Tense structures and examples

Tense Structures and Examples

What is tense in English Grammar?

Tense is a basic and essential part of English grammar it tells us when an action happens in the present, in the past or in the future without tense sentences would have no clear time reference.

Friends, read this article carefully. Try to understand helping verbs, 4 forms of the verbs, and understand which helping verb and verb form is used in which Tenses.

here you will learn 12 Tense structures and examples.

Here are given 3 main types of Tenses , 4 sub-types total 3*4=12, with simple and short structure (Rules). Very helpful for NDA, school exams or basic grammar:

1) Simple Present Tense 
2) Simple Past Tense
3) Simple Future Tense
4) Present Continuous Tense
5) Past Continuous Tense
6) Future Continuous Tense
7) Present Perfect Tense
8) Past Perfect Tense
9) Future Perfect Tense
10) Present Perfect Continuous Tense
11) Past Perfect Continuous Tense
12) Future Perfect Continuous Tense

1) Simple Present tense:

The simple present tense or present tense, is one of the most basic tenses in English. We use the present tense to convey habitual actions, once a profession, daily routine, breaking news headlines, commentary, and universal facts or truths.

Structural formula:

Subject + V1 (s/es) + object.

• Virat plays cricket. (Assertive-Affirmative sen.)
• Virat doesn’t play cricket. (Assertive-Negative sen.)
• Does Virat play cricket? (Interrogative-verbal qus)
• Doesn’t Virat play cricket? (Interrogative-verbal negative qus.)
• What does Virat play? (Interrogative-wh..affirmative qus.)
• What doesn't Virat play? (Interrogative-wh.. negative qus.)

(You must have studied Types of Sentences , if not, CLICK HERE)

Examples as per its uses:

• She lives in Mumbai.
• Dr. treats patients.
• I wake up at 6 o'clock in the morning.
• The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
• Water flows.

2) Simple Past Tense:

The past tense is used to describe an action or an event that has happened in the past.

Structural formula:

Subject + v2 (past tense) + object 

(Dosto, past tense/second form of the verb is only used in the simple past tense.)

Examples:

• Virat played cricket.
• Virat didn’t play cricket.
• Did Virat play cricket? 
• Didn’t Virat play cricket?
• What did Virat play?
• What didn't Virat play?

3) Simple Future tense:

he future tense is a verb tense used to describe an event or action that is expected to happen in the future, as well as plans and intentions.

Structural formula:

Subject + shall/will+ v1 + object.

Example:

• Virat will play cricket.
• Virat will not (won't) play cricket.
• Will Virat play cricket? 
• Won’t Virat play cricket?
• What will Virat play?
• What won't Virat play?

4) Present continuous tense:

The present continuous tense is used to talk about the ongoing actions, events, or conditions that are still not finished.

Structural formula:

Subject + helping verb (is / am/ are) + Ving (present participle) + object.

Examples:

• Virat is playing cricket. 
• Virat is not playing cricket. 
• Is Virat playing cricket? 
• Isn't Virat playing cricket? 
• What is Virat playing? 
• What isn't Virat playing?

5) Past continuous tense:

The past continuous tense is used to describe events or actions that were going on in the past. 

(Jo action past pe chal rahi thi.)

Structural formula:

Subject + helping verb (was/were) + Ving (participle) + object.

Examples:

• Virat was playing cricket.
• Virat was not playing cricket.
• Was  Virat playing cricket?
• Wasn't playing cricket?
• What was Virat playing?
• What wasn't Virat playing?

6) Future Continuous tense:

The future continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action that will occur or occur in the future.

Structural formula:

Subject + shall/will be + Ving + object.

Examples:

• Virat will be playing cricket.
• Virat will not (won't) be playing cricket.
• Will Virat be playing cricket? 
• Won’t Virat be playing cricket?
• What will Virat be playing?
• What won't Virat be playing?

7) Present perfect tense:

The present perfect tense is used to describe a situation or event that has already occurred but has immediate ramifications. The present perfect tense can be used to describe experiences and situations that occurred in the past but still have an influence on the present. We don't use it with time markers.

Structural formula:

Subject + helping verb (have/has) + v3 (past participle) + object.

Examples:

• Virat has played cricket. 
• Virat has not played cricket. 
• Has Virat played cricket?
• Hasn't Virat played cricket?
• What has Virat played? 
• What hasn't Virat played?

8) Past perfect tense:

The past perfect tense is used to describe an event that occurred before a completed in the past.

Structural formula:

Subject + had + v3 (past party) + object.

Examples:

• Virat had played cricket.
• Virat had not played cricket.
• Had Virat played cricket. 
• Hadn't Virat played cricket? 
• What had Virat played? 
• What hadn't Virat played?

9) Future perfect tense: 

is used to describe an action that will be completed in the future. (Bhavishya mein puri hui hogi.)

Structural formula:

Subject + shall/will + have + v3 (past participle) + object. 

Note: Only 'have' should be used, not 'has'.

Examples:

• Virat will have played cricket.
• Virat won't have played cricket.
• Will Virat have played cricket?
• Won't Virat have played cricket?
• What Will Virat have played?
• What won't Virat have played?

To know exact use of have/has Click Here.

10) Present perfect continuous tense:

The present perfect continuous tense shows a situation that has started in the past and continues in the present.

Structural formula:

S + have/has + been + Ving + object + since / for + time duration + object

Examples:

• Virat has been playing cricket since morning.
• Virat has not been playing cricket since morning.
• Has Virat been playing cricket since morning? 
• Has Virat been playing cricket since morning?
• What has Virat been playing since morning? 
• What hasn't Virat been playing since morning?

11)Past perfect continuous tense:

The past perfect continuous tense represents any action or event that started in the past and sometimes continued in the past.

Structural formula:

Subject + had been + Ving (past participle) + object.

Examples:

• Virat had been playing cricket.
• Virat had not been playing cricket. 
• Had Virat been playing cricket? 
• Hadn’t Virat been playing cricket?
• What had Virat been playing?
• What has Virat been playing?

12) Future perfect continuous tense:

We use the future perfect continuous to focus on the duration of an action before a specific time in the future.

Structural formula:

Subject + shall/will + have been + Ving + object (optional) + time instant.

Examples:

• Virat will have been playing cricket.
• Virat won't have been playing cricket.
• Will Virat have been playing cricket?
• Won't Virat have been playing cricket?
• What Will Virat have been playing?
• What won't Virat have been playing?

Tenses at a glance

You will learn to make sentences with a single verb (play), just practice.

After learning and understanding 12 Tense structures and examples, now, the question is that how to master it.

Mastering tenses in English is not about just memorizing all the rules it is about a consistent practice and smart technics here are some effective tips to help you to gain full control over tenses.

Tips:

i) Learn all 12 Tenses sentences by heart:

Learn all tenses by heart and use your own sentences and compare with these or are use above tenses for references to match with your own sentences.

ii) Use one Verb for all 12 Tenses:

Select any verb, like go, write, ask, and use it in all 12 tenses as above given sentences and prectice it.

iii) Use real life sentences:

Use tenses in your daily routine life talk or write about what you do what you did and what you are going to do this natural practice will help you to master over the tenses.

iv) Don't fear mistakes:

Don't fear mistakes, just try to correct them. Mistakes will help you grow. right and get.

Friends, you have learnt an important topic of grammar, 'Tense'. If you have any queries or suggestions at any tense, then contact us.