The Complete Guide to English Tenses with Infographics

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The tenses (different grammar for time) in English can be a little difficult to understand. Here is a complete guide to all 12 major verb tenses in the English language, and conditional sentences. Each verb tense has Infographics and examples to help you understand how the verbs are changed in that tense, and which time each tense is for. There are also examples of the different ways that tense can be used.

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When Do I Use the Present Perfect Tense?

1.     When something started in the past and is still happening or active now.

  • I have lived in England for 5 years.

  • Have you studied at university for a long time?

  • He hasn’t (has not) worked here very long.

2.        When talking about something that happened during a time period that is still active. Time periods that are still active can be ‘today’, ‘this week’, ‘this month’ etc.

  • I haven’t (have not) seen him today (Today is a time period that is still active. There is still a chance that I will see him later today).

  • Have you taken your medicine this week?

  • She has gone to that restaurant 3 times this month.

3.    When something happened in the past, but the result or impact is still active. This is often used when something very important or surprising has happened.

  • He has eaten most of the birthday cake already (There is not enough cake left for the rest of us now).

  • An alien spaceship has landed in the back garden! (Everyone is now shocked about an alien spaceship, so the result of this activity is still active).

  • Have you done your homework? (If she hasn’t, she can’t get any feedback on her work).

4.    Life experiences. This is another way of thinking about something that happened in the past and is still active. Our lives started in the past, and we are still alive!

Have you ever been to Namibia?

She hasn’t (has not) finished her university degree (she is still alive and still has the possibility to finish her studies. If she leaves school, you might use the past simple to show that it is not likely that she will finish).

I have climbed 4 mountains!