The 12 Tenses
Master all 12 English tenses with Hindi comparison
Present Simple
Talks about things that are always true or that happen again and again — your habits, daily routines, and general facts.
- When to use it
- Habits, daily routines, universal facts, scheduled events (timetables).
- Signal words
- every day, usually, often, sometimes, always, never, on Mondays, in the morning
- In Hindi
- साधारण वर्तमान काल — आदतें और तथ्य. हिंदी में 'ता है / ती है / ते हैं' से बनता है।
- The rule
- Add -s/-es to the verb ONLY when the subject is he/she/it/Ravi/Priya. Plural and I/you/we/they → no -s.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I drink tea every morning. | मैं रोज़ सुबह चाय पीता हूँ। |
| She works at a bank. | वह बैंक में काम करती है। |
| The sun rises in the east. | सूरज पूरब में उगता है। |
| The train leaves at 6 pm. | ट्रेन शाम छह बजे जाती है। |
She go to office every day.
She goes to office every day.
In the present simple, he/she/it always takes -s/-es on the verb — so 'She goes', not 'She go'.
Present Continuous
Describes something happening right now, at this moment — or an ongoing action around this time.
- When to use it
- Action happening RIGHT NOW, around now (this week), or arranged future plans.
- Signal words
- now, right now, at the moment, currently, this week, today, Look!, Listen!
- In Hindi
- जो अभी हो रहा है — 'रहा हूँ / रही हो / रहे हैं' वाले रूप।
- The rule
- Always need BE + verb-ing together. Drop the 'e' before adding ing (write → writing). Double the final consonant for short verbs (run → running, sit → sitting).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I am reading a book right now. | मैं अभी एक किताब पढ़ रहा हूँ। |
| Look! They are playing cricket in the park. | देखो! वे पार्क में क्रिकेट खेल रहे हैं। |
| She is studying for her exams this week. | वह इस सप्ताह अपनी परीक्षा की तैयारी कर रही है। |
| We are meeting tomorrow at 4. (planned future) | हम कल चार बजे मिल रहे हैं। |
Look! The baby cry.
Look! The baby is crying.
Present continuous always needs am/is/are + verb-ing together. For an action happening right now ('Look!'), don't drop the 'is': say 'The baby is crying', not 'The baby cry'.
Present Perfect
Connects the past to now — a past action whose result or effect you can still see or feel today.
- When to use it
- A past action with a connection to NOW — recent news, life experiences, unfinished time periods.
- Signal words
- just, already, yet, ever, never, so far, up to now, recently, lately, this week/month/year
- In Hindi
- जो काम अभी-अभी हुआ या जिसका असर अभी है — हिंदी में 'चुका है / चुकी है' से समझो।
- The rule
- 'Have' for I / you / we / they. 'Has' for he / she / it. After it, ALWAYS the 3rd form — go → gone, eat → eaten, do → done, see → seen, write → written.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I have just finished my homework. | मैंने अभी-अभी अपना होमवर्क ख़त्म किया है। |
| She has lived in Mumbai for ten years. | वह दस साल से मुंबई में रह रही है। |
| Have you ever been to Goa? | क्या तुम कभी गोआ गए हो? |
| I haven't seen him this week. | मैंने उसे इस हफ़्ते नहीं देखा। |
I have went to the market.
I have gone to the market.
After have/has, ALWAYS use the 3rd form, not the past form. Common confusion: 'went' is the past form of 'go'; the 3rd form is 'gone'.
Present Perfect Continuous
An action that started in the past and is still going on now, with the focus on how long it has been happening.
- When to use it
- An action that STARTED in the past and IS STILL CONTINUING — emphasises the duration.
- Signal words
- for + duration, since + starting point, all day/week, how long, lately
- In Hindi
- जो काम पहले शुरू हुआ और अब भी जारी है — 'मैं दो घंटे से पढ़ रहा हूँ' — Hindi में 'से' + 'रहा हूँ' = English Present Perfect Continuous.
- The rule
- FOR + duration (for 2 hours, for 5 years). SINCE + a point in time (since 2020, since morning, since Monday).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| He has been coughing since Monday. | वह सोमवार से खाँस रहा है। |
| It has been raining since morning. | सुबह से बारिश हो रही है। |
| She has been waiting for an hour. | वह एक घंटे से इंतज़ार कर रही है। |
| How long have you been working here? | तुम कब से यहाँ काम कर रहे हो? |
I am learning English since 2 years.
I have been learning English for 2 years.
For an action that started in the past and is still going, use the perfect form 'have been'. And '2 years' is a DURATION, so use 'for', not 'since'.
Past Simple
A finished action that happened at a definite time in the past — it is over and done.
- When to use it
- A finished action at a DEFINITE past time. The time is mentioned or clearly known.
- Signal words
- yesterday, last week/month/year, in 2010, two days ago, when I was young, this morning (if morning is over)
- In Hindi
- भूतकाल — 'मैंने कल फ़िल्म देखी' — Hindi में 'या / यी / ये' वाले अंत।
- The rule
- Regular verbs add -ed (walk → walked, play → played). Irregular verbs change form (go → went, eat → ate, see → saw). NEGATIVE: didn't + the base verb (didn't go, didn't eat).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I went to Delhi last weekend. | मैं पिछले सप्ताहांत दिल्ली गया। |
| She called me yesterday. | उसने कल मुझे फोन किया। |
| We bought a new car in March. | हमने मार्च में एक नई कार ख़रीदी। |
| He didn't come to the party. | वह पार्टी में नहीं आया। |
I didn't went home.
I didn't go home.
'Did' / 'didn't' already shows past tense — so the main verb stays in its base form. Same for questions: 'Did you go?' (NOT 'Did you went?').
Past Continuous
An action that was in progress at a particular moment in the past — happening, but not yet finished, at that time.
- When to use it
- An action in progress at a moment in the past. Often used with past simple to show 'interrupted action'.
- Signal words
- when, while, at 8 pm yesterday, all day, all night, the whole evening
- In Hindi
- अतीत में कुछ चल रहा था — 'जब तुमने फ़ोन किया, मैं सो रहा था' — Hindi 'रहा था / रही थी / रहे थे'।
- The rule
- WAS for I/he/she/it. WERE for you/we/they. Combine with past simple to show one action interrupting another (LONGER action = past continuous; INTERRUPTION = past simple).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I was sleeping when you called. | जब तुमने फोन किया, मैं सो रहा था। |
| They were watching TV at 8 pm. | वे रात आठ बजे टीवी देख रहे थे। |
| It was raining when I left. | जब मैं निकला, बारिश हो रही थी। |
| While I was cooking, she was studying. | जब मैं खाना बना रहा था, वह पढ़ रही थी। |
When you called, I slept.
When you called, I was sleeping.
Sleeping is the LONGER background action (in progress); 'you called' is the shorter interruption. Background → past continuous; interruption → past simple.
Past Perfect
The 'earlier past' — when you have two past actions, it shows the one that happened first.
- When to use it
- When you have TWO past actions and want to show which one happened FIRST.
- Signal words
- before, after, by the time, already, just, until that day, when (with two past events)
- In Hindi
- पुराने दो कामों में जो पहले हुआ — 'जब मैं पहुँचा, ट्रेन जा चुकी थी' — Hindi 'चुका था / चुकी थी'।
- The rule
- HAD (same for everyone) + the 3rd form (gone, eaten, seen). Use it for the EARLIER of two past events. The later event uses past simple.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| The train had left before I reached the station. | जब मैं स्टेशन पहुँचा, ट्रेन जा चुकी थी। |
| She had finished dinner when I arrived. | जब मैं पहुँचा, उसने खाना ख़त्म कर लिया था। |
| I had never seen snow before that trip. | उस यात्रा से पहले मैंने कभी बर्फ़ नहीं देखी थी। |
| By the time the movie started, we had already eaten. | जब तक फ़िल्म शुरू हुई, हम पहले ही खा चुके थे। |
When I reached, the train left.
When I reached, the train had left.
Both events are in the past, but the train leaving happened FIRST. The earlier event needs 'had + the 3rd form'.
Past Perfect Continuous
An action that had been going on for some time before another moment in the past.
- When to use it
- An action that had been going on for some TIME BEFORE another past action.
- Signal words
- for + duration, since + starting point, before, when, all day, the whole morning
- In Hindi
- अतीत में काफ़ी समय से कुछ चल रहा था — 'मैं दो घंटे से इंतज़ार कर रहा था जब वह आई' — Hindi में 'से...रहा था'।
- The rule
- Mirror of present perfect continuous, but in the past. Use to highlight the duration that led up to a past moment.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I had been waiting for two hours when she finally arrived. | मैं दो घंटे से इंतज़ार कर रहा था जब वह आख़िरकार आई। |
| He had been working there for ten years before he resigned. | इस्तीफ़ा देने से पहले वह वहाँ दस साल काम कर चुका था। |
| They had been arguing all morning before they made up. | मेल-मिलाप करने से पहले वे सारी सुबह झगड़ रहे थे। |
I was waiting for two hours when she came.
I had been waiting for two hours when she came.
When emphasising the DURATION of a longer past action that ended at a specific past moment, use past perfect continuous.
Future Simple
Talks about what will happen later — predictions, promises, and decisions you make on the spot.
- When to use it
- Predictions, promises, on-the-spot decisions (will); planned/intentions (going to).
- Signal words
- tomorrow, next week/year, soon, in 5 minutes, later, I think, probably, I promise, I'll
- In Hindi
- भविष्यकाल — 'मैं कल आऊँगा' — Hindi में 'गा / गी / गे' वाला रूप।
- The rule
- After 'will', the verb is BARE — no 'to', no -s, no -ed. 'Going to' shows pre-existing plan or visible evidence (Look, it's GOING TO rain — clouds are right there).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| I will call you tomorrow. (promise) | मैं तुम्हें कल फोन करूँगा। |
| She will be 30 next year. (prediction) | वह अगले साल तीस साल की होगी। |
| I think it will rain today. | मुझे लगता है आज बारिश होगी। |
| I'm going to start a new job next month. (planned) | मैं अगले महीने नई नौकरी शुरू करने वाला हूँ। |
I will to call you.
I will call you.
After 'will', verbs stay in bare base form — no 'to'. Say 'I will call you', not 'I will to call you'.
Future Continuous
An action that will be in progress at a specific moment in the future — happening, but not finished, at that future time.
- When to use it
- An action that WILL BE IN PROGRESS at a specific future moment.
- Signal words
- this time tomorrow, at 8 pm tonight, all morning, when you arrive, while you sleep
- In Hindi
- भविष्य के किसी पल में कुछ चल रहा होगा — 'कल इसी समय मैं हवाई जहाज में बैठा हूँगा' — Hindi 'रहा होऊँगा'।
- The rule
- Combines 'will be' (no changes) with verb-ing. Useful for polite questions about future plans: 'Will you be using the car tonight?'
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| This time tomorrow I will be flying to Delhi. | कल इसी समय मैं दिल्ली के लिए उड़ रहा हूँगा। |
| Don't call at 9 — I will be sleeping. | नौ बजे फोन मत करना — मैं सो रहा हूँगा। |
| She will be teaching when you arrive. | जब तुम पहुँचोगे, वह पढ़ा रही होगी। |
Tomorrow at 9 I will sleep.
Tomorrow at 9 I will be sleeping.
Action IN PROGRESS at a future time → future continuous. 'Will sleep' just states the action; 'will be sleeping' shows it's ongoing at that moment.
Future Perfect
An action that will already be finished before a certain time in the future.
- When to use it
- An action that will be COMPLETED by a specific future time. The future has a deadline.
- Signal words
- by + future time (by 2030, by next month, by then), by the time
- In Hindi
- भविष्य में किसी समय तक कोई काम पूरा हो चुका होगा — '2030 तक मैं पैसे बचा लूँगा' — Hindi 'चुका होऊँगा'।
- The rule
- Always has 'by + future point' nearby. Combines 'will have' + the 3rd form (finished, saved, gone).
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| By Friday, the electrician will have fixed the wiring. | शुक्रवार तक इलेक्ट्रीशियन वायरिंग ठीक कर चुका होगा। |
| By 6 pm, she will have finished the report. | शाम छह बजे तक वह रिपोर्ट पूरी कर चुकी होगी। |
| By the time you arrive, we will have left. | जब तक तुम पहुँचोगे, हम जा चुके होंगे। |
By next year I will save enough money.
By next year I will have saved enough money.
'By [future time]' is a deadline — needs future perfect to show completion BY that point.
Future Perfect Continuous
An action that will have been going on for a length of time, up to a specific point in the future.
- When to use it
- An action that will have been ongoing for a duration UP TO a specific future point.
- Signal words
- by + future + for + duration, by then I will have been...
- In Hindi
- भविष्य के किसी समय तक कोई काम चलते-चलते कितना समय हो चुका होगा — 'अगले महीने तक मैं पाँच साल से इस कंपनी में होऊँगा'।
- The rule
- The least common tense. Use only when both the future point AND the duration matter.
| English | In Hindi |
|---|---|
| In June, she will have been running this shop for three years. | जून में उसे ये दुकान चलाते तीन साल हो जाएँगे। |
| By midnight, they will have been driving for ten hours. | आधी रात तक उन्हें गाड़ी चलाते दस घंटे हो चुके होंगे। |
Next month I will work here for 5 years.
Next month I will have been working here for 5 years.
Use this when emphasising the DURATION of an action up to a future point. Rare in everyday speech, but useful for IELTS/interviews when describing experience.
Practise
1. Which is correct?
- I am knowing him since 2020.
- I have known him since 2020.
- I know him since 2020.
- I am knowing him for 2020.
Show the answer
I have known him since 2020.
2. Choose the correct sentence.
- She didn't went home.
- She didn't gone home.
- She didn't go home.
- She didn't going home.
Show the answer
She didn't go home.
3. Pick the right tense: 'It ___ since morning.'
- is raining
- has been raining
- rained
- had rained
Show the answer
has been raining
Related lessons
- ConnectorsLink ideas naturally — and, but, because, although
- Articles & Prepositionsa, an, the and the tricky little words
- Modal Verbscan, could, should, must, would — used right
- Confusing Pairsaffect vs effect, since vs for, and more
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