Can you name the tenses?

Take a look at this review of twelve tenses using example sentences. Getting the tenses write when you are speaking is going to make it a whole lot easier to make yourself understood.

Simple Tenses

Present Simple

"I play tennis."

Past Simple

"I played tennis."

Future Simple

"I will play tennis."

Perfect Tenses

Present Perfect

"I have played tennis."

Past Perfect

"I had played tennis."

Future Perfect

"I will have played tennis."

Continuous Tenses

Present Continuous

"I am playing tennis."

Past Continuous

"I was playing tennis."

Future Continuous

"I will be playing tennis."

Present Perfect Continuous

"I have been playing tennis."

Past Perfect Continuous

"I had been playing tennis."

Future Perfect Continuous

"I will have been playing tennis."

Now match up these tenses to the sentences using the numbers. Write the number of the tense in the box.

1. present simple
2. past simple
3. future simple
4. present perfect
5. past perfect
6. future perfect
7. present continuous
8. past continuous
9. future continuous
10. present perfect continuous
11. past perfect continuous
12. future perfect continuous

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• I will speak to you later.
• She works in a shop.
• He is reading a book.
• It had been raining all night.
• I watched TV.
• They were looking for you.
• She'll be coming tonight.
• You had taken a shower.
• Have you listened to this CD?
• I've been thinking about you.
• By the time she leaves, Jane will have been living here for 3 years.
• I will have gone.