12 Tenses in English Grammar
Table of Contents
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.
| 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.
| 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 |
