What Does the Word ‘Tense’ Mean?

A tense is a form of the verb that is used to express the time or duration of the action. They show when the work is done. Tenses are fundamentals of the English language that help you both write and speak efficiently. Thus, it is essential to learn and master the use of English tenses.

According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘tense’ is defined as “any of the forms of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.” 

Further in the next section let us look at the different tense definition and examples for your reference. 

Different Types of Tenses in English with Examples

This section covers all the different types of tenses with examples. There are in total three kinds of tense:

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense 

The three above-mentioned tenses can further be divided into sub-parts. These sub-parts are as follows:

• Simple
• Continuous
• Perfect
• Perfect Continuous 

Let us look at each of these tenses in detail:

1. Simple Past Tense

Simple past tense is used to describe events or actions that have already taken place in past. These tenses do not follow the normal rules instead they use their own unique formula to form tenses. The simple past tense examples are as follows:

• I placed a bucket under the table.
• She picked a flower from Nehru garden.
• We picked food on the way to class.

2. Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used to show two different actions in the past. However, this tense shows that one event took place earlier than the other one. Following are a few examples: 

• He had arrived at the show before sunset.
• She had gone to the office log before I reached.
• They had not been married long when I was born.

3. Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense is used to show an ongoing action from the past. Especially if the action was interrupted by another action or event. Moreover, it is usually used with adverbs. Here are a few illustrations:

• I was watching a movie on Netflix.
• They were eating at a cafe.
• I was studying last night.

4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense represents any action or event that started in the past and sometimes continued into another action. It is often used with the words when, until, and before. Here are a few examples for past perfect continuous tense: 

• We had been playing games for four hours when Mother came home.
• She had been reading a book before she decided to become a writer.
• Had she been washing dishes all day?

5. Simple Present

The simple present tense is the most basic tense in the English language. It is used for individual actions or habitual actions in the present. Simple present tense examples are:

• Birds fly in the sky.
• My mother is a teacher.
• She plays lawn tennis. 

6. Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to describe a situation or event that has already occurred and may be ongoing but not yet completed. Besides, the past actions may have an influence on the present. Present perfect tense examples are as follows: 

• She has not finished her work yet.
• Aditya has gone out to the market.
• I have done all my homework. 

7. Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense is used when talking about the ongoing actions or events that are still not finished. Here are a few present continuous tense examples for your reference:

• She is playing basketball.
• I’m learning English.
• Yashika is leaving for work.

8. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense shows a situation that has started in the past and continues in the present.

• He has been working here since 2020.
• They have been working as artists in the art gallery.
• It has been raining for a week now.

9. Simple Future

Simple future tense is used for actions that have not happened yet but will take place later. Here are a few illustrations: 

• She will be a doctor one day.
• I will finish my homework later.
• He will cook dinner tonight.

10. Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect is used to show that an action will be completed by a certain time in the future. It uses words like by, before, at, or when. Further, here are a few examples of the future perfect tense. 

• I will have finished the film before my parents get home.
• They will have cleaned the office by 9 am tomorrow.
• He will have eaten his food by the time I start cooking.

11. Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that are happening over a period of time or will occur in the future. Here are a few illustrations of the future continuous tense.

• They will be coming to visit me next week.
• She will be watching TV in her dorm.
• He will be writing a letter to David on Thursday.

12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous tense focuses on the duration of an action before a specific time in the future. Moreover, it is used with a specified time. Here are a few examples:

• Next year, I will be working here for three years.
• By 2027, I will have been living in Paris for ten years.
• I will have been writing a letter when you come back here.

These were a few tenses in English grammar with examples. Further in the next section let us look at the tense chart.

Also Read: Daily Use English Sentences

Tense Chart

The table below shows the tenses chart wherein all the three kinds of tenses along with the sub-parts are shown:

Next, let us look at the rules of tenses and their formulas:Also Read: New English Words

Rules of Tenses with Examples

Tenses are a fundamental part of the English language. Thus, it is vital to know and understand tenses rules for everyone. Especially for aspirants who are preparing for exams like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or other tests to study abroad.

Given below is a tenses rules chart for your reference:

In the above table,

V1 refers to the first form of the verb

V2 refers to the second form of the verb

V3 refers to the third form of the verb

These were a few rules for the different kinds of tense next, let us look at a practice worksheet.

Also Read: Degrees of Comparison

Worksheet for Your Understanding of the Tenses

Do you know what is the best way to understand and remember all the tenses? It is by practicing! Below are tense worksheets with answers for your reference.

Exercise 1 – Identify the Type of Tenses

Go through the sentences provided below and identify the type of tenses.

• She drinks tea every morning after waking up.
• The cricket players are playing very well.
• The school will be closed for spring
• I graduated from school last year.
• Yukta has eaten all the chips.
• When I went there, Sanya was playing badminton.
• They have been working on this project for a long time.
• Aditya had done his homework when his parents came back.
• Jatin had been writing his last book for two
• I will be staying in New York next week.
• Sadly, I will have left before you arrive tomorrow.
• Sam will have been teaching for five years next month.

Exercise 2 – Change the Tense

Go through the sentences and change their tenses as directed.

1. The boy speaks the truth. (Present Continuous Tense)
2. Divya has spoken about cars. (Present Perfect Continuous Tense)
3. The ship sailed yesterday. (Simple Present Tense)
4. Tanya went to school yesterday. ( Future Continuous Tense)
5. The small girl cried for hours. (Present Perfect Continuous Tense)
6. The dog ate all the cookies. (Present Perfect Tense)
7. I have finished my homework. (Past Perfect Tense)
8. Jain had taught for five years. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense).
9. She saw the Virat Kohli (Future Continuous Tense)
10. Poonam shall finish her stitching by then. (Future Perfect Tense)

This was a tense worksheet. Next, let us look at tips to master tenses.

Also Read: Tongue Twisters

Tips and Techniques to Master English Tenses

This section covers tips and techniques to improve knowledge and usage of English tenses. Following are a few points that will help you master tenses.

1. Try to understand each tense separately with the context - the past, the present, and the future.
2. Don't learn all the tenses together instead focus on a specific category.
3. Write before using English tenses.
4. Go through a variety of examples. Practicing is the key to learning different contexts and uses of tenses.
5. There are a few exceptions in tenses. You must go through them keenly and remember them.
6. Understand the structure of tense. There are particular patterns in which each tense is used.
7. Read as much as you can (books, newspapers, magazines and more)
8. Watch movies, videos, or even series along with subtitles. The scripts have different sentence structures that use tense forms.

Conclusion

To wrap up, tenses in English grammar are considered fundamental and essential skills. Thus, to master the language it is vital to learn all the kinds of tenses and their sub-parts. Every student or individual should learn these as they not only help you build conversations with ease but also write well. Besides, learning these may also help you prepare for various exams and tests. For this, you may seek professional help from Gradding.com as our experts provide excellent coaching in this domain.

FAQs

1. What Is Tense?

In the English, tenses are used to show a specific time at which the action or an event took place. It is a verb in a sentence. There are mainly three kinds of tenses - past, present, and future.

2. What Are the 12 Tenses in Grammar?

Present simple Tense, Present Continuous Tense, Present Perfect Tense, Present Perfect Continuous Tense, Past Simple Tense, Past Continuous Tense, Past Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Continuous Tense, Future Simple Tense, Future Continuous, Future Perfect Tense, Future Perfect Continuous Tense

3. What Is V1, V2, V3 in Tenses?

In tenses V1 refers to the first form of the verb, V2 refers to the second form of the verb, and V3 refers to the third form of the verb.