English Tenses Explained: Your Ultimate Reference

Mastering English Tenses

Present Tenses

Simple Present

Describes things that happen now. Example: I live in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                     I have a car.
• You                DO             We don't have a car?
• We                                   Do you have a car?
• They
• He                                   She washes the dishes.
• She                DOES           She doesn't wash the dishes.
• It                                    Does she wash the dishes?

Present Continuous

Describes things that are happening now. Example: I am living in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                    (Verbo to be)       I am reading a book.
• You                    AM             They aren't reading a book
• We                      ARE            Are you reading a book?
• They
• He                                    She is reading a book.
• She                    IS               She isn't reading a book.
• It                                     Is she reading a book?

Present Perfect

Describes things that have happened. Example: I have lived in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                     I have gone to Miami.
• You                HAVE           I haven't gone to Miami.
• We                                   Have I gone to Miami?
• They
• He                                    She has gone to Miami.
• She                    HAS             She hasn't gone to Miami.
• It                                     Has she gone to Miami?

Present Perfect Continuous

Describes things that have been happening. Example: I have been living in Bogotá.

Pronouns     Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                 I have been making ten videos.
• You             Have been       I have not been making ten videos.
• We                                 Have you been making ten videos?
• They
• He                                 She has been making ten videos.
• She             Has been       She has not been making ten videos.
• It                                 Has she been making ten videos?

Past Tenses

Simple Past

Describes things that happened. Example: I lived in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                     I had a car.
• You                DID             We didn't have a car.
• We                                   Did you have a car?
• They
• He                                    She had a car.
• She                DID             She did not have a car.
• It                                     Did she have a car?

Past Continuous

Describes things that were happening. Example: I was living in Bogotá.

Pronouns  Auxiliaries   Examples

• I
• You      Was        talking, eating, learning, doing, going
• We
• They
• He
• She     Were        talking, eating, learning, doing, going
• It

Past Perfect

Describes things that had happened. Example: I had lived in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                     I had made ten videos.
• You                                 I had not made ten videos.
• We                                   Had I made ten videos?
• They             HAD
• He                                 She had made ten videos.
• She                                 She had not made ten videos.
• It                                     Had she made ten videos?

Past Perfect Continuous

Describes things that had been happening. Example: I had been living in Bogotá.

Pronouns     Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                 I had been making ten videos.
• You             Had been       I had not been making ten videos.
• We                                 Had I been making ten videos?
• They
• He                                 She has been making ten videos.
• She                                 She has not been making ten videos.
• It                                 Has she been making ten videos?

Future Tenses

Simple Future

Describes things that will happen. Example: I will live in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                                     I will have a car.
• You                WILL           We won't have a car.
• We             (para afirmaciones)       Will you have a car?
• They             WONT'T
• He             (Para negaciones)       She will wash the dishes.
• She                                 She won't wash the dishes.
• It                                     Will she wash the dishes?

Future Continuous

Describes things that will be happening. Example: I will be living in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                    (Verbo to be)       I will be reading a book.
• You                WILL BE         They won't be reading a book.
• We                WON'T BE       Will you be reading a book?
• They
• He                                 She will be reading a book.
• She                                 She won't be reading a book.
• It                                     Will she be reading a book?

Future Perfect

Describes things that will have happened. Example: I will have lived in Bogotá.

Pronouns       Auxiliaries         Examples

• I                    (Verbo to be)       I will have made ten videos.
• You                WILL HAVE       They won't be have made ten videos.
• We                WON'T HAVE       Will you have made ten videos?
• They
• He                                 She will be reading a book.
• She                                 She won't be reading a book.
• It                                     Will she be reading a book?

Future Perfect Continuous

Describes things that will have been happening. Example: I will have been living in Bogotá.

Pronouns     Auxiliaries         Examples

• I               (Verbo to be)I will have made ten videos.
• You             Will have       They won't be have made ten videos.
• We             Won't have Will you have made ten videos?
• They
• He                                 She will be reading a book.
• She                                 She won't be reading a book.
• It                                     Will she be reading a book?