Tense Chart: Mastering English tenses is essential for writing and speaking accurately. Tenses help us express time, actions, and ideas clearly. With proper knowledge of tenses and sentence formation, you can communicate your thoughts, emotions, and messages effectively. This article presents a comprehensive tenses chart with definitions, rules, and examples, making it an ideal resource for competitive exams like SSC, IBPS, UPSC, and general English grammar practice.
Table of Contents
- What Are Tenses in English?
- Why Are Tenses Important?
- 12 English Tenses Overview
- Complete Tenses Chart (With Rules & Examples)
- Common Mistakes in Using Tenses
- Download Free Tenses PDF
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
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What are the 12 types of tenses in English grammar?
English grammar has 12 major tenses used to describe actions in the present, past, and future. Below is a quick breakdown of these tenses with simple examples to help you understand their usage.
1. Present Tenses
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Simple Present – I eat.
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Present Continuous – I am eating.
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Present Perfect – I have eaten.
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Present Perfect Continuous – I have been eating.
Past Tenses
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Simple Past – I ate.
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Past Continuous – I was eating.
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Past Perfect – I had eaten.
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Past Perfect Continuous – I had been eating.
Future Tenses
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Simple Future – I will eat.
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Future Continuous – I will be eating.
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Future Perfect – I will have eaten.
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Future Perfect Continuous – I will have been eating.
These tenses help express actions at different times and states, making communication clearer and more precise.
What is a Tense Chart?
A tense chart is a visual representation of various actions occurring at various points of time. It has various types of tenses organised into a table format which provides a clear overview of the various forms of verbs used to indicate different time frames in which an action takes place.
This is a helpful tool for learning and understanding the English tense system. So, if you are struggling with the usage of tenses and English sentence formation, then the tense chart below is a perfect guide for you.
12 Tenses with Examples
Each tense is further divided into 4 types. These are stated below with examples:
| Present Tense | Past Tense | Future Tense |
| 1.Present Simple Tense Example: She writes a letter every day. 2.Present Continuous Tense Example: She is writing a letter right now. 3.Present Perfect Tense Example: She has written a letter today. 4.Present Perfect Continuous Tense Example: She has been writing letters for two hours. | 1.Past Simple Tense Example: She wrote a letter yesterday. 2.Past Continuous Tense Example: She was writing a letter when I called her. 3.Past Perfect Tense Example: She had written the letter before I arrived. 4.Past Perfect Continuous Tense Example: She had been writing the letter for an hour when I arrived. | 1.Future Indefinite Tense Example: She will write a letter tomorrow. 2.Future Continuous Tense Example: She will be writing a letter at 5 PM tomorrow. 3.Future Perfect Tense Example: She will have written the letter by the time you arrive. 4.Future Perfect Continuous Tense Example: She will have been writing the letter for two hours by the time you call her. |
Tense Formulas
Tense Formulas for Present Tense
| Tense | Assertive | Negative | Interrogative |
| Simple Present Tense | Subject + V1 + s/es + Object Example: He goes to school. | Subject + does not + V1 + Object Example: He does not go to school. | Does + Subject + V1 + Object Example: Does he go to school? |
| Present Continuous Tense | Subject + is/am/are + V1+ing + Object Example: He is going to school. | Subject + is/am/are + not + V1+ing + Object Example: He is not going to school. | is/am/are + Subject + V1+ing + Object Example: Is he going to school? |
| Present Perfect Tense | Subject + has/have + V3 + Object Example: He has gone to school. | Subject + has/have + not + V3 + Object Example: He has not gone to school. | Has/have + Subject + V3 + Object Example: Has he gone to school? |
| Present Perfect Continuous Tense. | Subject + has/have + been + V1+ing + Object Example: He has been going to school. | Subject + has/have + not + been + V1+ing + Object Example: He has not been going to school. | Has/Have + Subject + been + V1+ing + Object Example: Has he been going to school? |
Tense Formulas for Past Tense
| Tense | Assertive | Negative | Interrogative |
| Simple Past Tense | Subject + V2 + Object Example: He went to school. | Subject + did not + V1 + Object Example: He did not go to school. | Did + Subject + V1 + Object Example: Did he go to school? |
| Past Continuous Tense | Subject + was/were + V1+ing + Object Example: He was going to school. | Subject + was/were + not + V1+ing + Object Example: He was not going to school. | Was/were + Subject + V1+ing + Object Example: Was he going to school? |
| Past Perfect Tense | Subject + had + V3 + Object Example: He had gone to school. | Subject + had + not + V3 + Object Example: He had not gone to school. | Had + Subject + V3 + Object Example: Had he gone to school? |
| Past Perfect Continuous Tense. | Subject + had been + V1+ing + Object Example: He had been going to school. | Subject + had + not + been + V1+ing + Object Example: He had not been going to school. | Had + Subject + been + V1+ing + Object Example: Had he been going to school? |
Tense Formulas for Future Tense
| Tense | Assertive | Negative | Interrogative |
| Simple Future Tense | Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object Example: He will go to school. | Subject + will/shall + not + V1 + Object Example: He will not go to school. | Will/shall + Subject + V1 + Object Example: Will he go to school? |
| Future Continuous Tense | Subject + will/shall + be + V1+ing + Object Example: He will be going to school. | Subject + will/shall + not + be + V1+ing + Object Example: He will not be going to school. | Will/shall + Subject + be + V1+ing + Object Example: Will he be going to school? |
| Fututre Perfect Tense | Subject + will/shall + have + V3 + Object Example: He will have gone to school. | Subject + will/shall + have + not + V3 + Object Example: He will have not gone to school. | Will + Subject + have + V3 + Object Example: Will he have gone to school? |
| Future Perfect Continuous Tense. | Subject + will/shall + have + been + V1+ing + Object Example: He will have been going to school. | Subject + will/shall + not + have + been + V1+ing + Object Example: He will not have been going to school. | Will/shall + Subject + have + been + V1+ing + Object Example: Will he have been going to 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. |
| Continuous | He is driving a car. | He was driving a car. | He will be driving a car. |
| Perfect | He has driven a car. | He had driven a car. | He will have driven a car. |
| Perfect Continuous | He has been driving a car since morning. | He had been driving a car since morning. | He will have been driving a car since morning. |
Save all the notes in PDF from the following link:
Download English Tenses Chart in PDF |
Common Mistakes in Using Tenses
Mastering English tenses can be challenging, even for advanced learners. Many speakers struggle with subtle distinctions between tense forms, leading to miscommunication or awkward phrasing. Below are some common mistakes made when using English tenses, along with explanations and examples to help avoid them:
- Confusing Present Perfect and Past Simple
Many learners mix up these two tenses. The present perfect (e.g., I have seen that movie) is used for actions with relevance to the present or without a specified time. In contrast, the past simple (e.g., I saw that movie yesterday) refers to actions that happened at a specific time in the past.
Incorrect - I have seen that movie yesterday.
Correct - I saw that movie yesterday. - Using "will" instead of "going to" for planned actions
"Will" is often used for spontaneous decisions or predictions, while "going to" is preferred for plans and intentions.
Incorrect - I will visit my grandmother tomorrow. (if already planned)
Correct - I’m going to visit my grandmother tomorrow. - Omitting "been" in perfect continuous forms
When using perfect continuous tenses, the auxiliary "been" is essential. Its omission makes the sentence grammatically incorrect.
Incorrect - I have working here for two years.
Correct - I have been working here for two years.
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