Free Printable Verb Tense Chart

About the Verb Tense Chart

Look at the verb tense chart above. Do you see how it is arranged? It tells you a lot about how English speakers understand time. There are four present tenses, four past tenses, and four future tenses.

There are also three simple tenses, three continuous tenses, three perfect tenses and three perfect continuous tenses. These groupings can help you learn how English verb tenses are used.

For example, all simple tenses have similar uses. Perfect tenses also behave in the same way. Keep this in mind while reading our verb tense descriptions.

Did you also notice that present tenses and past tenses only have one form whereas future tenses have two forms?

Common Questions about Verb Tenses

How can I learn verb tenses?

Our native language changes the way we think about time. It also changes the way we use verb tenses. For example, Germans often make mistakes with present perfect. Why? Because it looks like a tense in German, which is NOT the same.

For this reason, you have to learn to think like an English speaker. You must learn how we see time. Our in-depth verb tense descriptions will help you.

Make sure you understand the details. Do you know how non-continuous and mixed verbs change tense usage? If not, read those pages again.

It is also good to know active and passive verb forms well. You don't want to have to stop in the middle of a sentence to think about forms.

You should also take some time to learn the large number of English irregular verbs. Don't worry. It's easy with our irregular verb flashcards!

How many verb tenses are there?

The answer depends on who you ask.

Linguists say English has three tenses: past, present and future. They call simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous 'aspects' of each tense.

People who teach English as a foreign language say English has 12 tenses (simple present, present continuous, etc.)

In addition to the 12 tenses, there are extra forms (used to, would always, and future in the past) which are used to express time in English. Here at Englishpage.com, we describe 15 verb forms.

What are the most common verb tense mistakes?

The most common mistake English learners make is to use simple present to talk about things that are happening now. With most verbs, that's wrong. Present continuous should be used.

Another big mistake is using present perfect with set times such as last week. That is not correct in English. And most English learners have problems with will and be going to.

Again, don't worry. All of these tenses are clearly explained in this tutorial.

What sources should I use to study tenses?

First, start with this Verb Tense Tutorial. You need to know the rules well.

Next, watch TV and movies in English. You should watch shows with lots of dialogue. Comedies and dramas are best. You need to find programs with natural language. Many teachers use shows like Friends or The Big Bang Theory in class.

You also need to read. Again, it is best to read books with lots of conversation.Take time to look at the details. Do you understand why each tense is used?

Where can I see examples of all the verb tense forms?

Each page in this tutorial has a Forms section with a link to a Complete List of Forms. That list shows examples of all forms for that tense. Here is the complete list of simple present forms.

A lot of students find the English tenses quite difficult, but I promise they're not that bad! Have a look at all my explanations of the 'form' (how to make the tense) and the 'use' (when we need to choose that tense) below.

Download all my infographics about the tenses in PDF here.
Download all my explanations of the tenses in PDF here.

How to make the tense:	How to use the tense:
Present Simple Form	Present Simple Use
Present Continuous Form	Present Continuous Use
Present Perfect Simple Form	Present Perfect Simple Use
Present Perfect Continuous Form	Present Perfect Continuous Use
Past Simple Form	Past Simple Use
Past Continuous Form	Past Continuous Use
Past Perfect Simple Form	Past Perfect Simple Use
Past Perfect Continuous Form	Past Perfect Continuous Use
Future Simple Form	Future Simple Use
Future Continuous Form	Future Continuous Use
Future Perfect Simple Form	Future Perfect Simple Use
Future Perfect Continuous Form	Future Perfect Continuous Use

What's The Difference?

Here are a few more things you might find useful:

This is a printable PDF of all the verb tenses and how to form them.

This is a list of all the grammar exercises on this site, about verb tenses and other things.

This is an explanation of how we sometimes need to change the spelling of a verb with 'he, she, it' in the present simple, for example why 'cry' becomes 'cries' but 'play' is 'plays'.

Adverbs of Frequency are words like 'often' 'sometimes' 'never'. This page shows you how to use them with the present tense and where to put them in the sentence. I also explain about longer phrases like 'from time to time'.

How do you pronounce 'stopped'? Many students say 'stop-id' instead of 'stopt'. This page explains the rules of pronunciation for regular past simple verbs and past participles (verbs that end with 'ed')

We can't use some verbs, like 'know' or 'believe' in continuous tenses. This page has lists and explanations.

Need more practice? Get more Perfect English Grammar with our courses.