12 Tenses in English Grammar

12 Tenses in English Grammar

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Present Simple Tense

Simple Present Tense indicates an action which happens in the
present, but it isn’t necessary for actions to happen right now. Simple present tense indicates, unchanging situations, general truths, scientific facts, habits, fixed arrangements and frequently occuring events.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I start I do not (don’t) start Do I start
You start You do not (don’t) start Do you start
He starts He does not (doesn’t) start Does he start
She starts She does not (doesn’t) start Does she start
It starts It does not (doesn’t) start Does it start
We start We do not (don’t) start Do we start
You start You do not (don’t) start Do you start
They start They do not (don’t) start Do they start



Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Tense indicate an action which is in progress at the time of speaking or at the present time.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I am starting I am not (I’m not) starting Am I starting
You are starting You are not (aren’t) starting Are you starting
He is starting He is not (isn’t) starting Is he starting
She is starting She is not (isn’t) starting Is she starting
It is starting It is not (isn’t) starting Is it starting
We are starting We are not (aren’t) starting Are we starting
You are starting You are not (aren’t) starting Are you starting
They are starting They are not (aren’t) starting Are they starting

 

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense is used to express an event that started in the past and the impact of the event is now continuing (or a long-running event that started in the past and is still going on). This tense is used to express actions completed recent past.

In this tense, it is important whether the event occured or not. ( or the result of the event is important, not the time of the event ).

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I have started I have not (haven’t) started Have I started
You have started You have not (haven’t) started Have you started
He has started He has not (hasn’t) started Has he started
She has started She has not (hasn’t) started Has she started
It has started It has not (hasn’t) started Has it started
We have started We have not (haven’t) started Have we started
You have started You have not (haven’t) started Have you started
They have started They have not (haven’t) started Have they started



Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense indicates that something started in the past and is continuing at the present time.

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POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I have been starting I have not (haven’t) been starting Have I been starting
You have been starting You have not (haven’t) been starting Have you been starting
He has been starting He has not (hasn’t) been starting Has she been starting
She has been starting She has not (hasn’t) been starting Has he been starting
It has been starting It has not (hasn’t) been starting Has it been starting
We have been starting We have not (haven’t) been starting Have we been starting
You have been starting You have not (haven’t) been starting Have you been starting
They have been starting They have not (haven’t) been starting Have they been starting

 

Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense indicates an action which is completed at a definite time in the past.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I started I did not (didn’t) start Did I start
You started You did not (didn’t) start Did you start
He started He did not (didn’t) start Did he start
She started She did not (didn’t) start Did she start
It started It did not (didn’t) start Did it start
We started We did not (didn’t) start Did we start
You started You did not (didn’t) start Did you start
They started They did not (didn’t) start Did they start

 

Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense  indicates an action which started in the past and continued in a certain time period.

The point to be taken into consideration is that the action started in the past and the continuity of the action was also in the past, so it does not continue at this moment.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I was starting I was not (wasn’t) starting Was I starting
You were starting You were not (weren’t) starting Were you starting
He was starting He was not (wasn’t) starting Was he starting
She was starting She was not (wasn’t) starting Was she starting
It was starting It was not (wasn’t) starting Was it starting
We were starting We were not (weren’t) starting Were we starting
You were starting You were not (weren’t) starting Were you starting
They were starting They were not (weren’t) starting Were they starting



Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense indicates a past action which is completed before another past action.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I had started I had not (hadn’t) started Had I started
You had started You had not (hadn’t) started Had you started
He had started He had not (hadn’t) started Had he started
She had started She had not (hadn’t) started Had she started
It had started It had not (hadn’t) started Had it started
We had started We had not (hadn’t) started Had we started
You had started You had not (hadn’t) started Had you started
They had started They had not (hadn’t) started Had they started
Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense indicates a past action which started in the past and continued to happen after another action and time in the past.

Namely, Past Perfect Continuous Tense tell us “how long the action had continued”. ” the duration of the action”  is emphasized more in this tense.

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POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I had been starting I had not (hadn’t) been starting Had I been starting
You had been starting You had not (hadn’t) been starting Had you been starting
He had been starting He had not (hadn’t) been starting Had she been starting
She had been starting She had not (hadn’t) been starting Had he been starting
It had been starting It had not (hadn’t) been starting Had it been starting
We had been starting We had not (hadn’t) been starting Had we been starting
You had been starting You had not (hadn’t) been starting Had you been starting
They had been starting They had not (hadn’t) been starting Had they been starting
Simple Future Tense

Simple Future Tense is used to construct sentences about future time ( time after now ).

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I will come I will not (won’t) come Will I come
You will come You will not (won’t) come Will you come
He will come He will not (won’t) come Will he come
She will come She will not (won’t) come Will she come
It will come It will not (won’t) come Will it come
We will come We will not (won’t) come Will we come
You will come You will not (won’t) come Will you come
They will come They will not (won’t) come Will they come
Future Continuous Tense

Future Continuous Tense indicate an action which will be in progress at some definite time in the future.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I will be starting I will not (won’t) be starting Will I be starting
You will be starting You will not (won’t) be starting Will you be starting
He will be starting He will not (won’t) be starting Will he be starting
She will be starting She will not (won’t) be starting Will she be starting
It will be starting It will not (won’t) be starting Will it be starting
We will be starting We will not (won’t) be starting Will we be starting
You will be starting You will not (won’t) be starting Will you be starting
They will be starting They will not (won’t) be starting Will they be starting



Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense is used to express an action, expected to be completed before a certain time in the future.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I will have started I will not (won’t) have started Will I have started
You will have started You will not (won’t) have started Will you have started
He will have started He will not (won’t) have started Will he have started
She will have started She will not (won’t) have started Will she have started
It will have started It will not (won’t) have started Will it have started
We will have started We will not (won’t) have started Will we have started
You will have started You will not (won’t) have started Will you have started
They will have started They will not (won’t) have started Will they have started
Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense indicates an action that will continue up until a point in the future.

POSITIVE (+) NEGATIVE (-) QUESTION (?)
I will have been starting I will not (won’t) have been starting Will I have been starting
You will have been starting You will not (won’t) have been starting Will you have been starting
He will have been starting He will not (won’t) have been starting Will he have been starting
She will have been starting She will not (won’t) have been starting Will she have been starting
It will have been starting It will not (won’t) have been starting Will it have been starting
We will have been starting We will not (won’t) have been starting Will we have been starting
You will have been starting You will not (won’t) have been starting Will you have been starting
They will have been starting They will not (won’t) have been starting Will they have been starting

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