Tenses

It's not about „when”, but how you frame the action: finished, ongoing, or linked to now.

	Simple	Continuous	Perfect	Perfect cont.
Present	Present SimpleA1	Present ContinuousA1	Present PerfectA2	Present Perfect ContinuousB1
Past	Past SimpleA1	Past ContinuousA2	Past PerfectB1	—
Future	Future forms — separate category

Row = when · column = how you frame the action

Present Simple

A1base verb (+ -s for he/she/it)

Habits, facts and things always true — not for what's happening right now.

Examples

She works in a hospital.
PLOna pracuje w szpitalu.
Water boils at 100°C.
PLWoda wrze w 100°C.
I don't drink coffee.
PLNie piję kawy.

Sentence structure

Affirmative

I / you / we / they + verb · he / she / it + verb-s

I work.
She works.

Negative

… don't + verb · he / she / it doesn't + verb

I don't work.
She doesn't work.

Questions

Do … + verb? · Does he / she / it + verb?

Do you work?
Does she work?

Common mistake

She work in a hospital.She works in a hospital.

In the third person singular (he / she / it) the verb takes -s: „she works”, not „she work”.

Present Continuous

A1am / is / are + verb-ing

Something happening now or temporary. Often with „now” or „at the moment”.

Examples

I'm working from home today.
PLDziś pracuję z domu.
She's learning English.
PLOna uczy się angielskiego.
Look — it's raining.
PLPatrz — pada deszcz.

Sentence structure

Affirmative

am / is / are + verb-ing

I am working.
She is working.

Negative

am / is / are + not + verb-ing

I am not working.
She isn't working.

Questions

am / is / are + subject + verb-ing?

Are you working?
Is she working?

Common mistake

I am knowing the answer.I know the answer.

Stative verbs (know, like, want, need) don't take the continuous — even for „now”. Say „I know”, not „I am knowing”.

Past Simple

A1verb + -ed (or irregular form)

A finished action at a definite past time. Often with „yesterday”, „in 2019”, „last week”.

Examples

We visited Rome last year.
PLZwiedziliśmy Rzym w zeszłym roku.
He didn't call me.
PLNie zadzwonił do mnie.
Did you see that?
PLWidziałeś to?

Sentence structure

Affirmative

subject + verb-ed (or irregular form)

I worked late.
She went home.

Negative

subject + didn't + verb (base)

I didn't work.
She didn't go.

Questions

Did + subject + verb (base)?

Did you work?
Did she go?

Common mistake

I didn't went home.I didn't go home.

After „didn't” the verb returns to its base form — „did” already carries the past. Say „didn't go”, not „didn't went”.

Irregular forms (went, saw, made…) — the full table

Past Continuous

A2was / were + verb-ing

An action in progress at a past moment — often interrupted by another (in Past Simple).

Examples

I was sleeping when you called.
PLSpałem, kiedy zadzwoniłeś.
background (continuous) + interruption (simple)
What were you doing at eight?
PLCo robiłeś o ósmej?
It was raining all night.
PLPadało całą noc.

Sentence structure

Affirmative

was / were + verb-ing

I was working.
They were working.

Negative

was / were + not + verb-ing

I wasn't working.
They weren't working.

Questions

was / were + subject + verb-ing?

Were you working?
Was she working?

Present Perfect

A2have / has + past participle

Links past to present: experience, a fresh result, or something up to now — with no specific time.

Examples

I have been to Japan.
PLByłem w Japonii.
experience — when doesn't matter
She has just finished.
PLWłaśnie skończyła.
fresh result
We've lived here for ten years.
PLMieszkamy tu od dziesięciu lat.
continues up to now

Sentence structure

Affirmative

have / has + past participle

I have finished.
She has finished.

Negative

haven't / hasn't + past participle

I haven't finished.
She hasn't finished.

Questions

have / has + subject + past participle?

Have you finished?
Has she finished?

Common mistake

I have seen him yesterday.I saw him yesterday.

Present Perfect doesn't go with a finished, specific time („yesterday”, „in 2019”). With a definite moment use Past Simple: „I saw him yesterday”.

Irregular participles (gone, seen, done…) — the full table

Present Perfect Continuous

B1have / has been + verb-ing

Stresses how long an activity has gone on up to now (or just stopped, with a visible result). Often with „for” and „since”.

Examples

I've been waiting for an hour.
PLCzekam od godziny.
focus on duration
She's been working here since 2020.
PLPracuje tu od 2020 roku.
You're out of breath — have you been running?
PLJesteś zdyszany — biegłeś?
the activity's fresh result

Sentence structure

Affirmative

have / has been + verb-ing

I have been waiting.
She has been waiting.

Negative

haven't / hasn't been + verb-ing

I haven't been waiting.
She hasn't been waiting.

Questions

have / has + subject + been + verb-ing?

Have you been waiting?
Has she been waiting?

Common mistake

I am waiting since an hour.I have been waiting for an hour.

An action going on up to now is Present Perfect Continuous, not Present Continuous. „Since” marks a start point, while a length of time takes „for”: „for an hour”.

Past Perfect

B1had + past participle

The „past before the past” — something that happened earlier than another past moment.

Examples

The train had already left when we arrived.
PLPociąg już odjechał, kiedy dotarliśmy.
earlier past → past perfect
She had never seen the sea before.
PLNigdy wcześniej nie widziała morza.

Sentence structure

Affirmative

had + past participle

The train had left.
They had left.

Negative

hadn't + past participle

It hadn't left.
They hadn't left.

Questions

had + subject + past participle?

Had it left?
Had they left?

Common mistake

After I have finished, I went home.After I had finished, I went home.

For the earlier of two past actions use Past Perfect („had finished”), not Present Perfect — the whole scene is in the past.

Irregular participles (gone, seen, done…) — the full table

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

B1have done · vs · did

The classic mix-up: „I did” points to a definite, finished moment; „I have done” connects to now and gives no time.

Examples

I lost my keys yesterday.
PLZgubiłem klucze wczoraj.
definite time → Past Simple
I've lost my keys.
PLZgubiłem klucze (i nadal ich nie mam).
result now → Present Perfect
Did you eat?
PLJadłeś? (o konkretnym posiłku)
about a finished moment
Have you eaten?
PLJadłeś już? (jesteś teraz głodny?)
about the state now