English tenses chart with examples for any verb
This English tenses chart with examples shows all 12 tenses of any verb at once: the formula, a positive sentence, a negative and a question. Type write and pick she, and you get everything from She writes a letter to She will have been writing a letter, built correctly for irregular verbs such as go – went – gone and for spelling rules such as study – studies and travel – travelling.
It is made for students revising grammar for school, IELTS or TOEFL, teachers who need a printable tense chart, and anyone who wants to check a form quickly. The Practice tab turns the chart into an English tenses quiz with fill-in-the-verb sentences and name-the-tense questions.
How to use the English Tenses Chart and Practice
- Type a verb in its base form in Verb (go, eat, study) and the rest of a sentence in Rest of the sentence.
- Pick the Subject: the chart switches between I am / he is / they are, has / have and does / do automatically.
- Tick or untick Contractions to see doesn't or does not, and US spelling for traveled.
- Press Print chart or Download PDF for a one-page landscape chart of the 12 tenses.
- Open Practice, choose an exercise and the tenses, then press Start practice.
English Tenses Chart and Practice features
Any verb, 12 tenses, 3 forms
Positive, negative and question for present, past and future in simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous: 36 sentences per verb.
Irregular and regular verbs
Uses a list of 201 irregular verbs and the standard spelling rules: -ies, doubled consonants (stopped, running), dropped e (making) and British or American -l- (travelled / traveled).
Formulas you can learn
Each row shows the pattern, such as Subject + have/has been + V1-ing, next to the real sentence.
Printable chart
A one-page landscape chart (A4 or US Letter) with present, past and future in three columns, the formulas, examples and signal words.
Tense practice
Fill-in-the-verb sentences with time words such as yesterday, by next Friday or for two hours, and name-the-tense questions; contractions and capital letters are accepted.
The 12 English tenses: use and signal words
| Tense | Formula | Use | Signal words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present simple | Subject + V1 (+ s/es with he, she, it) | Habits, routines, facts and timetables. | always, usually, often, every day, on Mondays |
| Present continuous | Subject + am/is/are + V1-ing | Actions happening now, temporary situations, fixed plans. | now, right now, at the moment, today, Look! |
| Present perfect | Subject + have/has + V3 | A past action with a result now, life experience, unfinished time. | already, just, yet, ever, never, so far, since, for |
| Present perfect continuous | Subject + have/has been + V1-ing | An activity that started in the past and is still going on (or just stopped), stressing how long. | for, since, all day, how long, lately |
| Past simple | Subject + V2 | A finished action at a known past time. | yesterday, last week, ago, in 2015, when I was young |
| Past continuous | Subject + was/were + V1-ing | An action in progress at a past moment, often interrupted. | while, when, at 8 pm yesterday, all evening |
| Past perfect | Subject + had + V3 | An action finished before another past action or time. | before, after, by the time, already, when |
| Past perfect continuous | Subject + had been + V1-ing | How long an activity had been going on before a past moment. | for, since, before, until, when |
| Future simple | Subject + will + V1 | Predictions, promises, offers and decisions made now. | tomorrow, next week, soon, I think, probably |
| Future continuous | Subject + will be + V1-ing | An action in progress at a future moment. | at this time tomorrow, at 9 am next Monday |
| Future perfect | Subject + will have + V3 | An action that will be finished before a future time. | by tomorrow, by next year, by the time, before |
| Future perfect continuous | Subject + will have been + V1-ing | How long an activity will have been going on by a future time. | for … by, by the end of, by the time |
Rules worth remembering
- He, she, it add -s or -es in the present simple (she writes, he watches, it flies), and use does and has.
- Negatives and questions in the simple tenses use do / does / did with the base form: She didn't go, not She didn't went. The verb be is the exception: Were they ready?
- Perfect tenses use have / has / had + the past participle (V3): has written, had gone. Check V3 forms in the irregular verbs list.
- Continuous tenses use a form of be + -ing. State verbs (know, like, believe, own) are normally not used in them: I know, not I am knowing.
- Future: will is one way to talk about the future; be going to and the present continuous (I'm meeting her tomorrow) are common too. The practice accepts going to where will is expected.
How the sentences are built
The chart combines the subject, the auxiliary verbs of each tense and the right verb form: V1 (base), V2 (past simple), V3 (past participle), the -ing form and the -s form. Irregular forms come from a list of 201 verbs cross-checked on 23 October 2026; for any other verb the regular rules are applied. For passive sentences use the passive voice checker; for other languages, the Spanish, French and German verb conjugators.
English Tenses Chart and Practice FAQ
How many tenses are there in English?
Schools teach 12: present, past and future, each in simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous form. Linguists count two tenses (present and past) combined with aspects, but the 12-form chart is the usual way to learn them.
What is the formula of the present perfect tense?
Subject + have/has + V3 (past participle): I have finished, she has written. Negative: have/has not + V3; question: Have/Has + subject + V3?
What is the difference between past simple and present perfect?
The past simple is for a finished time (I saw it yesterday); the present perfect connects the past to now and has no finished time word (I have seen it, I have seen it this week).
Can I print this English tenses chart?
Yes. Choose A4 or US Letter and press Print chart or Download PDF. The chart uses the verb and subject you picked.
How do I practise English tenses?
Open the Practice tab. Fill-in-the-verb gives a sentence with a time clue such as by next Friday; type the missing words. Name-the-tense shows a full sentence and four choices.