12 Tenses and 36 Example Sentences! In grammar, there are 12 different tenses that indicate when an action occurs. For example, the present tense indicates that an action is happening now, while the past tense indicates that an action happened in the past. To better understand how these tenses work, let’s take a look at 36 different sentences, each using a different tense. By the end of this post, you should have a good grasp on when to use each one.

12 Tenses and Examples

Past Simple

Positive: We watched the cartoon last morning.

Negative: We did not watched the cartoon last morning.

Interrogative: Did we watched the cartoon last morning?

Past Continuous

Positive: I was learning English last month.

Negative: I was not learning English last month.

Interrogative: Was I learning English last month?

Past perfect

Positive: Harold had known about it for a while.

Negative: Harold had not known about it for a while.

Interrogative: Had Harold known about it for a while?

Past Perfect Continuous

Positive: They had been being playing cricket since childhood.

Negative: They had not been being playing cricket since childhood.

Interrogative: Had they been being playing cricket since childhood?

Present Simple

Positive: I play hockey.

Negative: I do not play hockey.

Interrogative: Do I play hockey?

Present Continuous

Positive: She is eating the chocolate now.

Negative: She is not eating the chocolate now.

Interrogative: Is she eating the chocolate now?

Present Perfect

Positive: She has lived here all her life.

Negative: She has not lived here all her life.

Interrogative: Has she lived here all her life?

Present Perfect Continuous

Positive: She has been eating a chocolate.

Negative: She has not been eating a chocolate.

Interrogative: Has she been eating a chocolate?

Future Simple

Positive: They will go to school.

Negative: They will not go to school.

Interrogative: Will they go to school?

Future Continuous

Positive: They will be hating you.

Negative: They will not be hating you.

Interrogative: Will they be hating you?

Future Perfect

Positive: By next week, I will have finished this book.

Negative: By next week, I will not have finished this book.

Interrogative: Will I have finished this book, by next week?

Future Perfect Continuous

Positive: I will have been swimming on Monday.

Negative: I will not have been swimming on Monday.

Interrogative: Will I have been swimming on Monday?