Tenses are basically categorized as follows :
A general ongoing, regular or scheduled activity.
In Simple Present, the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing being said about its completeness.
It is used to talk about an action which happens on a regular basis.
For example: i.) I take English classes every Monday.
ii.) You play football.
iii.) John drives the bike very fast.
Form :-
[VERB] + s/es in third person
Verb "+s/es" form is used
Structure:
- If subject is 3rd person singular.
- The verb is used in its original form.
- If subject is 1st and/or 2nd person singular.
- If subject is 1st and/or 2nd person plural.
- If subject is 3rd person plural.
An action occurring now.
In the Present Continuous tense, the action is on-going/ still going on and hence continuous.
The present continuous tense is used to talk about actions that are happening at this current moment.
For example: i.) I am studying.
ii.) She is eating the apple.
iii,) They are playing cricket.
Form :-
[am/is/are + present participle]
Structure:
Use first form of the verb “+ing”.
Singular 3rd person subject — use ‘is’.
Plural 1st, 2nd and 3rd person and singular 2nd person subject — use ‘are’.
1st person singular — use ‘am’.
Subject + be (is, am, are) + Verb+ -ing + Object.
An action started in the past that has been completed in, or has relevance to, the present.
In the Present Perfect tense, the action is complete or has ended and hence termed Perfect.
The exact time when the action happened is not important and hence, it is not mentioned in this tense.
For example: i.) I have already studied the tenses today.
ii.) You have slept well today.
iii.) He has played cricket.
Form:-
[has/have + past participle]
Subject + has/have + past tense of verb + Object.
An action still continuing from the past to the present.
In the Present Perfect Continuous tense, the action has been taking place for some time and is still ongoing.
The duration for which the action has been going on is usually mentioned in the present perfect continuous tense.
For example: i.) I have been learning English for three years.
ii.) You have been working skillfully.
iii.) He has been playing cricket.
Form :-
[has/have + been + present participle]
Structure:
Use the first form of the verb + “–ing”.
Singular subject (has been), Plural subject or I (have been).
‘Since’— if the point of time is mentioned.
‘For’ — if the duration of time is specified.
An action that happened in the past.
In the Simple Past tense, the action is simply mentioned and understood to have taken place in the past.
The action started and ended sometime in the past but the time may or may not be mentioned.
For example: i.) I went to the school.
ii.) John ate the banana.
iii.) You bought the chair.
Form:-
[VERB+ed] or past tense of irregular verbs
Structure:-
Subject + past tense of verb + Object.
An action that happened at a specific point in the past.
In the Past Continuous tense, the action was ongoing till a certain time in the past.
This tense is used to talk about an action at a particular time in the past.
For example: i.) I was washing the car when it rained.
ii.) You are was drinking mango juice.
iii.) Sheena was cleaning the shelf.
Form:-
[was/were + present participle]
Structure :-
Subject + was/were + Verb in its -ing form + Object.
An action that happened before another event in the past.
The Past Perfect tense is used to express something that happened before another action in the past.
For example: i.) I had washed the car before it rained.
ii.) You had drunk sweet coffee.
iii.) Drake had played hockey.
Form:-
[had + past participle]
Structure :-
Subject + had + past participle form of verb + Object.
An action that happened before a certain time in the past, to show duration.
The Past Perfect Continuous tense is used to express something that started in the past and continued until another time in the past.
For example: i.) I had been going to school for a year when it was closed.
ii.) You had been baking the cookies.
iii.) John had been driving the car.
Form :-
[had been + present participle]
Structure:-
Subject + had + been + Verb (ing) + object.
An action to be completed in the future.
The Simple Future tense is used when we plan or make a decision to do something. Nothing is said about the time in the future.
For example: i.) I will go to the cinema.
ii.) You will drive the scooter.
iii.) Anna will buy the house.
Form:-
[will + verb]
[am/is/are + going to + verb]
Structure:-
Subject + will + Verb + object.
Subject + going to + Verb + object.
An action occurring at a specific point in the future.
The future continuous tense is used to express action at a particular moment in the future.
However, the action will not have finished at the moment.
For example: i.) I will be fishing this time next week.
ii.) You will be buying the cookies.
iii.) Adam will be drinking the coffee.
Form:-
[will be + present participle]
[am/is/are + going to be + present participle]
Structure:-
'will' + 'be' + present participle of the verb (ing).
An action that finishes in the future, before or at the time of another future action.
The Future Perfect tense expresses an action that will occur in the future before another action or time in the future.
For example: i.) I will have learned all the tenses by tomorrow.
ii.) You will have slept before John arrives.
iii.) John will have played hockey.
Form:-
[will have + past participle]
[am/is/are + going to have + past participle]
Structure:-
'will' + 'have' + 'past participle of the verb'.
An action at a certain point in the future, expressing duration.
Future Perfect Continuous is used to talk about an on-going action before some point in the future.
For example: i.) I will have been studying English for three years this summer.
ii.) You will have been sleeping for two hours when John arrives.
iii.) John will have been playing flute.
Form:-
[will have been + present participle]
[am/is/are + going to have been + present participle]
