Tense for Class 8

What are Tenses?

Types of Tenses

FAQs

What are Tenses?

Tense is a grammatical concept that helps us understand the timing of an action or event in a sentence.

Types of Tenses

There are three main tenses: Present, Past and Future Tense.
Let’s understand these in detail:

1. Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is used to express regular, habitual, or factual actions in the present time. It is created by using the verb's basic form, and frequency adverbs like always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, and never are frequently used with it.

Examples of simple present tense:

→ The bus arrives at the stop at 7:15 a.m. sharp every weekday.
→ Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
→ The train departs from the station every hour.
→ Plants photosynthesise in the presence of sunlight.
→ Christopher Columbus discovers America in 1492.

Present Continuous

The present continuous tense describes actions that are happening right now or around the present moment. It is formed using the present tense of the verb "to be" (am, is, are) and the present participle of the main verb (the base verb + -ing).

Examples of present continuous:

→ Shelly is reading an interesting book at the moment.
→ James is not playing video games now; he is studying for his exams.
→ Are you working on your project this afternoon?
→ Isn't she usually working on her assignments at this time?
→ At the moment, the chef is preparing a delicious meal for the guests.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to express an action that began in the past but is still relevant to the present. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb "have" (have/has) and the past participle of the main verb.

Subject + Have/Has + Past Participle

Examples of present perfect tense:

→ Shelly has lived in Paris for five years.
→ They have visited three different countries in the last month.
→ By the time she arrived, the team had already finished the project.
→ I have never been to Turkey before.
→ He has never tasted momos before today.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that started in the past, is still ongoing in the present, and is expected to continue. It is formed using the present perfect of the verb "to have" (have/has), the past participle of the main verb, and the present participle of the main verb (-ing form).

Subject + Have/Has + been + verb (ing) + Object

Examples present perfect continuous tense:

→ She has been working on the project since last month.
→ We have been waiting for the bus for half an hour.
→ They have been living in this city for five years.
→ I have been studying for three hours.
→ Hasn't he been waiting for you since morning?

2. Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past. It is formed by adding "-ed" to the base form of regular verbs. Irregular verbs, however, have unique past tense forms.

Examples of simple past tense:

→ Susan studied for her exams late into the night.
→ Tom ate dinner and then went for a jog.
→ The author wrote a fascinating novel that captivated readers around the world.
→ They went to the museum last weekend.
→ She walked to the store yesterday.

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at a specific point in the past. It is formed using the past tense of the verb "to be" (was/were) and the present participle (verb + ing).

Subject + Was/Were + Verb + -ing + Complements

Examples of past continuous tense:

→ The team was working on the project when the power outage occurred.
→ While I was studying in my room, my brother was playing video games.
→ She was not watching TV when the phone rang.
→ They were not running fast enough to catch the bus.
→ Was he eating dinner when the guests arrived?
→ Were you listening to music when the earthquake happened?
→ Was she eating dinner when the guests arrived?

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. The past perfect tense is formed by using the past tense of the auxiliary verb "have" (had) and the past participle of the main verb.

Subject + Had + Past Participle

Examples of past perfect tense:

→ She had already cooked a delicious meal.
→ The teacher had already collected the exam sheets.
→ When he reached the bus stop, the bus had already left.
→ By the time we arrived, the movie had already started.
→ The train departed, and the passengers had already boarded.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense is used to express actions that were ongoing and had been happening continuously before another action or point in the past.

Had been + Present Participle (verb + ing)

Examples of past perfect continuous tense:

→ I had been studying for two hours before the phone rang.
→ She had been cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
→ They had been playing football for a while when it started raining.
→ We had been waiting at the bus stop for half an hour when the bus finally arrived.
→ He had been practising the guitar for months before his first performance.

To Read About Tenses for Class 9: Click here

3. Simple Future Tense

The simple future tense is used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb "will" or "shall" followed by the base form of the main verb.

Examples of simple future tense:

→ Tomorrow evening, I will have a delicious dinner at my favourite restaurant with my friends.
→ Shall we plan a picnic in the park next Sunday to celebrate your birthday?
→ Due to a prior commitment, she will not be able to attend the important business meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
→ Based on the dark clouds forming in the sky, it will probably rain later in the day, so we should carry umbrellas.
→ By the end of next month, they will complete the challenging project they've been working on tirelessly.

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is used to describe actions that will be ongoing at a specific point in the future. It is formed using the future tense of the auxiliary verb "will" along with the present participle (base form + -ing) of the main verb.

Examples of future continuous tense:

→ She will be diligently working on her research project.
→ The team will not be participating in any competitions
→ Will you be sleeping when I call you later?
→ Will they not be watching the live concert on TV?
→ She will be travelling to Paris next month.

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will be completed at some point in the future before another action or time. It is formed by using the future tense of the auxiliary verb "will" or "shall" with the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of future perfect tense:

→ By the time we arrive at the party, the chef will have prepared a delicious feast for us.
→ The team will not have finished the project by the deadline.
→ Will you have completed your homework by the time the teacher collects it?
→ Won't the scientists have discovered a cure for that disease by the end of the decade?
→ The explorers will have reached the summit of the mountain.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that will be ongoing and still in progress at a specific point in the future. It is formed using the future perfect tense of the auxiliary verb "will have been" along with the present participle (base form + ing) of the main verb.

Examples of future perfect continuous tense:

→ By 2025, I will have been working on this project for five years.
→ They will not have been studying English for very long by the time the exam arrives.
→ Will she have been practising the piano for two hours by the time we reach her house?
→ Will they not have been living in that house for a decade by the end of next year?
→ How long will they have been waiting for the train when it finally arrives?

FAQs

1. When do we use the present continuous tense in a sentence?

Answer: We use the present continuous tense to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or actions that are in progress around the present time.

2. What do you understand by the present perfect tense?

Answer: The present perfect tense is used to express actions that started in the past and continue into the present or actions that have just been completed. It is formed using "have" or "has" with the past participle of the verb.