In the Oxford Lerner dictionary, the term 'Tense' is defined as "Any form of a verb that can be used to show the time of an action or state expressed by a verb”.

Tenses are verb forms that indicate whether an action has already happened, is currently happening, or will happen. They express the time or duration of an action.

Tenses are one of the pillars of the English language. They help you both write and speak efficiently. Thus, it is essential to learn and master the use of English tenses.

There are a total of three types of Tenses:

The past tense is used to describe an action that has already happened and was completed in the past. Past tense has four types: 

The simple past tense is used for actions that happened in the past. These tenses have their own unique structure, with most verbs having “-ed” or sometimes just “-d” tagged on the end.

Examples:

• I visited the old fort.

• She cooked dinner last night.

• They played football in the park.

However, English has lots of verbs which are irregular, requiring practise and familiarity to know the correct use. 

Examples of irregular verbs in the past tense:

• I knew you would say that

• The soldiers stood to attention

• My teachers taught me well

Past perfect tense shows two actions in the past, indicating that one happened before the other. This is formed by using the auxiliary past tense verb “had” + the past participle of the main verb.

Examples:

• He had finished his homework before going out.

• She had left the office by the time I arrived.

• They had travelled to Paris before the conference.

Note that the past participle of a verb isn’t always the same as the past simple version.  The past participle and the past tense of irregular verbs are often different from each other.

Examples:

• If I had known about the IELTS exam earlier, I would have enrolled sooner.

• She had spoken with the counsellor before.

• The show had already begun before we arrived.

Past continuous tense describes ongoing actions in the past, often interrupted by another action It is formed by combining the past tense auxiliary verbs “was” or “were” + the main verb ending “-ing”.

Examples:

• I was reading a book when the phone rang.

• They were dancing when the music stopped.

• She was cooking dinner when her friends arrived.

Past perfect continuous tense represents actions that started in the past and continued up to another action. It combines the rules of past perfect and the continuous tenses.

Examples:

• We had been studying for hours when she called.

• He had been working on the project before it was cancelled.

• Had you been waiting long before they arrived?
  Note that the last example is a question, which is why the sentence begins with the auxiliary verb “had”.

The present tense is used to describe an action that is happening right now. It is one of the most basic tenses in the English language. It also has four types:

The simple present tense is for habitual or individual actions in the present.

Examples:

• Birds sing in the morning.

• My brother plays football.

• She reads a novel every evening.

The verb has an ‘S’ tagged on the end when it applies to a singular noun.  Think of it as transferring the ‘S’ that would have made the noun a plural onto the verb that refers to the action of a singular entity.

The present perfect tense describes actions that have already occurred and may still be ongoing. It is formed by combining the auxiliary verb “has” (for singular nouns) or “have” (for plural nouns) with the past participle form of the verb.  

Examples:

• She has visited the museum.

• They have run 12 marathons between them.

• I have lived here for ten years.

Present continuous tenses describe ongoing actions or events still in progress. 

Examples:

• She is painting a portrait.

• I am writing an article.

• They are watching a movie.

The present perfect continuous tense shows actions that started in the past and continue in the present.

Examples:

• He has been working on this project since January.

• They have been travelling for two weeks.

• It has been snowing all day.

Future tenses are used to describe an action that will happen in the future. They also have four types:

The simple future tense is for actions that will take place later.

Examples:

• She will become a doctor.

• I will travel to Europe next year.

• He will start a new job soon.

Note that you can also use the present continuous tense to indicate future actions that have more certainty.  So “I am travelling to Europe next year” and “He is starting a new job soon” also work as indicating actions that will happen in the future. 

Future perfect tense shows that an action will be completed by a certain time in the future.

Examples:

• I will have finished my report by tomorrow.

• They will have moved to a new house by June.

• She will have completed her degree by next year.

Future continuous tense describes actions happening over a period of time or will occur in the future.

Examples:

• They will be attending the concert next week.

• She will be preparing for her exams.

• He will be playing tennis in the evening.

Future perfect continuous tense focuses on the duration of an action before a specific time in the future.

Examples:

• By next month, I will have been working here for five years.

• By 2030, they will have been living in London for a decade.

I will have been studying for three hours when you arrive. 

Here are the rules and formulas for making sentences:

Here are some vital tips that will help you use tenses better:

• Understand each tense separately with context.

• Do not learn all the tenses at once but focus on a specific category and practise it.

• Do regular practice with examples readily available. Practice is the key to learning the use of different contexts and tenses.

• There are some exceptions in tenses. You should study them carefully and remember them.

• Understand the structure of sentence making. There are particular patterns in which each tense is used. If you understand this pattern or structure well, you will be able to use tenses more efficiently.

• Read as much as you can for continuous improvement.

• First, start watching videos and movies with English subtitles, the scripts have different sentence structures that use tense forms. Then try to watch movies without subtitles. It will help you understand and speak better.

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