Tenses in English Grammar with Rules, Examples & Explanation

Learn all 12 tenses in English grammar with clear rules, structure, example sentences, and Hindi explanation. Whether you’re preparing for competitive exams like SSC, HSSC CET, UPSC, Banking, or want to improve your spoken English, this complete guide on tenses will help you master Present, Past, and Future tenses.

Overview of English Tenses

Tenses in English indicate the time (Past, Present, Future) and aspect (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous) of an action. There are 12 main tenses, categorized into three time frames:

1. Present Tenses: Simple Present, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous.
2. Past Tenses: Simple Past, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous.
3. Future Tenses: Simple Future, Future Continuous, Future Perfect, Future Perfect Continuous.

Each tense has a specific structure (using base verb forms V1, V2, V3, or V1 + -ing) and auxiliary verbs (is/am/are, was/were, has/have, had, will/shall).

All 12 Tenses Explained with Rules, Examples & Hindi Explanation

1. Present Tenses

1.1 Simple Present

• Structure: Subject + V1 (add -s/-es for 3rd person singular, e.g., he/she/it)
• Rules:
  • Use for habits, general truths, routines, facts, and scheduled events.
  • Add -s/-es to verbs for 3rd person singular subjects (e.g., walk → walks, watch → watches).
  • Use auxiliary verbs “do/does” for questions and negatives.
• Time Markers: always, often, usually, every day, never, sometimes.
• Hindi Explanation (हिंदी अर्थ): सामान्य तथ्य, आदतें, नियमित कार्य, या स्थायी स्थिति (General facts, habits, routines, or permanent situations).
• Examples:
  • She walks to school every day. (वह रोज स्कूल जाती है।)
  • The sun rises in the east. (सूरज पूर्व में उगता है।)
  • Negative: He does not play cricket. (वह क्रिकेट नहीं खेलता।)
  • Question: Does she like coffee? (क्या वह कॉफी पसंद करती है?)

1.2 Present Continuous

• Structure: Subject + is/am/are + V1 + -ing
• Rules:
  • Use for actions happening now, temporary actions, or planned future events.
  • Avoid with stative verbs (e.g., know, like, want) unless indicating change.
• Time Markers: now, at the moment, currently, today, this week.
• Hindi Explanation: अभी हो रहा कार्य, अस्थायी कार्य, या भविष्य की योजना (Actions happening now, temporary actions, or future plans).
• Examples:
  • They are playing football now. (वे अब फुटबॉल खेल रहे हैं।)
  • I am studying for my exams this week. (मैं इस हफ्ते परीक्षा के लिए पढ़ रहा हूँ।)
  • Negative: She is not coming to the party. (वह पार्टी में नहीं आ रही है।)
  • Question: Are you watching TV? (क्या तुम टीवी देख रहे हो?)

1.3 Present Perfect

• Structure: Subject + has/have + V3 (past participle)
• Rules:
  • Use for actions completed recently or with present relevance.
  • Often used with unspecified time or to show experience/results.
• Time Markers: just, already, yet, since, for, ever, never.
• Hindi Explanation: हाल में पूर्ण कार्य या वर्तमान से संबंधित कार्य (Recently completed actions or actions relevant to the present).
• Examples:
  • I have just finished my homework. (मैंने अभी-अभी होमवर्क पूरा किया।)
  • She has visited Paris twice. (वह दो बार पेरिस जा चुकी है।)
  • Negative: They have not seen the movie. (उन्होंने फिल्म नहीं देखी।)
  • Question: Has he arrived yet? (क्या वह अभी तक आ चुका है?)

1.4 Present Perfect Continuous

• Structure: Subject + has/have + been + V1 + -ing
• Rules:
  • Use for actions started in the past and continuing now, emphasizing duration.
  • Focuses on the process or effort of the action.
• Time Markers: since, for, all day, recently, lately.
• Hindi Explanation: लंबे समय से चल रहा कार्य, जो अभी भी जारी है (Actions ongoing for some time and still continuing).
• Examples:
  • She has been studying for hours. (वह घंटों से पढ़ रही है।)
  • We have been waiting since morning. (हम सुबह से इंतजार कर रहे हैं।)
  • Negative: He has not been working hard. (वह मेहनत नहीं कर रहा है।)
  • Question: Have they been practicing? (क्या वे अभ्यास कर रहे हैं?)

2. Past Tenses

2.1 Simple Past

• Structure: Subject + V2 (past form)
• Rules:
  • Use for actions completed in the past at a specific time.
  • Regular verbs add -ed (e.g., walk → walked); irregular verbs vary (e.g., go → went).
  • Use “did” for questions and negatives.
• Time Markers: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2020.
• Hindi Explanation: बीता हुआ कार्य, जो निश्चित समय पर हुआ (Completed actions at a specific time in the past).
• Examples:
  • He watched a movie yesterday. (उसने कल एक फिल्म देखी।)
  • They went to the park last Sunday. (वे पिछले रविवार को पार्क गए।)
  • Negative: She did not attend the meeting. (वह मीटिंग में नहीं गई।)
  • Question: Did you see the match? (क्या तुमने मैच देखा?)

2.2 Past Continuous

• Structure: Subject + was/were + V1 + -ing
• Rules:
  • Use for ongoing actions in the past, often interrupted by another action.
  • Indicates background actions or temporary past situations.
• Time Markers: while, when, as, at that time.
• Hindi Explanation: बीते समय में चल रहा कार्य, जो अक्सर बाधित हुआ (Ongoing actions in the past, often interrupted).
• Examples:
  • They were singing when I arrived. (जब मैं आया, वे गा रहे थे।)
  • She was reading all evening. (वह पूरी शाम पढ़ रही थी।)
  • Negative: We were not playing at 5 PM. (हम शाम 5 बजे नहीं खेल रहे थे।)
  • Question: Was he working then? (क्या वह तब काम कर रहा था?)

2.3 Past Perfect

• Structure: Subject + had + V3 (past participle)
• Rules:
  • Use for actions completed before another past action or time.
  • Shows the sequence of events in the past.
• Time Markers: before, after, by the time, earlier.
• Hindi Explanation: बीते समय से पहले पूर्ण कार्य (Actions completed before another past event).
• Examples:
  • She had left before we reached. (हमारे पहुंचने से पहले वह जा चुकी थी।)
  • They had finished the project by June. (उन्होंने जून तक प्रोजेक्ट पूरा कर लिया था।)
  • Negative: He had not eaten before the party. (उसने पार्टी से पहले खाना नहीं खाया था।)
  • Question: Had you met her before? (क्या तुम उससे पहले मिल चुके थे?)

2.4 Past Perfect Continuous

• Structure: Subject + had + been + V1 + -ing
• Rules:
  • Use for actions ongoing in the past before another past action, emphasizing duration.
  • Focuses on the effort or process up to a point.
• Time Markers: for, since, before, until.
• Hindi Explanation: लंबे समय तक चला बीता कार्य, जो किसी अन्य कार्य से पहले था (Ongoing past actions before another event, with duration).
• Examples:
  • He had been working all day before the meeting. (वह मीटिंग से पहले पूरे दिन काम कर रहा था।)
  • They had been traveling for hours before the breakdown. (वे टूटने से पहले घंटों यात्रा कर रहे थे।)
  • Negative: She had not been studying for long. (वह ज्यादा देर से नहीं पढ़ रही थी।)
  • Question: Had they been waiting long? (क्या वे लंबे समय से इंतजार कर रहे थे?)

3. Future Tenses

3.1 Simple Future

• Structure: Subject + will/shall + V1
• Rules:
  • Use for predictions, spontaneous decisions, promises, or future facts.
  • “Shall” is formal and less common, used with I/we.
• Time Markers: tomorrow, next week, soon, in the future.
• Hindi Explanation: भविष्य में होने वाला कार्य, भविष्यवाणी, या वादा (Future actions, predictions, or promises).
• Examples:
  • I will visit Paris next month. (मैं अगले महीने पेरिस जाऊंगा।)
  • She will call you tomorrow. (वह कल तुम्हें फोन करेगी।)
  • Negative: They will not come to the party. (वे पार्टी में नहीं आएंगे।)
  • Question: Will you join us? (क्या तुम हमारे साथ शामिल होगे?)

3.2 Future Continuous

• Structure: Subject + will/shall + be + V1 + -ing
• Rules:
  • Use for actions ongoing at a specific future time.
  • Indicates planned or expected ongoing actions.
• Time Markers: tomorrow at this time, next year, soon.
• Hindi Explanation: भविष्य में किसी समय चल रहा कार्य (Actions ongoing at a specific future time).
• Examples:
  • She will be traveling tomorrow. (वह कल यात्रा कर रही होगी।)
  • We will be working on the project next week. (हम अगले हफ्ते प्रोजेक्ट पर काम कर रहे होंगे।)
  • Negative: He will not be attending the event. (वह आयोजन में शामिल नहीं होगा।)
  • Question: Will they be studying then? (क्या वे तब पढ़ रहे होंगे?)

3.3 Future Perfect

• Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + V3
• Rules:
  • Use for actions completed by a specific future time.
  • Shows completion before a future point.
• Time Markers: by tomorrow, by next year, by the time.
• H Hindi Explanation: भविष्य में किसी निश्चित समय तक पूर्ण कार्य (Actions completed by a specific future time).
• Examples:
  • They will have finished by evening. (वे शाम तक काम पूरा कर चुके होंगे।)
  • I will have learned French by 2026. (मैं 2026 तक फ्रेंच सीख चुका हूँगा।)
  • Negative: She will not have arrived by noon. (वह दोपहर तक नहीं पहुंची होगी।)
  • Question: Will you have completed it? (क्या तुम इसे पूरा कर चुके होगे?)

3.4 Future Perfect Continuous

• Structure: Subject + will/shall + have + been + V1 + -ing
• Rules:
  • Use for actions ongoing until a specific future time, emphasizing duration.
  • Focuses on the process continuing up to a point.
• Time Markers: by, for, since, by the time.
• Hindi Explanation: लंबे समय तक चला भविष्य कार्य, जो किसी समय तक जारी रहेगा (Ongoing future actions with duration up to a point).
• Examples:
  • By 2026, he will have been teaching for 10 years. (2026 तक वह 10 साल से पढ़ा रहा होगा।)
  • They will have been waiting for hours by the time the train arrives. (ट्रेन आने तक वे घंटों इंतजार कर रहे होंगे।)
  • Negative: She will not have been working long. (वह ज्यादा देर से काम नहीं कर रही होगी।)
  • Question: Will you have been studying for long? (क्या तुम लंबे समय से पढ़ रहे होगे?)

Key Points for Tenses

1. Verb Forms:
   • V1: Base form (e.g., go, eat, write).
   • V2: Past form (e.g., went, ate, wrote).
   • V3: Past participle (e.g., gone, eaten, written).
   • V1 + -ing: Continuous form (e.g., going, eating, writing).
2. Auxiliary Verbs:
   • Present: is/am/are (Continuous), has/have (Perfect).
   • Past: was/were (Continuous), had (Perfect).
   • Future: will/shall (all future tenses).
3. Subject-Verb Agreement:
   • Singular subjects (he/she/it) take “-s/-es” in Simple Present, “is/has” in Present Continuous/Perfect.
   • Example: She goes (Simple Present); She is going (Present Continuous).
4. Sequence of Tenses:
   • In complex sentences, ensure tenses align logically.
   • Example: “When I arrived (Simple Past), she had left (Past Perfect).”
5. Stative vs. Dynamic Verbs:
   • Stative verbs (e.g., know, like, seem) are not usually used in Continuous tenses.
   • Incorrect: I am knowing. Correct: I know.

Common Uses and Hindi Context

• Simple Tenses: Describe facts, habits, or completed actions. Hindi equivalent often uses simple verb forms (e.g., “वह जाता है” for Simple Present).
• Continuous Tenses: Emphasize ongoing actions. Hindi uses “रहा है/रहे थे/रहा होगा” to indicate continuity (e.g., “वह पढ़ रहा है” for Present Continuous).
• Perfect Tenses: Show completion with relevance to another time. Hindi uses “चुका है/चुके थे/चुके होंगे” (e.g., “मैंने खा लिया है” for Present Perfect).
• Perfect Continuous Tenses: Highlight duration of ongoing actions. Hindi uses “से … रहा है/रहे थे/रहा होगा” (e.g., “वह सुबह से पढ़ रहा है” for Present Perfect Continuous).