What are Tenses? With Types & Examples

A tense is a verb form that indicates the time of an action. It is categorized into three different forms such as present tense, past tense and future tense. Let us understand all the tenses in detail.

Types of Tenses

1. Present Tense: The present tense explains a current event or state of being. Apart from this, the present tense sometimes explains past and future events. For instance, ‘the party ends at 9.00 o’clock’ (future event). The present tense is further divided into following types:

i. Simple Present Tense:  It is used to explain facts and habits and scheduled events in the future. Besides, it is also used to narrate stories so as to engage readers in the story.

Examples:

•    I like cake and cookies.

•    The sun rises in the east.

ii. Present Progressive or Present Continuous Tense: The present progressive tense is used to describe an act, which is going on at the time of speaking.

Examples: 

•    I am watching my favorite TV show.

•    Tom is having his dinner now.

iii. Present Perfect Tense: It describes an event happened in the past and still continuing into the present.

Examples:

•    I have always wished to do Paragliding.

•    I have been exercising regularly to lose my weight.

iv.  Present Perfect Continuous or Present Perfect Progressive Tense: It is used for a situation that has happened in the past and continuous until the moment. Besides, it is also used for situation occurred in the past, but has now finished.

Examples:

•    Emma has been relying on salary increment to pay her study loan.

•    We haven’t been talking with John since Thursday.

2. Past Tense: The past tense expresses an event happened in the past or a state of being. For example, ‘I went to the temple’. The past tense is broadly categorized into following types:

i. Simple Past Tense: The simple past tense is used to describe an action of the past. In the past tense, the verb ends with an ‘ed’.

Examples: 

•    We went out for dinner last night.

•    Robin worked in the old office for almost 9 years.

ii. Past Continuous Tense or Past Progressive Tense: It narrates the on-going activity in the past. These sentences are written with the help of an auxiliary verb.

Examples:

•    We were playing volleyball when it started to rain.

•    I was studying at 12.00 p.m. yesterday.

iii.  Past Perfect Tense: It is used to indicate an action that was completed before another took place.

Examples:

•    We didn’t get the movie ticket because we had not booked in advance.

•    I had never seen such a magnificent monument before.

iv. Past Perfect Continuous Tense: The past perfect continuous tense is used to describe an on-going action, which was ended in the past. These sentences are formed with the help of modal 'had' + 'been' + the present participle of the verb (-ing).

Examples:

•    I had been going.

•    I had been playing the chess all morning.

3. Future Tense: The future tense describes a future event or a future of being. For instance, ‘I will buy a car next year’. The future tense is divided into following types:

i. Simple Future Tense: The simple future tense refers to an action, which will happen in the future.

Examples:

•    I will keep in touch with you.

•    Sara will stay with us for 5 days.

ii. Future Continuous Tense: The future continuous tense is used to describe an on-going action, which will happen in the future.

Examples:

•    I will be going to the gym soon.

•    I will be watching the football match next month.

iii. Future Perfect Tense: It is used to describe an action, which is expected to be completed within a certain span of time in the future. These sentences are framed by 'will' + 'have' + 'past participle of the verb'.

Examples:

•    By the time you reach, we will have finished our dinner. 

•    Sasha will have gone by the time you reach there by car.

iv. Future Perfect Continuous Tense: This tense is used for an on-going action, which will be completed at some stipulated time in the future. The sentences are framed using the modal 'will/shall' + 'have' + 'been' + 'the past participle of the verb (-ing)'.

Examples:

•    I will have been singing for 1 hours by the time you arrive here.

•    Next Monday, I will have been working on the topmost project for two years.