What is Tense in english Grammar?

If we define tense in english grammar, it is the period of time during which a verb acts and its current condition. For instance, something would be counted in the present tense if it happened right now. Or the future tense would refer to something that is going to occur.

Tenses, to put it simply, are the temporal periods in which the verbs are utilised. Three forms are used to further categorise the tenses. Future, past, and present. We utilise a certain kind of tense to express the appropriate kind of time in the statement. We use the future tense when something is going to happen and the past tense when something has already happened.

A verb form that allows us to represent time is known as a tense.

For instance, you might use the past tense to discuss something that occurred last week.

You would use the future tense to discuss something that will occur in one month.

Because we are now residing in the present, we utilise it as our point of reference when utilising tenses in English.

Therefore, if you consumed pizza yesterday, it occurred in the past, correct?

This is due to the fact that it occurred earlier than presently.

If you want to tell someone in English that you once consumed pizza, you must use the past tense.

Yesterday, I had pizza.

Imagine for a moment that you want to tell your friend about a vacation you took to the mountains. The journey is in the future since it will take place in three days.

You can’t reasonably claim that you ate pizza yesterday in the same tense.

You must employ a different tense this time, one that indicates that an activity will occur after our present time.

Future simple tense is used in that sentence:

I have a trip the following Saturday.

When Should we Start Learning the Tenses in English grammar?

As soon as you begin learning English, you should start studying the tenses. Tenses are not difficult to acquire, especially at the introductory level, and they are necessary for speaking successfully in English.

English has three primary tenses: past, present, and future. There are multiple alternative forms for each tense, but you don’t have to master them all at once. Each tense’s more popular forms may be learned first, and as you advance, you can progressively learn the others.

Here are some tips for learning English tenses:

• Take the present simple tense first. This is the most fundamental form of the English language, and it is used to discuss recurring events, general truths, and current events.
• You can go on to the past simple tense once you have a solid grasp of the present simple tense. When discussing events in the past, this tense is employed.
• Study the future simple tense next. When discussing future events, the future perfect tense is employed.
• The present continuous tense, past continuous tense, and perfect tenses are some of the more advanced tenses that may be studied after mastering the three fundamental tenses.

To study English tenses, there are several materials accessible. Tenses may be taught in a number of methods through books, online, and applications. To aid in your education on the proper usage of tenses, you may also practise speaking and writing in English.

Here are some additional tips for learning English tenses:

• Pay attention to the verb tenses that native speakers employ in regular speech.
• To practise speaking and writing English, look for a language partner or coach.
• Read books and articles written in English and pay attention to the tenses the author employs.
• Watch English-language films and television programmes and pay attention to the tenses the characters employ.
• Don’t be reluctant to make errors. When learning a new language, everyone makes mistakes. It’s crucial to keep practising and to learn from your errors.

‍Although it might take some time and effort, becoming proficient in English tenses is a necessary ability for everyone who wishes to communicate in the language. You may quickly and simply master English tenses by using the preceding advice.

Why Tenses are Important for us?

Tenses are significant because they enable clear and succinct communication of the timing of an action or occurrence. It would be quite challenging to express ourselves correctly without them because they constitute the foundation of the English language.

Here are some of the reasons why tenses are so important:

• To talk about events that occur at various times: Tenses allow us to discuss events that have already occurred, are currently occurring, or will occur in the future. For instance, we may use the phrases “I went to the store yesterday,” “I’m going to the store right now,” and “I’ll go to the store tomorrow” to express past, present, and future events, respectively.
• To create sophisticated sentence structures: Tenses may be utilised to create intricate phrase constructions that express intricate thoughts. The subjunctive tense, for instance, can be used to describe a wish or a potential scenario. The perfect tense can also be used to represent a previous activity that came before another one.
• To make your conversation clearer: Effective communication requires the use of the appropriate tense. You should use the appropriate tense when describing your past successes and future objectives, for instance, if you are writing a business proposal.

In addition to these general reasons, tenses are also important for specific tasks, such as:

• Writing essays and stories: When writing an essay or a narrative, you must utilise tenses to show the order of events and provide a feeling of location and time.
• When delivering directions, you must utilise the correct tenses to inform the recipient what to do first, second, and third.
• When discussing science and technology: Discussions on science and technology frequently focus on the past, present, and future. You may, for instance, discuss a technological advancement that has already occurred, one that is now being created, and one that is in the works.

In general, tenses play a crucial role in the English language. You can enhance your communication skills and become a more proficient writer and speaker by learning how to use tenses correctly.

Twelve tenses in english grammar with examples

Twelve tenses in english grammar , plays an important role in the English language. It persuades the time to an action takes place, whether sometime in the present , in the past or will take some time in the future moments. This content we will discuss about twelve Tenses in english , Forms and Example sentences.

From a ordinary view of tenses, it will go on to discuss each tense in detail with examples and also New way to learn Tense with Examples and formulas.The below table gives a ignition of the way the tenses are used using the ‘work’–

• Past tense 
• Present tense 
• Future tense 

Structure of twelve tenses in english – 

• Present Simple-  worked (verb+ed)
• Past simple- Works (verb+s)
• Future simple –  will/shall work(will/shall+verb)
• Present Perfect- had worked (had+past participle)
• Past perfect –  has/have worked (has/have+past participle)
• Future perfect –  will/shall have worked(will/shall+past participle)
• Present Continuous- was/were working(was/were+verb+ing)
• Past continuous – is/am/are working(is/am/are+verb+ing)
• Future continuous – will/shall be working(will/shall be+verb+ing)
• Present Perfect Continuous – had been working (had been+verb+ing)
• Past perfect continuous – has/have been working(has/have been+verb+ing)
• Future perfect continuous – will/shall have been working(will/shall have been+verb+ing).

Twelve tenses in english grammar with examples

 PAST TENSE

1. Simple Past Tense

Indicates of an work took place before in the present moment and that has no real connection with the present time.
For example,”He performed in the function.” (The work took place in the past, finished and is completely unrelated to the present)
“He flew to USA yesterday.”
Note
a. The verb ‘flew’ is an irregular verb that does not take ‘ed’ in the past tense as like regular verbs.
b. The structure of Past indefinite Tense is – verb + ed

2.Past Continuous Tense-

Introduces an work going on at some time in the past or an action in the past that is longer in duration than another action in the past.
For example, “It was getting lighter.”
The dark went out while they were moving .
Note-
The structure of Past Continuous Tense is- was/were + verb + ing
3. Past Perfect Tense-

Introduces an action in the past that had been completed before another time or in the past.
For example, “He had played before it started to rain.”
“He had slept before I came back from the school .”
Note
a. The structure of Past Perfect Tense is- had + verb (past participle form)

4) Past Perfect Continuous Tense-

Introduces an object in the past that took place before another moment,event in the past and continued during the second event point in the past.
For example, “At that time , he had been writing a poem for three months.”
“He had been playing when I called.”
Note
a. The form of Past Perfect Continuous Tense had + been + verb + ing

Present Tense
1) Present indefinite Tense-

Introduces an action that is generally habitual truth. That took place in the past , continuously to take place in the present, and will take place in the future.This tense is used to
-a habitual action- for instance, “He walk to mosque .”
-general truth- for instance , “The sun moves in the earth”,
-a future event which is part of a fixed time – for instance, “The match starts at 8 o’ clock.”
Note
a. The structure of Simple Present Tense is- verb
2) Present Perfect Tense-

Introduces an action that has been completed sometime before the present time, with a result that affects the present.
For example, “He has finished the task.”
“He has left.”
Note
a. The form of Present Perfect Tense is- has/have + verb (past participle form)
3) Present Continuous Tense-

Indicates an task which is taking place at the moment of speaking.
For example, “She is running .”
“I am playing.”

Note
a. the structure of Present Continuous Tense is- is/am/are + verb + ing
4) Present Perfect Continuous Tense-

Indicates an work that started in the past and is continuing at the present time.
For example, “He has been playing for two hour.”
Note
a. The structure of Present Perfect Continuous Tense is- has/have + been + verb + ing. 

voice change in English grammar 

FUTURE TENSE
1) Future indefinite Tense-

Introduces an action that will take place after the present time and that has no real connection with the present moment.
For example, “he will visit her ailing grandmother soon.”
“He will walk home alone.”
Note
a. the structure of Simple Future Tense is- shall/will + verb
2) Future Perfect Tense-

Introduces an action in the future that will have been completed before another time in the future.
For example, “By the time we arrive, he will have worked .”

Note

a. The structure of Future Perfect Tense is- shall/will have + verb(past participle form/3rd form of the verb)
3) Future Continuous Tense-

Indicates an object in the future that is longer in duration than another action in the future.

example, “He will be playing when it starts to rain.”
Note
a. The structure of Future Continuous Tense is-shall/will be + verb + ing
4) Future Perfect Continuous Tense-

Indicates an task in the future that will have been continuing until another time in the future.
For example, “He will have been working an hour at 5:00.”
Note
a. The structure of Future Perfect Continuous Tense is- will/shall have been + verb + ing.

How to teach tenses in English grammar? 

Teaching time in English grammar can be a challenging task, but there are steps you can follow to make it easier for your students:

Introduce the concept of time: Before diving into time, it’s important to make sure your students clearly understand the concept of time. This will make it easier for them to understand the purpose and usage of tenses.

Identify the four basic tenses: present, past, future and present perfect are the four basic tenses in English. Start by explaining the difference between them and when each is used.

Use real-life examples: Use real-life examples to demonstrate the use of each tense. For example, use a simple sentence like “I’m eating breakfast” to indicate the present tense.

Practice with exercises: Give your students plenty of exercises to practice using each tense. This will help them solidify their understanding of each tense and its correct usage.

Use Timelines: Timelines can be a great visual aid for teaching periods. Draw a timeline on the board and show where each period fits. This will help your students understand the relationship between different tenses.

Review regularly: Regular review is essential to retain what your students have learned. Be sure to regularly review the different tenses and their usage.

Overall, learning English grammar requires patience, practice and creativity. With the right approach, your students will be able to master time and communicate more effectively in English.

Tenses in English grammar with examples

In English grammar, there are twelve tenses. They are:

Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is used to describe actions that happen regularly or are always true.
Example: He walks to school every day.

Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense is used to describe actions that are happening right now or are in progress.
Example: She is playing tennis at the moment.

Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past and are now finished.
Example: I studied hard for the exam last night.

Past Continuous Tense
The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were in progress in the past but were interrupted.
Example: I was studying when she called me.

Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past but are still relevant to the present.
Example: She has visited Italy three times.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and continue up to the present.
Example: They have been playing tennis for two hours.

Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened before a specific time in the past.
Example: She had eaten breakfast before she left for work.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense
The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that started in the past and continued up to another point in the past.
Example: He had been studying for three hours when he finally finished.

Simple Future Tense
The simple future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
Example: They will arrive at the airport at 6 pm.

Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
Example: I will be studying at this time tomorrow.

Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to describe actions that will be finished by a specific time in the future.
Example: By 10 pm, he will have finished his homework.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe actions that will have been in progress for a specific amount of time in the future.
Example: By next month, she will have been working at the company for five years.

Tenses rules

Tenses are used to indicate the time at which an action or event takes place. There are three primary tenses in English:

Past tense
Present tense
Future tense
Each of these tenses has its own set of rules.

Past tense:
Used to describe actions or events that occurred in the past.
Typically formed by adding “-ed” to regular verbs.
Irregular verbs have unique past tense forms.
Example: “I walked to the store yesterday.”

Present tense:
Used to describe actions or events that are currently happening or ongoing.
Typically formed by adding “s” or “es” to the base form of the verb for third person singular subjects.
Example: “She walks to work every day.”

Future tense:
Used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future.
Typically formed using “will” or “shall” + base form of the verb.
Example: “I will go to the store tomorrow.”

In addition to these three primary tenses, there are also perfect tenses (past perfect, present perfect, and future perfect) and progressive tenses (past progressive, present progressive, and future progressive), which indicate different aspects of time and action.

present tense rules with examples

The present tense is used to describe actions or events that are currently happening or are habitual, regularly occurring, or generally true. Here are some present tense rules with examples:

For verbs in the third person singular (he/she/it), add -s or -es to the base form of the verb.
Example: He goes to school every day.

For verbs ending in -y before a consonant, change the -y to -ies in the third person singular.
Example: He carries a heavy backpack to school every day.

For verbs ending in -o before a consonant, add -es to the third person singular.
Example: He goes to the gym every day.

To form questions, reverse the subject and the auxiliary verb or use the auxiliary verb do/does and the base form of the verb.
Example: Does he like to play basketball?

To form negative sentences, use the auxiliary verbs do/does + not and the base form of the verb.
Example: He does not eat meat.

Use the present continuous tense to describe actions that are happening right now or in the near future.
Example: I am having breakfast.

Use the present simple tense to describe habitual actions or states that are generally true.
Example: He reads a book every night before going to bed.

Use the present simple tense to describe facts, opinions and generalizations.
Example: Water boils at 100°C.

12 tenses rules with examples

Here are the 12 tenses in English with examples:

Simple Present Tense – used to describe habitual actions or general truths
Example: She walks to work every day.

Present Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that are currently happening
Example: He is studying for his exams.

Present Perfect Tense – used to describe completed actions that have a connection to the present
Example: I have finished my homework.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that started in the past and continue up to the present
Example: She has been studying for three hours.

Simple Past Tense – used to describe completed actions in the past
Example: They played soccer yesterday.

Past Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that were ongoing in the past
Example: He was studying when the phone rang.

Past Perfect Tense – used to describe completed actions that happened before another past action
Example: By the time I arrived, he had already left.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that had been ongoing for a period of time before another past action
Example: She had been working for the company for five years when she resigned.

Simple Future Tense – used to describe actions that will happen in the future
Example: They will go to the party tomorrow.

Future Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future
Example: We will be having dinner at seven o’clock.

Future Perfect Tense – used to describe actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future
Example: By next year, I will have graduated from college.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense – used to describe actions that will have been ongoing for a period of time before a specific time in the future
Example: They will have been living in London for ten years by 2025.

Past tense formula and examples

The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. In English, regular verbs form the past tense by adding “-ed” to the base form of the verb. However, irregular verbs have their own unique past tense forms that do not follow this pattern.

Here are some examples of regular verbs in the past tense:

Walk: I walked to the store.
Cook: She cooked dinner last night.
Sports: They played basketball after school.
Talk: We used to talk on the phone for hours.
Likes: He liked the movie a lot.
Here are some examples of irregular verbs in the past tense:

Go: I went to the park yesterday.
Eating: He ate breakfast at 8 am.
See: They saw a movie last night.
Have: We had a great time at the party.
Do: He did his homework before dinner.
Note that English has many irregular verbs and their past tense forms can be quite different from their base forms. It is important to memorize these irregular verbs and their past tense forms in order to use them correctly in sentences.