Tense Chart – Rules, Examples and its Types

Tense Chart: A tense chart is a valuable tool for understanding the complexities of verb conjugation in English grammar. It provides a visual representation of the various tenses, including present, past, and future, and their corresponding forms. The chart typically outlines the simple, progressive, and perfect aspects of each tense, making it easier to identify and use the correct verb forms.

Tense chart in English with Example

In English grammar, there are three types of tenses: present, past and future. Each type has four sub-sections. In this article, we will discuss the tense chart in detail along with rules and examples of tense.

For example, a tense chart shows that the present simple tense is used for habitual actions, while the present progressive tense describes actions in progress. Similarly, the past perfect tense indicates an action completed before another action in the past, whereas the future perfect tense describes an action that will be completed at a specific point in the future.

Tense Chart

Tense Chart: Using a tense chart can help language learners and writers clarify their writing and ensure consistency in verb usage. It’s particularly useful for mastering complex tenses like the past perfect continuous or future perfect continuous.

By referencing a tense chart, individuals can:

  • Identify the correct verb form for a specific sentence.
  • Understand the nuances of each tense.
  • Improve sentence structure and clarity.
  • Enhance overall writing coherence.

Tense Chart in English

  • Present Simple ⇒ Subject + Verb (base form) | (I walk)
  • Present Continuous ⇒ Subject + am/is/are + Verb (-ing) (I am walking)
  • Present Perfect ⇒ Subject + have/has + Verb (past participle) (I have walked)
  • Present Perfect Continuous ⇒ Subject + have/has been + Verb (-ing) I have been walking
  • Past Simple ⇒ Subject + Verb (past form) (I walked)
  • Past Continuous ⇒ Subject + was/were + Verb (-ing) I was walking.
  • Past Perfect ⇒ Subject + had + Verb (past participle) I had walked.
  • Past Perfect Continuous ⇒ Subject + had been + Verb (-ing) I had been walking.
  • Future Simple ⇒ Subject + will + Verb (base form) I will walk.
  • Future Continuous ⇒ Subject + will be + Verb (-ing) I will be walking.
  • Future Perfect ⇒ Subject + will have + Verb (past participle) I will have walked.
  • Future Perfect Continuous ⇒ Subject + will have been + Verb (-ing) I will have been walking.

Types of Tense

  1. Present Tense
  2. Past Tense
  3. Future Tense
Tenses Name Tenses Type
Present Tense Simple/Indefinite Present Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Tense Simple/Indefinite Past Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Tense Simple/Indefinite Future Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Tense Chart

Present Tense Chart outlines Four primary present tenses: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous Tense. Each tense has distinct uses and structures.

Present Tense Chart

Present Simple Tense Chart

Subject Verb Example
I Base verb I play football.
You Base verb You play football.
He/She/It Base verb+ s/es He plays football.
We Base verb We play football.
They Base verb They play football.

Present Simple Tense Example

  • I eat breakfast every morning.
  • You study English every day.
  • She writes stories for children.
  • We watch movies on weekends.
  • They play soccer together.

Present Continuous Tense Chart

Subject Verb+ Example
I am + verb + ing I am playing football
You are + verb + ing You are playing football
He/She/It is + verb + ing He is playing football
We are + verb + ing We are playing football
They are + verb + ing They are playing football

Present Continuous Tense Example

  • I am learning French online.
  • You are listening to music.
  • He is cooking dinner right now.
  • We are planning a trip to Europe.
  • They are attending a conference.

Present Perfect Tense Chart

Subject Verb Example
I have + past participle I have played football
You have + past participle You have played football
He/She/It has + past participle He has played football
We have + past participle We have played football
They have + past participle They have played football

Present Perfect Tense Example

  • I have finished my homework.
  • You have traveled to many countries.
  • She has graduated from college.
  • We have lived here for five years.
  • They have won several awards.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Chart

Subject Verb Example
I have been + verb + ing I have been playing football
You have been + verb + ing You have been playing football
He/She/It has been + verb + ing He has been playing football
We have been + verb + ing We have been playing football
They have been + verb + ing They have been playing football

Present Perfect Continuous Tense Example

  • I have been studying for three hours.
  • You have been working here since 2018.
  • She has been teaching for ten years.
  • We have been waiting for an hour.
  • They have been performing together since 2015.

FAQs – Present Tense Chart

What is the Present Tense Chart?

  • The Present Tense Chart outlines three primary present tenses: Present Simple, Present Continuous, and Present Perfect.

What is the structure of Present Simple?

  • Subject + Main Verb (e.g., I study)

What is the structure of Present Continuous?

  • Subject + am/is/are + Main Verb (-ing)

What is the structure of Present Perfect?

  • Subject + have/has + Main Verb’s Past Participle

When do we use Present Simple?

  • For habits, facts, and routines.

When do we use Present Continuous?

  • For actions happening now or in progress.

When do we use Present Perfect?

  • For completed actions with a connection to the present.

What’s the difference between Present Continuous and Present Perfect?

  • Present Continuous emphasizes ongoing actions, while Present Perfect emphasizes completed actions.

Past Tense Chart

Past Tense Chart outlines four primary past tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, and Past Perfect Continuous. Each tense has distinct uses and structures, enabling effective communication.

Past Tense Chart

Past Indefinite Tense Chart

  1. Affirmative
  2. Negative
  3. Interrogative
  4. Interrogative Negative

Affirmative

Subject Verb Example
I Verb (2nd form) I walked to school.
You Verb (2nd form) You called me yesterday.
He/She/It Verb (2nd form)+ ed She finished her homework.
We Verb (2nd form) We visited Paris last year.
They Verb (2nd form)+ ed They lived in New York.

Negative

Subject Verb Example
I did not + Verb (1st form) I didn’t go to the party.
You did not + Verb (1st form) You didn’t help me.
He/She/It did not + Verb (1st form) He didn’t pass the exam.
We did not + Verb (1st form) We didn’t win the game.
They did not + Verb (1st form) They didn’t attend the meeting.

Interrogative

Subject Verb Example
I Did I + Verb (1st form)? Did I lock the door?
You Did you + Verb (1st form)? Did you eat breakfast?
He/She/It Did he/she/it + Verb (1st form)? Did she graduate?
We Did we + Verb (1st form)? Did we meet last week?
They Did they + Verb (1st form)? Did they call you?

Interrogative Negative

Subject Verb Example
I Didn’t I + Verb (1st form)? Didn’t I tell you?
You Didn’t you + Verb (1st form)? Didn’t you study?
He/She/It Didn’t he/she/it + Verb (1st form)? Didn’t he work?
We Didn’t we + Verb (1st form)? Didn’t we plan?
They Didn’t they + Verb (1st form)? Didn’t they respond?

Past Indefinite Tense Example

  1. She went to the movies last night.
  2. He studied for three hours yesterday.
  3. They played soccer at school.
  4. I visited my grandparents last weekend.
  5. The bus left the station at 8:00 AM.
  6. She ate breakfast at 7:00 AM.
  7. He wrote a letter to his friend.
  8. They traveled to Europe last summer.
  9. The company launched a new product in 2018.
  10. I read a book about history.

Past Continuous Tense chart

  1. Affirmative
  2. Negative
  3. Interrogative
  4. Interrogative Negative

Affirmative

Subject Verb Example
I was + verb + ing I was reading a book at 9 pm.
You were + verb + ing You were playing video games.
He/She/It was + verb + ing She was writing a letter.
We were + verb + ing We were watching a movie.
They were + verb + ing They were traveling to Europe.

Negative

Subject Verb Example
I was not + verb + ing I wasn’t studying for the exam.
You were not + verb + ing You weren’t listening to me.
He/She/It was not + verb + ing He wasn’t working yesterday.
We were not + verb + ing We weren’t eating dinner together.
They were not + verb + ing They weren’t attending the meeting.

Interrogative

Subject Verb Example
I Was I + verb + ing? Was I singing in the choir?
You Were you + verb + ing? Were you exercising regularly?
He/She/It Was he/she/it + verb + ing? Was she dancing at the party?
We Were we + verb + ing? Were we hiking in the mountains?
They Were they + verb + ing? Were they playing music?

Interrogative Negative

Subject Verb Example
I Wasn’t I + verb + ing? Wasn’t I helping you?
You Weren’t you + verb + ing? Weren’t you studying?
He/She/It Wasn’t he/she/it + verb + ing? Wasn’t he working?
We Weren’t we + verb + ing? Weren’t we shopping?
They Weren’t they + verb + ing? Weren’t they laughing?

Past Continuous Tense Example

  1. She was studying for her exam when I called.
  2. They were watching TV at 9:00 PM last night.
  3. I was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang.
  4. He was playing soccer at school during recess.
  5. We were traveling to New York last weekend.
  6. The baby was sleeping when I checked on her.
  7. They were renovating their house all summer.
  8. I was reading a book when the power went out.
  9. She was working on her project until midnight.
  10. The team was practicing their presentation all morning.

Past Perfect Tense chart

  1. Affirmative
  2. Negative
  3. Interrogative
  4. Interrogative Negative

Affirmative

Subject Verb Example
I had + past participle I had studied English before moving to the US.
You had + past participle You had already eaten dinner.
He/She/It had + past participle She had graduated before getting married.
We had + past participle We had traveled to many countries.
They had + past participle They had lived in Paris for five years.

Negative

Subject Verb Example
I had not + past participle I hadn’t finished my homework.
You had not + past participle You hadn’t called me.
He/She/It had not + past participle He hadn’t attended the meeting.
We had not + past participle We hadn’t seen the movie.
They had not + past participle They hadn’t replied to my email.

Interrogative

Subject Verb Example
I Had I + past participle? Had I locked the door?
You Had you + past participle? Had you applied for the job?
He/She/It Had he/she/it + past participle? Had she gotten married?
We Had we + past participle? Had we met before?
They Had they + past participle? Had they arrived?

Interrogative Negative

Subject Verb Example
I Hadn’t I + past participle? Hadn’t I told you?
You Hadn’t you + past participle? Hadn’t you studied?
He/She/It Hadn’t he/she/it + past participle? Hadn’t he worked?
We Hadn’t we + past participle? Hadn’t we planned?
They Hadn’t they + past participle? Hadn’t they responded?

Past Perfact tense Example

  1. I had eaten dinner before I went to the movies.
  2. She had finished her homework before she watched TV.
  3. They had already left when I arrived.
  4. He had studied English before he moved to the US.
  5. We had visited Paris twice before we went to Rome.
  6. I had been studying for three hours before I took a break.
  7. They had been traveling for two days before they arrived.
  8. She had been working on her project for a month before it was approved.
  9. He had been playing soccer for two hours before he got injured.
  10. We had been waiting for 30 minutes before the concert started.

FAQs – Past Tense Chart

What is the Past Tense Chart?

  • The Past Tense Chart outlines four primary past tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, and Past Perfect Continuous.

What is the structure of Past Simple?

  • Subject + Main Verb (past form)

What is the structure of Past Continuous?

  • Subject + was/were + Main Verb (-ing)

What is the structure of Past Perfect?

  • Subject + had + Main Verb’s Past Participle

What is the structure of Past Perfect Continuous?

  • Subject + had been + Main Verb (-ing)

When do we use Past Simple?

  • Completed actions in the past.

Future Tense Chart

Future Tense Chart comprises four primary future tenses: Future Simple, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous.

Future Tense Chart

1. Future Simple Tense

Structure: Subject + will + Main Verb

Examples:

  • I will watch a movie tomorrow.
  • She will attend the meeting.
  • They will travel to Europe next year.
  • He will graduate from college in 2025.

2. Future Continuous Tense

Structure: Subject + will be + Main Verb (-ing)

Examples:

  • I will be studying at 5 PM tomorrow.
  • She will be working on her project next week.
  • They will be traveling to Asia for three months.
  • He will be attending a conference in New York.

3. Future Perfect Tense

Structure: Subject + will have + Main Verb’s Past Participle

Examples:

  • I will have watched the movie by tomorrow.
  • She will have completed her project next week.
  • They will have traveled to 10 countries by the end of the year.
  • He will have graduated from college by 2025.

4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Structure: Subject + will have been + Main Verb (-ing)

Examples:

  • I will have been studying for 3 hours by tomorrow.
  • She will have been working on her project for 6 months.
  • They will have been traveling for 2 years by the end of 2025.
  • He will have been attending conferences for 5 years.

FAQs – Future Tense Chart

What is the Future Tense Chart?

  • The Future Tense Chart outlines four primary future tenses: Future Simple, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, and Future Perfect Continuous.

What is the structure of Future Simple?

  • Subject + will + Main Verb (I will study).

What is the structure of Future Continuous?

  • Subject + will be + Main Verb (-ing) (I will be studying).

What is the structure of Future Perfect?

  • Subject + will have + Main Verb’s Past Participle (I will have studied).

What is the structure of Future Perfect Continuous?

  • Subject + will have been + Main Verb (-ing) (I will have been studying).

Read This:

Present Continuous Tense in Hindi
100 Sentences of Simple Present Tense in Hindi
Present Indefinite Tense in Hindi

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