In this chapter, we’re going to learn about something very exciting – tenses! Have you ever wondered how we talk about things that happened yesterday, things happening right now, or things that will happen tomorrow? That’s what tenses help us do!
What are Tenses?
Tenses are special forms of verbs that tell us WHEN something happens. Just like a time machine, tenses help us travel between the past, present, and future in our sentences!
Let’s understand this with a simple example:
– Yesterday, I played cricket. (Past)
– Today, I play cricket. (Present)
– Tomorrow, I will play cricket. (Future)
The Three Main Tenses
- Present Tense
Present tense tells us about:
– Things happening right now
– Daily habits
– General truths
Example:
– The sun rises in the east.
– I drink milk every morning.
– She is writing a letter now.
- Past Tense
Past tense tells us about:
– Things that have already happened
– Actions that are completed
– Events from earlier times
Example:
– I visited my grandmother last week.
– The bird flew away.
– We were playing in the park yesterday.
- Future Tense
Future tense tells us about:
– Things that will happen later
– Plans for upcoming times
– Actions yet to occur
Example:
– I will go to the party tomorrow.
– The train will arrive at 9 PM.
– We will be watching the movie next week.
Complete List of Tenses
Let’s look at how one verb (play) changes in different tenses:
- Simple Present:
– I play
– He/She/It plays
– We/You/They play
- Present Continuous:
– I am playing
– He/She/It is playing
– We/You/They are playing
- Present Perfect:
– I have played
– He/She/It has played
– We/You/They have played
- Simple Past:
– I played
– He/She/It played
– We/You/They played
- Past Continuous:
– I was playing
– He/She/It was playing
– We/You/They were playing
- Simple Future:
– I will play
– He/She/It will play
– We/You/They will play
