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