Tense Chart in English with Rules and Examples

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Tense Chart

Tense Chart – Tense plays the major part in English. It simply allows us to express time. In simple terms, the timing of an action taking place. It can be past or present or future.

Types of tenses

Tense Chart in English

A clear tense chart is shared with you in this blog. Some aspirants might feel difficult to understand tense in English grammar. This blog will help you understand What tense is and How to use it with proper example.

Definition Of Tense From Different Dictionary

Definition of Tense- The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives a somewhat different definition of the term “tense,” which it defines as “any of the forms of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or situation expressed by the verb.” It states that “a distinction of form in a verb to represent distinctions of time or duration of the action or state it denotes” is what the word “tense” means.

The Collins Dictionary defines “tense” as “any of the forms of a verb which reveal the time at which an action happened,” while the Cambridge Dictionary defines “tense” as “any of the forms of a verb which show the time at which an action happened.”

Types Of Tense Chart

There are three main types of tense:

  • Present Tense
  • Past Tense
  • Future Tense
Tense Chart

Further there are four subforms:

  • Simple
  • Perfect
  • Continuous
  • Perfect Continuous

Tense Rules Chart

TensesTenses Forms
Present Tense1. Simple Present Tense
2. Present Perfect Tense
3. Present Continuous Tense
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Tense1. Simple Past Tense
2. Past Perfect Tense
3. Past Continuous Tense
4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Tense1. Simple Future Tense
2. Future Perfect Tense
3. Future Continuous Tense
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Tense Chart
Tense Chart
Tense Chart

Tenses Rules Chart with Examples in English

The tense with rules and exam is fully explained in the tense table given below:

TensesRules and FormulaExamples
Simple Present TenseSubject + Verb in the base form/third person plural form + the rest of the sentenceKeerthi eats bread and butter before going to school.
Present Continuous TenseSubject + Helping Verb(am/is/are) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence Students are going to school.
Present Perfect TenseSubject + Helping Verb (have/has) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frameShe has lived here all her life.
Present Perfect Continuous TenseSubject + Have/Has + Been + Verb+ ing + the rest of the sentencehave been working on this project for a week.
Simple Past TenseSubject + Verb + ed / verb in the past tense + the rest of the sentenceNupur went to the supermarket yesterday.
Past Continuous Tense Subject + Helping Verb(was/were) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentenceIt was snowing today.
Past Perfect TenseSubject + Helping Verb (had) + Past participle of the main verb + the rest of the sentence along with the time frame.She had met him before the party.
Past Perfect Continuous TenseSubject + Had + Been + Verb + ing + the rest of the sentenceHe had been drinking milk out the carton when Mom walked into the kitchen.
Simple Future TenseSubject + will/shall + V1 + Objectwill write articles on different topics.
Future Continuous TenseSubject + will be/shall be + V1 + ing + ObjectI will have been waiting here for three hours by six o’clock.
Future Perfect TenseSubject + will have/shall have + V3 + Objectwill have dressed up by the time you reach home.
Future Perfect Continuous TenseSubject + will have been + V1 + ing + ObjectI will have been waiting here for three hours by six o’clock.
Tense Chart

Tenses Chart with Examples

The tense structure chart is clearly discussed below.

Simple Present Tense:

Structure:

Simple Presentence Structure

Subject + Verb (vI) + es/es
Examples: 
  1. I take exercise daily.
  2. She reads a book in the library.
  3. Inisha Watches movie every day.
  4. Shilpa reads the newspaper every day.
  5. Rajesh eats bread and butter before going to school.

Present Continuous Tense:

Structure: 

Present Continuous Tense Structure

Subject + is/am/are + Verb(+ing)
Example: 
  1. He is playing football.
  2. am studying in a high school.
  3. Students are going to school.
  4. It is Raining now.
  5. I am Cooking biryani for the lunch.

Present Perfect Tense:

Structure:

Present Perfect Tense Structure

Subject + Has/have + Verb (v3)
Example:
  1. He has made this colorful chart.
  2. have completed my assignment.
  3. We have been to Canada.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Structure: 

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Structure

Subject + Has/have + been + Verb(+ing)
Example: 
  1. have been completing my assignment for the last three days.
  2. She has been working in this department since 2017.
  3. I have been working on this project for months.
  4. You have been working in this project for a week.

Simple Past Tense:

Structure: 

Simple Past Tense Structure

Subject + Verb (v2) or irregular verb:
Example:
  1.  He completed the assignment.
  2. read the newspaper.
  3. I washed the clothes.
  4. Last month I travelled to France.
  5. Dinesh went to supermarket yesterday.

Past Continuous Tense:

Structure:

Past Continuous Tense Structure:

Subject + was/were + Verb(+ing)
Example:
  1. He was reading the book.
  2. was going to the park for a morning walk.
  3. It was snowing today.
  4. I was studying last night.
  5. Everyone was clapping

Past Perfect Tense:

Structure:

Past Perfect Tense Structure:

Subject + had + Verb (v3)
Example:
  1. had finished my homework.
  2. He had completed his task.
  3. She had met him before the party.
  4. The plane had left by the time I got to the airport.
  5. Kate had wanted to see the movie, but she did not have money for the ticket.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

Structure:

Past Perfect Continuous Tense Structure:

Subject + had + been + Verb(+ing)
Example:
  1.  He had been completing his assignment for the last two hours.
  2. had been playing football since morning.
  3. He had been working at the company for five years.
  4. Cathy had been throwing rocks at her window.
  5. The program that was terminated had been working well since 1945.

Simple Future Tense:

Structure:

Simple Future Tense Structure:

Subject+ will/shall+ verb(v1)
Example:
  1. shall go to the park for a walk.
  2. She will perform his duty.
  3. I will write articles on different topics.
  4. Bob will go to the library tomorrow.
  5. We will go shopping in the market tomorrow.

Future Continuous Tense:

Structure:

Future Continuous Tense Structure:

Subject + will be/shall be + verb(+ing)
Example:
  1. He will be playing football.
  2. We shall be eating the meal.
  3. It will be raining tomorrow.
  4. They will be staying at my place.
  5. The doctor will be coming tomorrow.

Future Perfect Tense:

Structure:

Future Perfect Tense Structure:

Subject + will have + verb(v3)
Example:
  1. He will have played football.
  2. will have completed my assignment.
  3. He will have dressed up by the time you reach home.
  4. She will have dressed up by the time you reach home.
  5. They will have dressed up by the time you reach home. She will be taking her dog for a walk.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

Structure:

Future Perfect Continuous Tense Structure

Subject + will have been + verb(+ing)

Example:

He will have been watching the football match for over fifty minutes.

Past Future Tense:

Structure:

Past Future Tense Structure:

Subject + would + verb (v1)
Example:
  1. I told that I would leave in one hour.
  2. I will have been waiting here for three hours by six o’clock.
  3. By 2001 I will have been living in London for sixteen years.
  4. When I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty years.
  5. Next year I will have been working here for four years.

We covered the full tense chart in English in this blog, we hope all the given information is helpful. For more information like this follow the Oliveboard website.



Tenses Chart: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is Tense?

Ans. A tense is a form of the verb that expresses time. The verb’s tense tells us when an event or something happened or when someone did something. The three main tenses are past, present, and future.

Q2. What are the three types of tenses?

Ans. The three types on tenses in English are Present tense, Past tense, Future tense.

Q3. What are the 12 types of tenses?

Ans. The 12 types of tenses in English are Simple Present Tense, Present Perfect Tense, Present Continuous Tense, Present Prefect Continuous Tense, Simple Past tense, Past Perfect Tense, Past Continuous Tense, Past Perfect Continuous Tense, Simple Future Tense, Future Perfect Tense, Future Continuous Tense, Future Perfect Continuous Tense.

Q4. What is the formula for Present continuous tense?

Ans. The formula for present continuous tense is Subject + Helping Verb(am/is/are) + Main verb + ing + the rest of the sentence

Q5. What does V1, V2 and V3 means?

Ans. In English grammar V1 stands for verb 1, V2 stands for verb 2, V3 stands for verb 3.


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