Tense
Tenses are used to define the time of a verb.
In English grammar, there are three basic tenses; present, past and future. And these three tenses have four aspects (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous) which express how an action relates to time.
Tenses
Simple | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect Continuous | |
Present | Present Simple | Present Continuous | Present Perfect | Present Perfect Continuous |
Past | Past Simple | Past Continuous | Past Perfect | Past Perfect Continuous |
Future | Future Simple | Future Continuous | Future Perfect | Future Perfect Continuous |
Present Simple Tense
Present simple tense is also called as Present Indefinite Tense.
Present simple tense is used when an action is happening right now in present or happens regularly.
Structure
Subject + Verb(V1/V5) + Object
Example :
I live in America.
He works there.
Does he work there?
Why do you study English?
Present Continuous Tense
We use present continuous tense when any work/action is still going on.
Structure
Subject + am/is/are + Verb(V4) + ing + Object
Example :
I am drinking beer right now.
We are having a party.
It is raining.
Present Perfect Tense
We use present perfect tense when any work/action is completed but the time period is uncertain.
Structure
Subject + has/have + verb(V3) + Object
Example :
I have visited India four times.
We have seen three Bollywood movies this week.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
We use present perfect continuous tense when something started in the past but it is still in continuation.
Structure
Subject + has been/have been + verb + ing + Object
Example :
I have been living here for one year.
She has been learning English for 6 months.
It has been raining since 5 p.m.
Past Simple Tense
Any work/action completed in past.
Structure
Subject + V2 + Object
Example :
I played cricket with John last Sunday.
I visited Paris every year.
Past Continuous Tense
Past continuous tense is used when any work/action was on-going for a certain period of time in the past.
Structure
Subject + was/were + verb(V4) + ing + Object
Example :
The baby was crying despite I gave her a chocolate.
It was raining when I left for work.
Past Perfect Tense
Any work/action happened/completed before another action/work in the past.
Structure
Subject + had + verb(V3) + Object
Example :
When we got to the stadium, the match had started.
The train had left before they arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past perfect continuous tense tells us about any work/action started in the past and ended with a specific time clause.
In past perfect continuous the first past action is a continuous one.
Structure
Subject + had been + verb + ing + Object
Example :
She had been waiting for two hours when her lover finally arrived.
Future Simple Tense
Future simple tense is used when any work/action will happen in future.
Structure
Subject + shall/will + verb + Object
Example :
I am going to buy a cricket bat.
John is going to open a liquid shop.
Future Continuous Tense
Future continuous tense expresses a work/action that on-going in the future.
Structure
Subject + shall be/will be + verb + ing + Object
Example :
At 10 a.m. tomorrow, I will be going to the office.
Future Perfect Tense
Future perfect tense is used when any work/action will be completed within a specific time in future.
Structure
Subject + shall have/will have + verb(V3) + Object
Example :
By June, I will have saved $1000.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
We use future perfect continuous tense when any work/action started in past, and still going to the present and also will continue in future.
Structure
Subject + shall have been/will have been + verb + ing + Object
Example :
I shall have been living in this house for 5 years when I get married.
Construction of Tenses
Here is the different construction of the three tenses (present, past, future) using various aspects.
Simple | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect Continuous | |
Present | do(es) | am/is/are doing | have/has done | have/has been doing |
Past | did | was/were doing | had done | had been doing |
Future | will do | will be doing | will have done | will have been doing |
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