Tense Overview

Appears in:SSCIBPSIELTSCATGREUPSCTOEFLPTERailways

All 12 English Tenses at a Glance

This page is your complete reference for all 12 tenses. Bookmark it and return whenever you need a quick check.

Present Tenses

1. Present Simple

Formula: Subject + V1 (+ s/es for he/she/it)

Signal words: always, usually, every day, often, never

Example: She drinks chai every morning. (ఆమె ప్రతి ఉదయం చాయ్ తాగుతుంది.)

2. Present Continuous

Formula: Subject + is/am/are + V-ing

Signal words: now, at this moment, currently, today, this week

Example: He is studying for the SSC exam right now. (అతను ఇప్పుడు SSC పరీక్షకు చదువుతున్నాడు.)

3. Present Perfect

Formula: Subject + has/have + V3

Signal words: just, already, ever, never, recently, since, for, yet

Example: I have just finished my homework. (నేను ఇప్పుడే నా హోమ్‌వర్క్ పూర్తి చేశాను.)

4. Present Perfect Continuous

Formula: Subject + has/have + been + V-ing

Signal words: for, since (still ongoing)

Example: She has been teaching in this school for 20 years. (ఆమె 20 సంవత్సరాలుగా ఈ పాఠశాలలో బోధిస్తోంది.)

Past Tenses

5. Past Simple

Formula: Subject + V2

Signal words: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2020, then

Example: He passed the bank exam last month. (అతను గత నెల బ్యాంక్ పరీక్షలో ఉత్తీర్ణుడయ్యాడు.)

6. Past Continuous

Formula: Subject + was/were + V-ing

Signal words: when, while, at that time, at 5 PM yesterday

Example: I was sleeping when the phone rang. (ఫోన్ మ్రోగినప్పుడు నేను నిద్రపోతున్నాను.)

7. Past Perfect

Formula: Subject + had + V3

Signal words: before, by the time, when (earlier past), already

Example: By the time I reached, the train had already left. (నేను చేరే సరికి రైలు అప్పటికే వెళ్ళింది.)

8. Past Perfect Continuous

Formula: Subject + had + been + V-ing

Signal words: for, since (before a past event)

Example: She had been waiting for two hours before the bus came. (బస్సు రాకముందు ఆమె రెండు గంటలు వేచి ఉంది.)

Future Tenses

9. Future Simple

Formula: Subject + will + V1

Signal words: tomorrow, next week, I think, I promise, probably

Example: I will call you as soon as I reach home. (నేను ఇంటికి చేరుకున్నవెంటనే ఫోన్ చేస్తాను.)

10. Future Continuous

Formula: Subject + will + be + V-ing

Signal words: at this time tomorrow, when you arrive, at 9 PM tonight

Example: This time tomorrow, I will be sitting in my exam hall. (రేపు ఈ వేళకు నేను పరీక్షా హాల్‌లో కూర్చుని ఉంటాను.)

11. Future Perfect

Formula: Subject + will + have + V3

Signal words: by, before (future completion)

Example: By June, she will have completed her degree. (జూన్ నాటికి ఆమె తన డిగ్రీ పూర్తి చేసి ఉంటుంది.)

12. Future Perfect Continuous

Formula: Subject + will + have + been + V-ing

Signal words: by, for (future duration)

Example: By next March, I will have been working here for three years. (వచ్చే మార్చి నాటికి నేను ఇక్కడ మూడు సంవత్సరాలుగా పని చేస్తుంటాను.)

Timeline Summary

  • Past ← Past Perfect → Past Perfect Continuous → Past Simple → Past Continuous
  • Present ← Present Perfect → Present Perfect Continuous → Present Simple → Present Continuous
  • Future → Future Simple → Future Continuous → Future Perfect → Future Perfect Continuous

Quick Reference: Which Tense to Use?

  • Always true / habit? → Present Simple
  • Happening now? → Present Continuous
  • Past action + present effect? → Present Perfect
  • How long (still ongoing)? → Present Perfect Continuous
  • Specific past time? → Past Simple
  • Background past action? → Past Continuous
  • Earlier of two past events? → Past Perfect
  • Duration before past event? → Past Perfect Continuous
  • Instant future decision? → Future Simple
  • In progress at future time? → Future Continuous
  • Done by future time? → Future Perfect
  • Duration up to future point? → Future Perfect Continuous