Tenses rules chart with examples
Tenses rules chart assist one with understanding how to accurately involve the various tenses in a sentence, without committing a syntactic error and furthermore by effectively showing when an occasion or activity has happened.
What is Tenses?
The tense of a verb tells us about the time of an action. It tells us when the action is, was, or will be carried out.
How many main verb Tenses?
There are three main verb Tenses:
- Present
- Past
- Future
- Simple
- Continuous
- Perfect
- Perfect continuous
Present Tense
- Simple present tense
We use the simple present tense to refer to- General truths.
- Habitual actions or things that happen repeatedly.
- Actions in progress when the sentence begins with here or there.
- Planned Future actions. Present continuous tense
singular: Subject + V1 + s/es + Object
Plural: Subject + V1 + Object
2. Present continuous tense
Present continuous tense rule : Subject + is/am/are + V1 + ing + object
3. Present Perfect tense
We forms the present perfect tense by using has/have along with the past participle of the main verb. The past participle of a main verb can have the ending ed, d, t, en or n.
Present perfect tense rule :
Singular: Subject + has + V3 + Object
Plural: Subject + have + V3 + Object
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
We use the continuous forms of the present perfect tense to indicate that the action which began at some time in the past is continuing right up to the present.
Present perfect continuous tense rule :
Singular: Subject + has been + V1 + ing + Object.
Plural: Subject + have been + V1 + ing + Object
Past Tense
1. Simple past Tense
We use the simple form of the past tense to denote an action completed in the past.
Simple past Tense rule: Subject + V2 + Object
2. Past Continuous Tense
We use the continuous forms of the past tense to denote an action that was going on at some point of time in the past. The time of action may or may not be indicated.
Past continuous tense rule:
Singular: Subject + was + V1 + ing + Object
Plural: Subject + were + V1 + ing + Object
3. Past Perfect Tense
We use the past Perfect tense to denote an action completed at some point of time in the past.
The past Perfect tense is formed by using had with the verb in the past tense.
Past Perfect Tense rule: Subject + had + V3 + Object
4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
We use this tense to describe an action that was going on for some time in the past and was completed in the past.
The past perfect continuous tense often uses since or for to show when the action started in the past and for how long it continued.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense rule : Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object
Future Tense
1. Simple Future Tense
Demonstrates an activity that will happen after right now and that has no genuine association with here and now.
Simple Future Tense Rule : Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object
2. Future Continuous Tense
Future Continuous Tense Rule : Subject + will be/shall be + V1 + ing + Object
3. Future Perfect tense
Future perfect tense rule: Subject + will have/shall have + V3 + Object
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense Rule : Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object