Understanding tenses is a fundamental part of learning English grammar. Tenses allow us to express the time of an action or state, whether it happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future.
In this article, we’ll explore all tenses in English grammar formula with examples to make learning easier for you.
What Are Tenses?
Tenses are grammatical tools used to indicate the timing of an action, event, or condition. There are three primary categories of tenses:
- Present Tenses
- Past Tenses
- Future Tenses
Each category is further divided into simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous tenses, resulting in a total of 16 tenses in English Grammar Formula with Examples.
Tenses in English Grammar Formula with Examples
Present Tenses
- Present Simple Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + base verb (add “s/es” for third person singular)
- Negative: Subject + do/does not + base verb
- Question: Do/Does + subject + base verb?
Examples:
- She writes a letter.
- They do not play football.
- Do you like ice cream?
- Present Continuous Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + am/is/are + verb(-ing)
- Negative: Subject + am/is/are not + verb(-ing)
- Question: Am/Is/Are + subject + verb(-ing)?
Examples:
- He is reading a book.
- We are not watching TV.
- Are they playing outside?
- Present Perfect Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + has/have + past participle
- Negative: Subject + has/have not + past participle
- Question: Has/Have + subject + past participle?
Examples:
- She has finished her homework.
- I have not visited Paris.
- Have you ever traveled abroad?
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + has/have been + verb(-ing)
- Negative: Subject + has/have not been + verb(-ing)
- Question: Has/Have + subject + been + verb(-ing)?
Examples:
- He has been studying for two hours.
- They have not been working since morning.
- Have you been learning English for long?
Past Tenses
- Past Simple Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + past tense verb
- Negative: Subject + did not + base verb
- Question: Did + subject + base verb?
Examples:
- I visited my grandparents.
- She did not attend the meeting.
- Did they enjoy the party?
- Past Continuous Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + was/were + verb(-ing)
- Negative: Subject + was/were not + verb(-ing)
- Question: Was/Were + subject + verb(-ing)?
Examples:
- He was reading a book.
- They were not watching TV.
- Were you sleeping at that time?
- Past Perfect Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + had + past participle
- Negative: Subject + had not + past participle
- Question: Had + subject + past participle?
Examples:
- She had finished her homework before dinner.
- I had not seen that movie before.
- Had they already left when you arrived?
- Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + had been + verb(-ing)
- Negative: Subject + had not been + verb(-ing)
- Question: Had + subject + been + verb(-ing)?
Examples:
- He had been studying for hours.
- They had not been working for long.
- Had you been waiting long?
Future Tenses
- Future Simple Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will + base verb
- Negative: Subject + will not + base verb
- Question: Will + subject + base verb?
Examples:
- She will visit her parents tomorrow.
- They will not come to the party.
- Will you join us for dinner?
- Future Continuous Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will be + verb(-ing)
- Negative: Subject + will not be + verb(-ing)
- Question: Will + subject + be + verb(-ing)?
Examples:
- I will be studying at that time.
- They will not be traveling next week.
- Will she be attending the event?
- Future Perfect Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will have + past participle
- Negative: Subject + will not have + past participle
- Question: Will + subject + have + past participle?
Examples:
- She will have completed her project by then.
- We will not have arrived by 9 PM.
- Will they have finished the work?
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Formula:
- Positive: Subject + will have been + verb(-ing)
- Negative: Subject + will not have been + verb(-ing)
- Question: Will + subject + have been + verb(-ing)?
Examples:
- He will have been working for three hours.
- They will not have been studying that long.
- Will she have been waiting for us?
Tenses in English Grammar Formula with Examples
Summary of 16 Tenses in English Grammar Formula with Examples
Here’s a quick overview of Tenses in English Grammar Formula with Example
| Tense | Formula | Example |
| Present Simple | Subject + base verb | She writes letters. |
| Present Continuous | Subject + am/is/are + verb(-ing) | She is reading a book. |
| Present Perfect | Subject + has/have + past participle | I have completed my homework. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Subject + has/have been + verb(-ing) | They have been studying all day. |
| Past Simple | Subject + past verb | She visited her grandparents. |
| Past Continuous | Subject + was/were + verb(-ing) | He was sleeping. |
| Past Perfect | Subject + had + past participle | I had finished before lunch. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Subject + had been + verb(-ing) | They had been waiting for hours. |
| Future Simple | Subject + will + base verb | She will call you. |
| Future Continuous | Subject + will be + verb(-ing) | He will be working tomorrow. |
| Future Perfect | Subject + will have + past participle | They will have arrived by then. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Subject + will have been + verb(-ing) | She will have been studying all day. |
Tenses in English Grammar Formula with Examples
FAQS on Tenses in English Grammar Formula with Examples
Are there 12 or 16 tenses in English grammar?
In English grammar, there are 12 main tenses commonly taught and used. These 12 tenses are based on the time frame (past, present, future) and aspect (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous).
The Formula of All 12 Tenses
Here is the formula for each tense:
1. Present Tense
- Present Simple:
Subject + Base Verb (s/es)
Example: She writes every day. - Present Continuous:
Subject + is/am/are + Verb(-ing)
Example: She is writing now. - Present Perfect:
Subject + has/have + Past Participle
Example: She has written a letter. - Present Perfect Continuous:
Subject + has/have + been + Verb(-ing)
Example: She has been writing for an hour.
2. Past Tense
- Past Simple:
Subject + Past Verb
Example: She wrote a letter. - Past Continuous:
Subject + was/were + Verb(-ing)
Example: She was writing a letter. - Past Perfect:
Subject + had + Past Participle
Example: She had written the letter before dinner. - Past Perfect Continuous:
Subject + had + been + Verb(-ing)
Example: She had been writing for an hour before dinner.
3. Future Tense
- Future Simple:
Subject + will + Base Verb
Example: She will write a letter. - Future Continuous:
Subject + will + be + Verb(-ing)
Example: She will be writing a letter. - Future Perfect:
Subject + will + have + Past Participle
Example: She will have written the letter by tomorrow. - Future Perfect Continuous:
Subject + will + have + been + Verb(-ing)
Example: She will have been writing for an hour.
10 Examples of Past Tense
- I watched a movie yesterday.
- She was cooking when I arrived.
- We played soccer last weekend.
- They had finished the work before the deadline.
- He had been studying for two hours before he took a break.
- The train arrived late last night.
- I visited my grandparents last summer.
- She was reading a book when the phone rang.
- We had completed our homework before the teacher checked it.
- They had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally came.
10 Examples of Present Tense
- She writes letters every morning.
- I am reading a new novel now.
- He has completed his assignment.
- We have been working on this project for weeks.
- They walk to school every day.
- I am cooking dinner at the moment.
- She has lived in this city for five years.
- The children are playing in the park.
- He has been studying for his exams since morning.
- I like to drink coffee in the morning.
10 Examples of Future Tense
- I will visit my friend tomorrow.
- She will be attending the meeting at 3 PM.
- We will have completed the project by next week.
- They will have been living here for two years by December.
- He will travel to Japan next month.
- I will be reading a book in the afternoon.
- She will have written the report before the deadline.
- They will be playing soccer at this time tomorrow.
- We will visit the museum on Sunday.
- The train will arrive at 8 PM tonight.
