Tenses

Definition of Tense

A tense is any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of occurring or exists.

Types of Tenses 

1. Present Tense denotes an action that is taking place in the present time stamp.
2. Example

• I love food.
• The kids are playing cricket.

• Simple Present or Present Indefinite
• Indefinite actions, e.g:

1. I love my parents.
2. He sings very well.

• Regular or Habitual actions, e.g:

1. He goes to school every day.
2. I drink water after I wake up in the morning.

• The action that is going to occur in near future, e.g:

1. The match starts tomorrow.

• Universal truth, e.g:

1. Sun rises in the east.

• Present Continuous
• Continuous/Progressive action

1. The soldiers are climbing up the wall.

• Actions going to happen in near future

1. I am going to New York next week.

• Actions that are done
• Present Perfect

1. I have just completed my homework.

• Actions that started in the past and continued for long-term

1. My parents have lived in Goa for 20 years.

• Present Perfect Continuous
• Actions that are partially complete and at the time same they are also partially continuing

1. I have been working in this company since 2010.
2. Past Tense denotes an action that took place in the past. Example:
3. I met him one week ago.
4. India won the last match.

• Simple Past or Past Indefinite
• Actions completed in the past, e.g:

1. Ram completed his graduation last month.
2. I visited the doctor yesterday.

• Habitual actions of the past, e.g:

1. Akshay broke his leg during school days.

• Past Continuous
• Actions that continued in the past (the time about which we are talking about). It is always conveyed along with a simple past tense for mentioning the time or sometimes with another past continuous tense.

1. We enjoyed while they were sleeping
2. The kids were playing when they went to the park.

• Past Perfect
• In this case, two actions of the past that occurred one after another are described in one sentence. The action that occurred first is always written in past perfect tense and the action that occurred later is written in simple past tense.

1. The programme had ended before we reached there.
2. The train arrived after he had reached the station.

If both the actions occurred immediately one after another then both the sentences or actions will be in simple past tense.

1. The bus left just after we reached there.

Past Perfect Continuous

Actions that occurred in the past and continued for some period of time but ended in the past

1. They had been friends for many years before they started the business.
2. Future Tense denotes an action that is going to take place in the future. Example:
3. We will never see this classroom again.
4. Our college will start next week.

• Future Present or Future Indefinite
• Actions going to happen in future, e.g:

1. I will go to Mumbai next month.
2. My elder sister will be getting married next month.

• Actions that will be occurring in the future.
• Future Continuous

1. I will see you tomorrow.

• Future Perfect
• Actions that will complete at a certain time in the future

1. My aunt will have recovered by the next week.
2. The price of the electronic items will have decreased by the next budget.

• Future Perfect Continuous
• Actions that will start at some point of time in future and will continue for a certain period and will end in the future.

1. They will have been playing cricket all day tomorrow.

Recap

1. Present tense tells about the present action.
2. Past tense tells about an action that has already been occurred.
3. Future tense tells or predicts about the action that is going to occur in the future.