In this post, we’ll study tenses with their examples.
Table of Contents
- 1 Tenses with Examples for the Students
- 1.1 Uses of Simple Tenses with Examples
- 1.2 Types of Sentences in Simple Tenses
- 1.3 Uses of Continuous (Progressive) Tense with Examples
- 1.4 Types of Sentences in Continuous (Progressive) Tenses
- 1.5 Uses of Perfect Tenses with Examples
- 1.6 Types of Sentences in Perfect Tenses
- 1.7 Uses of Perfect Continuous Tenses with Examples
- 1.8 Types of Sentences in Perfect Continuous Tenses
Tenses with Examples for the Students
- Tenses indicate the time of occurrence of an action or event.
- In any sentence, an action or a state of being is denoted by the verb. Hence, tenses are directly related to verbs.
- The different states of time are past, present, and future. The past is what happened yesterday; the present is what happens today, and the future is what will happen tomorrow.
- There are three types of tenses:
Each tense has its own four types. So, the total tenses are twelve as below.
| S.N. | Present Tense | Past Tense | Future Tense |
| 1 | Present Indefinite (Simple Present) Tenses | Past Indefinite (Simple Past) Tenses | Future Indefinite (Simple Future) Tenses |
| 2 | Present Continuous (Progressive) Tense | Past Continuous (Progressive) Tense | Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense |
| 3 | Present Perfect Tenses | Past Perfect Tenses | Future Perfect Tenses |
| 4 | Present Perfect Continuous Tenses | Past Perfect Continuous Tenses | Future Perfect Continuous Tenses |
Uses of Simple Tenses with Examples
| Present Indefinite (Simple Present) Tenses | Past Indefinite (Simple Past) Tenses | Future Indefinite (Simple Future) Tenses |
| We use the simple present tense for: 1. A habitual action. Exp. (i) He takes tea daily. (ii) I go to school on foot. 2. A universal truth. Exp. (i) Earth moves around the Sun. (ii)Two and two make four. 3. A future event that is already known or planned. Exp. (i) He arrives at noon tomorrow. | We use the past simple tense to talk about times in the past such as yesterday, last week, 2004, a hundred years ago, etc. Exp. (i) My father repaired the chair last Monday. (ii) I went to Jaipur yesterday. (iii) You came to Sikar in 2016.
| We use the simple future tense to show an action that takes place in the future. Exp. (i) I shall go to Delhi tomorrow. (ii) He will open the gate in the next hour. (iii) You will pay in the next week.
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Types of Sentences in Simple Tenses
| S.N | Sentences | Simple Present | Simple Past | Simple Future |
| 1 | Affirmative or Positive | Sub.+v1+ obj. (i) He writes a letter. (ii) I write a letter. | Sub.+v2+ obj. (i) He wrote a letter. (ii) I wrote a letter. | Sub.+ shall/will+v1+ obj. (i) He will write a letter. (ii) I shall write a letter. |
| 2 | Negative | Sub.+do/does+not + v1+ obj. (i) He does not write a letter. (ii) I do not write a letter. | Sub.+did+not+v1 + obj. (i) He did not write a letter. (ii) I did not write a letter. | Sub.+shall/will+not +v1 + obj. (i) He will not write a letter. (ii) I shall not write a letter. |
| 3 | Interrogative | H.V.+sub.+v1+ obj+ (i) Does he write a letter? (ii) Do I write a letter? Wh-Word+h.v.+ sub. +v1+obj.+? (i)Why does he write a letter? (ii)Why do I write a letter? | H.V.+sub.+v1+obj +? (i) Did he write a letter? (ii) Did I write a letter? Wh-Word+h.v.+sub. +v1+obj+? (i)Why did he write a letter? (ii)Why did I write a letter? | H.V.+sub.+v1+ obj+? (i)Will he write a letter? (ii) Shall I write a letter?
WhWord+h.v.+sub.+ v1+ obj+? (i)Why will he write a letter? (ii)Why shall I write a letter? |
| 4 | Interrogative Negative | H.V.+sub.+not+v1+ obj+? (i) Does he not write a letter? (ii) Do I not write a letter? WhWord+h.v.+sub. +not+v1+ obj+? (i)Why does he not write a letter? (ii)Why do I not write a letter? | H.V.+sub.+not+v1+ obj+? (i) Did he not write a letter? (ii) Did I not write a letter? WhWord+h.v.+sub. +not+v1+ obj+? (i)Why did he not write a letter? (ii)Why did I not write a letter? | H.V.+sub.+not +v1+obj +? (i)Will he not write a letter? (ii) Shall I not write a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub.+ not+v1+ obj+? (i)Why Will he not write a letter? (ii)Why Shall I not write a letter? |
Uses of Continuous (Progressive) Tense with Examples
| Present Continuous Tense | Past Continuous Tense | Future Continuous Tense |
| This tense expresses the continuity of action. Exp. (i) I am playing. (ii) You are playing. (iii) He is playing. | This tense expresses the action, which was continued in past. Exp. (i) I was reading. (ii) He was eating. (iii) We were laughing. | This tense expresses the action, which will continue in the future. Exp. (i) I am playing. (ii) You are playing. (iii) He is playing. |
Types of Sentences in Continuous (Progressive) Tenses
| S.N | Sentences | Present Continuous Tense | Past Continuous Tense | Future Continuous Tense |
| 1 | Affirmative or Positive | Sub.+h.v.+v4+ obj. (i) I am writing a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+v4+ obj. (i) I was writing a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+be+v4+ obj. (i) I shall be writing a letter. |
| 2 | Negative | Sub.+h.v.+not+v4+ obj. (i) I am not writing a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+not+v4+ obj. (i) I was not writing a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+not+be+v4+ obj. (i) I shall not be writing a letter. |
| 3 | Interrogative | H.V.+sub.+v4+obj.+? (i) Am I writing a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub. +v4+ obj.+? (i) Why am I writing a letter?
| H.V.+sub.+v4+obj.+? (i) Was I writing a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub. +v4+ obj.+? (i) Why was I writing a letter?
| H.V.+sub.+be+v4+ obj.+? (i)Shall I be writing a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub.+ be+v4+ obj.+? (i) Why shall I be writing a letter?
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| 4 | Interrogative Negative | H.V.+sub.+not+v4+ obj.+? (i) Am I not writing a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub. +not+v4+obj.+? (i) Why am I not writing a letter?
| H.V.+sub.+not+v4+ obj.+? (i) Was I not writing a letter?
WhWord+h.v.+sub.+ not+v4+ obj.+? (i) Why was I not writing a letter?
| H.V.+sub.+not+be+v4+ obj.+? (i)Shall I not be writing a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub.+ not+be+v4+ obj.+? (i) Why shall I not be writing a letter?
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Uses of Perfect Tenses with Examples
| Present Perfect Tense | Past Perfect Tense | Future Perfect Tense |
| This tense expresses an action that has been completed just now or every time. The following adverbial is commonly used. Just, recently, already, etc. Exp. (i) He has just gone out. (ii) I have recently read this novel. (iii)She has cooked food. | This tense expresses an action completed before a particular time in the past. Exp. (i) I had finished my work. (ii)The train had left. (iii) She had done her work on time. | This tense expresses an action that is to finish in near future. Exp. (i) We shall have done this work by noon. (ii) She will have cooked food by 2 a.m. |
Types of Sentences in Perfect Tenses
| S.N | Sentences | Present Perfect Tense | Past Perfect Tense | Future Perfect Tense |
| 1 | Affirmative or Positive | Sub.+h.v.+v3+ obj. (i) I have written a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+v3+ obj. (i) I had written a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+v3+ obj. (i) I shall have written a letter. |
| 2 | Negative | Sub.+h.v.+not+v3+ obj. (i) I have not written a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+not+v3 + obj.
(i) I had not written a letter. | Sub.+h.v.+not+v3+ obj.
(i) I shall not have written a letter. |
| 3 | Interrogative | H.V.+sub.+v3+obj. +? (i) Have I written a letter? Wh-Word+h.v.+ sub.+v3+obj.+? (i) Why have I written a letter? | H.V.+sub.+v3+obj.+? (i) Had I written a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+sub. +v3+ obj.+? (i) Why had I written a letter? | Shall/will+sub.+have+ v3+ obj.+? (i)Shall I have written a letter? Wh-Word+shall/will+ sub.+have+v3+ obj.+? (i) Why shall I have written a letter? |
| 4 | Interrogative Negative | H.V.+sub.+not+v3 +obj.+? (i) Have I not written a letter?
Wh-Word+h.v.+ sub.+not+v3+obj.+? (i) Why have I not written a letter? | H.V.+sub.+not+v3+ obj.+? (i) Had I not written a letter?
WhWord+h.v.+sub. +not+v3+ obj.+? (i) Why had I not written a letter? | Shall/will+sub.+not+ have+v3+ obj.+? (i)Shall I not have written a letter? Wh-Word+shall/will+ sub.+not+have+v3+ obj.+? (i) Why shall I not have written a letter? |
Uses of Perfect Continuous Tenses with Examples
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense | Past Perfect Continuous Tense | Future Perfect Continuous Tense |
| This tense shows an action that has partially been completed and is still continuing in the present time. Exp: (i) It has been raining for two hours. (ii)He has been working since 3O clock. (iii) I have been reading for three hours. | This tense shows an action that started in the remote past and was in progress or continue in the past.
Exp: (i) It had been raining for two hours. (ii) He had been working since 3O clock. (iii) I had been reading for three hours. | This tense shows an action that will begin in the future at a certain time and will continue in the future.
Exp: (i) It will have been raining for two hours. (ii) He will have been working since 3O clock. (iii) I shall have been reading for three hours. |
Note: – ‘Since’ or ‘for’ are commonly used in this tense. ‘Since’ comes for a point of time while ’for’ comes for periods of time.
Types of Sentences in Perfect Continuous Tenses
| S.N | Sentences | Present Perfect ContinuousTense | Past Perfect Continuous Tense | Future Perfect Continuous Tense |
| H.V. (Have/has been) | H.V. (Had been) | H.V. (Shall/will have been) | ||
| 1 | Affirmative or Positive | Sub.+H.V.+V4+Obj.+ Since/For +Time. (i) I have been writing a letter for one hour. | Sub.+H.V.+V4+Obj.+ Since/For +Time. (i) I had been writing a letter for one hour. | Sub.+H.V.+V4+Obj.+ Since/For +Time. (i) I shall have been writing a letter for one hour. |
| 2 | Negative | S.+H.V+not+been+ V4+O.+ Since/For +Time. (i) I have not been writing a letter for one hour. | S.+ H.V.+not+been+ V4+O.+Since/For +Time. (i) I had not been writing a letter for one hour. | S.+ Shall/Will have+ not+ been+ V4+ O.+ Since/For +Time. (i) I shall have not been writing a letter for one hour. |
| 3 | Interrogative | H.V.+S.+been+V4+O. +Since/For +Time+? (i) Have I been writing a letter for one hour? Wh-Word+ H.V.+S. +been+V4+O.+Since /For +Time+? (i) Why have I been writing a letter for one hour? | H.V.+S.+been+V4+O. +Since /For +Time+? (i) Had I been writing a letter for one hour?
Wh-Word+ H.V.+ S.+ been+V4+O.+Since /For +Time+? (i) Why had I been writing a letter for one hour? | Shall/Will+ S.+ have been +V4+ O.+ Since/For+ Time+? (i) Shall I have been writing a letter for one hour? Wh-Word+ Shall/Will+ S.+ have been+V4+ O.+ Since/ For+ Time+? (i) Why shall I have been writing a letter for one hour? |
| 4 | Interrogative Negative | H.V.+S.+not+been+ V4 +O.+Since/For +Time +? (i) Have I not been writing a letter for one hour? Wh-Word+ H.V.+S. +not+been+V4 +O. + Since/For+Time+? (i) Why have I not been writing a letter for one hour? | H.V.+ S.+ not+ been+ V4+O.+Since/ For +Time+? (i) Had I not been writing a letter for one hour?
Wh-Word+ H.V.+ S. +not+been+V4+O.+ Since/For +Time+? (i) Why had I not been writing a letter for one hour? | Shall/Will+ S.+ not+ have been+V4+ O.+ Since/For+ Time+? (i) Shall I not have been writing a letter for one hour? Wh-Word+ Shall/Will+ S.+ not+ have been+V4+ O.+ Since/ For+ Time+? (i) Why shall I not have been writing a letter for one hour? |
Hope that you have understood the tenses with examples