In grammar, tense is a category that expresses time reference.

[2][3] Tenses are usually manifested by

the use of specific forms of verbs, particularly in their conjugation patterns.
Basic tenses found in many languages include the past, present, and future. Some languages have
only two distinct tenses, such as past and nonpast, or future and nonfuture. There are also tenseless
languages, like Chinese, which is traditionally thought to have no tense at all, although recent
research suggests that it may possess a future and nonfuture system, which is typical of Sino-
Tibetan languages.[4] On the other hand, some languages make finer tense distinctions, such as
remote vs. recent past, or near vs. remote future.

The Twelve Tenses of English

PRESENT (main verb)

I study English.
He studies English.

PAST (past tense of main verb)

I studied English.
He studied English.

FUTURE (will or shall + main verb)

I will study English.
He will study English.

PRESENT PERFECT (have or has + past participle of verb)

I have studied English.
He has studied English.

PAST PERFECT (had + past participle of verb)

I had studied English.
He had studied English.

FUTURE PERFECT (will or shall + have + past participle of verb)

I will have studied English.
He will have studied English.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (form of "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)

I am studying English.
He is studying English.

PAST PROGRESSIVE (past tense of form "be" verb + "ing" form of main
verb)
 I was studying English.
He was studying English.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE (will or shall +be + "ing" form of main verb)

I will be studying English.
He will be studying English.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (have or has + been + "ing" form of

main verb)
I have been studying English.
He has been studying English.

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (had + been + "ing" form of main verb)

I had been studying English.
He had been studying English.

FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (will or shall + have + been + "ing" form

of main verb)
I will have been studying English.
He will have been studying English.

What does TENSE Mean?

A tense is a form of a verb which shows the time at which an action happens.

It comes from the Latin word "tempus", which means "time".

Examples

"Sang" is a form of the verb "sing". This form shows the action happened in the past. This is
the Past Tense.

"Sleeps" is a form of the verb "sleep". This form shows the action happens in the present.
This is the Present Tense.

In fact, English verb tenses are not much more complicated than that. We will go over them
step by step so that you get full a understanding of them.

We will start with the Simple English Tenses.

A Simple tense is a form of a verb that simply shows when the action takes place.

 The Simple Past is a form of the verb that shows the action took place in the past.

For example: Lisa danced yesterday.

 The Simple Present is a form of the verb that shows the action takes place in the
present.

For example: Lisa dances every day.

 The Simple Future is a form of the verb that shows the action will take place in the
future.

For example: Lisa will dance tomorrow.

Click here for the full data, examples and exercises on the Simple Tenses, and how to use
them

Progressive (Continuous) Tenses

PROGRESSIVE means "continuing".

A Progressive tense is a form of a verb that shows the action is in progress. Or in other
words, that it continues.
  The Past Progressive is a form of the verb that shows the action was in progress at
some time in the past.

For example: Lisa was dancing yesterday at 8 o'clock.

 The Present Progressive is a form of the verb that shows the action is in progress
in the present.

For example: Lisa is dancing right now.

 The Future Progressive is a form of the verb that shows the action will be in
progress at some time in the future.

For example: Lisa will be dancing tomorrow at 8 o'clock.

Click here for the full data, examples and exercises on the Progressive (Continuous) Tenses,
and how to use them

Perfect Tenses

PERFECT means "complete, finished".

A Perfect tense is a form of a verb that shows the action is complete. It does not mean the
action is "perfect" (100%). It means the action is finished.

 The Past Perfect is a form of the verb that shows the action was complete before
some time in the past.

For example: Lisa had danced before she came.

 The Present Perfect is a form of the verb that shows the action was complete
before the present.

For example: Lisa has already danced.

 The Future Perfect is a form of the verb that shows the action will be complete
before some time in the future.

For example: Lisa will have danced tomorrow by 9 o'clock.

Click here for the full data, examples and exercises on the Perfect Tenses, and how to use
them

Perfect + Progressive?!
Yes! There are 3 more tenses. These are the Perfect Progressive (Continuous) tenses.

A Perfect Progressive tense is a form of the verb that shows the action started, continued,
and was complete until some point.

 The Past Perfect Progressive is a form of the verb that shows the action started in
the past and continued until some point in the past.

For example: Lisa had been dancing for 2 hours before she was tired.

 The Present Perfect Progressive is a form of the verb that shows the action
started in the past and continued until the present.

For example: Lisa has been dancing for 3 hours without stopping!

 The Future Perfect Progressive is a form of the verb that shows the action will
continue until some point in the future.

For example: By tomorrow morning, Lisa will have been dancing for 12 hours!

In English, there are three basic tenses: present, past, and future. Each has a perfect form, indicating
completed action; each has a progressive form, indicating ongoing action; and each has a perfect
progressive form, indicating ongoing action that will be completed at some definite time. Here is a list of
examples of these tenses and their definitions:

Simple Forms Progressive Forms Perfect Forms Perfect Progressive Forms

Present take/s am/is/are taking have/has taken have/has been taking

Past took was/were taking had taken had been taking

Future will/shall take will be taking will have taken will have been taking

Simple Forms

Present Tense
Present tense expresses an unchanging, repeated, or reoccurring action or situation that exists only
now. It can also represent a widespread truth.

Example Meaning

Unchanging
The mountains are tall and white.
action

Every year, the school Recurring

council elects new members. action

Widespread
Pb is the chemical symbol for lead.
truth

Past Tense

Past tense expresses an action or situation that was started and finished in the past. Most past tense
verbs end in -ed. The irregular verbs have special past tense forms which must be memorized.

Example Form

Regular -ed
W.W.II ended in 1945.
past

Ernest Hemmingway wrote "The Old Man Irregular

and the Sea." form

Future Tense

Future tense expresses an action or situation that will occur in the future. This tense is formed by
using will/shall with the simple form of the verb.

The speaker of the House will finish her term in May of 1998.

The future tense can also be expressed by using am, is, or are with going to.

The surgeon is going to perform the first bypass in Minnesota.

We can also use the present tense form with an adverb or adverbial phrase to show future time.

The president speaks tomorrow. (Tomorrow is a future time adverb.)

Progressive Forms

Present Progressive Tense

Present progressive tense describes an ongoing action that is happening at the same time the statement
is written. This tense is formed by using am/is/are with the verb form ending in -ing.

The sociologist is examining the effects that racial discrimination has on society.

Past Progressive Tense

Past progressive tense describes a past action which was happening when another action occurred. This
tense is formed by using was/were with the verb form ending in -ing.

The explorer was explaining the lastest discovery in Egypt when protests began on the streets.

Future Progressive Tense

Future progressive tense describes an ongoing or continuous action that will take place in the future.
This tense is formed by using will be or shall be with the verb form ending in -ing.

Dr. Jones will be presenting ongoing research on sexist language next week.

Perfect Forms

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense describes an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past or that began
in the past and continues in the present.This tense is formed by using has/have with the past
participle of the verb. Most past participles end in -ed. Irregular verbs have special past participles that
must be memorized.

Example Meaning

The researchers have traveled to many countries in At an indefinite

order to collect more significant data. time

Women have voted in presidential elections since Continues in the

1921. present

Past Perfect Tense

Past perfect tense describes an action that took place in the past before another past action. This tense
is formed by using had with the past participle of the verb.

By the time the troops arrived, the war had ended.

Future Perfect Tense

Future perfect tense describes an action that will occur in the future before some other action. This
tense is formed by using will have with the past participle of the verb.

By the time the troops arrive, the combat group will have spent several weeks waiting.

Perfect Progressive Forms

Present Perfect Progressive

Present perfect progressive tense describes an action that began in the past, continues in the present,
and may continue into the future. This tense is formed by using has/have been and the present
participle of the verb (the verb form ending in -ing).

The CEO has been considering a transfer to the state of Texas where profits would be larger.

Past Perfect Progressive

Past perfect progressive tense describes a past, ongoing action that was completed before some other
past action. This tense is formed by using had been and the present perfect of the verb (the verb form
ending in -ing).

Before the budget cuts, the students had been participating in many extracurricular activities.

Future Perfect Progressive

Future perfect progressive tense describes a future, ongoing action that will occur before some specified
future time. This tense is formed by using will have been and the present participle of the verb (the
verb form ending in -ing).

By the year 2020, linguists will have been studying and defining the Indo-European language family for
more than 200 years.