Main Tenses

Main Tenses :

Tense defined

Tense shows…

(a) The time of an action
(b) Its degree of completeness

The Verb may tell us…

(1) That an action is done at the Present time. (I see a star.)

(2) That an action was done in the Past time. (He saw a star.)

(3) That an action will be done in the Future time. (He will see a star.)

(4) That an action was, at some past time, viewed as future. (Future in the Past) (He said he would be fifteen in three weeks' time.)

A Verb, then, has three main times or Tenses.

1. The Present Tense
2. The Past Tense
3. The Future Tense

To each Tense, there are four different forms.

I. Simple Tenses which denote Present, Past or Future time in its simplest form.

1. I see.
2. I saw.
3. I shall see.
4. He sees.
5. He saw.
6. He will see.

II. Continuous Tenses which denote that the event (in Present, Past or Future time) is still continuing or not yet completed.

1. I am seeing.
2. I was seeing.
3. I shall be seeing.
4. He is seeing.
5. He was seeing.
6. He will be seeing.

III. Perfect Tenses denote that the event (in Present, Past or Future time) is in a completed or perfect state.

1. I have seen.
2. I had seen.
3. I will have seen.
4. He has seen.
5. He had seen.
6. He will be seen.

IV. Perfect Continuous Tenses which combine the meanings of both the Continuous Tenses and Perfect Tenses.

1. I have been seeing.
2. I had been seeing.
3. I will have been seeing.
4. He has been seeing.
5. He had been seeing.
6. He will have been seeing.

The future also has the future in the past forms.

So, there are twelve tenses in English. They are….

Example Sentences in difference tenses of verbs :

1. They have been waiting for you since 5 am today.
2. I wrote this letter two days ago.
3. He will be coming to New Delhi next month.
4. The dog is waiting for its master.
5. The workers are standing for some time.

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