Tenses in English Grammar
Tenses in English Grammar :
Tenses denote the time of action. They show when the work is done. They are…
(A) Present Tense
(B) Past Tense
(C) Future Tense
They are further divided into…
PRESENT TENSE
( 1 ) Simple Present Tense
It is used to denote scientific facts, universal truths and work done on daily basis.
Examples :
She writes a letter.
She does not write a letter.
Does she write a letter?
Does she not write a letter?
( 2 ) Present Continuous Tense
It is used to express an action taking place at the time of speaking.
Examples :
She is writing a letter.
She is not writing a letter.
Is she writing a letter?
Is she not writing a letter?
( 3 ) Present Perfect Tense
It is used to show an action that started in the past and has just finished.
Examples :
She has written a letter.
She has not written a letter.
Has she written a letter?
Has she not written a letter?
( 4 ) Present Perfect Continuous Tense
This tense shows the action which started in the past and is still continuing.
Examples :
She has been writing a letter.
She has not been writing a letter.
Has she been writing a letter?
Has she not been writing a letter?
PAST TENSE
Tense symbolizes the ever moving, non-stop wheel of time which is forever busy gathering moments of future and throwing them into the dustbin of past.
( 5 ) Simple Past Tense
This tense is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs with adverb of time. Sometimes it is used without an adverb of time. Used for past habits.
Examples :
I played football when I was a child.
She wrote a letter.
She didn’t write a letter.
Did she write a letter?
Did she not write a letter?
( 6 ) Past Continuous Tense
This tense is used to denote an action going on at some time in the past.
Examples :
I was driving a car.
She was writing a letter.
She was not writing a letter.
Was she writing a letter?
Was she not writing a letter?
( 7 ) Past Perfect Tense
This tense is used to describe an action completed before a certain moment in the past, usually a long time ago. If two actions happened in the past, past perfect is used to show the action that took place earlier.
Examples :
The patient had died before the doctor came.
She had written a letter.
She had not written a letter.
Had she written a letter?
Had she not written a letter?
( 8 ) Past Perfect Continuous Tense
This tense is used to denote an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued up to some time in past.
Examples :
I had been learning English in this school for 20 days.
She had been writing a letter.
She had not been writing a letter.
Had she been writing a letter?
Had she not been writing a letter?
FUTURE TENSE
Time and tide wait for no man. So, a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing is called as future tense.
Example :
She will write a letter.
( 9 ) Simple Future Tense
This tense tells us about an action which has not occurred yet and will occur after saying or in future. In Future Tense helping verb SHALL is used with I and WE. Helping verb WILL is used with all others. When you are to make a commitment or warn someone or emphasize something, use of WILL / SHALL is reversed. WILL is used with I & WE and SHALL is used with others.
In general speaking there is hardly any difference between SHALL & WILL and normally WILL is used with all. Now, let us use this rule in various forms of sentences.
Examples :
She will write a letter.
She will not write a letter.
Will she write a letter?
Will she not write a letter?
( 10 ) Future Continuous Tense
It is used to express an ongoing or continued action in future.
Example :
He will be distributing sweets in temple tomorrow at 12 o'clock.
In the example, the action will start in future (tomorrow) and action is thought to be continued till sometime in future. We use the future continuous to talk about something that will be in progress at or around a time in the future.
Examples :
She will be writing a letter.
She will not be writing a letter.
Will she be writing a letter?
Will she not be writing a letter?
( 11 ) Future Perfect Tense
It is used to express an action which will happen/occur in future and will be completed by a certain time in future. We use the future perfect to say that something will be finished by a particular time in the future.
Examples :
They will have shifted the house by Sunday morning.
She will have written a letter.
She will not have written a letter.
Will she have written a letter?
Will she not have written a letter?
( 12 ) Future Perfect Continuous Tense
It is used to talk about actions that will commence at a fix time in future and will continue for some time in future. If there is no time reference, then it is not a Future perfect continuous tense. Without continued time reference, such sentences are Future Continuous Tense. Continued time reference only differentiates between Future Continuous Tense and Future Perfect Continuous Tense. The future perfect progressive emphasize the duration of an activity that will be in progress before another time or event in the future.
Example :
This time tomorrow, I will be enjoying the cricket match in the stadium.
It is also used to talk about planned actions or actions expected to happen.
Example :
They will be staying for a week.
The future perfect progressive emphasize the duration of an activity that will be in progress before another time or event in the future.
Examples :
She will have been writing a letter.
She will not have been writing a letter.
Will she have been writing a letter?
Will she not have been writing a letter?
Tenses in English Grammar :
Elementary English Grammar Index
Related Links : Tenses in English Grammar
