12 TENSES IN ENGLISH

Present Function Present Function

Simple Continuous
The function of Simple Present Tense is for The function of present continuous tense is a
describing habits,routines, unchanging grammatical tense that can be used to describe
situations, fixed agreements, and giving when an action happened, or may happen.
instructions or directions." You can use it to describe both events that are
happening in the present – right now, while
you are talking about something, or in the
future – something that may or will happen
later on.
Formula Verbal Formula Verbal
(+) Subject + V1(s/es) + object (+) Subject + be (am,is/are)
(-) Subject + Do/Does + Not + V1+ +verb(ing)+….
Object (-) Subject + be
(?) Do/Does + Subject+ V1+ ? (am,is/are)+not+verb(ing)+…
(?) Be (am,is/are)+ subject + verb(ing)+…

Nominal
(+) Subject+to be (is,am/are)+ Object
(-) Subject+to be (is,am/are)+not+Object
(?) To be (is,am/are)+subject+object+(?)

Sentences Verbal: Sentences Verbal:

I/You/They/We I
+ they watch movie + I am playing basketball
- they don’t watch movie -I am not playing basketball
? do they watch movie? ? am I playing basketball?

She/He/It You/They/We
+ she likes apple + we are studying english
- she doesn’t like apple - we are not studying english
? does she like apple? ? are we studying English?

Nominal: She/He/It
I + he is walking
+ I am a writer -he is not walking
-I am not a writer ? is he walking?
? am I a writer?
You/They/We
+ you are a lecture
-you are not a lecture
? are you a lecture?
 She/He/It
+she is a police woman
-she is not policewoman
? is she policewoman?

Past Simple Function Past Function

The function of the simple past tense is to Continuous The past continuous (also called past
indicate an action, event, or state that began progressive) is a verb tense which is used to
and concluded in the past, for example, “I show that an ongoing past action was
was happy last night.” It allows you to happening at a specific moment of
describe things that have happened in the interruption, or that two ongoing actions were
past and differentiate them from the present happening at the same time. Read on for
or future. detailed descriptions, examples, and past
continuous exercises.

Formula Verbal Verbal (+)Subject + to be 2 (was/were) + V-ing +

(+)Subject + verb 2. Object
(-) Subject + did not + present verb/verb 1 (-)Subject + to be 2 (was/were) + not + V-ing
(?) Did + subject + present verb/verb 1 + ? + Object
(?) to be 2 (was/were) + Subject + V-ing +
Object

Nominal Nominal (+) Subject + to be 2 + Adjective / Noun /

(+)Subject + to be + noun/adjective/adverb Adverb (ANA)
(-)Subject + to be + not (-) Subject + to be 2 + not +
+noun/adjective/adverb. Adjective/Noun/Adverb (ANA)
(?)To be + subject + noun/adjective/adverb + (?) to be 2 + Subject +
? Adjective/Noun/Adverb (ANA) ?

Sentences Verbal: Sentences Verbal:

I/You/They/We/She/He/It I/You/They/We/She/He/It
+ I wrote some letters yesterday. (+) He was confused in studying grammar
-I didn’t write some letter yesterday yesterday in school.
? did I write some letter yesterday? (-) He was not confused in studying grammar
yesterday in school.
Nominal: (?) Was he confused in studying grammar
I/She/He/It yesterday in school?
 + She was a teacher five years ago
-she wasn’t a teacher five years ago You/They/We
? was she a teacher five years ago? + you were watching television
-you were not watching television
You/They/We ? were you watching television?
+ they was happy because of me
- they was not happy because of me She/He/It
? was they happy because you? +she was smart
-she wasn’t smart
? was she smart?

Future Function Future Function

Simple Simple The future simple use 'be going to' to
WILL The simple future is a verb tense that's used BE talk about our future intentions and
to talk about things that haven't happened GOING
yet. Use the simple future to talk about an plans. We have usually made our
TO
action or condition that will begin and end in plans before the moment of
the future. speaking.
Formula Verbal Verbal (+) Subject+am/is/are+going to+Object
(+)Subject+will/Shall+V1+Object (-)Subject+am/is/are+not+going
(-)Subject+will/Shall+not+V1+Object to+V1+Object
(?)Will/Shall+Subject+V1+Object? (?)– Am/is/are+Subject+going
to+V1+Object?

Nominal Nominal (+)Subject + To Be (is, am, are) + Going To +

(+) subject+will/shall+be Verb 1 + Object
(is,am,are)+Object / C (-)Subject + To Be (is, am, are) + NOT + Going
(-) subject+ will/shall+not+be+object/C To + Verb 1 + Object
(?) will/shall+subject+be+object/C (?)To Be (is, am, are) + Subject + Going To +
Verb 1 + Object+ ?
Sentences Verbal: Sentences Verbal:
I/You/They/We/ She/He/It I
+ She will cook some delicious food for + I am going to sleep in a little while
dinnert - I am not going to sleep in a little while
- She will not cook some delicious food ? am I going to sleep in a little while
for dinner
? will she cook some delicious food for You/They/We
dinner + they are going to cinema lastweek
-they are not going to cinema lastweek
Nominal: ? are they going to cinema lastweek
I/ You/They/We/ She/He/It
She/He/It
+you will be a doctor + he is going to nusa penida
-you will not a doctor -he is not going to nusa penida
? will you be a doctor? ? is he going to nusa penida?

Nominal:
I
+ I am going to be doctor
-I am not going to be doctor
? am I going to be doctor?

You/They/We
+ they are going to buy fried chicken
- they are not going to buy fried chicken
? are they going to buy fried chicken?

She/He/It
+ she is going to read a book in library
-she is not going to read a book in library
? is she going to read a book in library?
Future Function
Continuous The future continuous refers to an
WILL unfinished action or event that will be in
progress at a time later than now. The
future continuous is used for quite a few
different purposes. The future continuous
can be used to project ourselves into the
future.
Formula Verbal
(+)Subject + will be+ Present participle (-
ing) form
(-)Subject + will + not + be+ Present
participle (-ing) form
(?)Will + subject + be+ Present participle
(-ing) form +?
Sentences Verbal:
I
+ I will be learning french
-I will not be learning french
? will I be learning French?

You/They/We
+ they will be reading a book
-they will not be reading a book
? will they be reading a book?

She/He/It
+ she will be walking around the field
-she will not be walking around the field
? will she be walking around the field?

Present Function Present Function

Perfect The present perfect tense expresses actions Perfect The present perfect continuous is a verb
that happened at a time that is not specific. Continuous tense which is used to show that an action
The Present Perfect is Used to Express: started in the past and has continued up to
actions of duration that occurred in the past the present moment. The present perfect
(before now) of unspecified time. actions continuous usually emphasizes duration,
 that started in the past but continue to the or the amount of time that an action has
present. been taking place.

Formula Verbal Verbal (+)Subject + have/has been + Verb-ing

(+)Subject + Have/Has + Verb-3. (-)Subect + have/has not been + Verb-ing
(-)Subject + have/has + not + Verb-3 (?)Have/Has + Subject + been + Verb-ing
(?)Have/has + Subject + Verb-3

Nominal
(+)Subject + have/has + been + nominal
(-)Subject + have/has + not + been + nominal
(?)Have/has + Subject + been + nominal

Sentences Verbal: Sentences Verbal:

I/You/They/We I/You/They/We
+ I have graduated from university. +they have been making cookies
-I have not graduated from university -they have not been making cookies
? have I graduated from university? ? have they been making cookies?

She/He/It She/He/It
+ she has resigned from this company. + she has been watching chesses
-she has not resigned from this company -she has not been watching chesses
? has she resigned from this company? ? has she been watching chesses?
Nominal:
I/You/They/We

+ I have been sick since yesterday

-I have not been sick since yesterday
? have I been sick since yesterday?
 She/He/It
+ He has been a journalist.
-he has not been a journalist
? has he been a journalist?

Past Function Past Function

Perfect Perfect
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than Past Perfect Continuous to show that
before now. It is used to make it clear thatContinuous something stared in the past and
one event happened before another in the continued to a point in the past. The
past. Past Perfect Continuous has the same
function as the Present Perfect
Continuous except that the action
doesn't continue to the present time but
stops before something else in the past.
Formula Verbal Verbal (+)Subject + had + been + V-ing
(+)Subject + had + V3 + Object/C (present participle)
(-)Subject + had not/hadn't + V3 + Object/C (-)Subject+ had not + been + V-ing
(?)Had + Subject + V3 + Object/C + ? (present participle)
(or use) (?)Had + Subject + been + V-ing
QW(what,when,where,why,whose,which/etc) (present participle)
+ had + Subject + V3 + Object/C + ?

Nominal
(+)Subject + had + been + Adjective/Noun/Adverb
(-)Subject + had not/hadn't + been + Adjective/Noun/Adverb
(?)Had + Subject + been + Adjective/Noun/Adverb + ?
(or use ) QW(what,when,where,why,whose,which/etc) + had + S + been + Adjective/Noun/Adverb +
?
Sentences Verbal: Sentences Verbal:
I/You/They/We/She/He/It I/You/They/We/She/He/It

+She had given me a gift by the time of my + I had been studying in school A for
last birthday two years before I moved to another
- She hadn’t given me a gift by the time of school
my last birthday - I hadn’t been studying in school A
? had she given me a gift by the time of my for two years before I moved to
last birthday another school
? had i been studying in school A for
two years before I moved to another
school?
Nominal:
I/You/They/We/She/He/It

+ We had been in the canteen when the

teacher entered the class
- We hadn’t been in the canteen when the
teacher entered the class
? had we been in the canteen when the
teacher entered the class?
Future Function Future Function
Perfect The future perfect tense refers to a Perfect this form is used to project ourselves
completed action in the future. When we Continuous forward in time and to look back. It refers
use this tense we are projecting ourselves to events or actions that are currently
forward into the future and looking back unfinished but will be finished at some
at an action that will be completed some future time. It is most often used with a
time later than now. It is most often used time expression.
with a time expression.

Formula Verbal Verbal (+)Subject + Will/Shall + Have + Been +

(+)(subject + will + have + verb-3 + V1-ing + Object + Since/For + adverb of
complement) time
(-)(subject + will + not+ have + verb-3 + (-)Subject + Will/Shall + not + Have +
complement) Been + V1-ing + Object + Since/For +
(?)(will+ subject + + have + verb-3 + adverb of time
complement?). (?)Will/Shall + Subject + Have + Been +
V1-ing + Object + Since/For + adverb of
time
Nominal
(+)(subject + will + have + been + complement)
(-)(subject + will + not+ have + been + complement)
(?)(will + subject + have + been + complement?).

Sentences Verbal: Sentences Verbal:

I/You/They/We/She/He/It I/You/They/We/She/He/It

+ I will have graduated when we meet + we shall have been sitting under the tree
next year since 10 A.M.
- I will not have graduated when we meet - we shall not have been sitting under the
next year tree since 10 A.M.
? will I have graduated when we meet ? shall we have been sitting under the tree
next? since 10 A.M.?

Nominal:
I/You/They/We/She/He/It

+ they will have been at your house when

the party starts
-they will not have been at your house
when the party starts
? will they have been at your house when
the party starts?