Summary of the 12 Verb Tenses in English

Here is a summary of the 12 verb tenses in English, with their formation, uses, examples, and keywords:

1. Present Simple

Formation: 

Base form of the verb + -s for third person singular

Uses:

1. To describe habitual actions or events that happen regularly.
2. To state facts or general truths.
3. To give commands or instructions.

Examples:

• I go to school every day.
• The sun rises in the east.
• Please turn off the light when you leave the room.

Keywords: 

always, usually, often, sometimes, never, normally, regularly, frequently, habitually, typically

2. Present Continuous

Formation: 

am/is/are + -ing form of the verb

Uses:

1. To describe actions that are happening right now.
2. To describe temporary states or conditions.
3. To talk about plans or arrangements for the future.

Examples:

• I am eating breakfast.
• The water is boiling.
• We are going to the park later.

Keywords: 

now, at the moment, right now, currently, presently, ongoing, temporary, in progress, happening now

3. Present Perfect

Formation: 

have/has + past participle of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that have happened in the past but have a connection to the present.
2. To talk about experiences or accomplishments.
3. To talk about things that are still true or relevant in the present.

Examples:

• I have eaten breakfast already.
• I have been to Japan.
• My car has been in the shop for a week.

Keywords: 

yet, already, just, ever, never, for, since, how long, recently, lately

4. Present Perfect Continuous

Formation: 

have/has + been + -ing form of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that have been going on for a period of time and are still going on.
2. To talk about situations that have developed over time.
3. To emphasize the ongoing nature of an action.

Examples:

• I have been working on this project for hours.
• The children have been playing in the park all day.
• The price of gas has been rising steadily.

Keywords: 

for, since, all this time, recently, lately, during, throughout, the whole time, up until now

5. Past Simple

Formation: 

base form of the verb + -ed for regular verbs, irregular past forms for irregular verbs

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that happened in the past and are now finished.
2. To tell stories.
3. To describe past events or experiences.

Examples:

• I went to the store yesterday.
• I ate dinner at 7:00 last night.
• I played baseball in high school.

Keywords: 

yesterday, last week, last month, last year, ago, once, twice, three times, etc., in the past, previously, formerly, at that time, back then

6. Past Continuous

Formation: 

was/were + -ing form of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that were happening in the past but were interrupted by another action.
2. To talk about past events that were ongoing for a period of time.
3. To describe past states or conditions.

Examples:

• I was reading a book when you called.
• The children were playing in the park when it started to rain.
• I was living in New York City at the time.

Keywords: 

while, at the same time, during, throughout, all the time, constantly, repeatedly, frequently

7. Past Perfect

Formation: 

had + past participle of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that happened before another past action.
2. To talk about past experiences or accomplishments.
3. To talk about things that were true or relevant in the past but are no longer true.

Examples:

• I had already eaten breakfast when you called.
• I had been to Japan before I moved to China.
• The car had been in the shop for a week before it was fixed.

Keywords: 

before, by, by the time, until, after, once, twice, three times

8. Past Perfect Continuous

Formation: 

had been + -ing form of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that had been going on for a period of time before another past action.
2. To talk about situations that had developed over time in the past.
3. To emphasize the ongoing nature of an action in the past.

Examples:

• I had been working on this project for hours before you called.
• The children had been playing in the park all day before it started to rain.
• The price of gas had been rising steadily for months.

Keywords: 

for, since, all this time, recently, lately, during, throughout, the whole time, up until then

9. Future Simple

Formation: 

will + base form of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that will happen in the future.
2. To make predictions or promises.
3. To give instructions or make requests.

Examples:

• I will go to the store tomorrow.
• The sun will rise at 6:00 AM tomorrow.
• Please turn off the light when you will leave the room.

Keywords: 

tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, soon, in the future, later, eventually, one day

10. Future Continuous

Formation: 

will be + -ing form of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that will be happening in the future.
2. To talk about temporary states or conditions that will exist in the future.
3. To make plans or arrangements for the future.

Examples:

• I will be eating breakfast at 7:00 AM tomorrow.
• The water will be boiling at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• We will be going to the park later.

Keywords: 

tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, soon, in the future, later, eventually, one day

11. Future Perfect

Formation: 

will have + past participle of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that will have happened by a certain time in the future.
2. To talk about experiences or accomplishments that will be completed by a certain time in the future.
3. To talk about things that will be true or relevant in the future.

Examples:

• I will have eaten breakfast by the time you arrive.
• I will have been to Japan by the time I graduate.
• My car will have been in the shop for a week by the time it is fixed.

Keywords: 

by, by the time, until, after, once, twice, three times

12. Future Perfect Continuous

Formation: 

will have been + -ing form of the verb

Uses:

1. To talk about actions that will have been going on for a period of time by a certain time in the future.
2. To talk about situations that will have developed over time by a certain time in the future.
3. To emphasize the ongoing nature of an action in the future.

Examples:

• I will have been working on this project for hours by the time you arrive.
• The children will have been playing in the park all day by the time it starts to rain.
• The price of gas will have been rising steadily for months by the time it reaches its peak.

Keywords: 

by, by the time, until, after, once, twice, three times