There are 12 main tenses in the English language:

Simple Present

Present Continuous

Present Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous

Simple Past

Past Continuous

Past Perfect

Past Perfect Continuous

Simple Future

Future Continuous

Future Perfect

Future Perfect Continuous

These 12 tenses are formed using various combinations of the verb “to be”, “to have”, and the base verb form.

The 12 tenses can be further divided into the following categories:

Simple Tenses (Present, Past, Future)

Continuous/Progressive Tenses (Present Continuous, Past Continuous, Future Continuous)

Perfect Tenses (Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect)

Perfect Continuous Tenses (Present Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect Continuous, Future Perfect Continuous)

Each tense is used to describe actions, states of being, or events that occur at different points in time – the present, past, or future. Mastering the proper use of these 12 tenses is essential for communicating precisely in English.

The exact number and categorization of tenses can vary slightly based on different grammar frameworks, but the 12 tenses outlined above represent the core tense system in standard English grammar.