UNDERSTANDING THE 16 TENSES IN ENGLISH

Anggota Kelompok:
1. Clief Maluegha
2. Kanzhany Kodja
KELAS:XI D2 PYTHAGORAS

SMA NEGRI 2 BITUNG

INTRODUCTION
Verb tenses are fundamental to mastering the English language, as they indicate the timing
and aspect of actions. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the 16 English
tenses, complete with definitions, formulas, and example sentences to illustrate their use.

PRESENT TENSES

1. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSES

Definition: The simple present tense describes habitual actions, general truths, and fixed
arrangements. It is often used to express actions that occur regularly or are universally true.
Formula:
(+) =S+ infinitive (V1) (+s/es) / to be (ls, Am, Are)+0
(-) = S + Do/Does Not + infinitive (V1)+0
(? = Do/Does + S + infinitive (V1)+O?
Examples:
(+) =I play soccer every weekend.
(-) =I do not (don’t) play soccer every weekend.
(?) =Do you play soccer every weekend?

2. Present Continuous Tense

Definition: The present continuous tense is used for actions that are happening at the
moment of speaking or for temporary actions and future plans.
Formula:
(+) =S+ to be (is, am, are) + Ving
(-)= S+ to be (is, am, are) + not + Ving
(?)=to be (is, am, are) + S + Ving?
Examples:
(+) =She is reading a book.
(-) =She is not reading a book.
(?) =Is she reading a book?
3. Present Perfect Tense
Definition: The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that occurred at an
unspecified time in the past or that began in the past and continue to the present.
Formula:
(+) =S+V2
(-) =S+ did not + VI
(?) =Did+S+V1?
Examples:
(+) =I have finished my homework.
(-) =I have not finished my homework.
(? ) =Have I finished my homework?

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: This tense describes actions that began in the past and are still continuing or
were happening recently.
Formula:
(+) =S+ was/were + Ving
(-) =S+ was/were not + Ving
(?)= Was/were+S+ Ving?
Examples:
(+) =I have been studying for three hours.
(-) =I have not been studying for three hours.
(?) =Have I been studying for three hours?

PAST TENSES

5. Simple Past Tense

Definition: The simple past tense is used for actions that were completed at a specific time
in the past.
Formula:
(+)= S+ has/have + V3
(-) =S+ has/have + not + V3
(?)= Has/have + S + V3?
Examples:
(+) =She visited her grandparents last weekend.
(-) =She did not (didn’t) visit her grandparents last weekend
(?) =Did she visit her grandparents last weekend?

6. Past Continuous Tense

Definition: The past continuous tense describes actions that were in progress at a specific
time in the past.
Formula:
(+)= S+ has/have + been + Ving
(-) =S+ has/have not + been + Ving
(?) =Has/have+S+ been + Ving?
Examples:
(+) =She was reading a book when I called.
(-) =She wasn’t reading a book when I called.
(?) =Was she reading a book when I called?

7. Past Perfect Tense

Definition: The past perfect tense is used to describe actions that were completed before
another action in the past.
Formula:
(+)= S+ had + V3
(-)= S+ had + not + V3
(?)=Had+S+V3?
Examples:
(+) =She had finished her homework before the movie started.
(-) =They had not eaten breakfast when I arrived.
(?) =Had he already left by the time you got there?

8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: This tense describes actions that were ongoing in the past up to a specific point
or before another action.
Formula:
(+)= Shad been + Ving
(-)= S+had not been + Ving
(?) =Had+S+ been + Ving?
Examples:
(+) =She had been working at the company for five years before she got promoted.
(-) =They had not been living in the city for long when the incident happened.
(?) =Had you been studying for the exam when the power went out?

FUTURE TENSES

9. Simple Future Tense

Definition: The simple future tense is used for actions that will occur in the future.
Formula:
(+)= S + will + VI. S + is/am/are + going to + VI
(-) =S+will+ not + VI. S + is/amare + not + going to + VI
(?) =Will+S+V1?. S + is/am/are + going to + VI?
Examples:
(+) =She will go to the store tomorrow.
(-) =He will not study tonight
(?) =Will they come to the party?
10. Future Continuous Tense
Definition: The future continuous tense describes actions that will be in progress at a
specific time in the future.
Formula:
(+)= S+will+ be + Ving
(-)= S+will+ not + be + Ving
(?)= Will+S+be+ Ving?
Examples:
(+) =I will be studying for my exam tomorrow.
(-) =I will not be attending the meeting tomorrow.
(?) =Will you be coming to the party tomorrow?

11. Future Perfect Tense

Definition: The future perfect tense is used for actions that will be completed before a
specific point in the future.
Formula:
(+)= S+will+ have + V3
(-)= S+will+not+ have + V3
(?)=Will+S+ have + V3?
Examples:
(+) =I will have finished my homework by tomorrow.
(-) =He will not have eaten dinner by the time we arrive.
(?)=Will you have completed the task by tomorrow?

12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: This tense describes actions that will be ongoing up until a specific point in the
future.
Formula:
(+)=S+will+ have + been + Ving
(-)= S+will+ not + have + been + Ving
(?) =Will+S+have+ been + Ving?
Examples:
(+) =I will have been studying for 5 hours by the time the exam starts.
(-) =He will not have been waiting for long when the bus arrives.
(?) =Will you have been working on the project for a week by the deadline?

Past Future Tenses

13. Simple Past Future Tense

Definition: The simple past future tense is used to express the idea of a future action from a
past perspective.
Formula:
(+)= S + would + infinitive (VI). S + was/were + going to + infinitive (VI)
(-) =S+would+ not + infinitive (VI). S + was/were + not + going to infinitive (V1)
(?)=-Would + S + infinitive (V1)?. Was/were + S+ going to infinitive
Examples:
(+) =He was going to buy a new car.
(-) =He was not going to buy a new car
(?) =Was he going to buy a new car?

14. Past Future Continuous Tense

Definition: This tense is used to express an ongoing future action from a past perspective.
Formula:
(+) =S+would+be+ Ving
(-)= S+ would not be + Ving
(?)=Would+S+ be + Ving?
Examples:
(+) =She would be sleeping at 10 PM last night
(-)=She would not be sleeping at 10 PM last night.
(?) =Would she be sleeping at 10 PM last night?

15. Past Future Perfect Tense

Definition: The past future perfect tense is used to express an action that would have been
completed in the future from a past perspective.
Formula:
(+)=S+ should/would + have + V3
(-)= S+ should/would+ not + have + V3
(?)= should/would + S + V3?
Examples:
(+) =She said that she would have completed the report by tomorrow
(-) =She said that she would not have completed the report by tomorrow
(?) =Did she say that she would have completed the report by tomorrow?

16. Past Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Definition: This tense is used to express an action that would have been ongoing up until a
specific point in the future from a past perspective.
Formula:
(+)= S+should/would+have+been+Ving
(-)= S+should would+not have+ been +Ving
(?)=Should/would+ have +been+Ving?
Examples:
(+) =By the time you arrived, I would have been studying for four hours.
(-) =By the time you arrived, I would not have been studying for four hours
(?) =Would I have been studying for four hours by the time you arrived?
Conclusion
Understanding the 16 tenses in English is crucial for effective communication and accurate
expression of time-related actions. Each tense serves a specific purpose and helps convey
the timing and duration of actions precisely. By mastering these tenses, learners can
significantly enhance their proficiency in English grammar and usage.