THE TENSEQUEST LEARNING ROOM

Make every tense
make sense.

Free English tense lessons with visual timelines, real-life examples, comparisons and practice. Start with the basics or find the tense you need.

The lesson explanations are currently available in English and Simplified Chinese. The learning room interface is translated here so you can find the right lesson first.

New here? Start simple.

First a routine. Then something happening now. Then a story about yesterday.

  1. Present simple
  2. Present continuous
  3. Past simple

19 lessons to explore

See the complete tense chart
A1–A201

Present simple

Learn the present simple for routines, facts and timetables. See clear forms, everyday examples, common mistakes and practice with answers.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
A1–A202

Present continuous

Understand am/is/are + -ing for actions now, temporary situations and future arrangements. Includes timelines, examples and explained exercises.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
A2–B103

Present perfect

Learn have/has + past participle for experience, present results and unfinished time. Understand for, since, already and yet with practice.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B1–B204

Present perfect continuous

Understand have/has been + -ing for activities continuing until now and recent evidence. Compare duration and results with examples and quizzes.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
A1–A205

Past simple

Use the past simple for completed events and past routines. Learn regular and irregular verbs, did questions and common errors through real examples.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
A2–B106

Past continuous

Learn was/were + -ing for background actions, interruptions and activities at a past moment. Includes real scenarios and practice with explanations.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B1–B207

Past perfect

Understand had + past participle for the earlier of two past moments. Learn when it clarifies a story and when the past simple is enough.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B1–B208

Past perfect continuous

Learn had been + -ing to explain duration or a cause before a past moment. Includes timelines, natural examples and short exercises.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
A2–B109

Future simple: will

Learn will + base verb for predictions, promises, offers and decisions made now. Compare plans and time clauses with practical examples.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B1–B210

Future continuous

Learn will be + -ing for activities in progress at a future time, expected routines and polite questions about plans.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B1–B211

Future perfect

Use will have + past participle for completion before a future deadline. Understand by versus until and practise with realistic examples.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B2–C112

Future perfect continuous

Learn will have been + -ing for duration up to a future point. See how it differs from future perfect, with timelines and practice.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
COMPARISONS13

Present perfect vs past simple

Have you been or did you go? Learn to choose between present perfect and past simple by thinking about finished time and connections to now.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
COMPARISONS14

Present simple vs present continuous

I work or I am working? Compare routines, temporary situations, states and future plans through realistic conversations and practice.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
COMPARISONS15

Past simple vs past continuous

Learn to tell a clear story with past-simple events and past-continuous background. Compare when and while with examples and explained exercises.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
COMPARISONS16

Will vs going to

Choose will or going to for decisions, intentions and predictions. Compare future arrangements and avoid mechanical signal-word rules.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
B2–C117

Future in the past: the four forms

Understand would, would be, would have and would have been as future viewed from the past. Includes reported speech and conditional distinctions.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
REAL LIFE18

English tenses at work

Write clearer work emails and speak confidently in meetings. Choose tenses for roles, updates, completed tasks, arrangements and deadlines.

Examples · Timeline · Practice
REAL LIFE19

English tenses for travel

Use English tenses for bookings, itineraries, airport delays and travel stories. Practise practical phrases and understand why each form fits.

Examples · Timeline · Practice