CONTENT
Introduction
Present tense
Past tense
Future tense
Rules
Usefulness of tenses
Introduction
 The word tense is derived from Latin word “tempus” which means time.
 A verb indicates the time of an action, event or condition by changing its
form.
 A verb tense tells when action took place, or will take place or is taking
place
 Verb tenses in simple relate an action to a specific time of occurrence
Introduction
 The word tense is derived from Latin word “tempus”
which means time.
 A verb indicates the time of an action, event or condition
by changing its form.
 A verb tense tells when action took place, or will take
place or is taking place
 Verb tenses in simple relate an action to a specific time
of occurrence
Present tense
Present simple
• Events, actions, and conditions that are happening all the time, or exist now
Eg: He drives a car
Present perfect
• Expresses an action done in a time period up to the present,
Eg: He has driven a car
Present continuous
Describe an action that is currently happening
Eg: He is driving a car
Present perfect continuous
Shows that something started in the past and is continuing at the present time
Eg: He has been driving a car since morning
Past tense
Past simple
• An action that occurred in the past and which does not extend into the present.
Eg: He drove a car
Past perfect
• Actions that were completed before some point in the past.
Eg: He had driven a car
Past continuous
Continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past.
Eg: He was driving a car
Past perfect continuous
An action started in the past and continued up to another point in the past.
Eg: He had been driving a car since 6 am
Future tense
Future simple
• Tense that's used to talk about things that haven't happened yet
Eg: He will drive a car
Future perfect
• Actions that will be completed before some other point in the future
Eg: He will have driven a car
Future continuous
Things that will occur in the future and continue for an expected time
Eg: He will be driving a car
Future perfect continuous
Tense that describes actions that will continue up until a point in the future
Eg: He will have driving a car at 6 am tomorrow
Rules
Tense
Present
Past
Future
Simple
Verb/Verb+s/
Is/am/are
2nd form of
verb(regular or
irregular)
Will + verb
Continuous
Am/ is / are + verb
+ing
Was / were + verb
Will be + verb + ing
+ ing
Perfect
Has / have + the 3
form of verb
Had + 3rd form of
verb
Will have + 3rd
form of verb
Perfect
continuous
Has been / have
been +verb+ing
Had been + verb +
ing
Will have been +
verb +ing
Usefulness of tenses
 Tenses forms the backbone of the English language
 The tense, which is most appropriate to express the idea, it should be used, else the
statement/question would express something opposite
 Correct use of tense will imply the use of correct form of verb with proper auxiliary
 Each tense indicates the connection between two or more time periods or the exact time an
activity occurred, which underlines the importance of English grammar tenses.
 They can be used to create different meanings from the same verbs and help to anchor the
listener understand the meaning behind your story