This comprehensive article provides an in-depth exploration of Tense in English Grammar, encompassing a thorough examination of its definition, the various kinds of tense, and a detailed overview of the subclasses within each tense category.
Definition of Tense, Kinds of Tense, and Kinds of Subclasses Tense
Definition of Tense
Tense is the form of a verb that shows the time of action present Past and Future indicated by the verb.
Kinds of Tense
- Present Tense
- Past Tense
- Future Tense
Present Tense: A verb that refers to the present time and is said to be in the present.
Past Tense: A verb that refers to past time is said to be in the past Tense.
Future Tense: A verb that refers to future time is said to be in the future Tense.
Kinds of subclasses Tense
Subclasses of Present Tense:
- Present Indefinite Tense
- Present Continuous Tense
- Present Perfect Tense
- Present perfect Continuous Tense
Sub Classes of Past Tense:
- Past Indefinite Tense
- Past Continuous Tense
- Past Perfect Tense
- Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Sub Classes of Future Tense:
- Future Indefinite Tense
- Future Continuous Tense
- Future Perfect Tense
- Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Definition & Structure of Sub Classes Tense
Present Indefinite Tense
The present indefinite tense does not indicate any definite time it simply shows that the action is done in a presentation.
Structure: Subject + Verb with s/es (if it is 3rd person singular number)
Example:
- I eat rice.
- We go to school every day.
- They play football.
Present continuous Tense
The present continuous tense expresses an action going on at the time of speaking.
Structure: Subject + am/is/are + verb(ing)
Example:
- I am writing a book.
- We are going to market.
- He is sleeping on the bed.
Present perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used to express an action that is just finished but the result of which still exists.
Structure: Subject + have/has + verb (p.p)
Example:
- I have written a book
- He has gone in the field.
- They played cricket.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that has been going on for a long time and continuing.
Structure: Subject + have been/has been + verb(ing) + object + extension
Example: I have been reading a book for 3 days.
- He has been eating rice for 2 hours
- They have been playing cricket for 5 hours.
Past Indefinite Tense
The Past Indefinite Tense is used to express a simple action in the past.
Structure: Subject + verb (past form) + object + extension
Example:
- I ate rice.
- He went to university.
- He went home weeping.
Past continuous Tense
The past continuous tense is used to express an action going on for some time in the past.
Structure: Subject + was/were + verb(ing) + object + extension
Example:
- He was doing the work.
- We were playing on the field at that time.
- The man was trembling with fear.
Past Perfect Tense
The Past Perfect Tense is used to express an action that has been finished before another past action.
Structure: Subject + had + verb (p.p) + before/after + object + extension
Example:
- Rahim had gone away before Karim came.
- We reached the station after the train had left.
- The patient had died before the doctor came.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
The past perfect continuous Tense is used to express a past action that had been going on for some time before another past action.
Structure: Subject + had been + verb(ing) + object + extension
Example:
- People had been gathering before the meeting began.
- Mother had been suffering from insomnia for a year.
- Mamun had been singing merrily before he came.
Future Indefinite Tense
The Future indefinite tense is used to express an action that will take place sometime in the future but it does not indicate any definite time.
Structure: Subject + shall/will + verb (present form) + object + extension
Example:
- I shall go home.
- You will read a book.
- He will apply for the job.
Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous tense is used to express an action that will be going on in the future.
Structure: Subject + shall be/will be + verb(ing) + object + extension
Example:
- I shall be reading.
- You will be reading.
- We shall be reading in the morning.
Future Perfect Tense
The Future perfect Tense is used to express an action that will be completed before another future action.
Structure:
Subject + shall have/will have + verb (past form) + after/before+ object + extension
Example:
- I shall go away after he has come.
- He will have done this before you go to school.
- We shall have gone home before the train will leave the station.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense denotes that the action will be going on for a pretty long time before another future action.
Structure: Subject + shall have been/will have been + verb (ing) + object + extension
Example:
- I shall have been reading before you come.
- I shall have been reading before the sun rises.
- The train will reach Dhaka after it has been running for two days.
Structure of Sentence
Structure of Sentence of Present Indefinite Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I write
- He speaks in English
- The sun rises in the east.
Negative:
- Rahim doesn’t go to school
- You don’t love me.
- They don’t like it
Interrogative:
- Is he a doctor?
- Does Sumon write a letter?
- Do they sell fish?
Negative Interrogative:
- Doesn’t he study?
- Don’t I like him?
- Don’t you play?
Structure of sentence of Present Continuous Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I am going to university
- You are playing
- I am reading a book.
Negative:
- She isn’t dancing well
- They aren’t writing a book
- I am not doing the work
Interrogative:
- Are they boys playing hockey?
- Are they running in the field?
- Are you going to university?
Negative Interrogative:
- Isn’t he running in the field?
- Isn’t Karim reciting a poem?
- Aren’t they playing football?
Structure of Sentence of Present Perfect Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I have done the work
- Rahim has lost his pen
- You have finished the work
Negative:
- You haven’t eaten rice
- He hasn’t studied for hours.
- We haven’t seen a tiger
Interrogative:
- Has he given me a pen?
- Have you killed the tiger?
- 3. Has the clock struck ten?
Negative Interrogative:
- Haven’t we lived here for ten years?
- Hasn’t he finished his work yet?
- Haven’t I visited the zoo?
Structure of Sentence of present perfect continuous Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- It has been raining for 7 days.
- They have been reading since 10 A.M.
- He has been reading in this school for 5 years.
Negative:
- It has not been raining for 7 days.
- They haven’t been reading since 10 A.M.
- He has not been reading in this school for 5 years.
Interrogative:
- Has it been raining for 7 days?
- Have they been reading since 10 A.M.?
- Have I been playing for 2 days?
Negative Interrogative:
- Haven’t I been playing football for 2 days?
- Haven’t they been running since 6 P.M?
- Hasn’t he been crying since?
Structure of sentence of past Indefinite
Example:
Affirmative:
- I ate rice
- Raju went to school
- He went to market
Negative:
- I did not eat rice
- He did not go to school
- They did not play cricket
Interrogative:
- Did he eat rice?
- Did I go to the market?
- Did they play cricket?
Negative Interrogative:
- Didn’t I go to school?
- Wasn’t he a smoker?
- Didn’t they play cricket?
Structure of Sentence of Past Continuous Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I was playing football
- He was doing the work
- They were playing cricket
Interrogative:
- Was I eating rice?
- Was he writing a letter?
- Were they going to market?
Negative:
- I wasn’t eating rice
- He wasn’t going to market
- They weren’t playing cricket
Negative Interrogative:
- Wasn’t I eating rice?
- Wasn’t he going to market?
- Weren’t they playing cricket?
Structure of Sentence of Past Perfect Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- Rahim had gone away before Karim came
- We reached the station after the train had left
- I met him after I had gone home
Interrogative:
- Had Rahim gone away before Karim came?
- Had the train left after we reached the station?
- Had I gone home after I met him?
Negative:
- Rahim hadn’t gone away before Karim came
- The patient hadn’t died before the doctor came
- Jahangir said that he had not gone home
Negative Interrogative:
- Hadn’t Rahim gone away before Karim came?
- Hadn’t the patient died before the doctor came?
- Hadn’t Jahangir said that he went home?
Structure of Sentence of Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- He had been writing a book for the last five years
- Munnu had been singing merrily before he came
- He had been reading before I saw him
Interrogative:
- Had I been writing a book for the last five years?
- Had Munna been singing merrily before he came?
- Had he been reading before I saw him?
Negative:
- I had not been writing a book for the last five years.
- Munna had not been singing merrily before he came
- He had not been reading before I saw him
Negative Interrogative:
- Had I not been writing a book for the last five years?
- Had Munna not been singing merrily before he came?
- Had he not been reading before I saw him?
Structure of sentence of Future Indefinite Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I shall go.
- He will apply for the job.
- They will not waste away their time.
Interrogative:
- Shall I go?
- Will he apply for the job?
- Will they waste away their time?
Negative:
- I shall not go to Dhaka
- He will not apply for the job
- They will not waste away their time
Negative Interrogative:
- Shall I not go?
- Will, he not apply for the job?
- Will they not waste away their time?
Structure of sentence of Future continuous Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I shall be reading.
- They will be playing.
- We shall be reading in the morning.
Negative:
- I shall not be reading.
- We shall not be reading in the morning.
- They will not be playing.
Interrogative:
- Shall I be reading?
- Shall we be reading in the morning?
- Will they be playing?
Negative Interrogative:
- Shall I not be reading?
- Shall we not be reading in the morning?
- Will they not be playing?
Structure of sentence of Future perfect Tense
Example:
Affirmative:
- I shall go away after he has come.
- They will have reached home before you go to school.
- He will have returned home by 10:00 A.M.
Interrogative:
- Shall I go away after he has come?
- Will they have reached home before you go to school?
- Will he have returned home by 10:00 A.M.?
Negative:
- I shall not have to go away after he will have come.
- They will not have reached home before you go to school.
- He will not have returned home by 10 A.M.
Negative Interrogative:
- Sha, don’t I have gone away after he will have come?
- Won’t they have reached home before you go to school?
- Won’t he have returned home by 10 A.M.?
Structure of sentence of Future perfect continuous Tense:
Example:
Affirmative:
- I shall have been reading before the sun rises.
- The train will reach Dhaka after it has been running for two days.
- We shall have been running till Jadu comes.
Negative:
- I shall not have been reading before the sun rises.
- The train will reach Dhaka after it has been running for two days.
- We shall not have been running till Jadu comes.
Interrogative:
- Shall I have been reading before the sun rises?
- Will the train reach Dhaka after it has been running for two days?
- Shall we have been running till Jadu comes?
Interrogative Negative:
- Shan’t I have been reading before the sun rises?
- Won’t the train reach Dhaka after it has been running for two days?
- Shan’t we have been running till Jadu comes?