All Types of Tense: Rules and Examples

If I ask you to name one topic of English grammar that you fear the most, what will you answer? Most of you will answer tense, right? Tense is one of the most important topics to learn in the English language. From school life to college life, everywhere we need the rules of tense. In this blog, you will learn everything about tense. This blog is written with classifications, tense structures, usage, and examples to remove the fear of tense and make it simpler for you!

 

What is Tense?

The concept of tense in English is a method that we use to refer to time—past, present, and future. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Tense is any of the forms of a verb that show the time at which an action happened.

 

Why are tenses important to learn?

In the English language, tenses are considered the most important and integral part of speech. Without tenses, every sentence is illogical. To frame a sentence and convey the information clearly, we need to learn the correct use of tenses in a sentence. Tenses help us to communicate effectively and express the context of the information.

 

What are the types of tenses? 

Mainly, there are 3 types of tenses. They are present tense, past tense, and future tense. 

 

Type	Definition	Example
Present Tense	a tense expressing an action that is currently going on or habitually performed, or a state that currently or generally exists.	I go to college I am writing a blog I like to watch TV
Past Tense	a tense expressing an action that has happened or a state that previously existed.	I went to college I was writing a blog I did the homework
Future Tense	a tense expressing an action that has not yet happened or a state that does not yet exist.	Mouri will do the work by tomorrow They will finish the work by six o’clock

 

 

However, for each of the past, present, and future tenses, four different aspects add additional details. The given chart shows all 12 types of tenses:

 

Type	Classification
Present	Present Indefinite
	Present Continuous
	Present Perfect
	Present Perfect Continuous
Past	Past Indefinite
	Past Continous
	Past Perfect
	Past Perfect Continuous
Future	Future Indefinite
	Future Continous
	Future Perfect
	Future Perfect Continuous

So, now you know the definition of tense and the classifications. Let’s talk about each of the tenses individually!

Present Tense

Present tense is a verb form used to describe actions, events, or situations that are happening right now or are generally true. In the present tense, we use the root level of English verbs.

There are 4 types of present tense. 

 

Present Simple Tense 

The present simple tense, also known as the Present Indefinite Tense, is used to express actions, habits, facts, or situations that are generally true and do not necessarily have a specific connection to the present moment.  

Example: 

• I go to the gym every day. 
• Anoy practices the piano every day. 

Here, the sentences refer to an action that happens every day or is a regular occurrence. Hence, this is called the simple present tense. 

We also use the present simple tense for referring to universal truths. 

For example, The earth moves around the sun. 

 

Structure of the Present Indefinite Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + Base Verb (Infinitive) + rest of the sentence	Every morning, John walks his dog in the park.
Negative	Subject + do/does + not + Base verb + rest of the sentence	They do not like spicy food.
Interrogative	Do/Does + Subject + Base Verb + rest of the sentence +[?]	Do you play the guitar?
Negative Interrogative	Do/Does + Subject + Not + Base Verb + Rest of the sentence + [?]	Doesn’t he speak French?

 

Example: Mira wakes up at 6 a.m. and walks her dog before work. She often visits the local restaurant for breakfast.

 

 

Present Continuous Tense 

Present continuous tense is used for referring to a task that is happening now, frequently, and may continue into the future.

Example: Anoy is practicing the piano.

For forming the present continuous tense, follow the structure:

 

Subject  +  am/is/are  +  present participle (verb + ing)  +  the rest of the sentence 

 

Example: In Bangladesh, it is raining heavily, and people are rushing to take cover. Meanwhile, Sarah is standing at the bus stop, getting drenched as she waits for her bus. 

 

Structures of the Present Continuous Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + am/is/are + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence	Examples: I am playing football
Negative	Subject + am/is/are + not + present participle (verb + ing) + the rest of the sentence	Examples: I am not playing football
Interrogative	Am/is/are + subject + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence + [?]	Examples: Am I Playing football?
Negative Interrogative	Isn’t/aren’t + subject + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence (Or) Am/is/are + subject + not + present participle (verb + ing) + the rest of the sentence + [?]	Examples: Am I not playing football?

 

Present Perfect Tense

We use present perfect tense for something that started in the past and continues in the present or when we are talking about our experience up to the present. 

Example: She has just finished her assignment.

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have/has [depends on the subject] and the past participle of a verb.

Structure:

Subject  +  have/has  +  verb (past participle/3rd form of a verb)  +  rest of the sentence. 

 

Example: He has completed his master’s degree in physics, and now he is looking for a job. They have visited many famous landmarks during their travels around the world.

 

Structure of the Present Perfect Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + have/has + past participle + rest of the sentence	He has finished his work.
Negative	Subject + have/has + not + past participle + rest of the sentence	They have not visited Paris.
Interrogative	Have/Has + Subject + past participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Have you seen this movie?
Negative Interrogative	Have/Has + Subject + not + past participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Hasn’t she eaten the lunch yet?

 

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense denotes actions/events that are already in progress while we speak about them.  

Example: I have not been working on this project for a week.

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have/has [depends on the subject] and the past participle of a verb.

Structure:

Subject  +  have/has  +  been  +  present participle (verb+ing)  +  the rest of the sentence

 

Structure of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + have/has been + present participle + rest of the sentence	She has been dancing for hours.
Negative	Subject + have/has not been + present participle + rest of the sentence	We have not been waiting long.
Interrogative	Have/Has + Subject + been + present participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Have they been working here long?
Negative Interrogative	Have/Has + Subject + not been + present participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Hasn’t he been playing guitar all day?

 

Past Tense

The past tense is a tense used for a past activity or a past state of being. We also use the past tense when we talk about any hypothesis. 

 

 

Nevertheless, the past tense is further divided into 4 types based on whether the action was ongoing or had already been concluded.

 

Past Simple Tense/Past Indefinite Tense

The simple past or past indefinite is a verb tense that is used to talk about things that happened or existed before now. 

Structure:

Sub  +  Past form of a verb +  rest of the sentence 

 

Example: Last summer, we visited Paris and explored the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. He finished his book last night and felt a great sense of accomplishment

 

Structure of the Past Simple Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + Past form of the verb (Infinitive)+ rest of the sentence	We visited London last summer.
Negative	Subject + did + not + Base Verb+ rest of the sentence	I did not go to the party.
Interrogative	Did + Subject + Base Verb+ rest of the sentence +  [?]	Did she like the gift?
Negative Interrogative	Did + Subject + not + Base Verb + rest of the sentence +  [?]	Did they not finish their homework?

 

 

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense shows a continuous action that began in the past. It is used in a sentence to represent an action or event that was going on in the past.

 

Structure of the Past Continuous Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + was/were + base form of verb + ing + rest of the sentence	They were playing inside.
Negative	Subject + was/were + not + base form of verb + ing + rest of the sentence	I was not sleeping during the lecture.
Interrogative	Was/Were + Subject + base form of verb + ing + rest of the sentence + [?]	Were you reading a book yesterday?
Negative Interrogative	Was/were + subject + not + base form of verb + ing + rest of the sentence + [?]	Were they not swimming in the pool?

 

Example: While Sarah was doing her homework, the rain was falling outside, creating a soothing sound. The kids were playing in the garden when suddenly, a rainbow appeared in the sky.

 

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used to demonstrate an action that was happening in the past for a period of time in a particular context. The context can be a specific time or another action.

 

Structure of the Past Perfect Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + had + past participle of verb + rest of the sentence	I had visited that city before.
Negative	Subject + had + not + past participle of verb + rest of the sentence	I had not visited that city before.
Interrogative	Had + subject + past participle of verb + rest of the sentence + [?]	Had I visited that city before?
Negative Interrogative	Had + subject + not + past participle of verb + rest of the sentence + [?]	Had I not visited that city before?

 

Example: Before going to the party, Mouri had finished his homework. When we arrived at the cinema, the movie had started.

 

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past perfect continuous tense is used to refer to an action that started in the past, continued in the past, and also ended at a certain point in the past

 

Structure of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + had been + present participle of verb + rest of the sentence	They had been practicing for a long time.
Negative	Subject + had not been +present  participle of verb + rest of the sentence	They had not been practicing for a long time.
Interrogative	Had + subject + been +present  participle of verb + rest of the sentence + [?]	Had they been practicing for a long time?
Negative Interrogative	Had + subject + not been + present participle of verb + rest of the sentence + [?]	Had they not been practicing for a long time?

 

Example:

• She had been practicing the piano for hours before the concert.
• By the time we reached the beach, the sun had been shining brightly. 

 

 

 

Future Tense

The future tense is the “form of a verb that you use when you are talking about something that will happen or exist in the future.” We use the future tense to refer to the future.

The future tense can be used in 4 different forms. 

 

Future Simple Tense

The simple future is a verb tense that’s used to talk about things that haven’t happened yet. It is used to indicate events of the future time. 

Structure:

 Subject + will + Base Verb (Infinitive) + rest of the sentence 

Example: I will play football with my friends at the park tomorrow. In the evening, she will watch her favorite TV show after finishing her homework.

 

Structure of the Future Simple Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + will + Base Verb (Infinitive) + rest of the sentence	I will call you tomorrow.
Negative	Subject + will + not + Base Verb + rest of the sentence	She will not visit next week.
Interrogative	Will + Subject + Base Verb + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will they arrive on time?
Negative Interrogative	Will + Subject + not + Base Verb + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will he not come to the party?

 

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is used to refer to the action that will happen in the future and continue for an expected period. 

Structure: 

 Subject + will be + present participle + rest of the sentence 

Example:

• Next week, they will be working on a science project for the school exhibition.
• As the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve, people will be cheering and counting down to welcome the new year.

 

Structure of the Future Continuous Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + will be + present participle + rest of the sentence	This time tomorrow, they will be working.
Negative	Subject + will not be + present participle + rest of the sentence	I will not be working late tonight.
Interrogative	Will + subject + be + present participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will you be attending the conference?
Negative Interrogative	Will + subject + not be + present participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will they not be watching a movie?

 

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to talk about something that will be completed before a specific time in the future. 

We can use phrases like by or by the time (meaning at some point before) and in or in a day / in two months / in five years’ etc. (meaning at the end of this period) to indicate the period in which the action will be completed.

Structure:

Subject + will have + past participle + rest of the sentence 

Example:

• By the time the weekend arrives, I will have completed all my homework assignments.
• When you return from your holiday, the builders will have finished renovating your house.

 

Structure of the Future Perfect Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + will have + past participle + rest of the sentence	By the end of the year, he will have finished the project.
Negative	Subject + will not have + past participle + rest of the sentence	They will not have completed the course.
Interrogative	Will + subject + have + past participle rest of the sentence + [?]	Will she have written the report by Friday?
Negative Interrogative	Will + subject + not have + past participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will they not have reached their destination?

 

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous refers to a tense that describes actions that will continue up until a point in the future. 

Structure:

Subject + will have been + present participle + rest of the sentence 

Example:

• When summer ends, I will have been practicing the guitar for six months, hoping to play a song for my friends.
• By the time we meet again, the flowers in the garden will have been blooming for a whole year.

 

Structure of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Type	Structure	Examples
Positive	Subject + will have been + present participle + rest of the sentence	In a year, they will have been renovating their house for a decade.
Negative	Subject + will not have been + present participle + rest of the sentence	He will not have been studying for long.
Interrogative	Will + subject + have been + present participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will you have been working here for a year?
Negative Interrogative	Will + subject + not have been + present participle + rest of the sentence + [?]	Will they not have been painting the room?

 

All Types of Tense: At a Glance

 

Type	Classification	Structure
Present Tense	Present Indefinite	Subject + Base Verb (Infinitive)
	Present Continous	Subject + am/is/are + present participle
	Present Perfect	Subject + have/has + past participle
	Present Perfect Continuous	Subject + have/has been + present participle
Past Tense	Past Indefinite	Subject + Past Tense of Verb
	Past Continous	Subject + was/were + present participle
	Past Perfect	Subject + had + past participle
	Past Perfect Continuous	Subject + had been + present participle
Future Tense	Future Indefinite	Subject + will + Base Verb (Infinitive)
	Future Continous	Subject + will be + present participle
	Future Perfect	Subject + will have + past participle
	Futuret Perfect Continuous	Subject + will have been + present participle

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

• What is tense? 

Tense is any of the forms of a verb that show the time at which an action happened. 

• What are the types of tenses? 

Mainly, there are three types of tense. They are-

• Present
• Past
• Future

 

• What is the definition of present tense?

Present tense is a verb form used to describe actions, events, or situations that are happening right now or are generally true.

• What is the definition of past tense?

The past tense is a tense used for a past activity or a past state of being. We also use past tense when we talk about any hypothesis. 

• What is the definition of future tense?

The future tense is the form of a verb that you use when you are talking about something that will happen or exist in the future.

• What are the 12 forms of tense?

12 Forms of tenses are-

1. Present Indefinite
2. Present Continuous
3. Present Perfect 
4. Present Perfect Continuous 
5. Past Indefinite
6. Past Continuous
7. Past Perfect 
8. Past Perfect Continuous 
9. Future Indefinite 
10. Future Continuous 
11. Future Perfect
12. Future Perfect Continuous 

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