How to Use English Verb Tenses Correctly (With Real Examples)

Let’s talk about one of the most confusing topics in English grammar: verb tenses.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by all the rules—when to use present simple, when to use present perfect, and what “past perfect” even means—you’re not alone.

In this post, I’ll walk you through 8 of the most important English verb tenses in a way that’s simple, practical, and easy to remember.

Whether you’re studying for an exam, trying to improve your writing, or just want to sound more fluent when you speak, this breakdown will help you finally feel confident using English verbs.

Present Simple vs. Present Continuous

Let’s start with something basic: the present simple.

This is probably one of the first things you learned in English. But are you using it correctly?

Ask yourself: Which sentence is correct?

• I am going to school every day.

• I go to school every day.

The correct answer is: I go to school every day.

We use the present simple for routines and habits—things that happen regularly.

Some examples:

• I play football on Sundays.

• She works in a bank.

• They study English twice a week.

A common mistake is using the present continuous for routines, like:

• She is always waking up early. ❌

Instead, say:

• She always wakes up early. ✅

Now, what if the action is happening right now?

That’s when we use the present continuous.

For example:

• I am eating dinner now. ✅

• Never say: I eat dinner now. ❌

The present continuous is used for actions happening at the moment of speaking.

But did you know we also use it to talk about the future?

For example:

• I’m meeting my friend tomorrow.

• I’m going to the dentist next week.

This use shows a future plan that is already arranged. It’s very common in spoken English.

Compare:

• I’m meeting my friend at 5 PM.

• I will meet my friend at 5 PM.

Both are correct, but “I’m meeting” sounds more planned. “I will meet” can be more general or spontaneous.

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

Another common area of confusion is the difference between past simple and present perfect.

Let’s look at two sentences:

• I visited Paris last year. ✅

• I have visited Paris last year. ❌

We use the past simple when we mention a specific time in the past. In this case, “last year” is a clear time reference.

Now compare:

• I have visited Paris three times. ✅

There is no specific time mentioned here. We’re just talking about life experience, so we use the present perfect.

Here’s the rule:

• Use past simple for actions at a specific time.

• Use present perfect for general experiences or things that have happened at an unspecified time.

This small change can make your English sound much more natural.

Irregular Verbs

Most verbs in English are regular. You just add -ed for the past simple.

For example:

• Walk → Walked

• Play → Played

But some verbs are irregular and don’t follow this pattern. For example:

• Go → Went

• Catch → Caught

• Begin → Began

And a few verbs don’t change at all:

• Cut → Cut

• Put → Put

• Hurt → Hurt

There’s no simple rule for irregular verbs, but one trick is to group them by pattern.

For example:

• Drink → Drank → Drunk

• Sing → Sang → Sung

• Ring → Rang → Rung

All three follow the same vowel change pattern, which can make memorization easier.

Past Perfect

Let’s move on to a more advanced tense: the past perfect.

The past perfect is used when two actions happened in the past, and we want to show which one happened first.

Structure: had + past participle

Example:

• When I arrived at the party, she had already left.

She left first. Then you arrived. The past perfect shows the earlier action.

Another example:

• By the time we got to the theater, the movie had started.

This tense is sometimes called “the past before the past.” It’s very useful when telling stories or explaining sequences of events.

Present Perfect Continuous

One of the most common mistakes English learners make is saying things like:

• I live here since five years. ❌

• She works here since 2019. ❌

The correct way to say this is:

• I have been living here for five years. ✅

• She has been working here since 2019. ✅

This tense is called the present perfect continuous, and we use it to describe actions that started in the past and are still happening now.

Structure: have/has been + -ing

Some more examples:

• I have been learning English for two years.

• They have been waiting for an hour.

This tense gives the listener the idea that the action continues into the present moment. It’s great for showing time duration and ongoing progress.

Final Thoughts

Understanding English verb tenses isn’t about memorizing every rule. It’s about learning to think in English and recognizing which structures match real-life situations.

If you want to take your grammar—and your speaking—to the next level, make sure to review these verb tenses and practice them in context.

And if you want to learn directly with me in live classes, check out my program, the Club. You’ll get speaking practice, expert feedback, and a full system for building fluency from the ground up.