TENSE (DEFINITION, KINDS, STRUCTURE, EXAMPLE)

The time of accomplishing any action of a verb is called Tense.

Present Simple Tense:

Definition: Used for habitual actions or general truths.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension.

Negative: Subject + Do/Does + Not + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Do/Does + Subject + Not + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: She eats fruits.

Negative: She does not eat fruits.

Interrogative: Does she eat fruits?

Negative-Interrogative: Does she not eat fruits?

Present Continuous Tense:

Definition: Used for actions happening now or around now.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Not + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + Subject + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Am/Is/Are + Subject + Not + Verb (present participle) +

Example:

Affirmative: They are playing outside.

Negative: They are not playing outside.

Interrogative: Are they playing outside?

Negative-Interrogative: Are they not playing outside?

Definition: Used for actions that started in the past and continue into the present or have just
finished.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Have/Has + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + Have/Has + Not + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Have/Has + Subject + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Have/Has + Subject + Not + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: She has finished her homework.

Negative: She has not finished her homework.

Interrogative: Has she finished her homework?

Negative-Interrogative: Has she not finished her homework?

Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Definition: This tense talks about something that started in the past, is still happening now, and
might continue into the future.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + have/has + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + have/has + not + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Have/Has + subject + been + verb-ing+ Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Haven't/Hasn't + subject + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: "She has been studying English for two hours."

Negative: "He hasn't been watching TV all day."

Interrogative: "Have you been waiting long?"

Negative-Interrogative: "Hasn't she been working hard?"

Definition: Used for actions completed in the past.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Verb (past tense) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + did + Not + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Did + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Did + Subject + Not + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: They visited Paris last summer.

Negative: They did not visit Paris last summer.

Interrogative: Did they visit Paris last summer?

Negative-Interrogative: Did they not visit Paris last summer?

Past Continuous Tense:

Definition: Used for action that was ongoing in the past.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Was/Were + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + Was/Were + Not + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Was/Were + Subject + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Was/Were + Subject + Not + Verb (present participle) +

Example:

Affirmative: She was studying all night.

Negative: She was not studying all night.

Interrogative: Was she studying all night?

Negative-Interrogative: Was she not studying all night?

Definition: Used for actions completed before a certain point in the past.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + had + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + had + Not + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Had + Subject + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Had + Subject + Not + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: He had already eaten dinner when I arrived.

Negative: He had not eaten dinner when I arrived.

Interrogative: Had he eaten dinner when I arrived?

Negative-Interrogative: Had he not eaten dinner when I arrived?

Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

Definition: This tense talks about something that had been happening for a while before
another event happened in the past.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + had + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + had + not + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Had + subject + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Hadn't + subject + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: "They had been playing tennis for two hours before it started raining."

Negative: "She had not been sleeping well lately."

Interrogative: "Had they been waiting for long?"

Negative-Interrogative: "Hadn't she been working hard?"

Definition: Used for actions that will happen in the future.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Will + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + Will + Not + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Will + Subject + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Will + Subject + Not + Verb (base form) + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: They will go to the park tomorrow.

Negative: They will not go to the park tomorrow.

Interrogative: Will they go to the park tomorrow?

Negative-Interrogative: Will they not go to the park tomorrow?

Future Continuous Tense:

Definition: Used for actions that will be ongoing in the future.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Will + Be + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + Will + Not + Be + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Will + Subject + Be + Verb (present participle) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Will + Subject + Not + Be + Verb (present participle) +

Example:

Affirmative: They will be watching a movie at 8 PM tomorrow.

Negative: They will not be watching a movie at 8 PM tomorrow.

Interrogative: Will they be watching a movie at 8 PM tomorrow?

Negative-Interrogative: Will they not be watching a movie at 8 PM tomorrow?

Definition: Used for actions that will be completed before a certain point in the future.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + Will + Have + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + Will + Not + Have + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Will + Subject + Have + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Will + Subject + Not + Have + Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: She will have finished her project by next week.

Negative: She will not have finished her project by next week.

Interrogative: Will she have finished her project by next week?

Negative-Interrogative: Will she not have finished her project by next week?

Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

Definition: This tense talks about something that will be happening for a while in the future
before a stated time or another event happens.

Structure:

Affirmative: Subject + will + have + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension

Negative: Subject + will + not + have + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension

Interrogative: Will + subject + have + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension?

Negative-Interrogative: Won't + subject + have + been + verb-ing + Object/Extension?

Example:

Affirmative: "I will have been working here for five years by next year."

Negative: "She will not have been living in the city for long by then."

Interrogative: "Will you have been studying all day?"

Negative-Interrogative: "Won't they have been waiting for hours?"