12 Tenses in English Grammar

12 Tenses in English Grammar




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 startI do not (don’t) startDo I start
You startYou do not (don’t) startDo you start
He startsHe does not (doesn’t) startDoes he start
She startsShe does not (doesn’t) startDoes she start
It startsIt does not (doesn’t) startDoes it start
We startWe do not (don’t) startDo we start
You startYou do not (don’t) startDo you start
They startThey do not (don’t) startDo 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 startingI am not (I’m not) startingAm I starting
You are startingYou are not (aren’t) startingAre you starting
He is startingHe is not (isn’t) startingIs he starting
She is startingShe is not (isn’t) startingIs she starting
It is startingIt is not (isn’t) startingIs it starting
We are startingWe are not (aren’t) startingAre we starting
You are startingYou are not (aren’t) startingAre you starting
They are startingThey are not (aren’t) startingAre 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 startedI have not (haven’t) startedHave I started
You have startedYou have not (haven’t) startedHave you started
He has startedHe has not (hasn’t) startedHas he started
She has startedShe has not (hasn’t) startedHas she started
It has startedIt has not (hasn’t) startedHas it started
We have startedWe have not (haven’t) startedHave we started
You have startedYou have not (haven’t) startedHave you started
They have startedThey have not (haven’t) startedHave 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 startingI have not (haven’t) been startingHave I been starting
You have been startingYou have not (haven’t) been startingHave you been starting
He has been startingHe has not (hasn’t) been startingHas she been starting
She has been startingShe has not (hasn’t) been startingHas he been starting
It has been startingIt has not (hasn’t) been startingHas it been starting
We have been startingWe have not (haven’t) been startingHave we been starting
You have been startingYou have not (haven’t) been startingHave you been starting
They have been startingThey have not (haven’t) been startingHave 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 startedI did not (didn’t) startDid I start
You startedYou did not (didn’t) startDid you start
He startedHe did not (didn’t) startDid he start
She startedShe did not (didn’t) startDid she start
It startedIt did not (didn’t) startDid it start
We startedWe did not (didn’t) startDid we start
You startedYou did not (didn’t) startDid you start
They startedThey did not (didn’t) startDid 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 startingI was not (wasn’t) startingWas I starting
You were startingYou were not (weren’t) startingWere you starting
He was startingHe was not (wasn’t) startingWas he starting
She was startingShe was not (wasn’t) startingWas she starting
It was startingIt was not (wasn’t) startingWas it starting
We were startingWe were not (weren’t) startingWere we starting
You were startingYou were not (weren’t) startingWere you starting
They were startingThey were not (weren’t) startingWere they starting



Past Perfect Tense

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

POSITIVE (+)NEGATIVE (-)QUESTION (?)
I had startedI had not (hadn’t) startedHad I started
You had startedYou had not (hadn’t) startedHad you started
He had startedHe had not (hadn’t) startedHad he started
She had startedShe had not (hadn’t) startedHad she started
It had startedIt had not (hadn’t) startedHad it started
We had startedWe had not (hadn’t) startedHad we started
You had startedYou had not (hadn’t) startedHad you started
They had startedThey had not (hadn’t) startedHad 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 startingI had not (hadn’t) been startingHad I been starting
You had been startingYou had not (hadn’t) been startingHad you been starting
He had been startingHe had not (hadn’t) been startingHad she been starting
She had been startingShe had not (hadn’t) been startingHad he been starting
It had been startingIt had not (hadn’t) been startingHad it been starting
We had been startingWe had not (hadn’t) been startingHad we been starting
You had been startingYou had not (hadn’t) been startingHad you been starting
They had been startingThey had not (hadn’t) been startingHad 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 comeI will not (won’t) comeWill I come
You will comeYou will not (won’t) comeWill you come
He will comeHe will not (won’t) comeWill he come
She will comeShe will not (won’t) comeWill she come
It will comeIt will not (won’t) comeWill it come
We will comeWe will not (won’t) comeWill we come
You will comeYou will not (won’t) comeWill you come
They will comeThey will not (won’t) comeWill 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 startingI will not (won’t) be startingWill I be starting
You will be startingYou will not (won’t) be startingWill you be starting
He will be startingHe will not (won’t) be startingWill he be starting
She will be startingShe will not (won’t) be startingWill she be starting
It will be startingIt will not (won’t) be startingWill it be starting
We will be startingWe will not (won’t) be startingWill we be starting
You will be startingYou will not (won’t) be startingWill you be starting
They will be startingThey will not (won’t) be startingWill 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 startedI will not (won’t) have startedWill I have started
You will have startedYou will not (won’t) have startedWill you have started
He will have startedHe will not (won’t) have startedWill he have started
She will have startedShe will not (won’t) have startedWill she have started
It will have startedIt will not (won’t) have startedWill it have started
We will have startedWe will not (won’t) have startedWill we have started
You will have startedYou will not (won’t) have startedWill you have started
They will have startedThey will not (won’t) have startedWill 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 startingI will not (won’t) have been startingWill I have been starting
You will have been startingYou will not (won’t) have been startingWill you have been starting
He will have been startingHe will not (won’t) have been startingWill he have been starting
She will have been startingShe will not (won’t) have been startingWill she have been starting
It will have been startingIt will not (won’t) have been startingWill it have been starting
We will have been startingWe will not (won’t) have been startingWill we have been starting
You will have been startingYou will not (won’t) have been startingWill you have been starting
They will have been startingThey will not (won’t) have been startingWill they have been starting

One Response

  1. Kamal A Ambia March 28, 2020

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