16) ALL 12 Verb Tenses in English EXPLAINED!

VERB TENSE PRESENT PAST FUTURE
SIMPLE It rains It rained It will rain
CONTINUOUS It is raining It was raining It will be raining
It will have
PERFECT It has rained It had rained
rained
PERFECT It has been It had been It will have

CONTINUOUS raining raining been raining
1 PRESENT SIMPLE
It rains It doesn’t rain Does it rain?
Used to talk about things that happen normally such as routines or habits.
Also used to express general facts.
I get up at 7 o’clock every day. Water freezes at 0ºC.

We leave the house at 8:30. They live in France.
She plays the violin. You talk a lot.
PAST SIMPLE
It rained It didn’t rain Did it rain?
Used to talk about things that happened at a specific moment in the past.
I studied French at school. We came back from holiday on

I didn’t learn Spanish at school. Friday.
Did you learn Italian at school? I wanted to eat ice cream last
He put the wine on the table. night.
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FUTURE SIMPLE
It will rain It won’t rain Will it rain?
Used when deciding something in the moment of speaking. Also used for
promises and predictions.
I will get it. He will not tell you the secret.

I will give you the money tomorrow. The show will start in 5 minutes.
I think you will enjoy the film! You will teach me how to cook.
2 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
It is raining It is not raining Is it raining?
Used to talk about actions that are happening right now. Also used to talk about
temporary things and continuous actions or developing situations.
I’m teaching English right now. The birds are singing.

You are reading this worksheet. We are walking to the pub.
The sun is shining. A tropical storm is approaching.
PAST CONTINUOUS
It was raining It wasn't raining Was it raining?
Used to talk about a continuous action in the past that happened at the same
time as another continuous action.
I was tidying the house while she was The kids were playing while I was
cooking. working.
She was talking while he was speaking.
Also used when a continuous action is interrupted by a short action.
I was reading when the phone rang. I was walking in the park when I
She was working when I got home. heard someone scream.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
It will be raining It won't be raining Will it be raining?
Used for continuous actions that will be in progress at a specific moment in the
future.
I’ll be sleeping when you come back.

I won’t be able to answer the phone at 11am. I’ll be driving.
You’ll be learning about the perfect tenses in 2 minutes’ time.
She will be travelling this summer, so won't be able to attend the birthday party.
Do you want to meet at 3pm tomorrow, or will you be working?
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3 PRESENT PERFECT
It has rained It hasn't rained Has it rained?
Used for things that happened in a time period that has not finished.
I have spoken to him three times today.

I have been to Canada twice.
She has never tried sushi.
Used for things that started in the past but are relevant in the present.
Call an ambulance. This man has fallen!

I’ve lost my sunglasses. Can I borrow yours?
I’ve booked tickets for the concert.
PAST PERFECT
It had rained It hadn’t rained Had it rained?
Used when talking about two things that happened in the past. Use this tense
for the thing that happened first.
I had heard the news before you told me.

I had lived in France before I started learning Spanish.
She had eaten a packet of biscuits just before I gave her lunch.
We had finished cleaning the house before we left for the shopping centre.
Had you known about the news before he told you?
FUTURE PERFECT
It will have rained It won't have rained Will it have rained?
Used when talking about two actions in the future. Use this tense to talk about
the action we expect to happen before the second one.
By the time he wakes up, Santa will have brought him his presents.
He will have made dinner when they get home.
If you come later than 2pm, I will have left the house.
When our first daughter is born, we will have been together for a 10 years.
I will have graduated university when I turn 26.
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4 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
It has been raining It hasn't been raining Has it been raining?
Used to talk about continuous actions that started in the past but are still
happening now.
I have been working with you for 3 months.

He has been studying medicine since 2020.
They’ve been building their house for years.
We have been exercising regularly since the New Year.
I've been craving chocolate cake for days!
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
It had been raining It hadn't been raining Had it been raining?
Used when there are two actions in the past. The past perfect continuous action
started and finished before the the second action started.
I’d been looking for a job for months before I decided to start a business.
She had been feeling sick most mornings, so she went to see a doctor.
He had been travelling around the world before he started at that company.
You had been learning English before you decided to learn Chinese, right?
We had been wanting to buy a house, so we hired a realtor.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
It will have been raining It won't have been raining Will it have been raining?
Used to talk about the duration that we expect a continuous action to happen
until a certain moment in the future.
In 2030 I will have been working here for 15 years

You will have been cooking for 3 hours when I come back.
The sauce will have been boiling for 10 minutes by the time the meat is
cooked.
We'll be tired when we land. We'll have been travelling all day.
They will have been dancing all night when the party ends.
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3 TEST!
1. __________ when you called.

a. I slept
b. I was sleeping
c. I had been sleeping
2. When we reached the station, the train __________.

a. left
b. had been leaving
c. had left
3. You can watch TV at 8pm. __________ dinner by then.

a. We will finish
b. We'll have finished
c. We'll have been finishing
4. _______ in Hong Kong before she moved to Germany.

a. She had been living
b. She has been living
c. She will be living
5. Do you think you _________ at the same company next year?

a. will be working
b. will have worked
c. will have been working
6. They _________ each other every day since they met.

a. texted
b. will have been texting
c. have texted
4 ANSWERS
6.C 5.A 4.A 3. B 2. C 1.B
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16) ALL 12 Verb Tenses in English EXPLAINED!

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16) ALL 12 Verb Tenses in English EXPLAINED!

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VERB TENSE PRESENT PAST FUTURE

SIMPLE It rains It rained It will rain

CONTINUOUS It is raining It was raining It will be raining

PERFECT It has been It had been It will have

It rains It doesn’t rain Does it rain?

I get up at 7 o’clock every day. Water freezes at 0ºC.

It rained It didn’t rain Did it rain?

I studied French at school. We came back from holiday on

It will rain It won’t rain Will it rain?

I will get it. He will not tell you the secret.

It is raining It is not raining Is it raining?

I’m teaching English right now. The birds are singing.

It was raining It wasn't raining Was it raining?

Also used when a continuous action is interrupted by a short action.

It will be raining It won't be raining Will it be raining?

I’ll be sleeping when you come back.

It has rained It hasn't rained Has it rained?

I have spoken to him three times today.

Call an ambulance. This man has fallen!

It had rained It hadn’t rained Had it rained?

I had heard the news before you told me.

It will have rained It won't have rained Will it have rained?

It has been raining It hasn't been raining Has it been raining?

I have been working with you for 3 months.

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

It had been raining It hadn't been raining Had it been raining?

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

In 2030 I will have been working here for 15 years

1. __________ when you called.

2. When we reached the station, the train __________.

3. You can watch TV at 8pm. __________ dinner by then.

4. _______ in Hong Kong before she moved to Germany.

5. Do you think you _________ at the same company next year?

6. They _________ each other every day since they met.

6.C 5.A 4.A 3. B 2. C 1.B

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