Interactive Guide to English Verb Tenses
Select a tense from the menu to see its form, meaning, and an interactive example.
Present Progressive
This section explains the Present Progressive tense. It's used to describe an action that is happening at this very moment.
Form
am / is / are + verb-ing
Meaning & Use
- An action happening right now.
- A temporary action or situation.
Example: "He is exercising."
Present Simple
This section explains the Present Simple tense. It's used for habits, routines, and general truths.
Form
Base Verb ( + s/es for 3rd person)
Meaning & Use
- Habits or routines (e.g., "He exercises every day.").
- General facts or truths (e.g., "The sun rises in the east.").
Example: "He exercises every day."
Past Progressive
This section covers the Past Progressive. It describes an ongoing action in the past, often one that was interrupted by another event.
Form
was / were + verb-ing
Meaning & Use
- An ongoing action at a specific time in the past.
- An ongoing past action interrupted by another action.
- e.g., "He was walking when it started to rain."
Example: "He was walking."
Past Simple
This section explains the Past Simple tense. It's used for completed actions at a specific time in the past.
Form
verb-ed (or irregular form)
Meaning & Use
- A completed action in the past.
- A series of completed actions in the past.
Example: "He walked."
Future Progressive
This section covers the Future Progressive. It describes an ongoing action at a specific time in the future.
Form
will be + verb-ing
Meaning & Use
- An ongoing action at a specific time in the future.
- e.g., "This time tomorrow, he will be walking."
Example: "He will be walking."
Future Simple
This section explains the Future Simple tense. It's used for predictions, promises, or actions decided at the moment of speaking.
Form
will + base verb
Meaning & Use
- A decision made at the moment of speaking.
- A prediction or promise.
Example: "He will walk."
Present Perfect
This section covers the Present Perfect. It's used for a past action that has a connection to the present, or an action that started in the past and continues to the present.
Form
has / have + past participle (verb-ed)
Meaning & Use
- A completed action with a result in the present.
- A life experience (e.g., "I have been to Paris.").
- An action that started in the past and continues now.
Example: "He has exercised."
(The result is that he is fit now).
Present Perfect Progressive
This tense is used for an action that started in the past and is *still continuing* right now. It emphasizes the duration of the action.
Form
has / have + been + verb-ing
Meaning & Use
- An action that started in the past and continues to the present.
- e.g., "He has been walking for 3 hours."
Example: "He has been walking..."
Past Perfect
This section covers the Past Perfect. It's used to describe an action that happened *before* another specific action in the past (the "past in the past").
Form
had + past participle (verb-ed)
Meaning & Use
- An action completed before another past action.
- e.g., "He had slept before the fox ran."
Example: "He had slept."
Past Perfect Progressive
This tense describes an action that was ongoing for a period of time leading up to another point or action in the past, emphasizing duration.
Form
had + been + verb-ing
Meaning & Use
- An action that started and continued in the past up to a second past action.
- Emphasizes the duration of the older action (e.g., "He had been walking for hours when I found him.").
Example: "He had been walking..."
Future Perfect
This section covers the Future Perfect. It describes an action that will be completed *before* a specific time in the future.
Form
will have + past participle (verb-ed)
Meaning & Use
- An action that will be finished by a future point in time.
- e.g., "He will have walked 10 miles by 3 PM."
Example: "By 3 PM, he will have exercised."
Future Perfect Progressive
This tense describes an action that will continue up to a specific point in the future, emphasizing the **duration** of that future action before it stops.
Form
will have + been + verb-ing
Meaning & Use
- An action that continues up to a future point.
- Emphasizes duration until a future deadline.
- e.g., "By then, he will have been exercising for 3 hours."
Example: "He will have been exercising..."
Subjunctive & Unreal Conditionals
This group of tenses (often called "unreal" or "hypothetical") is used to talk about situations that are not real, or are wishes, possibilities, or suggestions.
Present Unreal
Used for hypothetical situations in the present or future.
If + Past Simple, ... would + Base Verb
e.g., "If he exercised, he would be fit."
Past Unreal
Used for hypothetical situations in the past (regrets, or things that didn't happen).
If + Past Perfect, ... would have + Past Participle
e.g., "If he had exercised, he would have been fit."
