Tenses: 12 Forms, Uses and Common Errors
Build a complete tense map and learn how exam clues point to the correct form.
1. The 12-Tense Grid
Present/Past/Future × Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous gives 12 forms.
2. Simple Forms
Simple forms express facts, habits, completed past events or future decisions/predictions depending on context.
3. Continuous Forms
Use be + V-ing for an action in progress around a reference time.
4. Perfect Forms
Use have/has/had + V3 to connect an earlier action with a reference point.
5. Perfect Continuous
have/has/had been + V-ing emphasises duration up to a reference point.
6. Exam Clues
since/for often signal perfect or perfect continuous; already/yet often point to perfect forms; while commonly supports continuous context.
7. Common Errors
After did, use V1: Did he go? not Did he went. Stative verbs such as know, believe and understand are not normally used in continuous forms.
8. Quick Revision
Identify the time first, then ask whether the question stresses habit, progress, completion or duration.