Tense for Class 4

Define Tense

Tenses are used to describe the time of an activity and express whether the activity has happened already, is happening now, or will happen later. If we don't clarify the different timings then the sentence lacks clarity. That's why tenses are important to learn.

Tenses are classified as:

Rules of Tenses

Before learning Tenses, let's introduce some rules with regard to tenses:

1. Present Tense

Simple Present

The simple present tense is used to talk about things that happen regularly or are true all the time.

Examples of simple present tense:

→ We eat breakfast every morning together.
→ Children play soccer every Saturday.
→ She doesn't eat food after 7 p.m.

Present Continuous

The present continuous tense is used to talk about actions that are happening at the moment we are talking about.

Examples of present continuous tense:

→ We are eating breakfast.
→ Children are playing soccer.
→ She is not eating food.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is used to talk about something that happened at an unspecified time in the past but is connected to the present.

Examples of present perfect tense:

→ We have eaten breakfast.
→ Children have finished playing soccer.
→ She has eaten food.

Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense is used to talk about actions or events that started in the past and are still happening in the present or have just recently stopped.

Examples of present perfect continuous tense:

→ We have been eating breakfast.
→ The children have been playing soccer for the last 2 hours.
→ She has been eating food.

2. Past Tense

Simple Past

The simple past tense is used to talk about actions that happened in the past and are completed.

Examples of simple past tense:

→ We played cricket with friends yesterday.
→ Shelly went for lunch.
→ My family visited France last summer.

Past Continuous

The past continuous tense is used to talk about actions that were happening in the past, and that were not completed yet.

Examples of past continuous tense:

→ We were playing cricket with friends.
→ Shelly was going for lunch.
→ They were eating pizza for dinner last night

Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another action in the past.

Examples of past perfect tense:

→ We had played cricket after doing our studies.
→ Shelly had gone for lunch.
→ They had eaten dinner before going to bed.

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about an action that was happening in the past and had been going on for some time before another past action or point in time.

Examples of past perfect continuous tense:

→ We had been playing cricket for three hours.
→ She had been studying all night before her entrance exam.
→ They hadbeeneating dinner before the phone rang.

To Read About Tenses for Class 5: Click here

3. Future Tense

Simple Future

The simple future tense is used to talk about something that will happen in the future.

Examples of simple future tense:

→ I will go to the zoo tomorrow.
→ They will eat pizza for dinner.
→ Jack will play soccer on Sunday.

Future Continuous

The future continuous tense is used to talk about actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.

Examples of future continuous tense:

→ I will be going to the zoo tomorrow.
→ They will be eating pizza for dinner.
→ Jack will be playing soccer on Sunday.

Future Perfect

The future perfect tense is used to talk about actions that will be completed in the future before another action or time.

Examples of future perfect tense:

→ By the time I get home tomorrow, I will have finished my homework.
→ Jack will have eaten his lunch by the time the bell rings.
→ They will have cleaned their room before going to the park.

Future Perfect Continuous

The future perfect continuous tense is used to talk about an action that will be happening continuously for a period of time in the future.

Examples of future perfect continuous tense:

→ By the time I get home tomorrow, I will have been playing with my friends for two hours.
→ Shelly will have been studying English all afternoon by the time her English class starts.
→ They will have been watching a movie for three hours when I join them.

FAQs

1. How many types of tenses are there in English?

Answer: There are three main types of tenses in English which are past, present and future. Each of these types has different forms and variations.

2. Can we use more than one tense in a sentence?

Answer: No, we can't use more than one tense in a sentence because usually only one tense is used to indicate the action's timing.

3. What are some words that are commonly used to express different tenses?

Answer: Common words like "yesterday," "today," and "tomorrow" are frequently used to express the past, present and future tenses.