Here is a table summarizing the different English tenses, their uses, and examples for each
| Tense | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Simple | Habitual actions, general truths | She writes every day. |
| Present Continuous | Actions happening now or future planned events | She is writing a novel right now. |
| Present Perfect | Actions at unspecified times with present consequence | She has written three novels. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Actions begun in the past & continuing, emphasizing duration | She has been writing for five hours. |
| Past Simple | Completed past actions with definite time | She wrote a novel last year. |
| Past Continuous | Ongoing past actions often interrupted | She was writing a novel when I called her. |
| Past Perfect | Actions completed before another action in the past | She had written two chapters before lunch. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Actions ongoing in the past up to another action, emphasizing duration | She had been writing all morning before the meeting started. |
| Future Simple | Predictions, promises, or decisions about the future | She will write a novel one day. |
| Future Continuous | Ongoing actions at a specific future time | She will be writing a novel this time next year. |
| Future Perfect | Actions to be completed by a certain future time | She will have written a novel by the end of the year. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Actions that will be ongoing up to a point in the future, emphasizing duration | She will have been writing for ten years by the end of this year. |
