PRESENT TENSES

1.SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing

being said about its completeness.
Key words: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, every day, on
Sundays, etc.
Example:I eat.
He studies grammar every day.
2.PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action is on-going/ still going on and hence
continuous.
Key words: now, right now, this quarter, etc.
Example:I am eating.
I am sleeping.
I can’t talk on the phone. I am eating lunch.
3.PRESENT PERFECT TENSE: Here,the action is complete or has ended and hence
Perfect.
Key words: already, yet, just, ever, never, ___ times, since + a particular time, for + a
duration of time
Example:I have eaten.
I have eaten Indian food two times.
4.PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action has been taking place for
some time and is still ongoing.
Key words: for, since, lately
Example:I have been eating.
I have been eating a lot of vegetables lately.
PAST TENSES

5.SIMPLE PAST TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and understood to have

taken place in the past.
Key words: yesterday, last week, last month, this morning (when meaning is past), etc.
Example: I ate dinner yesterday.
6.PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action was ongoing till a certain time in the past.
Key words: while
Example: I was eating when you called.
7.PAST PERFECT TENSE: Express something that happened before another action in the
past.
Key words: already, before. by the time
Examples: I had eaten.
I had already eaten when they arrived.
8.PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express something that started in the past and
continued until another time in the past.
Key words: for, since
Example: I had been eating for two hours before my friend arrived.
FUTURE TENSES

9.SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE: Used when we plan or make a decision to do something.

Nothing is said about the time in the future.
Example:I will eat.
I will sleep.
10. FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express action at a particular moment in the future.
However, the action will not have finished at the moment.
Key words: for
Example:I will be eating at 9 a.m.
I’ll be staying with my cousin for several weeks.
11. FUTURE PERFECT TENSE: Express action that will occur in the future before another
action in the future.
Key words: when, by the time
Example: I will have finished studying by the time you arrive.
I will have slept before you arrive.
12. FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Used to talk about an on-going action
before some point in the future.
Key words: for, by the time
Example:I will have been sleeping for two hours when you arrive.
I will have been studying for two hours by the time my parents come.