Tenses - Explained with simple examples

  

Tense	Structure	Usage	Keywords	Examples
Present Simple	S + V1 (+s/es)	General facts, habits, routines	Always, usually, often, every day, sometimes	·       She writes a diary every day. ·       Vani rarely trusts strangers, but she always helps those in need. ·       Karthik teaches mathematics in a village school.
Present Continuous	S + is/am/are + V-ing	Ongoing actions happening now	Now, at the moment, currently, right now	·       She is writing a diary now. ·       The Committee are currently discussing the most complex problem in the meeting. ·       The elephants are bathing in the river right now.
Present Perfect	S + has/have + V3	Completed action with relevance to present	Just, already, yet, ever, never, since, for	·       She has written three diaries so far. ·       Rahul has already submitted his research paper, even though the deadline is next week. ·       This library has served students for over a century.
Present Perfect Continuous	S + has/have + been + V-ing	Action started in the past and still continues	For, since, all day, all morning, lately	·       She has been writing for two hours. ·       Devi has been practicing the piano for three hours, and her fingers are now aching. ·       Courage has been guiding freedom fighters for generations.
Past Simple	S + V2	Completed action in the past	Yesterday, last week, ago, in 2010	·       She wrote a diary yesterday. ·       The scientist discovered a rare element two years ago, but its properties remain a mystery. ·       Lakshmi sold her handwoven sarees at the exhibition last week.
Past Continuous	S + was/were + V-ing	Action happening at a specific past time	While, when, as, at that moment	·       She was writing a diary at 8 PM. ·       While the storm was raging outside, they were quietly reading inside. ·       The fishermen were battling the rough sea when the storm hit.
Past Perfect	S + had + V3	Action completed before another past action	Before, after, by the time, already	·       She had written a diary before she slept. ·       By the time the police arrived, the thief had already escaped through the back door. ·       The banyan tree had stood in the temple courtyard for 200 years before it fell.
Past Perfect Continuous	S + had + been + V-ing	Action continued in the past before another past event	For, since, before, all day	·       She had been writing for two hours before dinner. ·       Ravi had been waiting at the airport for five hours before the flight was finally canceled. ·       The village committee had been discussing the new road project for months before the government approved it.
Future Simple	S + will + V1	Future actions, predictions, promises	Tomorrow, next week, soon, in the future	·       She will write a diary tomorrow. ·       Amutha will undoubtedly complete the marathon next year, despite her injuries. ·       This ancient temple will attract thousands of tourists next year.
Future Continuous	S + will be + V-ing	Ongoing action at a specific time in the future	At this time tomorrow, in the evening, next week	·       She will be writing at 8 PM tomorrow. ·       At this time tomorrow, we will be flying over the Atlantic Ocean. ·       The sparrows will be chirping in the morning as usual.
Future Perfect	S + will have + V3	Action that will be completed before a future time	By, before, until, by the time	·       She will have written three pages by tomorrow. ·       By next December, the engineers will have finished constructing the tallest building in the city. ·       By 2030, Chennai will have expanded into a smart city.
Future Perfect Continuous	S + will have been + V-ing	Action that will continue for a duration before a future event	For, since, by then, by next year	·       She will have been writing for two hours by noon. ·       By the time you reach home, she will have been baking the cake for two hours. ·       The waves will have been crashing against the lighthouse for centuries by then.

 

 

Tense	First Person Singular (Name)	First Person Plural (Collective Noun)	Second Person (Common Noun)	Third Person Singular (Person/Animal/Non-living)	Third Person Plural (Abstract Noun/Objects)
Present Simple	Arun writes poems every weekend.	The villagers gather for a festival every year.	The teacher explains lessons with patience.	Meena sings classical songs beautifully.	The mountains stand tall against the wind.
Present Continuous	Kavitha is preparing for her exams now.	The fishermen are catching fish in the early morning.	The shopkeeper is arranging the shelves.	The elephant is bathing in the river.	The waves are crashing against the shore.
Present Perfect	Suresh has completed his research successfully.	The farmers have harvested their crops.	The students have submitted their assignments.	The banyan tree has grown over the temple walls.	The values of honesty and integrity have remained unchanged over time.
Present Perfect Continuous	Priya has been training for the marathon for three months.	The construction workers have been building the bridge for two years.	The librarian has been organizing the books.	The cat has been chasing the butterfly.	The festival preparations have been continuing since last week.
Past Simple	Vikram bought a new bicycle yesterday.	The tourists visited the temple last summer.	The policeman caught the thief.	The peacock danced in the rain.	The streetlights glowed brightly at night.
Past Continuous	Ramesh was driving home when it started raining.	The children were playing in the park when the bell rang.	The waiter was serving food when the fire alarm went off.	The river was overflowing due to heavy rain.	The machines were running at full speed in the factory.
Past Perfect	Shanthi had finished cooking before the guests arrived.	The elders had warned the youngsters before the storm.	The train had left before you reached the station.	The dog had buried its bone in the garden.	The traditions had survived for centuries before modernization.
Past Perfect Continuous	Manikandan had been practicing Bharatanatyam for years before performing on stage.	The orchestra had been rehearsing for weeks before the concert.	The professor had been researching ancient Tamil literature for a decade.	The parrot had been singing the same tune all morning.	The temple bells had been ringing since dawn.
Future Simple	Deepa will become a doctor in five years.	The musicians will perform in the cultural event next week.	The driver will drop you at the railway station.	The sun will rise at 6 AM tomorrow.	The memories of childhood will remain in our hearts forever.
Future Continuous	Aravind will be presenting his research at the conference.	The players will be training for the tournament next month.	The chef will be cooking dinner when we arrive.	The tiger will be hunting in the jungle at night.	The city lights will be glowing by evening.
Future Perfect	Keerthi will have completed her thesis by next year.	The engineers will have constructed the new highway by 2026.	The traveler will have reached his destination before sunset.	The banyan tree will have spread its roots far and wide.	The old traditions will have faded in a few decades.
Future Perfect Continuous	Santhosh will have been working in this company for ten years by next month.	The dancers will have been practicing for weeks before the big performance.	The scientist will have been studying the ecosystem for years.	The eagle will have been soaring over the mountains for hours.	The festival decorations will have been shining for the entire week.