How many verb tenses are there in English?

Most course books teach 12: a simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous form for each of past, present, and future. Some linguists argue English only has two true grammatical tenses, past and present, with the rest built through auxiliary verbs and aspect rather than verb inflection. For learning purposes, the 12-tense framework is the one used in almost every ESL textbook and exam.

What's the difference between the simple past and the present perfect?

The simple past describes something that started and finished at a specific point in the past, so it pairs naturally with time words like yesterday, in 2019, or last week. The present perfect is for actions with no fixed time attached, or ones that still matter right now. 'I visited Paris in 2019' is simple past. 'I have visited Paris three times' is present perfect, because the exact date isn't the point, the experience is.

What's the difference between the present simple and the present continuous?

The present simple describes habits, routines, and facts that are generally true ('She works in Warsaw'). The present continuous describes an action happening right now, or a temporary situation around the present ('She is working from home this week'). A common test: if you could reasonably add 'always,' 'usually,' or 'every day,' the simple form fits. If you could add 'right now' or 'these days,' the continuous form fits.

What's the difference between the past simple and the past continuous?

The past simple describes a completed action at a specific past time ('I called her at 6pm'). The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a particular past moment, often one that got interrupted ('I was calling her when the power went out'). The two often appear together in a single sentence, with the past continuous setting the scene and the past simple showing the interrupting event.

When do you use the past perfect instead of the simple past?

The past perfect shows that one past action happened before another past action, so it's used to make the order of events clear ('By the time I arrived, the meeting had already started'). If there's only one past event, the simple past is enough. The past perfect only earns its place when a sentence is juggling two past events and the order between them actually matters.

What's the difference between 'will' and 'going to' for talking about the future?

'Going to' is generally used for plans and intentions that are already decided, like 'I'm going to visit my parents this weekend.' 'Will' is more common for decisions made in the moment, promises, and predictions based on opinion rather than evidence, like 'I think it will rain later.' When there's already visible evidence for a prediction, such as dark clouds overhead, 'going to' usually fits better than 'will.'

Verb Tenses in English: All 12 Tenses Explained + Exercises

Welcome to our complete guide to English verb tenses, with clear explanations, comparison examples for the pairs that trip learners up most, and over 100 free interactive exercises covering every tense from beginner to advanced level.

All exercises are free and interactive, with instant answer checking. Levels range from A1/A2 (Beginner) to B2/C1 (Advanced).

Quick Grammar Review: The 12 English Verb Tenses

All 12 tenses at a glance

English builds 12 tenses from three time frames (present, past, future) crossed with four aspects (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous). Here's the full grid with one example for each.

Tense	Structure	Example
Present Simple	base verb (+s)	She works in Warsaw.
Present Continuous	am/is/are + verb-ing	She is working from home today.
Present Perfect	has/have + past participle	She has worked here for five years.
Present Perfect Continuous	has/have been + verb-ing	She has been working since 8am.
Past Simple	verb-ed / irregular past	She worked late yesterday.
Past Continuous	was/were + verb-ing	She was working when I called.
Past Perfect	had + past participle	She had worked there before it closed.
Past Perfect Continuous	had been + verb-ing	She had been working for hours by then.
Future Simple	will + base verb	She will work tomorrow.
Future Continuous	will be + verb-ing	She will be working at 9am.
Future Perfect	will have + past participle	She will have worked ten years by June.
Future Perfect Continuous	will have been + verb-ing	She will have been working for a decade by June.

Commonly confused tense pairs

Most tense mistakes come from a handful of pairs that overlap in meaning. Here's the quick distinction for each.

Present simple vs. present continuous: habits and facts (I work in sales) vs. something happening right now or temporarily (I'm working on a new project this month).
Past simple vs. past continuous: a completed action at a specific time (I left at 6pm) vs. an action in progress at a past moment, often interrupted (I was leaving when the phone rang).
Simple past vs. present perfect: a finished action tied to a specific past time (I visited Rome in 2019) vs. an action with no fixed time, or one still relevant now (I have visited Rome three times).
Past simple vs. past perfect: use the past perfect only when a sentence has two past events and the order between them matters (By the time I arrived, the train had already left).
Will vs. going to: spontaneous decisions and predictions based on opinion (I think it will rain) vs. plans already decided or predictions based on visible evidence (Look at those clouds, it's going to rain).

Common mistakes to avoid

Using the present perfect with a finished time word: ✗ I have seen him yesterday. → ✓ I saw him yesterday.
Forgetting the third person -s in the present simple: ✗ She work every day. → ✓ She works every day.
Using the wrong past participle: ✗ I have wrote the report. → ✓ I have written the report.
Mixing tenses within one timeline: ✗ While I was cooking, my phone rings. → ✓ While I was cooking, my phone rang.

Not sure where to start?

If you're a beginner, start with Simple Present 1 and Simple Past 1, the two foundation tenses everything else builds on.

Intermediate learners should focus on the comparison exercises (Simple Past vs. Present Perfect, Past Simple vs. Past Continuous), since those are the pairs that come up most in real conversation and on exams.

Advanced learners should head to Mixed Verb Tenses and Future Tenses for exam-level practice pulling everything together.

All Verb Tense Exercises: Free and Interactive

(B) = Beginner (A1/A2) | (I) = Intermediate (B1/B2) | (A) = Advanced (C1/C2)

Present Tenses

Past Tenses

Perfect Tenses

Future Tenses

Mixed Tenses & Exam-Level Practice

Once you're comfortable with each tense on its own, these exercises mix them together the way real conversation and exam questions do.

Frequently Asked Questions About English Verb Tenses

How many verb tenses are there in English?: Most course books teach 12: a simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous form for each of past, present, and future. Some linguists argue English only has two true grammatical tenses, past and present, with the rest built through auxiliary verbs and aspect rather than verb inflection. For learning purposes, the 12-tense framework is the one used in almost every ESL textbook and exam.
What's the difference between the simple past and the present perfect?: The simple past describes something that started and finished at a specific point in the past, so it pairs naturally with time words like "yesterday," "in 2019," or "last week." The present perfect is for actions with no fixed time attached, or ones that still matter right now. "I visited Paris in 2019" is simple past. "I have visited Paris three times" is present perfect, because the exact date isn't the point, the experience is.
What's the difference between the present simple and the present continuous?: The present simple describes habits, routines, and facts that are generally true ("She works in Warsaw"). The present continuous describes an action happening right now, or a temporary situation around the present ("She is working from home this week"). A quick check: if you could reasonably add "always" or "every day," the simple form fits; if you could add "right now" or "these days," the continuous form fits.
What's the difference between the past simple and the past continuous?: The past simple describes a completed action at a specific past time ("I called her at 6pm"). The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a particular past moment, often one that got interrupted ("I was calling her when the power went out"). The two often appear together in one sentence, with the past continuous setting the scene and the past simple showing the interrupting event.
When do you use the past perfect instead of the simple past?: The past perfect shows that one past action happened before another past action, so it's used to make the order of events clear ("By the time I arrived, the meeting had already started"). If there's only one past event, the simple past is enough. The past perfect only earns its place when a sentence is juggling two past events and the order between them actually matters.
What's the difference between "will" and "going to" for talking about the future?: "Going to" is generally used for plans and intentions that are already decided, like "I'm going to visit my parents this weekend." "Will" is more common for decisions made in the moment, promises, and predictions based on opinion rather than evidence, like "I think it will rain later." When there's already visible evidence for a prediction, such as dark clouds overhead, "going to" usually fits better than "will."