English Tenses Chart: The Tenses You Need on One Map

Your colleague asks: "How long have you worked here?" You start: "I work here since..." Then you stop. Is it "I worked"? "I've worked"? You think about the rule, and the moment is gone. Many of my students know the names of the tenses. But in a real conversation, they can't choose one fast. An English tenses chart can fix this.

The chart helps when it shows time, not grammar names. Below you will learn how to read the tenses on one line, how to choose the right form with one question, and how to practise them out loud in a few minutes a day. And yes, the right answer to your colleague is "I've worked here since 2022." You will see why on the chart.

Quick answer: an English tenses chart puts the tenses on one time line: past, now and future. To choose a tense, ask "When?" and find your moment on the line. Then ask one yes or no question, for example "Is it happening right now?", and use the form next to it.

How to read an English tenses chart

Take a piece of paper and draw a long line. In the middle, write NOW. The left side is the past, the right side is the future. Every tense is a place on this line, and it has a shape.

1. One dot is one finished moment. How: if you can say when it happened, draw a dot in the past. Example: "I called my mum yesterday."
2. Many dots are a habit. How: if it happens every day or every week, draw dots along the line. Example: "I drink coffee every morning."
3. A wave is an action in progress. How: if it is in the middle and not finished, draw a wave over NOW. Example: "I'm cooking dinner. Can I call you back?"
4. An arrow to NOW connects the past and today. How: if it started before and it matters now, draw an arrow that ends at NOW. Example: "I've lost my keys." (I still don't have them.)

Step 1: Ask "When?" and find your tense on the chart

Read the left column first. Find the moment you want to talk about, then use the form and copy the example with your own words.

These six cover most of everyday talk at A1 and A2. On the chart below you can see the first five moments on the line. The full chart has 12: the past in the middle, before another past, used to, plans in your calendar, the future in the middle and more.

My tip: copy this chart by hand on one page. Put it next to your desk and look at it before you speak or write. Soon you will see the line in your head and stop looking.

The full map is in my book

Grammar That Speaks: Your Map to English Grammar (A1, A2, B1)

You just saw 5 of the 12 moments. The full chart is in Grammar That Speaks, and then every tense gets its own unit: a short story, a rule picture, one YES or NO question, practice and a speaking task. 49 units from A1 to B1, all the answers inside.

Get it for $11.99See pages inside

Step 2: How to choose between two tenses with one yes or no question

Most tense mistakes happen between two forms that look close. For each pair, one question decides. Ask it in your head before you speak.

• Present Simple or Present Continuous? Ask: Is it happening right now? How: yes, use am/is/are + -ing. No, it's a habit, use the simple form. Example: "I read every evening." and "I'm reading a great book right now."
• Past Simple or Present Perfect? Ask: Do I say when (yesterday, in 2019, last week)? How: yes, use the past simple. No, it's about my life up to now, use have/has + form 3. Example: "I saw this film last week." and "I've seen this film."
• Going to or will? Ask: Did I decide before I started speaking? How: yes, use going to. No, I decide now, use will. Example: "I'm going to paint my kitchen in May." and "The phone's ringing. I'll get it!"
• Past Simple or Past Continuous? Ask: Was it in the middle when something else happened? How: the long action takes was/were + -ing, the short one takes the past simple. Example: "I was walking home when it started to rain."

These are 4 of my YES or NO paths. In Grammar That Speaks every unit has one, 49 in total, from "habit or happening?" to "will or going to?", with practice, a speaking task and all the answers.

Step 3: How to learn the tenses in the right order

You don't need all 12 tenses this week. Start with six. They are enough for everyday talk at A1 and A2. Learn each one with a sentence about your own life, and keep the rule for later.

1. Present Simple. How: say three things you do every week. Example: "I work in a shop. I go to the gym on Mondays."
2. Present Continuous. How: look around and say what is happening now. Example: "I'm sitting in the kitchen. My cat is sleeping on the chair."
3. Past Simple. How: say three things you did yesterday. Example: "I got up at seven and took the bus to work."
4. Present Perfect. How: say one thing you have done in your life and one thing you have never done. Example: "I've been to Spain. I've never tried sushi."
5. Going to. How: say one plan for the weekend. Example: "I'm going to clean my flat on Saturday."
6. Will. How: answer a friend's problem with an offer. Example: "You look tired. I'll make you a cup of tea."

How to practise: take one tense a day for six days. On day seven, tell one short story that uses all six. Say it out loud, record it on your phone and listen once.

Know the rule but freeze?

Stop Freezing: Talk About Your Life in English

Many students know the tenses on paper and still go blank when someone asks a question. Stop Freezing is 7 days, 2 short lessons a day. On Day 7 you talk about your life for 3 minutes with no page.

Get it for $4.99See pages inside

Say it out loud: how to use the tenses in a conversation

Answer these three questions out loud. How: give your answer, add one detail, and ask a question back. Look at the third answer: it starts with the present perfect and moves to the past simple when you say when.

1. "What do you usually do on Sundays?" How: use the present simple for a habit. Example: "I usually sleep late and cook a big lunch. Sometimes my brother comes too. What about you?"
2. "What did you do last weekend?" How: use the past simple, because you say when. Example: "I went to the market. I bought fresh fish and cooked it at home. Did you do anything fun?"
3. "Have you ever been abroad?" How: start with the present perfect, then say when with the past simple. Example: "Yes, I've been to Turkey. I went there in 2022 with my friends. Have you been there?"

A tenses chart works when you use it fast. Ask "When?", find your place on the line, and ask one yes or no question. Today, copy the chart, pick one tense and say three sentences about your life with it. Not sure which tenses you know already? Take my free English level test, or read what your English level means. For real practice with the past simple and the present perfect, try how to talk about yourself in English.