There are three main tense forms in English: present tense, past tense, and future tense. Each tense form has several variations, including simple tense, perfect tense, and continuous tense.
1. Present Tense:
- Present Simple: Expresses an action or event happening now or a general truth.
Example: "She works at a hospital."
- Present Continuous: Indicates an ongoing action or an event happening at the time of speaking.
Example: "They are playing basketball in the park."
- Present Perfect: Emphasizes an action or event that started in the past but has relevance or continuation in the present.
Example: "I have finished reading the novel."
2. Past Tense:
- Past Simple: Denotes an action or event that happened and is completed in the past.
Example: "He visited the museum yesterday."
- Past Continuous: Expresses an ongoing action or an event that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example: "They were cooking dinner when she arrived."
- Past Perfect: Describes an action or event that happened before another action or event in the past.
Example: "She had already submitted the report before the deadline."
3. Future Tense:
- Future Simple: Used to talk about actions or events that will happen in the future.
Example: "She will graduate next year."
- Future Continuous: Indicates an action or event that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future.
Example: "We will be exploring the city next weekend."
- Future Perfect: Denotes an action or event that will be completed before another action or event in the future.
Example: "They will have finished the project by the end of the month."
These are the main tense forms in English grammar. The appropriate tense usage is essential for conveying the correct timing, duration, and relationship of actions and events in sentences.