Tenses Chart for Quick Revision

What is a Tense?

Tense denotes the time of action. It indicates when an action or state takes place in
relation to the present, past, or future.

Importance of Tenses in Learning Language

Tenses are an important part of the English language because they help to indicate the
time of an action or event which is essential for clear and effective communication.

Types of Tenses

There are 3 types of tense.

I.Present Tense

II.Past Tense

III.Future Tense

Each tense is further divided into 4 types as follows:

Present Tense Past Tense Future Tense

1.Present Simple Tense 1.Past Simple Tense 1.Future Indefinite Tense

2.Present Continuous Tense 2.Past Continuous Tense 2.Future Continuous Tense

3.Present Prefect Tense 3.Past Perfect Tense 3.Future Perfect Tense

4.Present Perfect Continuous 4.Past Perfect Continuous 4.Future Perfect Continuous

Tense Tense Tense

Tense Formulas

Tense Formulas for Present Tense

Tense Assertive Negative Interrogative

Subject + V1 + s/es Subject + does not + Does + Subject + V1 +
+ Object V1 + Object Object
Simple Present
Tense
Example: He goes Example: He does Example: Does he go
to school. not go to school. to school?
Subject + is/am/are Subject + is/am/are + is/am/are + Subject +
Present + V1+ing + Object not + V1+ing + V1+ing + Object
Continuous Tense Object
Example: He is Example: Is he going
 going to school. Example: He is not to school?
going to school.
Subject + has/have Subject + has/have + Has/have + Subject +
+ V3 + Object not + V3 + Object V3 + Object
Present Perfect
Tense
Example: He has Example: He has not Example: Has he gone
gone to school. gone to school. to school?
Subject + has/have
Subject + has/have + Has/Have + Subject +
+ been + V1+ing +
not + been + V1+ing been + V1+ing +
Present Perfect Object
+ Object Object
Continuous
Tense. Example: He has
Example: He has not Example: Has he been
been going to
been going to school. going to school?
school.

Tense Formulas for Past Tense

Tense Assertive Negative Interrogative

Subject + V2 + Subject + did not + Did + Subject + V1 +
Object V1 + Object Object
Simple Past
Tense
Example: He went Example: He did not Example: Did he go to
to school. go to school. school?
Subject + was/were +
Subject + was/were Was/were + Subject +
not + V1+ing +
+ V1+ing + Object V1+ing + Object
Past Continuous Object
Tense
Example: He was Example: Was he
Example: He was not
going to school. going to school?
going to school.
Subject + had + V3 Subject + had + not + Had + Subject + V3 +
+ Object V3 + Object Object
Past Perfect
Tense
Example: He had Example: He had not Example: Had he gone
gone to school. gone to school. to school?
Subject + had been Subject + had + not +
Had + Subject + been
+ V1+ing + Object been + V1+ing +
Past Perfect + V1+ing + Object
Object
Continuous
Example: He had
Tense. Example: Had he been
been going to Example: He had not
going to school?
school. been going to school.

Tense Formulas for Future Tense

Tense Assertive Negative Interrogative

Subject + will/shall Subject + will/shall Will/shall + Subject +
Simple Future + V1 + Object + not + V1 + Object V1 + Object
Tense
Example: He will go Example: He will not Example: Will he go to
 to school. go to school. school?
Subject + will/shall Subject + will/shall
Will/shall + Subject +
+ be + V1+ing + + not + be + V1+ing
Future be + V1+ing + Object
Object + Object
Continuous
Tense Example: Will he be
Example: He will be Example: He will not
going to school?
going to school. be going to school.
Subject + will/shall
Subject + will/shall
+ have + not + V3 + Will + Subject + have +
+ have + V3 +
Object V3 + Object
Fututre Perfect Object
Tense
Example: He will Example: Will he have
Example: He will
have not gone to gone to school?
have gone to school.
school.
Subject + will/shall Subject + will/shall
Will/shall + Subject +
+ have + been + + have not + been +
have + been + V1+ing
Future Perfect V1+ing + Object V1+ing + Object
+ Object
Continuous
Tense. Example: He will Example: He will not
Example: Will he have
have been going to have been going to
been going to school?
school. school.

12 Tenses: Quick Revision with help of examples

Tense Present Past Future

Simple He drives a car. He drove a car. He will drive a car.
He will be driving
Continuous He is driving a car. He was driving a car.
a car.
He will have
Perfect He has driven a car. He had driven a car.
driven a car.
Perfect He has been riding a bike He had been riding a He will have been
Continuous since the morning bike since 8 am driving a car.

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