In a layman’s language, the tense structure is simply the order in which the involved components go in a sentence. Discussing the components, subject, object, verbs, auxiliary verbs, etc makes it into the same list.
Subject
The subject is any person or thing that is being talked about, shown, or considered in a discussion. For example, Bethany is a scholar, or Bethany was involved in an argument. Here in this case Bethany is the subject. In easy words, you can take a subject as the word or phrase that controls the verb in the sentence.
Verbs
Verbs come over a single word or group of words that are used to point out an activity or happening with the subject. For example, Bethany is working in the office, Bethany is playing with the kids or Bethany exercises in the morning. While Bethany is the subject here, working, playing and exercises come over as the Verbs.
Auxiliary Verb
Auxiliary verb is majorly known as a helping verb. This is why they are majorly used in combination with the main verb to create a list of tenses, moods, and sounds. As of now, there are three types of Auxiliary verbs – be, have, do.
The Tense structure facilitates the reader/listener regarding the usage of either of the tenses (past, present, or future). There are 16 tenses in total and learning them all may come as a bit of a challenge for you at times.
Hence, it’s always recommended to go step by step towards each Tenses structure while taking real-life examples into consideration. All of the tense structures come with their own set of rules and formation. You would find a few of them a bit easier than others. That being said, it’s always advisable to start along with the easier ones and then proceed towards the one with a harder structure.
Types of Tenses
PRESENT TENSE
This tense shows activities and happenings in the present. It consists of four types.
1. Simple Present Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + Verb (vI) + es/es
Examples of simple present tense structure:
- He exercises daily.
- She makes her food in the kitchen
- Roy jumps on the floor
2. Present Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + is/am/are + Verb(+ing)
Examples of Present Continuous Tense:
- He is playing cricket
- I am having my food
- They are working on the project
3. Present Perfect Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + Has/have + Verb (v3)
Examples of Present Perfect structure:
- He has finished his dinner
- I have followed this new exercising routine
- She has done a tremendous job
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + Has/have + been + Verb(+ing)
Examples of Present Perfect Continuous Tense :
- I have been doing this stuff for the last two days.
- He has been working out in gym for the past 2 hours
- She has been doing shopping for around an hour now
PAST TENSE
Past tense talks about acts and events from the past. Just like the Present tense, it also got 4 sub-types.
5. Simple Past Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + Verb (v2) or irregular verb:
Examples of simple past tense:
- She finished this task way back
- I read the book yesterday
- They went to the park last night
6. Past Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + was/were + Verb(+ing)
Examples of Past Continuous Tense:
- She was playing basket ball
- I was reading book in the library
- They were watching the movie last night
7. Past Perfect Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + had + Verb (v3)
Examples of past perfect tense:
- I had completed my homework.
- He had finished with his dinner
- She had gone for a match of football
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + had + been + Verb(+ing)
Examples of Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
- She had been finishing up with her food for past 3 hours
- I had been playing cricket since afternoon
- He had been thinking to join us over for lunch
FUTURE TENSE
Future tense shows the acts or events that haven’t happened yet or are likely to happen in the near future”. Like Past tense and Present tense, it also got four types.
9. Simple Future Tense
Tense Structure: Subject+ will/shall+ verb(v1)
Examples of the future tense :
- I will go for the football match this weekend
- She will ask her parents for the movie night
- We shall look into this issues with immediate effect
10. Future Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + will be/shall be + verb(+ing)
Examples of Future Continuous Tense:
- She will be taking care of the kids tomorrow
- We shall be meeting this Thursday
- I will be coming over for the party tonight
11. Future Perfect Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + will have + verb(v3)
Examples of Future Perfect Tense:
- She will have to pay for the candy bars
- I will have to go play rugby with friends
- You will have to pay the rent next month
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + will have been + verb(+ing)
Examples of Future Perfect Continuous Tense :
- She will have been watching TV with her pals for over thirty minutes.
- You will have been sharing your lunch with other friends in school
- They will have been playing a game of tennis together
PAST FUTURE TENSE
The past future tense is largely been used to express an ‘idea’ or planning from the past that was predicted or obliged to be done in the future.
13. Past Future Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + would + verb (v1)
Examples of Past Future Tense:
- I told her that I would be reaching within an hour
- You would be required to complete this task within half an hour
- They would be finishing up with the food in sometime
14. Past Future Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + should be/would be + Verb(+ing)
Examples for Past Future Continuous Tense :
- I told her that I would be staying up for this weekend
- You should be working overnight for the extra payout
- They would be seeing you on Friday for lunch
15. Past Future Perfect Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + should have/ would have + Verb(v3)
Examples of Past future perfect tense:
- You should have been finished with the assigned task by now
- They would have picked up on the way
- He should have called you before dropping by
16. Past Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Tense Structure: Subject + would have been + Verb(+ing)
Examples for Past Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
- She said that I would have been staying here tonight
- They would have been playing the match tomorrow
- He would have been thinking about your all the time
Final Word
As you move down the Tense structure list, you may find it a bit difficult to learn and grasp. Yet, with regular practice and learning, you can easily put them to use in your day-to-day conversations.
