A verb in English tells us when an action takes place—past, present, or future. It also indicates whether the action is finished, ongoing, or happens repeatedly. These different forms of verbs are called tenses. English has twelve tenses, grouped into three main time periods: past, present, and future. In this lesson, we will briefly explore all twelve tenses.
Simple Tense
Simple tenses describe general facts, habits, completed actions or future actions without emphasizing duration or continuation. Note the structure of negative sentences in each tense.
Present Simple Tense
Usage: Habits, routines, unchanging situations, general truths, fixed schedules.
Structure: Subject + verb (base/infinitive form)
Examples: He walks to work every day.
He doesn’t walk to work.
They don’t work together.
Past Simple Tense
Usage: Past actions completed at specific time.
Structure: Subject + past form of verb
Subject + didn’t + verb (base form)
Examples: I ate dinner at 7pm.
I didn’t eat dinner at 7 pm.
Future Simple Tense
Usage: Actions that will occur at a specified time in future. Use this tense to talk about things we can’t control, spontaneous actions and predictions.
Structure: Subject + will + verb-1
Examples: We will know our exam results in June.
It is raining. I will take an umbrella.
Note: For planned actions use the construction ‘be going to’.
We are going to Simla for a vacation
Continuous Tense
Continuous tenses describe actions that are, were, or will be in progress at a specific time.
Present Continuous Tense
Usage: Actions happening now or around now, temporary situations. It is also used for personal arrangements and planned actions in the future.
Structure: Subject + am/is/are + verb+ ing
Examples: I am reading a book now.
Ravi is selling his bike to buy a car.
Past Continuous Tense
Usage: Actions going on in past. The ongoing action may be interrupted by other action. The simple past is used for the new action.
Structure: Subject + was/were + verb+ing
Examples: We were watching TV all night.
I was sleeping when the phone rang.
Future Continuous Tense
Usage: Actions that will be in progress at a future time.
Structure: Subject + will/shall be + verb+ing
Examples: I will be sleeping at midnight.
This time tomorrow, I will be travelling.
Perfect Tenses
They express actions that started in the past and have some relevance to another point in time.
Present Perfect Tense
Usage: Actions that began at some time in the past and continue in the present, completed recently or completed at an unspecified time.
Structure: Subject + have/has + past participle
Examples: Neha has been ill since last week.
I have just polished my shoes.
Ravi has submitted his assignment.
Note the use of ‘since’ and ‘for’.
Past Perfect Tense
Usage: Actions completed before specific past time.
Structure: Subject + had + past participle
Examples: I had eaten before they arrived.
The movie had started before we reached the cinema hall.
Future Perfect Tense
Usage: Actions completed before a specified future time.
Structure: Subject + will/shall have + past participle
Examples: They will have finished the project by Friday.
I will have worked here for ten years by the end of this week.
Perfect Continuous Tenses
Perfect continuous tenses combine aspects of both perfect and continuous tenses to show the duration of an action up to a certain point in time. They emphasize both the ongoing nature and the duration of an action.
Present Perfect Continuous
Usage: Actions starting in past and continuing to present.
Structure: Subject + have/has been + verb+ing
Examples: I have been studying for hours.
We have been living in Mumbai since 2007.
Past Perfect Continuous
Usage: Actions ongoing up to a past time.
Structure: Subject + had been + verb+ing
Examples: I had been waiting for an hour.
Ravi had been working here for twenty years when he resigned.
Future Perfect Continuous
Usage: Actions started before and continuing into future.
Structure: Subject + will/shall have been + verb+ing
Examples: By 2050, humans will have been living on Mars for twenty years.
I will have been teaching for twenty years next month.
On the next page, I provide you with a tense table that summarises the lesson by giving sentences in proper context for each tense. I have purposely chosen the verb ‘eat’ as its present, past and past participle forms are distinct.
Tense Table
| Present | Past | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | I eat bread daily. | I ate bread for breakfast. | I will eat bread tomorrow. |
| Continuous | I have eaten bread many times. | I had eaten bread before I left for office. | I will have eaten all the bread at home by tomorrow. |
| Perfect | I am eating bread. | I was eating bread when Ravi came. | I will be eating bread for my breakfast this week |
| Perfect Continuous | I have been eating bread for breakfast this entire month. | I had been eating bread daily before I shifted to keto-diet. | I will have been eating bread for breakfast for one month tomorrow morning. |
Assignment: Create a tense table. Choose an irregular verb whose three forms are clearly different from each other (similar to how ‘eat, ate, eaten’ are distinct). Provide clear context for when that tense would be used.