Traditional grammar gives English 12 tense combinations, but you do not need to master them all to hold a conversation. These eight appear in practically every conversation and every TV episode.
The 8 most used tenses
| Tense | Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple present | verb (+s with he/she/it) | routines, facts | ”I work from home.” |
| Present continuous | am/is/are + verb-ing | now, in progress | ”I’m working right now.” |
| Simple past | past form | finished events | ”I worked yesterday.” |
| Past continuous | was/were + verb-ing | was happening | ”I was working when you called.” |
| Present perfect | have/has + participle | link to now | ”I’ve worked here for two years.” |
| Present perfect continuous | have/has been + verb-ing | has been happening until now | ”I’ve been working all day.” |
| Future (will) | will + verb | on-the-spot decisions, promises | ”I’ll call you later.” |
| Future (going to) | am/is/are going to + verb | plans, evidence-based predictions | ”I’m going to travel next month.” |
The most common confusions
Simple present or present continuous?
- Routine: “I work from home.” (always)
- Now: “I’m working from home today.” (today, as an exception)
Many languages use one form for both; English does not.
Simple past or present perfect?
- Time stated: “I saw that movie last week.”
- No time, link to now: “I’ve seen that movie.”
See the full guide to the present perfect.
Will or going to?
- Decided now: “The phone’s ringing. I’ll get it.”
- Already planned: “I’m going to visit my parents on Sunday.”
The four less common in conversation
The past perfect (“I had already left”), future continuous (“I’ll be working”), future perfect (“I’ll have finished”) and the past and future perfect continuous appear less often. Worth understanding when you hear them, but not a speaking priority.
How to really learn tenses
Rules help you organize, but the right tense becomes automatic when you hear many examples. While watching, notice: was the character talking about a routine, something happening now or something finished? In Telidioma, clicking a verb shows its base form and its meaning in that sentence. For verbs that change in the past, see the most common irregular verbs.
Frequently asked questions
How many tenses are there in English?
Traditionally, 12: present, past and future, each in simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous forms. In practice, some are rare in everyday conversation.
What is the difference between “will” and “going to”?
“Going to” is used for plans already made and predictions based on evidence (“Look at those clouds, it's going to rain”). “Will” is for decisions made on the spot, promises and general predictions (“I'll help you”).
Which tense do learners get wrong most often?
The present perfect, because many languages have nothing that works the same way. Using the simple present for actions in progress is also common (“I work now” instead of “I'm working now”).