Are you looking for 12 tenses in English grammar? Here they are. In this post we will explore all tenses in English Grammar with examples.
12 Tenses in English Grammar/English Grammar Tenses
1] The Simple Present Tense is used:—
(1) To express general truths.
- The earth moves round the sun.
- Hot air rises and cold air descends.
- Honey is sweet.
(2) To describe a habit or custom:
- I go to school every day.
- The office opens at 10 o’clock.
(3) To express what is actually taking place at the present moment:
- I write. (= I am writing.)
- The child runs. (= The child is running.)
- Here comes the train. (= The train is coming.)
(4) To describe past events in order to make the description seem more vivid or real:
- Hemu’s army now advances and the bloody battle commences.
Note: This is called the Historic Present.
(5) To summarise a story or describe an action in a dramatic manner:
- I take the tea bag; I dip it in a cup of hot water; I mix milk; the tea gets ready.
- Irfan runs up to the wicket. He bowls.
Note: This form of tense is often used by radio commentators.
(6) To quote authors whether living or dead:
- Shakespeare says “Life is but a walking shadow.”
(7) To express a future event that is part of a fixed timetable or fixed programme:
- The match starts at 5 o’clock.
- The train leaves at 6.30.
2] The Present Continuous Tense is used:—
(1) To describe an action that is happening (now) at the time of speaking:
- The boys are playing cricket now.
- Look there, the man is beating the child.
Note: The Present Continuous Tense draws attention to the continuity of action. It is usually associated with adverbs or adverb phrases of present time such as now, at this moment, at present, etc.
(2) To describe an action going on over a period of time, including the present, but may not be going on at the time of speaking.
(These days) I am learning French.
(Nowadays) Mohan is working in a factory.
(3) To describe an action which is going to take place in the future:
- Wait, we are just coming. (= We are about to come).
- I am leaving for Bangalore tomorrow.
- Next week she is inviting all her friends to her birthday party.
Note: Some verbs, due to their meanings, are not normally used in the continuous form. These are:
(a) Verbs of sense: see, hear, smell, etc.
Normally we don’t say—‘I am seeing a bird.’
We say—‘I see a bird.’
(b) Verbs expressing feelings or state of mind: love, hate, wish, hope, forgive, etc.
Normally we don’t say—‘I am loving you’.
We say—‘I love you’.
(c) Verbs of thinking or some mental activity: think, remember, believe, know, understand, imagine, etc.
(d) Verbs of possession: possess, own, belong, etc.
(e) Some other verbs: appear, seem, look, etc.
3] The Present Perfect Tense is used:
(1) To indicate that an action has been completed, finished or done just now (near the present time) or a little time back (in the immediate past):
- I have finished the painting just now.
- Grandmother has just written a letter.
(There is a timeline illustration showing an action finished a little time back, close to the present time.)
The term Present Perfect gives the idea of both Present and Perfect (Present + Perfect).
The Perfect gives the idea that somebody has already completed, finished or done the work (action);
the Present gives the idea that the work has been completed near the present time (just now) and, therefore, the connection with the present time is indicated by has or have (not had).
(2) To indicate that the action has taken place sometime in the past (it may be long time back), but the action so completed has its effect in the present time:
- Ajay has eaten all the biscuits, therefore nothing is left to give you now.
- I have done my work. (So, I am free now.)
(Another timeline illustration: Action finished in the past, has effect in the present time)
(3) To indicate that the action began at sometime in the past, but is continuing up to the present time of speaking:
- He has lived here for 10 years.
(He still lives here.) - We have known each other for 10 years.
(We still know each other.) - Rajiv has been ill since yesterday.
(He is still ill.)
(Diagram showing: Action began in the past → Still continuing in the present)
Note: Since used in the present perfect shows that the verb takes effect from a specific event or point of time in the past until now; e.g.
- I have known him since 1990.
For used in this way refers to a period of time; e.g.
- I have known him for 15 years.
(4) To describe a past action the time of which is neither indicated nor definite:
- He has helped me several times.
- Sita and Savitri have been to Los Angeles.
- Have you seen a ghost?
(5) To describe an action which is not yet completed:
- Why have you not done the work yet?
- He has not met me so far.
Note:
The Present Perfect Tense is never used with adverbs or adverb phrases of past time (yesterday, last year, on March 1990, etc.)
Example: He has gone to Delhi yesterday is incorrect.
By putting yesterday, it has already shown that the action belongs to the past (and therefore has no connection with the present).
If it has no connection with the present, the term present perfect is inappropriate.
Therefore, instead of the verb of present perfect (has gone), a verb of past tense (went) should be used in the sentence:
He went to Delhi yesterday.
(If Present Perfect has gone is to be used, yesterday has to be left out.)
4] The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used:—
(1) To describe an action which began at sometime in the past and is still continuing (as shown in the preceding diagram for Present Perfect Tense):
- I have been riding a bicycle for two hours.
(He is still sleeping.) - Raghu has been working since 8 a.m.
(He is still working.) - They have been living here since 1st April, 2000.
Note:
- The use of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense (have been living) in the third sentence above has some similarity with that of Present Perfect Tense.
The two sentences below, one the Present Perfect and the other, the Present Perfect Continuous, mean the same thing:
- He has lived here for ten years.
- He has been living here for ten years.
- In the Present Perfect Continuous we use since to indicate point of time, and for to indicate period of time.
At 5 p.m. we can say:
- He has been sleeping since 3 p.m.
- He has been sleeping for 2 hours.
3. Present Continuous Tense is not used with Adverb indicating past time.
(a) Present Continuous only says that the action is continuing in the present (but says nothing about the past), while
(b) Present Perfect Continuous says that the action is still continuing in the present though it began at some time in the past.
Therefore, it will be wrong to say:
- I am working since yesterday.
By putting yesterday, we have indicated that the action began some time in the past.
The Present Perfect Continuous is meant for it.
We may say:
- I have been working since yesterday.
Note:
With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the Present Perfect Tense.
For example, own is a stative verb* and so cannot be used in the Continuous tense.
But the Present Perfect is possible with this verb:
- I am owning a car. (✗ wrong)
- I have owned a car since 2002.
5] The Simple Past Tense is used:—
(1) To describe an action completed in the past.
An adverb or adverbial phrase of past time (like yesterday, last night, ten days back, four years ago, etc.) is generally added to sentences describing past action:
- I received your letter yesterday.
- Five years ago I left this college.
(2) To indicate a habitual action in the past:
- My father always went for a walk every morning.
- I attended the church regularly in my young days.
- Gandhiji spun on the charkha every day.
Note:
The phrase used to + verb is sometimes used in the place of simple past tense to express action which was a past habit:
- My father used to go for a walk every morning.
- I used to attend the church regularly in my young days.
- Gandhiji used to spin on the charkha every day.
6] The Past Continuous Tense is used:—
(1) To describe an action going on at a point of time or over a period of time in the past.
- At 6 a.m. this morning I was doing my homework.
- I was resting the whole day.
(2) To describe an action which was in progress when another action took place:
- They were sleeping when the thief entered the bedroom.
- The light went out while I was reading.
Note: With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, the simple past is used.
For instance, hear is not used in the Past Continuous.
However, Simple Past is possible:
- I was hearing it from my office. (wrong)
- I heard it from my office.
7] The Past Perfect Tense is used:—
(1) To indicate that an action was completed at some point in the past before another action commenced or took place.
- When I reached the station, the train had left.
- The thieves had run away before the police arrived.
If two actions occurred in the past (one past action earlier than the other past action), the Past Perfect is used for the earlier past action (the train had left) and the Simple Past for the later past action (I reached).
Note: Past Perfect means “Past of the Past“—that is, the earlier of two past actions.
(Diagram showing:
- PAST TIME → The train had left (PAST PERFECT)
- Then → I reached the station (SIMPLE PAST)
- → PRESENT TIME)
(2) Other examples:
| First action completed (Past Perfect) | Second action took place (Simple Past) |
|---|---|
| The patient had died | before the doctor came. |
| After he had left | the roof collapsed. |
| The rain had stopped | when he went out of the house. |
8] The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used:—
To describe an action which began in the past and continued up to a certain point of time in the past:
- When I visited him in Chandigarh, he had been teaching there for five years.
- They had been playing in the park for three hours before I called them.
Diagram:
- PAST TIME → started teaching → five years → was teaching
- Timeline: He had been teaching → when visited
- PRESENT TIME →
9] The Simple Future Tense is used:—
To describe an action which is yet to happen in the future:
- I shall go to Agra tomorrow.
- He will come here on my birthday.
Simple Future time can be expressed in many ways without using a verb in the Simple Future Tense:
(a) By using Simple Present Tense:
- Our examination begins on 4th March.
- The meeting starts within an hour.
(b) By using Present Continuous Tense:
- I am leaving for Germany tomorrow.
- They are planning to attack us.
(c) By using am/is/are going + infinitive pattern:
- He is going to resign from the Committee.
- It is going to rain after some time.
(d) By using am/is/are + infinitive pattern:
- I am to see the doctor today.
- He is to join the Navy soon.
10] The Future Continuous Tense is used:—
To describe an action that will be continuing at a given point of time in future:
- Tomorrow at this time I shall be taking my tests.
- What will you be doing this evening?
11] The Future Perfect Tense is used:—
To describe an action that will be completed at a given point of time in future:
- By the end of this month we shall have shifted to our new house.
- Before you reach his home, he will have left that place.
- I shall have returned from school by that time.
12] The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used:—
To describe an action that will be in progress even after a point of time in future:
- By the end of this year I shall have been living in Kolkata for four years.
Note: This tense is no longer in use nowadays.
You will also like: 50 Best Subject Verb Agreement MCQs
Watch YouTube Video
