Tense

Tense is the form of the verb used to express the time of an action. Mainly there are three tenses viz. Present Tense, Past Tense and Future Tense.

The ‘Present Tense’ is used:-

To express an action that is happening now.

Examples:

I now go to school
I am going to school.
I have purchased this book.
I have been going to school.

To express the universal truths:

Examples:

The sun rises in east.
The Ganges falls into the Bay of Bengal.
Twice two is four.
Mohan sings well.

To express a future action:

Examples:

The office opens on Monday week.
He comes tonight.

To quote from the existing work of authors:

Examples:

Tulsidas says, “Rama was incarnation of Lord Vishnu.”
Shakespeare says, “There is a tide in the affairs of men.”

The ‘Past Tense’ expresses an action finished in a past time.

Examples:

I wrote a letter yesterday.
I was writing a letter yesterday.
I had written a letter yesterday.
I had been writing a letter yesterday.

The ‘Future Tense’ represents an action that is yet to come.

Examples:

I shall go to school.
I shall be going to school.
I shall have gone to school.
I shall have been going to school.