All Tenses – Revision Practice Tests with B2 Grammar Rules & Examples

All Tenses – Revision

English has many tenses, and each one tells us something different about when something happens, how long it lasts, and whether it is finished or still continuing. At B2 level, you are expected to use all the main tenses accurately and to choose between them with confidence.

This lesson is a complete revision of all the main English tenses. We will look at each tense, its form, its main uses, and clear examples. We will also highlight the most important differences between similar tenses and the most common mistakes learners make.

By the end of this revision, you will have a clear overview of all tenses in one place — a useful reference you can return to whenever you need it.

The Present Tenses

Present Simple

Form: subject + base verb (+ -s/-es for third person singular)

She works in a hospital.
They play football every Sunday.
He doesn't eat meat.

Main uses:

• Habits and routines: I go to the gym three times a week.
• General truths and facts: Water boils at 100°C.
• Permanent situations: She lives in Madrid.
• Schedules and timetables: The train leaves at 9.15.

Present Continuous

Form: subject + am/is/are + verb-ing

She is working late tonight.
They are playing in the garden right now.
He isn't listening to me.

Main uses:

• Actions happening now, at this moment: I'm writing an email.
• Temporary situations: He's staying with his parents this week.
• Future arrangements (fixed plans): We're meeting them on Friday.
• Changing or developing situations: Prices are rising quickly.
• Annoying habits (with always): She's always losing her keys!

Present Perfect Simple

Form: subject + have/has + past participle

I have visited Japan twice.
She has just finished her report.
They haven't seen that film yet.

Main uses:

• Past experiences (when the time is not specified): Have you ever tried sushi?
• Recent actions with a result in the present: I've lost my wallet — I can't find it anywhere.
• With just, already, yet, still: He's already left.
• With for and since for unfinished time periods: I've lived here for ten years.

Present Perfect Continuous

Form: subject + have/has been + verb-ing

I have been waiting for an hour.
She has been studying all morning.
They haven't been sleeping well lately.

Main uses:

• Actions that started in the past and are still continuing: He's been working here since 2018.
• Actions that have recently stopped but have a visible result: She looks tired — she's been running.
• To emphasise the duration of an activity: We've been talking for two hours!

The Past Tenses

Past Simple

Form: subject + past form of the verb (regular: -ed; irregular: learned separately)

She worked in London for five years.
They went to the cinema last night.
He didn't enjoy the concert.

Main uses:

• Completed actions at a specific time in the past: I called you at 8 o'clock.
• A sequence of past events: She arrived, sat down, and opened her laptop.
• Past habits or states (often with used to): We used to live in the countryside.

Past Continuous

Form: subject + was/were + verb-ing

She was cooking when I arrived.
They were watching a film at midnight.
He wasn't paying attention.

Main uses:

• An action in progress at a specific moment in the past: At 7pm, I was having dinner.
• A background action interrupted by a shorter action: I was reading when the phone rang.
• Two simultaneous past actions: While she was cooking, he was setting the table.

Past Perfect Simple

Form: subject + had + past participle

She had already left when I arrived.
They had never seen snow before.
He hadn't finished his work, so he stayed late.

Main uses:

• An action completed before another past action: By the time we got there, the show had started.
• To make the order of past events clear: She explained what had happened.
• With reporting verbs and reported speech: He said he had sent the email.

Past Perfect Continuous

Form: subject + had been + verb-ing

She had been working all day, so she was exhausted.
They had been arguing before I walked in.
He hadn't been sleeping well for weeks.

Main uses:

• An ongoing action that continued up to a specific past moment: I had been waiting for an hour when she finally called.
• To explain the cause of a past situation: His eyes were red because he had been crying.

The Future Tenses

Will (Future Simple)

Form: subject + will + base verb

I will help you with that.
She won't be at the meeting.
Do you think it will rain tomorrow?

Main uses:

• Spontaneous decisions made at the moment of speaking: I'll answer the phone.
• Predictions based on opinion or belief: I think she'll pass the exam.
• Promises, offers, and requests: I'll always be here for you.
• Facts about the future: The sun will rise at 6.30 tomorrow.

Be Going To

Form: subject + am/is/are going to + base verb

I am going to apply for that job.
She is going to have a baby.
They aren't going to travel this year.

Main uses:

• Plans and intentions decided before the moment of speaking: We're going to redecorate the flat.
• Predictions based on present evidence: Look at those clouds — it's going to rain.

Future Continuous

Form: subject + will be + verb-ing

At this time tomorrow, I will be flying to Rome.
She will be presenting her results next week.
They won't be working on Saturday.

Main uses:

• An action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future: This time next week, we'll be lying on the beach.
• Expected or planned events that are part of a normal routine: Will you be passing the post office? Could you post this letter?

Future Perfect Simple

Form: subject + will have + past participle

By June, she will have finished her degree.
They will have left by the time you arrive.
I won't have saved enough money by then.

Main uses:

• An action that will be completed before a specific time in the future: By next year, I will have lived here for a decade.

Future Perfect Continuous

Form: subject + will have been + verb-ing

By Friday, she will have been working here for twenty years.
They will have been travelling for twelve hours by the time they land.

Main uses:

• To emphasise the duration of an action that will still be in progress up to a future point: By the time the project ends, we will have been working on it for two years.

Complete Tenses Reference Table

Tense	Form	Example	Key Use
Present Simple	work / works	She works every day.	Habits, facts, timetables
Present Continuous	am/is/are working	She is working now.	Actions happening now, future plans
Present Perfect Simple	have/has worked	She has worked there for years.	Experience, recent results, unfinished time
Present Perfect Continuous	have/has been working	She has been working all day.	Ongoing actions, emphasis on duration
Past Simple	worked / went	She worked yesterday.	Completed past actions, specific time
Past Continuous	was/were working	She was working when I called.	Background action, interrupted action
Past Perfect Simple	had worked	She had already worked there.	Action before another past action
Past Perfect Continuous	had been working	She had been working for hours.	Ongoing action before a past moment
Future Simple (will)	will work	She will work tomorrow.	Decisions, predictions, promises
Be Going To	am/is/are going to work	She is going to work late.	Plans, evidence-based predictions
Future Continuous	will be working	She will be working at noon.	Action in progress at a future time
Future Perfect Simple	will have worked	She will have worked here for a year.	Completed before a future point
Future Perfect Continuous	will have been working	She will have been working for hours.	Duration up to a future point

Important Differences Between Similar Tenses

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect Simple

This is one of the most common areas of confusion. Use the past simple when you mention or imply a finished time. Use the present perfect when the time is not specified or when there is a connection to the present.

I saw her yesterday. → Past simple — yesterday is a finished, specific time.
I have seen her. → Present perfect — no specific time; the experience is what matters.

He worked in Paris in 2015. → Finished time in the past.
He has worked in Paris. → We don't know when; it's life experience.

Present Perfect Simple vs. Present Perfect Continuous

Both refer to the past with a connection to the present, but they have a different focus:

• Present Perfect Simple focuses on the result or completion: I have read that book. (I finished it.)
• Present Perfect Continuous focuses on the duration or ongoing process: I have been reading that book. (I'm still reading it, or I've been busy with it.)

She has written three reports. → Focus on number/completion.
She has been writing reports all morning. → Focus on how long she's been busy.

Past Continuous vs. Past Simple

Use these together when a longer background action is interrupted by a shorter, sudden action.

I was having a shower when the alarm went off.
→ The shower (past continuous) was the background action. The alarm (past simple) was the interrupting event.

Will vs. Be Going To

Will = spontaneous decision or prediction based on opinion:
"The phone's ringing." "I'll get it."
I think prices will increase next year.

Be going to = prior plan or prediction based on evidence you can see:
I'm going to call the plumber — our sink is broken.
She's going to fall — look at her balance!

Future Continuous vs. Future Simple

Will describes a single event or decision:
I'll call you tomorrow.

Future continuous describes an event in progress at a specific future time, or something expected as part of a routine:
I'll be calling you at 3pm — don't go out.

Stative Verbs — Important Note for All Tenses

Some verbs describe states, not actions. These verbs are not normally used in continuous tenses, even when the situation is temporary or ongoing. Common stative verbs include: know, believe, understand, want, need, like, love, hate, prefer, seem, belong, contain, mean, own, remember, forget, hear, see, smell, taste.

❌ I am knowing the answer.
✅ I know the answer.

❌ She is wanting a coffee.
✅ She wants a coffee.

Note: some verbs can be stative or active depending on their meaning.

I think it's a good idea. → stative (= opinion)
I am thinking about changing jobs. → active (= considering, process)

She has a car. → stative (= possession)
She is having lunch. → active (= experiencing an event)

Common Mistakes

❌ I have seen her yesterday.
✅ I saw her yesterday. — Use the past simple with specific finished time expressions like yesterday, last week, in 2020, etc.

❌ She is working here since 2019.
✅ She has been working here since 2019. — Use the present perfect (continuous) with since and for to describe unfinished time periods.

❌ When I arrived, she cooked dinner.
✅ When I arrived, she was cooking dinner. — Use the past continuous for the ongoing background action.

❌ By the time we got there, the film started.
✅ By the time we got there, the film had started. — Use the past perfect for the action that happened first.

❌ I'm going to answer the phone. Hold on. (when the phone has just started ringing)
✅ I'll answer the phone. Hold on. — Use will for spontaneous decisions made at the moment of speaking.

❌ He didn't arrive yet.
✅ He hasn't arrived yet. — Use the present perfect with yet in negative sentences.

❌ We are knowing the truth.
✅ We know the truth. — Know is a stative verb and is not used in continuous tenses.

❌ I have been writing five emails this morning. (if the morning is finished)
✅ I have written five emails this morning. — Use the present perfect simple when focusing on the completed result or quantity.

❌ She will have been finishing the project by tomorrow.
✅ She will have finished the project by tomorrow. — Use the future perfect simple (not continuous) when focusing on completion.

❌ While I read, she was cooking.
✅ While I was reading, she was cooking. — When two actions are happening simultaneously in the past, both should be in the past continuous.

Tense Signals — Key Time Expressions

Certain time expressions are strong signals for particular tenses. Learning these can help you choose the correct tense quickly.

Time Expression	Typical Tense	Example
every day / usually / often / never	Present Simple	She usually walks to work.
at the moment / right now / currently	Present Continuous	He's currently studying in Berlin.
just / already / yet / ever / never / since / for	Present Perfect Simple	Have you ever been to Scotland?
for / since / all day / all morning / lately / recently	Present Perfect Continuous	She's been studying for hours.
yesterday / last week / in 2010 / ago / in those days	Past Simple	They moved here two years ago.
at 5pm (past) / when / while / as	Past Continuous	At 5pm, she was leaving the office.
by the time / before / already / just (past)	Past Perfect Simple	She had already left by the time I arrived.
tomorrow / next week / soon / in the future	Will / Be Going To	They'll arrive tomorrow.
this time tomorrow / at 6pm tomorrow	Future Continuous	This time tomorrow, I'll be travelling.
by next year / by the end of the month / by then	Future Perfect Simple	By June, she will have graduated.

Narrative Tenses — Using Tenses Together in a Story

In storytelling and writing, it is common to use several past tenses together. Each tense plays a different role in the narrative:

• Past Simple → for the main events of the story (what happened)
• Past Continuous → for background scenes and interrupted actions
• Past Perfect Simple → for events that happened before the main story begins
• Past Perfect Continuous → for ongoing situations that led up to the main story

Read this short example and notice how all four tenses work together:

It was a dark, rainy evening. Maria was driving home from work when her phone rang. It was her sister. She explained that their mother had been feeling unwell all day and had finally decided to call the doctor. Maria immediately turned the car around and headed to her mother's house.

→ was a dark, rainy evening — past simple, setting the scene
→ was driving — past continuous, ongoing background action
→ rang — past simple, sudden interrupting event
→ had been feeling — past perfect continuous, ongoing situation before the main events
→ had decided — past perfect simple, action before the phone call
→ turned, headed — past simple, main events of the story

All Tenses – Revision: Quick Summary

Here is a final overview of the key points from this all tenses revision:

• Present Simple → habits, facts, permanent situations, timetables
• Present Continuous → actions happening now, temporary situations, future arrangements
• Present Perfect Simple → experience, recent results, unfinished time (for/since)
• Present Perfect Continuous → ongoing actions, emphasis on duration
• Past Simple → completed past actions at a specific time
• Past Continuous → background actions, interrupted actions, simultaneous past actions
• Past Perfect Simple → action completed before another past action
• Past Perfect Continuous → ongoing action that led up to a past moment
• Will → spontaneous decisions, predictions, promises, offers
• Be Going To → prior plans, evidence-based predictions
• Future Continuous → action in progress at a future time, expected events
• Future Perfect Simple → action completed before a future point
• Future Perfect Continuous → duration of action up to a future point

Remember: choosing the correct tense depends on when the action happens, how long it lasts, whether it is finished, and its connection to another time. Time expressions are your best clues.

Now practise all tenses in the exercises below.