrives, she will have been waiting outside for 3 hours.

d. Time Words / Expressions you can use with the Future Perfect Continuous tense

e.g. by next year, by the time, by January etc

e. How to form the Future Perfect Continuous tense

- (subject + will + have + been + verb -ing)

e.g. live

i. positive + (short form)

- I / we / you / they will have been living ('ll have been living)

- he / she / it will have been living ('ll have been living)

ii. negative + (short form)

- I / you / we / they will not have been living (won't have been living)

- he / she / it will not have been living (won't have been living)

iii. yes/no Q

- Will I / you / we / they have been living...?

- Will he / she / it have been living...?

iv. short answers (positive) + (short form)

- Yes, I / you / we / they have.

- Yes, he / she / it has.

v. short answers (negative) + (short form)

- No, I / you / we / they have not (haven't).

- No, he / she / it has not (hasn't).

For more Future Perfect Continuous Grammar tips, rules, exercises & example dialogue sentences:

Go to>>Future Perfect Continuous Uses + Example Sentence

Better English Learning Tip!

-Keep practising them and make a conscious effort to use them in your daily life. -Look out for these 12 tenses when you're reading in English. Note down the sentences and make use of them when speaking.

There you have it.

These are the 12 Basic Tenses in English Grammar with their uses and example sentences that you can use in your everyday conversation.

-Present Simple

-Present Continuous

-Present Perfect Simple

-Present Perfect Continuous

-Past Simple

-Past Continuous

-Past Perfect Simple

-Past Perfect Continuous

-Future Simple

-Future Continuous

-Future Perfect Simple

-Future Perfect Continuous

Thank you so much for reading!

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