Below is a comparison chart of the different tenses in English:
| Tense | Form | Example | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Subject + Base Verb | She works in a hospital. | General truths, habits, routines |
| Present Continuous | Subject + am/is/are + Verb + -ing | They are studying for the exam. | Actions happening now, temporary actions |
| Present Perfect | Subject + have/has + Past Participle | He has visited Paris. | Actions or experiences up to the present |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Subject + have/has + been + Verb + -ing | They have been waiting for hours. | Continuous actions starting in the past, continuing to the present |
| Simple Past | Subject + Past Verb | They played tennis yesterday. | Completed actions in the past |
| Past Continuous | Subject + was/were + Verb + -ing | She was reading a book. | Ongoing actions in the past |
| Past Perfect | Subject + had + Past Participle | He had finished his work. | Past actions completed before another past action |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Subject + had + been + Verb + -ing | They had been waiting for hours. | Continuous actions starting in the past, continuing up to a point in the past |
| Simple Future | Subject + will/shall + Base Verb | They will come tomorrow. | Predictions, promises, offers |
| Future Continuous | Subject + will be + Verb + -ing | She will be studying at that time. | Actions expected to be in progress in the future |
| Future Perfect | Subject + will have + Past Participle | He will have completed his project by then. | Completion of a future action before a specified time |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + will have + been + Verb + -ing | They will have been waiting for hours. | Continuous actions expected to be in progress up to a point in the future |
| Going to Future | Subject + am/is/are + going to + Base Verb | She is going to visit her parents. | Intentions, plans, predictions based on evidence |