Important tenses rules with examples

Tenses are word forms used in English to communicate the time at which an event or an action has taken place. These word forms are associated with verbs (action words) so that the listener is able to understand whether an action or an event being talked about has taken place in the past, present, or the future. However, there are certain tenses rules that you, as a speaker, need to follow in order to accurately communicate the time associated with a verb. This will help you express yourself effectively, no matter if you’re giving a speech, talking to friends, or giving a presentation at work.

So let us begin by looking at the different types of tenses so that you have a good understanding of the fundamentals.

Types of Tenses

If you have ever appeared for or plan to sit for a competitive exam, then you should know that tenses are one of the most important subjects in English communication and make up for a significant part of the language paper. So, if you want to nail these exams, you need to start by understanding the different types of tenses-

1. Past Tense

This is the tense that is used when talking about an event or an action that has taken place in the past. When using this tense, the verbs usually get the suffix “-ed,“ but this is not common for all verbs. Take a look at an example of each of the different forms of the verb “go” in the four different types of past tense (these have been explained below)-

• He went to the party.
• They were going to the party.
• She had gone to the party.
• He had been going to the party.

2. Present Tense

This tense is used when talking about actions or events that have taken place in the present time (that is, as we speak). Here, the verb usually retains its original form and does not get any prefix or suffix (except when it is in the continuous form). Here are four examples of the verb “drink” in the four different forms of present tense.

• She drinks apple juice daily.
• He is drinking apple juice.
• She has drunk apple juice.
• She has been drinking apple juice.

3. Future Tense

This is a tense that denotes actions or events that may or may not happen in the future (either near or distant future). It is used in contexts where a particular action or event has not currently taken place but is set to take place in the future. Here are four examples of the four forms of the future tense of the verb “perform.“

• She will perform tonight.
• They will be performing tonight.
• She will have performed tonight.
• I will have been performing tonight.

Sub-categories of tenses

While given above are the three broad categorizations of all tenses rules, each of these tenses, as you have seen from the examples, is further divided into four sub-categories. These are-

1. Simple Tense

As the name suggests, this is the simplest form of a verb. And in most cases, it allows the verb to retain its original form without the addition of any prefix or suffix.

2. Continuous Tense

This type of tense is used to depict actions or events that had been, are, or will be taking place in the past, present, or future, respectively. 

3. Perfect Tense

This tense is somewhat tricky as it refers to actions or events that have just been completed during the time of speaking. 

4. Perfect Continuous Tense

The perfect continuous tenses are used to denote actions or events that have, are, or will be constantly taking place at a given time. It also states that these actions or events have, are, or will be completed soon in some time.

Tenses rules and examples

Now that you have been acquainted with the different types of tenses and have also seen a few brief examples, you need to take a closer look into the 3 most important tenses rules using which you will be able to answer all types of English grammar questions on tenses.

1. Simple Past Tense rules

In this type of tense, you need to develop sentences using the subject, the second form of a verb, and the object.

For example – “I wished to talk about that matter.”

Application

a) Past Continuous Tense: In this type of tense, you will have to create your sentences using the subject, the word ‘was,‘ the first form of a verb with the suffix ‘-ing,’ and the object.

For example – “I was peeling potatoes in the kitchen yesterday.”

b) Past Perfect Tense: Here, you will have to form your sentences using the subject, the word ‘had,‘ the third form of a verb, and the object.

For example – “Jane had completed her assignment before the boss arrived.”

c) Past Perfect Continuous Tense: Finally, in this form of past tense, you will have to make your sentences using the subject, the phrase ‘had been,‘ the first form of a verb with the suffix ‘-ing,‘ and the object. 

For example – “I had been working under the supervision of Mr. Williams.”

2. Simple Present Tense rules

Here you will have to make your sentences using the subject, the first form of a verb usually with the suffix ‘-s’ or ‘-es,‘ and the object.

For example – “I speak French quite well.”

Application

a) Present Continuous Tense: Similarly, in this form of a tense, you will need to create your sentences using the subject, the word ‘is,‘ ‘am,‘ or ‘are,‘ along with the first form of a verb with the suffix ‘-ing,‘ and the object.

For example – “I understand what you are trying to tell me.”

b) Present Perfect Tense: On the other hand, the perfect tense states that you need to make your sentences using the subject, the words ‘has’ or ‘have,‘ the third form of a verb, and the object.

For example – “He has planted many herbs and shrubs in his garden.”

c) Present Perfect Continuous Tense: This is a mixture of the continuous and the perfect tenses. Here you will have to make your sentences using the subject, the phrase ‘has been’ or ‘have been,‘ along with a verb in its first form with the ‘-ing’ suffix, and the object.

For example – “He has been discussing the interior design with her for two hours.”

3. Simple Future Tense rules

The future tenses are slightly more complex because here, you need to make your sentences with a subject, the words ‘will’ or ‘shall,‘ the first form of a verb, and the object.

For example – “I will go to the beach next Sunday.”

Application

a) Future Continuous Tense: In the future continuous tense, you need to form your sentences using the subject, the phrases ‘will be’ or ‘shall be,‘ the first form of a verb with the suffix ‘-ing,‘ and the object.

For example – “She will be drinking tea in the morning at 7 o’clock.”

b) Future Perfect Tense: In this form of a tense, you need to make your sentences using the subject, the phrases ‘will have’ or ‘shall have,‘ a verb in its third form, and the object.

For example – “I will have planted a sapling in my lawn.”

c) Future Perfect Continuous Tense: Finally, this is considered one of the most complex verb formats but it can be broken down into simpler parts. To make your sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, you will have to use a subject, the phrase ‘will have been,‘ the first form of a verb with the suffix ‘-ing,‘ and the object.

For example – “My company will have been progressing by leaps and bounds.”

What’s next?

Whether it is a college exam or even the IELTS exam, tenses are an important part of the paper. Therefore, it is important to know all the relevant tenses rules. With this in-depth knowledge about the tenses, you are sure to ace any English grammar test.

FAQs

1.  How to use tenses?

Tenses are used to describe situations or events that have certain actions (verbs) associated with them.

2.  How many types of tenses are there in total?

There are 12 types of tenses in all.

3.  What is an example of past perfect continuous tense?

A good example of the past perfect continuous tense would be-

“He had been going to church for the last 10 years.”

Feel free to check out our blog for more such information as well as guides on various English proficiency tests.

Happy Learning!