What are Tenses in English?

A tense is a form of the verb and with the help of Tense in English language, we can tell the time
of occurrence of any action whether it is happening in the past, present or future. Understanding
tenses and using them correctly is important for effective communication. Tenses can be divided
into three parts:

 Present Tense
 Past Tense
 Future Tense

12 Main Types of Tenses

Now you have an idea about the tens and their main types i.e., Past, present, and future tense.
Further, each tense is divided into 4 subparts which are categorised into simple, continuous,
perfect, and perfect continuous tenses. The selection of these parts of tens in the English
language depends on the context and the time of action. All 12 main types of tenses are tabulated
below for your learning:

Past Tense Present Tense Future Tense

Simple Past Tense Simple Present Tense Simple Future Tense
Past Continuous Tense Present Continuous Tense Future Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense Present Perfect Tense Future Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Present Perfect Continuous Tense Future Perfect Continuous
Tense Tense
Past Unreal (Third Conditional) Present Unreal (Second Conditional) Future Unreal (Mixed Condition

Tenses Rules Chart

To memorise and understand all 12 main types of grammar tense rules, below we have kept them
in a tabulated representation. Please note that in the table below we have used some
abbreviations to avoid being lengthy content. The abbreviations we used are” V1 = first form of the
verb | V2 = second form of the verb| V3 = third form of the verb”. Now let us understand all the
tense rules one by one:

Tenses Tenses Rule

Past Simple Tense Subject + V2 + Object
Past Perfect Tense Subject + had + V3 + Object
Past Continuous Tense Subject + was + V1 + ing + Object (Singular)
Subject + were + V1 + ing + Object (Plural)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object
Present Simple Tense Rule or Present Subject + V1 + s/es + Object (Singular) Subject + V1 + Object (Plural
Indefinite Tense rule
Present Perfect Tense Subject + has + V3 + Object (Singular) Subject + have + V3 + Object
(Plural)
Present Continuous Tense Subject + is/am/are + V1 + ing + object
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Subject + has been + V1 + ing + Object (Singular)Subject + have been
+ ing + Object (Plural)
Future Simple Tense Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object
Future Perfect Tense Subject + will have/shall have + V3 + Object
Future Continuous Tense Subject + will be/shall be + ing + V1 + Object
Future Perfect Continuous Tense Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object
Tenses Rules Chart PDF for Download
To aid your understanding and application of tense rules, we have created a comprehensive tense
rules chart. This downloadable PDF provides a clear and organized overview of all 12 tense rules
along with their structure and examples, making it an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to
enhance their grammar skills. You can download the tenses rule chart PDF from the link
mentioned below:

Tense Rules Chart in Hindi

For those students who are in Hindi medium and want to understand the grammar tense rules in
Hindi. To help them we have compiled a tense rule chart in Hindi below. This table will definitely
help them to learn the English language easily and quickly. Please have a look.

Tenses ( )–
Present Past Future
Indefinite , , , Do/ does आ, ई, , , , , , , , , ,Will
Did+ V1
Continuous , , , , , , , ,
Is/are/am + ing Was/Were + ing Will be+ ing
Perfect , , , , , , ,
Has/Have + V3 Had+ V3 Will have+ V3
Perfect , , + सम , , + सम स , , +स
Continuous स ‘स’ ‘स’ स ‘स’
Has/Have+ Been+ ing + Since/ Had been+ ing+Since/For Will have been+ ing + Since/F
For
Hope by now you have understood all the grammar tense rules of English. For your better
understanding, we have given all the tense rules with amazing examples so that a learner can
understand the application of all these tense rules. Let’s understand them one by one:

Present Tense Rules and Examples

The present tense rule is used to describe the current or present being, situation, or event. It is a
form of the verb that defines the events that are currently happening. Examples

 I am going to the office

 She has been part of this group for 4 years now.
 The concert is going amazing.

Simple Present Tense Rules

The present indefinite tense rule or present simple tense rules represent the habitual action or a
general truth of anything i.e., the Sun rises in the East. Now you can create some sentences by
using the simple present tense rules which are given below:

Subject + V1 + s/es + Object (Singular)

Subject + V1 + Object (Plural)

Examples of Simple Present Tense Rules:

1. The Sun rises in the East.
2. Rita goes to school.
Present Continuous Tense Rules
Present continuous tense shows the action which is happening in the present and will continue for
some finite time i.e. the team is playing very well. Now you can make some sentences using the
present continuous tense rule that is given below:

Subject + is/am/are + V1 + ing + Object

Examples of Present Continuous Tense Rules:

1. I am eating pudding.
2. Sia is writing a letter to the editor.

Present Perfect Tense Rules

The present perfect tense rule shows the action that happened in the past and continues into the
present i.e. I have completed the assignment. Now you can make some sentences using the
present perfect tense rules that is given below:

Subject + has + V3 + Object (Singular)

Subject + have + V3 + Object (Plural)

Examples of Present Perfect Tense Rules:

1. He has just eaten food.
2. I have just read the book.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Rules

Present perfect continuous tense shows the action that started in the past and has continued until
the current instant i.e., To improve his English language, he has been doing his homework daily.
Now you can make some sentences using the present perfect continuous tense rule that is given
below:

Subject + has been + V1 + ing + Object (Singular)

Subject + have been + V1 + ing + Object (Plural)

Examples of Present Perfect Continuous Tense Rules:

1. I have been cleaning regularly since Monday.
2. She has been using the night cream for several months.

Past Tense Rules and Examples

Past tense is used to describe a past activity or action. It is a form of the verb that defines the
events that have already occurred. Examples

 Reema attended the wedding functions.

 He left before I reached.
 Priya wrote a letter to her friends from camp.

Simple Past Tense Rules

The simple past tense represents the actions that occurred and were completed in the past i.e., I
was on leave yesterday. Now you can create some sentences by using the simple past tense rules
which are given below:

Subject + V2 + Object

Examples of Simple Past Tense Rules:

1. Rita went to school.
2. Minty ate food.

Past Continuous Tense Rules

The past continuous tense represents the action or actions that were occurring in the past i.e., He
was dancing when I was there. Now you can create some sentences by using the past continuous
tense rules which are given below:

Subject + was + V1 + ing + Object (Singular) Subject + were + V1 + ing + Object (Plural)

Examples of Past Continuous Tense Rules:

1. I was eating pudding.
2. Sia was writing a letter to the editor.

Past Perfect Tense Rules

The past perfect tense represents the action that occurred before another past action or event i.e.,
He had completed the assignment before the deadline. Now you can create some sentences by
using the past perfect tense rules which are given below:

Subject + had + V3 + Object

Examples of Past Perfect Tense Rules:

1. He had taken the token when she called.
2. I had brushed my teeth by 8 am.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense Rules

Past Perfect Continuous Tense represents an action that started, continued and ended after some
time in the past. i.e., I had been cooking my favourite dish when my sister walked into the kitchen.
Now you can create some sentences by using the past perfect continuous tense rules which are
given below:

Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object

Examples of Past Perfect Continuous Tense Rules:

1. He had been standing in the rain the whole night.
2. I had been eating diet food for the whole summer.

Future Tense Rules and Examples

The future tense is used to describe future events that haven’t occurred but possibly will occur in
the future. It is a form of the verb that will occur in the future & not exist currently. Examples

 She will be dancing to classical music.

  We will be shifting to the house upstate tomorrow morning.
 The train will leave in 10 minutes.

Simple Future Tense Rules

The simple future tense represents the actions that will occur in the future i.e., I will go to the
movie tomorrow. Now you can create some sentences by using the simple future tense rules
which are given below:

Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object

Examples of Simple Future Tense Rules:

1. I shall go to school tomorrow.
2. My mother will feed me.

Future Continuous Tense Rules

The future continuous tense represents the actions that will occur in the future and will be ongoing
at a specific point in time i.e., I will be going to a movie at 7 PM tomorrow. Now you can create
some sentences by using the future continuous tense rules which are given below:

Subject + will be/shall be + ing + V1 + Object

Examples:
1. He shall be writing his exam.
2. We will be going to the zoo.

Future Perfect Tense Rules

The future perfect tense represents the actions that will be completed before a specific point in
time in future i.e., By this time tomorrow, he shall have finished their class. Now you can create
some sentences by using the future perfect tense rules which are given below:

Subject + will have/shall have + V3 + Object

Examples of Future Perfect Tense Rules:

I shall have started writing by that time.
We will have reached Goa by then.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense Rules

The future perfect continuous tense represents the actions that will continue up until a specific
point in time in future i.e., He will have been waiting there for five hours by seven o’clock.. Now
you can create some sentences by using the future perfect continuous tense rules which are given
below:

Subject + will have been + V1 + ing + Object

Examples on Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

By next year we will be graduating.
They shall be serving food in the slum area tomorrow.
Tenses Rules and Application
Sometimes understanding grammar tense rules can be confusing, to sort it out and make it easier
we have represented a tabulated version of tense rules, along with their applications and
examples:

Tenses Application Example

Past simple tense Past Events She cooked dinner for everyone last month
Past Perfect tense Prior events happened before past events She cooked dinner for everyone last night
shifting to Mumbai
Past Continuous Past Events related to the occurrence of other She was cooking dinner for everyone whe
tense events ran out of gas.
Past perfect continuous Past events relating to a past moment She was cooking for dinner & needed som
tense
Present Simple tense ruleFacts & truths She hosts dinner for everyone a lot.
Present Perfect tense Events of past & continuing or expected to She has hosted a lot of times & left with o
continue in present. dinner
Present Continuous tense Current Actions She is cooking dinner for everyone
Present perfect Past events, continued & finished in the She cooked dinner for everyone & now ne
continuous tense current moment some rest.
Future Simple tense Events completed in future She will cook dinner for everyone next mo
Future Perfect tense Current events completed in the given time She will be cooking dinner for everyone b
frame in future PM next Saturday
Future Continuous tense Future events & are expected to continue She will be hosting a lot of dinner parties n
year.
Future Perfect Tasks continue in the future & highlighting the The dinner she will be cooking will take 3
Continuous tense duration to finish.

Examples of Each Type of Tense

Tense Example 1 Example 2 I will be travelling next
Simple Present She teaches English. He goes to the gym regularly. They live in New York.
Present Continuous They are playing soccer right She is studying for her exam. I am writing an email.
now.
Present Perfect I have visited London many She has finished her book. They have already eaten
times.
Present Perfect I have been working all day. She has been practicing the They have been talking fo
Continuous piano. hours.
Simple Past I will be travelling next week. She graduated from college in They watched a movie la
2010. night.
Past Continuous We were hiking in the mountains. They were talking on the phone. She was cooking dinner w
arrived.
Past Perfect She had already left when I got They had finished the project by I had never seen such a b
there. noon. sunset.
Past Perfect By then, they had been waiting She had been studying all night. They had been living in t
Continuous for hours. house for a decade.
Simple Future They will call you tomorrow. She will come to the party. I will buy a new car next
Future Continuous I will be traveling next week. She will be studying all evening. They will be celebrating
anniversary.
Future Perfect By then, I will have finished my She will have completed the They will have arrived at
work. course. destination.
 Tense Example 1 Example 2 I will be travelling next
Future Perfect She will have been working for 5 They will have been waiting for I will have been writing f
Continuous hours by 5 o’clock. a while. hours.
Present Conditional If it rains, we will stay at home. She will come if she has time. If you work hard, you wi
(Type 1) succeed.
Past Conditional (Type If I had known, I would have She would have helped if she If they had seen it, they w
2) come. were here. have been shocked.
Past Perfect If they had studied, they would She would have gone to the If he had seen the sign, h
Conditional (Type 3) have passed the test. party if she had known. have turned left.
Practice with Tenses Rules Quiz Questions!
Now you have learned all about the types & tenses rules. Here are some practice questions to test
your knowledge.

1. Riya _____ (wants/ wanting)to be a pilot.

2. The dinner ______ (smells/smelling) great.
3. She _______ (has been crying/cried) since last night.
4. I _______ (will be lying, will lie) on the beach with my friends.
5. Give me a call when you ______ (have, had) time.
6. I _______ (spent/spend) all my teenage years at math camp.
7. When we were in the hostel we _____ (made/make) our breakfast.
8. Sandhya is ________ (running/ran) for student election this semester.
9. He _____ (plays/playing) tennis most of his evening.
10. When you called, I was______ (taking/took) a shower.

Answers

1. Wants
2. Smells
3. Has been crying
4. Will be lying
5. Have
6. Spent
7. Made
8. Running
9. Plays
10. taking

FAQs on Tenses Rules

Ques: What are The Types of Tenses?
Ans: There are three types of tenses past, present, and future which can be further divided into
Simple Tense, Continuous Tense, Perfect Tense and Perfect Continuous Tense.

Ques: What is the formula for the future continuous tense rule?
Ans: The correct formula for the future continuous tense rule is “shall/ will + be + verb + ing”. By
using this formula one can do correct sentence formation.

Ques: What are the tense rules for the present tense?
Ans: In the present tense rule states that the task should be completed in a certain time frame.

Ques: Which tense is used while making predictions?

Ans: According to the tenses rules, future simple tenses should be used in predictions.
Ques: For the task that has started & still going on, which tense should be used?
Ans: Based on grammar tense rules, in this case, the present perfect tense should be used.

Ques: While describing historical events, which tense is used?

Ans: Referring to tenses rules, past simple tense should be used in the case of historical events

Ques: What are V1, V2, and V3 in tenses?

Ans: V1, V2 and V3 are the abbreviations used for various forms of the verb
i.e., V1 = first form of the verb | V2 = second form of the verb | V3 = third form of the verb.

Ques: What is tense in simple words?

Ans: Tenses are the forms of verbs that denote the time of the action – present, past or future.

Ques: What are the rules of 12 tenses?

Ans: The 12 tenses rules are :
Past simple tense
Past Perfect tense
Past Continuous tense
Past perfect continuous tense
Present Simple tense
Present Perfect tense
Present Continuous tense
Present perfect continuous tense
Future Simple tense
Future Perfect tense
Future Continuous tense
Future Perfect Continuous

What is the rule for the Simple Present Tense?

The rule for the Simple Present Tense is:
– Subject + Base Verb (e.g., I eat) for general truths or habits.
– For third-person singular subjects (he, she, it), add “-s” or “-es” to the verb (e.g., He eats).
This tense is used for routines, universal truths, and scheduled events.

What are the basic rules of tenses in English?

The basic rules of tenses involve using verb forms to indicate the time of an action or state.
English tenses are divided into three main categories: past, present, and future, each with four
subcategories: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. Each tense has specific
structures and usages, such as adding “-ed” for past tense in regular verbs or auxiliary verbs like
“will” for future tense.

How do you form the Present Continuous Tense?

To form the Present Continuous Tense:
Use Subject + is/am/are + Verb(-ing).
For example:
“She is running.”
“I am studying.”
This tense expresses ongoing actions happening at the moment of speaking or near the present.

What are the rules for using the Simple Past Tense?
The Simple Past Tense rule is:
Subject + Past Verb Form (e.g., walked, danced).
For regular verbs, add “-ed” to the base form; irregular verbs have unique past forms (e.g., go →
went).
It is used for actions completed in the past.
What is the Future Tense rule in English?
The basic rule for the Future Tense is:
Subject + will + Base Verb (e.g., I will go).
Alternatively, the “going to” structure can indicate planned actions (e.g., “I am going to study”).
It is used for predictions, intentions, and scheduled actions.

How do you differentiate Present Perfect from Present Perfect Continuous?

Present Perfect: Subject + has/have + Past Participle (e.g., She has finished her homework). It
emphasizes completed actions relevant to the present.
Present Perfect Continuous: Subject + has/have been + Verb(-ing) (e.g., She has been
studying). It highlights ongoing actions starting in the past and continuing now.

8. What are the common errors in tenses usage?

Common errors include:
1. Mixing tenses within a sentence unnecessarily (e.g., “He is running and ate lunch”).
2. Incorrect verb forms (e.g., “He run yesterday” instead of “ran”).
3. Using future tense unnecessarily in conditional sentences (e.g., “If I will go” instead of “If I go”).

What is the role of auxiliary verbs in tenses?

Auxiliary verbs like is, am, are, has, have, was, were, will, shall, and been support the main
verb in forming various tenses. For example:
– In Present Continuous: “She is studying.”
– In Future Perfect: “They will have completed the task.”

How do tenses impact sentence meaning?

Tenses determine the time frame of actions or events, significantly affecting sentence meaning.
For instance:
“He eats” (habitual action).
“He ate” (past action).
“He will eat” (future action).

What are the rules for forming negative sentences in tenses?

The general rule is to use auxiliary verbs and “not”:
Present Simple: “I do not eat.”
Past Simple: “She did not go.”
Future Simple: “They will not leave.”
For continuous tenses, place “not” after the auxiliary verb: “She is not reading.”

What is the difference between Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous?
re Perfect: Subject + will have + Past Participle (e.g., “I will have completed the project by 5
PM”). It highlights actions completed before a future time.
Future Perfect Continuous: Subject + will have been + Verb(-ing) (e.g., “I will have been
working for 3 hours by 5 PM”). It emphasizes ongoing actions until a future point.