Present Past Future Tense: Examples, Definition, Use, Formula, Structure, Rules & Exercises for English Learners
Studying the fundamentals of grammar is the first step for anyone learning a foreign language. In English, the first subject of study is the parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and so on. Only after accomplishing some proficiency can we start learning and forming sentences. Sentences almost always require the use of verbs, and the essential component of using verbs properly is to achieve mastery over the tenses. In this article, we will cover the basics of all 12 tenses, and the more advanced usage and formations of their conjugations in different types of sentences (i.e. affirmative, negative, and more). We have included tables, formulas, and 100s of practical examples that you can use as tools in your English language studies.
What is the Definition and Meaning of Tense?
Tenses are verb forms that describe actions, events, states of being, or conditions in various time frames. These contain finished, unfinished, general, and specific time periods. The Present, Past, and Future are the 3 principal types. Furthermore, each type is classified into 4 aspects: simple tense, continuous or progressive tense, perfect tense, and perfect continuous or perfect progressive tense. Not including the moods (indicative, imperative, and subjunctive), there is a total of 12 tenses in English.
The proper use of tenses allows you to convey your ideas clearly as each tense takes a meaning that’s distinctive from the rest. For example, the sentences “I am reading a book”, “I read a book”, and “I will read a book” have distinguishable meanings from each other. First, “am reading” describes an action that is currently in progress. Second, “read” expresses an action that has been completed. Lastly, “will read” refers to an action that has yet to occur.
Verbs may look alike, but each conjugation adheres to a particular grammar rule. A strong grasp of the tenses’ individual functions is vital to reduce and ultimately eliminate confusion. Here are the principal rules of the main verb tenses. You can use the list as a general guide before moving on to more complex elements.
- The present tense is for events in or around the existing time frame.
- The past tense is for actions that are completed or finished at the previous time.
- The future tense is for possibilities, forecasts, and other things that have yet to take place.
Let’s look at the table below of present past future tense examples to know the verb forms a bit more closely.
|Simple Present Tense||Herma sells flowers.|
Dulce sings for a living.
Mom picks me up at 4:30.
They work together at the firm.
Jeff goes to the door and opens it.
|Present Continuous Tense||Channing is making coffee.|
Sofia is talking on the phone.
The ducks are waddling along.
Gary is writing a speech for you.
They are having dinner on the balcony.
|Present Perfect Tense||I have tried this dish before.|
My daughter has used the stove.
Sigmundhas wateredthe plants.
Newton has finished all the recipes.
Sara and Jo have taken the exam already.
|Present Perfect Continuous Tense||Leighton has been teaching there.|
Dara has been writing the orders down.
Carl’s children have been learning taekwondo.
Midari has been cleaning the front porch in the morning.
Tanaka and Shuri have been monitoring the new program.
|Simple Past Tense||Milky drove the car.|
Bryan bought the stove.
Adalia read the brochure.
The dog barked at the guests.
Max called the office this afternoon.
|Past Continuous Tense||Lambert was calling the police.|
Katrina was drinking tea with Thea.
Hernan and Jim were talking seriously.
Robert was using the new remote panel.
Roxanne and her family were celebrating.
|Past Perfect Tense||Mr. Jacobs had shaken my hand.|
Sula had signed the check before lunch.
Horace had finished the book in an hour.
Lucas had journeyed to Nepal before he enrolled.
Doris had shut the blinds when I entered the boardroom.
|Past Perfect Continuous Tense||The band had been touring across Asia.|
Hali’s bosses had been discussing his behavior at work.
Kyung Soo had been posting blog posts about the hurricane.
They had been painting on the wrong canvas before I realized it.
Emmanuel’s team had been digging in the area for almost ten months.
|Simple Future Tense||Patty will host a party.|
Wally will hide in the trees.
You will burn the paella again.
Toni and Esther will arrive soon.
Grenadine will mix well with this drink.
|Future Continuous Tense||They will be lighting fireworks.|
We will be watching the premiere.
The parade will be marching at 9 a.m.
Dresden will be guarding the front door.
The horses will be sleeping comfortably.
|Future Perfect Tense||Vera will have stolen the gems from the drawer.|
Morris will have put the finishing touches by tomorrow.
My firm will have decorated the venue before the luncheon.
Katya will have been an adult when they return to their hometown.
Ji Eun will have worked at the homestay for two months on Monday.
|Future Perfect Continuous Tense||Summer will have been arriving late.|
I will have been trimming the hedges for an hour.
They will have been studying in the center for a year next month.
The children will have been running around the playground for 3 hours.
Ulla will have been standing outside the house for half a day had Trina not come.
5 Tips on How should English Learners Best Study and Learn the Proper Usage of Preset Past Future Tense Words?
1. Study a comprehensive reference material such as this blog to learn the definitions, types, and conjugations of all 12 tenses.
2. Look at as many past tense present tense future tense examples as possible to develop a strong understanding of their patterns in various sentence structures and use them as models.
3. Have a dedicated notebook for verb conjugations and for each verb you learn, write present tense past tense future tense examples taken from your own experiences. It’s much easier to practice when you pull from your own memory.
4. For practice, consider a personal story and narrate it in its present, past, and future versions. You can ask a friend to be your audience or act as an interviewer.
5. Make it a habit to make your own grammar charts and tables. It’s a great method for retaining vocabulary and activating stored knowledge from your language studies.
How Do You Use the Present Tense?
1. The Simple Present Tense is for repeated actions, instruction or directions, habits, general truths, or fixed arrangements or schedules, which can include future notions. For example, “Fia and Gregorio catch the bus every day.”
2. The Present Continuous or Present Progressive Tense is for immediate events taking place now or currently. The action may be temporary or a newly developed habit. For example, “Melissa is taking the wicker baskets home.”
3. The Present Perfect Tense is for actions that started sometime in the past and are in progress at this time. In this case, expressions with time durations that start with “for” and expressions with specific beginning times that start with “since” are often used. For example, “Ian has lived in the capital for 2 years.”
4. The Present Perfect Continuous is for repeated actions that began at a specific time in the past and are still in progress at this time. “I have been attending English classes this summer.”
Regular Verb Examples in Present Tense Conjugations
|Regular Verb Root Form||Simple Present||Present Continuous||Present Perfect||Present Perfect Continuous|
|Talk||Paula talks fast.||Paula is talking fast.||Paula has talked fast all her life.||Paula has been talking fast.|
|Mingle||Katsa mingles with her friends.||Katsa is mingling with her friends.||Katsa has mingled with her friends.||Katsa has been mingling with her friends.|
|Dance||Elias dances at the studio.||Elias is dancing at the studio.||Elias has danced at the studio.||Elias has been dancing at the studio.|
|Crawl||Rico’s cat crawls into the garden.||Rico’s cat is crawling into the garden.||Rico’s cat has crawled into the garden.||Rico’s cat has been crawling into the garden.|
|Lean||The statue leans on the column.||The statue is leaning on the column.||The statue has leaned on the column.||The statue has been leaning on the column.|
Irregular Verb Examples in Present Tense Conjugations
|Irregular Verb Root Form||Simple Present||Present Continuous||Present Perfect||Present Perfect Continuous|
|Throw||Decker throws the basketball.||Decker is throwing the basketball.||Decker has thrown the basketball.||Decker has been throwing the basketball.|
|Sing||Juan sings in the music hall.||Juan is singing in the music hall.||Juan has sung in the music hall.||Juan has been singing in the music hall.|
|Fight||Keno fights in the chatroom.||Keno is fighting in the chatroom.||Keno has fought in the chatroom.||Keno has been fighting in the chatroom.|
|Bring||Tonya brings the jam to breakfast.||Tonya is bringing the jam to breakfast.||Tonya has brought the jam to breakfast.||Tonya has been bringing the jam to breakfast.|
|Fly||The plane flies across the horizon.||The plane is flying across the horizon.||The plane has flown across the horizon.||The plane has been flying across the horizon.|
What are the Present Tense Verbs Formulas?
The following are the general formulas of the 4 Types of Present Tenses (affirmative past sentences):
1. Simple Present Tense Rules
|Simple Present Tense Formula|
|Subject + main verb (root verb and appropriate plural) + Rest of the sentence.|
2. Present Continuous Tense
|Present Continuous Tense Formula|
|Subject + am/is/are + present participle (-ing form) + Rest of the sentence.|
3. Present Perfect Tense
|Present Perfect Tense Formula|
|Subject + have/has + past participle + Rest of the sentence.|
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
|Present Perfect Continuous Tense Formula|
|Subject + has/have been + the present participle+ Rest of the sentence.|
Simple Present Tense Usage
The simple past tense can describe many things: habits, actions, and events that are repeated, general truths or facts, instructions or directions, and fixed or future arrangements.
5 Simple Present Tense Examples
1. Hot water burns.
2. Pia runs every morning.
3. Meghan’s flight arrives tomorrow.
4. They vacation in Boracay every year.
5. Open the soup packet and pour it into hot water.
Present Continuous Tense Usage
The present continuous tense, which is sometimes called the present progressive, is a verb tense used to refer to events that are happening right at this moment or fixed plans that will take place later on in the future.
5 Present Continuous Tense Examples
1. I am leaving for Paris in a couple of months.
2. Quentin is taking his son to football practice today.
3. Leandro is mixing the batter for the fried chicken inside.
4. They are creating their dream houses using popsicle sticks.
5. Tibetina and Huxley are counting the puzzle pieces on the floor.
Present Perfect Tense Usage
The present perfect denotes actions that began at some time in the past that continue now or remain uncompleted at the time of speaking. Unlike continuous tenses, its emphasis is on the unfinished quality of the action or event, not its ongoing nature.
5 Present Perfect Tense Examples
1. The bus has left the station.
2. Wilbur’s kids have trained with Mr. Hinojales.
3. Terrence has thought about leaving Silay for years.
4. Angelo and Jack have worked together since they were in university.
5. Claire has given enough reasons that her business plan will be profitable.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense Usage
The present perfect continuous often includes time expressions and talks about recurring actions and events that started at a specific point in the past and are still in progress until the time of speaking.
5 Present Perfect Continuous Tense Examples
1. Henry has been calibrating the codes for three days.
2. You have been judging Lolek since he started working here.
3. Cybil has been representing the company in Seoul for 8 years.
4. Merchants have been setting up their wares near the riverbank.
5. Nigel has been reviewing for the IELTS exam with a tutor since October.
How Do You Use the Past Tense?
1. The Simple Past Tense is for actions that started and were completed in the past. For example, “Rhonna gave me a snack.”
2. The Past Continuous or Past Progressive Tense is for past actions that focus on their ongoing quality at that period of time. For example, “Joshua was playing with Legos.”
3. The Past Perfect Tense is for actions and events that started sometime in the past and were completed at another time in the past. It’s also for sequences of a couple of past actions or events. In this type of sentence, the past perfect is used for the actions that finished first and the past simple is used for the actions that occurred after. For example, “Celia had taken away the cards when we met her.”
4. The Past Perfect Continuous is for actions that originated at a time period in the past and were still ongoing up to a specific time in the past. It’s also used to emphasize that the past actions were in progress before they were interrupted by other past actions. For example, “Regina had been scolding her daughter when the movie started.”
Regular Verb Examples in Past Tense Conjugations
|Regular Verb Root Form||Simple Past||Past Continuous||Past Perfect||Past Perfect Continuous|
|Trek||My friends trekked in the mountain.||My friends were trekking in the mountain.||My friends had trekked in the mountain.||My friends had been trekking in the mountain.|
|Start||The company started its recruitment.||The company was starting its recruitment.||The company had started its recruitment.||The company had been starting its recruitment.|
|Jerk||Stuart jerked his hand away from the bonfire.||Stuart was jerking his hand away from the bonfire.||Stuart had jerked his hand away from the bonfire.||Stuart had been jerking his hand away from the bonfire.|
|Discuss||Tanuki and Sati discussed their options.||Tanuki and Sati were discussing their options.||Tanuki and Sati had discussed their options.||Tanuki and Sati had been discussing their options.|
|Converse||We conversed in English.||We were conversing in English.||We had conversed in English for days when our teacher noticed.||We had been conversing in English for days when our teacher noticed.|
Irregular Verb Conjugations in Present Tense Examples
|Irregular Verb Root Form||Simple Past||Past Continuous||Past Perfect||Past Perfect Continuous|
|Swim||I swam last night.||I was swimming last night.||I had swum last night.||I had been swimming last night.|
|Wear||Estrella wore a red gown.||Estrella was wearing a red gown.||Estrella had worn a red gown.||Estrella had been wearing a red gown.|
|Pay||Javi paid his dues last week.||Javi was paying his dues last week.||Javi had paid his dues before he applied.||Javi had been paying his dues for a week.|
|Meet||Krisha met Becka at the cafe.||Krisha was meeting Becka at the cafe.||Krisha had met Becka at the cafe.||Krisha had been meeting Becka at the cafe.|
|Hide||Thora hid the tickets in her car.||Thora was hiding the tickets in her car.||Thora had forgotten the tickets in her car.||Thora had been forgetting the tickets in her car.|
What are the Past Tenses Formulas?
1. Simple Past Tense Rules
|Simple Past Tense Formula|
|Subject + Simple form of verb + ed/past tense or irregular form of verbs + Rest of the sentence.|
2. Past Continuous Tense
|Past Continuous Tense Formula|
|Subject + was/were + Present Participle (-ing or continuous form) + Rest of the sentence.|
3. Past Perfect Tense
|Past Perfect Tense Formula|
|Subject + Had + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.|
4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
|Past Perfect Continuous Tense Formula|
|Subject + Had been + Present participle (-ing or continuous form) + Rest of the sentence.|
Simple Past Tense Usage
The simple past tense talks about actions or occurrences in the recent or distant past. It denotes completed time periods and the duration isn’t significant. We often use the simple past with frequency adverbs such as “sometimes”, “rarely”, “often” and so on. We also use definite time expressions such as “when I was in university”, “last week”, “3 days ago”, etc., or indefinite time references such as “some time before”, “once upon a time”, “a long while ago”, etc.
5 Simple Past Tense Examples
1. We caught a lot of fish yesterday.
2. Hyun entered the hall with his heavy luggage.
3. Se Jong held the farewell party at her mother’s restaurant.
4. Priyawanted to visit the temple when there aren’t any tourists around.
5. Laika found the large hardbound volumes of historical events in the attic.
Past Continuous Tense Usage
The past continuous tense talks about actions and events that were in progress in the past. It emphasizes that the actions were ongoing for some prior duration. In addition, the past continuous tense can give contexts or reasons for events. We also use it when referring to actions that happened regularly in the past, using adverbs or adverb phrases to indicate the actions’ recurring nature.
5 Past Continuous Tense Examples
1. Abra was concealing the surprise gift in her bag.
2. Janus was exchanging currency at a well-known pawnshop.
3. The kids were collecting the Easter eggs they found in the barn.
4. Tim’s team members were consolidating all the receipts from the event.
5. Miss Raymundo was giving an in-depth refresher course on English grammar.
Past Perfect Tense Usage
The past perfect tense is used for actions that took place up to some point in the past. It’s also used for events that occurred earlier than another past event.
5 Past Perfect Tense Examples
1. We had caught the lawbreakers before they escaped.
2. Alfred had sailed in the straits with his father last summer.
3. Nestor had ruined the replica before the presentation began.
4. Felicidad’s firm had won the case when the journalists showed up.
5. Elise had veered out of the way before the large painting fee in the hall.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense Usage
The past perfect continuous tense is for ongoing actions that were finished before other past events. The emphasis isn’t on the action’s completion. Like in the example “We had been hiking when the earthquake started.” The speaker doesn’t care whether they stopped hiking but focuses on the action as it was in progress at that time previously.
5 Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples
1. Farah had been dusting the shelves all morning.
2. Rakka had been cultivating herbs and perennials for years.
3. Donna had been reviving the brand image since the relaunch.
4. The crows had been surrounding the spires of the chapel for days.
5. Henrick had been reading the series since the first book came out 5 years ago.
How Do You Use the Future Tense?
1. The Simple Future Tense is for events or actions that haven’t occurred yet. When used with first-person subjects, it can express spontaneous decisions. It is also used for predictions or to convey willingness. For example, “I will drive you to the airport.”
2. The Future Continuous or Future Progressive Tense is for actions at a particular moment in the future. The action will have started before but will not have ended at that future time. For example, tomorrow I will start school at 8 a.m. and will stop at 12 noon. “At 10 a.m. tomorrow, I will be studying.”
3. The Future Perfect Tense is for actions that will be finished in the future. It’s often used with a time expression. When we use this tense we imagine ourselves in the future and look back at an action that will be finished sometime later than the present. For example, “They will have learned English for a year by next week.”
4. The Future Perfect Continuous is for actions that emphasize the duration of an event at a future time. We also imagine ourselves in the future and look back to a previous time from that future point. For example, “In June, Myka will have been living with us for 4 years.”
Regular Verb Examples in Future Tense Conjugations
|Regular Verb Root Form||Simple Future||Future Continuous||Future Perfect||Future Perfect Continuous|
|Gather||They will gather tomorrow in Boardroom C.||They will be gathering tomorrow in Boardroom C.||They will have gathered a dozen times in Boardroom C.||They will have been gathering a dozen times in Boardroom C.|
|Change||Maheep will change the color scheme.||Maheep will be changing the color scheme.||Maheep will have changed the color scheme.||Maheep will have been changing the color scheme.|
|Measure||Olga will measure the room’s dimensions.||Olga will be measuring the room’s dimensions.||Olga will have measured the room’s dimensions.||Olga will have been measuring the room’s dimensions.|
|Warn||The system will warn us of trespassers.||The system will be warning us of trespassers.||The system will have warned us of trespassers.||The system will have been warning us of trespassers.|
|Laugh||They will laugh at this.||They will be laughing at this.||They will have laughed at this.||They will have been laughing at this.|
Irregular Verb Examples in Future Tense Conjugations
|Irregular Verb Root Form||Simple Future||Future Continuous||Future Perfect||Future Perfect Continuous|
|Grow||The plants will grow well.||The plants will be growing well.||The plants will have grown well.||The plants will have been growing well.|
|Break||Peach will break the block into pieces.||Peach will be breaking the block into pieces.||Peach will have broken the block into pieces.||Peach will have been breaking the block into pieces.|
|Shake||The structure will shake against the storm.||The structure will be shaking against the storm.||The structure will have shaken against the storm.||The structure will have been shaking against the storm.|
|Ring||Rhea will ring the bell at 3.||Rhea will be ringing the bell at 3.||Rhea will have rung the bell at 3.||Rhea will be ringing the bell at 3.|
|Keep||Johan will keep his promise.||Johan will be keeping his promise.||Johan will have kept his promise.||Johan will have been keeping his promise.|
What are the Future Tenses Formulas?
1. Simple Future Tense Rules
|Simple Future Tense Formula|
|Subject + Will + Base form + Rest of the sentence.|
2. Future Continuous Tense
|Future Continuous Tense Formula|
|Subject + Will be + Present Participle (-ing or continuous form) + Rest of the sentence.|
3. Future Perfect Tense
|Future Perfect Tense Formula|
|Subject + Will have + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.|
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
|Future Perfect Continuous Tense Formula|
|Subject + Will have been + Present participle (-ing or continuous form) + Rest of the sentence.|
Simple Future Tense Usage
The simple future tense is for events or actions that will likely take place in a future time. It can express decisions made at the moment, state predictions, or convey willingness.
5 Simple Future Tense Examples
1. Benwill crossthe hanging bridge.
2. The two companies will merge in August.
3. The children will play in the neighbor’s yard.
4. Janikka and Pierre will collaborate on an installation.
5. Willem and I will stay in one of the native huts by the river.
Future Continuous Tense Usage
The future continuous tense is for actions that will take place at a particular moment. These events will have begun before but will not have been completed at that specific time.
5 Future Continuous Tense Examples
1. My grandmother will be making her famous pecan pie.
2. Chandra will be heading the new marketing department in Kerala.
3. Yuri and I will be watching the parade from the mall’s rooftop cafe.
4. Tomorrow’s participants will be using the makeshift ramp at the beach.
5. The students will be distributing flyers around town for their fundraising event.
Future Perfect Tense Usage
The future perfect tense talks about actions that will be finished at a point in the future and often uses time expressions.
5 Future Perfect Tense Examples
1. Jason will have finished the race in less than 20 minutes.
2. Margot will have edited all the essays by 5 pm on Monday.
3. Tahari will have sewn a dozen costumes before the rehearsal.
4. Nikki will have coordinated with her French and Korean counterparts.
5. Don’t worry because Thao will have entertained the children with her puppets.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense Usage
The Future Perfect Continuous is for future actions that focus on their duration or length of time. Often used with time expressions.
5 Future Perfect Continuous Tense Examples
1. Seneca will have been living in Hadong for 5 years by 2023.
2. Yolana will have been working in the organization for 3 years.
3. Oliver will have been waiting for Victoria for 2 hours at 6 o’clock.
4. Next month, I will have been helping the design department for a year.
5. When Renee finishes the program, she will have been studying fossils for 4 years.
Structures of the Present Past Future Tenses
The past present future tense examples that are included in this article so far show past present future sentences in their affirmative or positive structure. There are other sentence structures used to express past periods of time. The next segments will show more examples of the past present future tense in negative and interrogative sentence types.
Present Tenses in Other Sentence Types
Let’s begin with the 4 Present Tenses.
(Important: Conversational English typically uses contractions like “don’t/doesn’t”, “isn’t/aren’t” and “hasn’t”, especially in present tense questions. Spelling the helping verbs out as “do not/does not”, “is not/are not” and “has not” is also correct, but this practice is usually reserved for more formal contexts.)
15 Simple Present Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + don’t/doesn’t + (root form of verb)+ Rest of the sentence.||Juwon doesn’t exercise.|
Nathaniel doesn’t drink alcohol.
Akihiro doesn’t play basketball.
Amar and Les don’t like eating sweet foods.
Genkei and Mel don’t use pigment ink for art prints.
|Interrogative||Do/Does+ Subject + Root form of verb + Rest of the sentence?||Do your pets bite?|
Does Suho like dogs?
Do they want the plants?
Does Toffee wear denim?
Does Jenally want to visit?
|Interrogative Negative||Don’t/Doesn’t + Subject + Root form of verb + Rest of the sentence?||Don’t you want to visit them?|
Doesn’t Kara direct commercials?
Doesn’t Ishaan commute everyday?
Don’t they feel the difference in weight?
Doesn’t John Mark work in the new factory?
15 Present Continuous Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Isn’t/arent (am not) + Present participle+ Rest of the sentence.||Tamia isn’t getting better.|
They aren’t coming with us.
Hansuke isn’t driving today.
Ha-joon isn’t joining the meeting.
They aren’t looking for projects right now.
|Interrogative||Is/Are+ Subject + Present participle+ Rest of the sentence?||Is Kamari dancing?|
Is Mellie baking a new batch?
Are Akasha and Enkil still sleeping?
Are they eating the meal that Sheena cooked?
Are the students clapping for the representative?
|Interrogative Negative||Isn’t/Aren’t + Subject + Present participle + Rest of the sentence?||Aren’t they updating the software?|
Isn’t Jaya performing at the luncheon?
Isn’t Hiroshi attending the celebration?
Isn’t Fumiko cheering for the volleyball team?
Aren’t the children swimming in the pool?
15 Present Perfect Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Hasn’t/haven’t + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.||She hasn’t called since yesterday.|
Antonia hasn’t fed the chickens yet.
We haven’t traveled abroad in a long while.
Ji-ho hasn’t claimed his certificate for weeks.
Diether and Ajay haven’t talked about the issue.
|Interrogative||Has/Have + Subject + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Have they eaten dinner?|
Has Kamaye placed her bet?
Has Min Jung informed you about it?
Has Reva asked the team regarding the data?
Have Manuel and Jacinto covered the conference?
|Interrogative Negative||Hasn’t/Haven’t + Subject + + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Haven’t I taken you there yet?|
Hasn’t Ishani recorded the song?
Hasn’t Letta gone to visit her cousins?
Haven’t the staffers briefed the foreign delegates?
Haven’t Lisa and Boon calculated the formula?
15 Present Perfect Continuous Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Hasn’t/haven’t been + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.||We haven’t been running for 30 minutes.|
He hasn’t been listing the orders properly.
Daichi hasn’t been bringing the supplies on time.
Avan and Sitara haven’t been fixing the old cars.
Young-hwan hasn’t been delivering his contributions.
|Interrogative||Has/Have + Subject + Been + Present participle + Rest of the sentence?||Have we been ignoring their attempts?|
Has Hayate been washing the curtains?
Has the crowd been chanting the 2nd verse?
Have they been rearranging the seating plan for the dinner?
Has Hilda been carrying the bags to their hotel rooms by herself?
|Interrogative Negative||Hasn’t/Haven’t + Subject + Been + Present participle + Rest of the sentence?||Haven’t I been telling you?|
Hasn’t Deven been hiding behind the stacks?
Hasn’t Andrea been downloading the files?
Haven’t they been submitting their request?
Haven’t Joanne and Minju been preparing for the cookout?
Past Tenses in Other Sentence Types
Now let’s look at the 4 Past Tenses.
(Important: Conversational English typically uses contractions like “didn’t” and “hadn’t”, especially in past tense questions. Spelling out the auxiliary verbs as “did not” and “had not” is also correct, but this practice is usually reserved for more formal contexts like academic or business writing.)
15 Simple Past Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + didn’t + Base form of verb + Rest of the sentence.||Bea didn’t read the letter.|
Clara didn’t crawl out of the tunnel.
They didn’t struggle in the examination.
Jericho didn’t cook his signature dish.
In-sook didn’t agree with the other members.
|Interrogative||Did + Subject + Root form of verb + Rest of the sentence?||Did Kavi enroll in the program?|
Did Young Soo guess the right answer?
Did Robert run for Kitty’s seat on the board?
Did Ernesto marry his childhood sweetheart?
Did Noburo finish writing the medical documents?
|Interrogative Negative||Didn’t + Subject + Root form of verb + Rest of the sentence?|
(note: the formula “Did + subject + not + Root form of the verb + Rest of the sentence” is often used to connote emotions such as disbelief, astonishment, shock, etc.)
|Didn’t you want the truth to come out?|
Didn’t Laila recognize the seal on the box?
Didn’t Mako welcome Shia’s team in the foyer?
Didn’t Sung-soo’s dog growl when Damari knocked?
Didn’t Enrique return the papers to the science guys?
15 Past Continuous Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Wasn’t/Weren’t + Present participle + Rest of the sentence.||They weren’t yawning at the viewing.|
Miyo wasn’t receiving the nomination.
Arnel and Ramon weren’t leading the team.
Carla wasn’t spraying the garden with pesticides.
Vivan wasn’t sitting at the honor’s table last night.
|Interrogative||Was/Were + Subject + Present participle + Rest of the sentence?||Was Ayo cycling to the venue?|
Were Vin and Toni reviving the style?
Were Tommy’s relatives coming from Silay?
Was Reiji soliciting donations for the event?
Was Byung-chul watching the tournament from the living room?
|Interrogative Negative||Wasn’t/Weren’t + Subject + Present participle + Rest of the sentence||Weren’t they joining the others?|
Wasn’t Souta ordering for everyone?
Wasn’t Zanjoe turning the car around?
Weren’t Mayur and Janitra visiting Delhi?
Wasn’t Tito filming their last scene at the boardwalk?
15 Past Perfect Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Hadn’t + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.||I hadn’t built the frame yet.|
Clodne hadn’t assessed the damage.
Teejay hadn’t seen the last installment.
Mikee hadn’t said goodbye to her family.
The school hadn’t implemented the new requirements.
|Interrogative||Had + Subject + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Had the guys fumigated the room?|
Had Cynthia reached her quota for the quarter?
Had Radhi mentioned anything since we arrived?
Had Mara kept this information a secret all this time?
Had Ladel given the blueprint for the Johnsons’ cabin?
|Interrogative Negative||Hadn’t + Subject + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Hadn’t your cousins finished college?|
Hadn’t Janitra worn the same outfit last week?
Hadn’tIl-sung run that convenience store with his friend?
Hadn’t the sheep rushed down the hill when the rain fell?
Hadn’t Noritaka’s company given enough donations?
15 Past Perfect Continuous Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Hadn’t been + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.||Mona hadn’t been sleeping well.|
Lima hadn’t been hanging the lights.
Oda hadn’t been clearing her work desk.
Thanh hadn’t been checking on the cookies.
Young-gi hadn’t been showing her new artwork.
|Interrogative||Had + Subject + Been + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Had you been living in the countryside?|
Had Nadine been changing the playlist?
Had Akshay been investigating the theft?
Had they been crashing all the events at the Sunday fair?
Had they been disobeying the supervisor’s orders about the tasks?
|Interrogative Negative||Hadn’t + Subject + Been + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Hadn’t she been sweeping the second floor?|
Hadn’t Pravin been compiling old photographs?
Hadn’tTombeen purchasing the parts online?
Hadn’t the local businesses been supporting the new festival?
Hadn’t Ohta been storing produce in an underground refrigerating system?
Future Tenses in Other Sentence Types
Finally, let’s look at the 4 Future Tenses.
(Important: Conversational English typically uses contractions like “won’t”, especially in future tense questions. Spelling it out as “will not” is also correct, but this practice is usually reserved for more formal contexts such as professional and academic writing or speaking tasks.)
15 Simple Future Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Won’t + Base verb + Rest of the sentence.||Scratchy won’t come when I call her.|
The tube won’t break if we seal it well.
Candace won’t crouch to look under the bed.
Ai-ai won’t delegate the tasks she can handle.
Hansika won’t interview the applicants this afternoon.
|Interrogative||Will + Subject + Root form of verb + Rest of the sentence?||Will you retrieve the hard drive?|
Will Neha choose the silk pashmina?
Will Alodia upload the reaction today?
Will Yamato take the samples to the lab?
Will they pack the goods with the new labels?
|Interrogative Negative||Won’t + Subject + Root form of verb + Rest of the sentence?||Won’t Rita and Max play backgammon?|
Won’t Markus lock the gate before we leave?
Won’t Grandma Talya serve tamales at the party?
Won’t Coco turn off the transmitter during the blackout?
Won’t she travel around the island once the convention finishes next week?
15 Future Continuous Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Won’t be + Present Participle + Rest of the sentence.||Viva won’t be including the event in her report.|
The company won’t be banning earphones.
Noboru won’t be meddling in the group’s decisions.
Shalene won’t be suggesting a workload shift.
Chang-min won’t be babysitting during the holidays.
|Interrogative||Will + Subject + be + Present Participle + Rest of the sentence?||Will everyone be wearing blue?|
Will Pauline be stamping at the entrance?
Will you be administering the exam in Room 9?
Will the foundation be distributing care packets?
Will Annika be molding the current batch of plasters?
|Interrogative Negative||Won’t + Subject + be + Present Participle + Rest of the sentence?||Won’t Mr. Aoki be joining us today?|
Won’tBenjamin be fitting the models?
Won’t Ledesma be canceling the shipment?
Won’t the delivery man be leaving the box by the door?
Won’t the designers be consulting with the seminar’s attendees?
15 Future Perfect Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Won’t have + Past participle + Rest of the sentence.||The dog won’t have gone far.|
Lalit won’t have missed work.
I won’t have finished the book on time.
Anthony won’t have remained by then.
She won’t have trained for hours if she didn’t need it.
|Interrogative||Will + Subject + Have + Past participle+ Rest of the sentence?||Will Mari have helped out?|
Will your family have moved to Iceland?
Will they have studied hard for the entrance test?
Will Makena have participated in the meeting?
Will Katsumi have bought that brand of miso that we had last time?
|Interrogative Negative||Won’t + Subject + Have + Past participle + Rest of the sentence?||Won’t my father have cooked lunch?|
Won’t Maricel have canceled the reservation?
Won’t Wendell have appeared at an appropriate hour?
Won’t Ishiya have moderated the fan meet for many months?
Won’t they have deactivated my membership by the end of the promo?
15 Future Perfect Continuous Tense Examples in 3 Sentence Structures
|Negative||Subject + Won’t have been + Present Participle + Rest of the sentence?||Andoy won’t have been running.|
Dixie won’t have been requesting a review.
They won’t have been dealing with the fallout this long.
I won’t have been training long enough to deserve the spot.
Piolo won’t have been skirting a lot of questions at the press conference.
|Interrogative||Will + Subject + Have been + Present Participle + Rest of the sentence?||Will Gilberto have been painting for weeks?|
Will the Marklins have been living here for 6 months?
Will Cookie have been working at the store for 7 years?
Will the subjects have been acclimating well in this environment?
Will Jamaine have been operating his father’s restaurant since 2010?
|Interrogative Negative||Won’t + Subject + Have been+ Present Participle + Rest of the sentence?||Won’t Jahmene have been demanding a raise?|
Won’t Beedah have been writing her book for years?
Won’t Youngju have been earning well at her new job?
Won’t Gary have been streaming his account for a decade?
Won’t they have been cleaning the windows since yesterday?
5 Common Mistakes English Students Make When Learning to Use Present Past Future Tenses?
1. Spelling Errors. Because there are 12 tenses, each with distinct conjugations and usage, it’s easy to get confused. Irregular verbs also have different spelling rules. There is a lot of material to cover and memorize, making spelling mistakes a common problem for English language students.
2. Wrong usage of tenses. Another common mistake from having to study a wide variety of tenses is using the wrong tense when expressing ideas.
3. Learning with only 1 method. There’s literally a multitude of learning methods in language studies such as having a learning journal, utilizing audio techniques and repeated speech, using textbooks or language learning software, hiring tutors, going to English classes, creating English grammar charts and tables, and so much more. Sticking to 1 method is a deterrent to learning.
4. Switching Tenses. When English language learners speak at length, they often confuse their tenses and employ a variety of them within one frame or story. This can cause breakdowns in communication or understanding.
5. Direct translations. You only need to have used an online translation app to know that direct translations rarely work beyond simple and common expressions. Also, there are several languages that don’t have present past, and future verb tenses. Not to mention that conversational expressions used by native English speakers greatly differ from other languages and sometimes don’t even have accurate equivalents.
5 Ways to Avoid Making Common Mistakes?
1. Set realistic expectations. Objectives that aren’t achievable are followed by slow progress and frustration. In fact, the mentality of huge accomplishments at breakneck speed is a core mistake in language learning. Learning a language takes time so it’s important to set realistic goals set at your own level and pace.
2. Listen and Speak. Without using the language you’re learning in actual conversations, you won’t be able to learn it fully or at all. Talking is the only method to reach fluency. You can listen to native speakers, either in person or via videos or podcasts, which can help you mimic how they talk. Mistakes happen naturally and you’ll be making them often in the early stages, but speaking allows you to build a solid foundation of knowledge and experience so you can move forward faster.
3. Pick a tense when narrating a story. Choosing past present and future tense when talking isn’t difficult as it often comes naturally. Only the simple tenses and the present continuous tense are typically used in everyday conversations. But when you’re telling longer stories, it’s important to choose a verb that fits your purpose. For example, if you’re talking about things that happened last week, use the simple past “I ate” instead of the present perfect “I’ve eaten.”
4. Avoid translating from your native tongue. Avoid translating directly from your native language. It’ll be natural to do so, but it’ll be ineffective and detrimental to language development. Also, remember that not every language expresses the same thing in the same way. So, if you try to directly convert what you know about your own language into another one, you might end up doing something wrong. You should study examples and grammar tables and follow the pattern of how people speak in the target language. It’d be a great way to learn language naturally.
5. Adapt to the knowledge you acquire. Memorization is an excellent tool for beginners, but it ultimately hinders progress. Books and tutors can only teach so much. If you’re studying with a teacher once a week, it won’t help much if you aren’t doing your own research and practicing outside of class. Find opportunities to put what you’ve studied into practice.
The Present Tense: Checking Your Understanding
In the following, we have provided present tense examples with answers as a review.
Present Tense Exercise:
Complete the following sentences by changing the verbs in parenthesis into the proper form.
1. I (go) …………………. for a jog early. (Habitual action)
2. My mother (drink) ………………….. coffee every day. (Habitual action)
3. Flowers (bloom) ………………… in the garden. (At this moment)
4. The otter (build) ………………… its nest with plants and trees around it. (General truth)
5. My boss (know) …………………… about the new deal. (Negative form)
1. I go for a jog early.
2. My mother drinks coffee every day.
3. Flowers are blooming in the garden.
4. The otter builds its nest with plants and trees around it.
5. My boss doesn’t know about the new deal.
The Past Tense: Checking Your Understanding
We have included past tense examples with answers as a review as well.
Past Tense Exercise:
Complete the following sentences by changing the verbs in parenthesis into the proper form.
1. Inigo (leave) ………………………… the company last year.
2. Everybody (eat) ………………………… before her husband came home.
3. Shay (watch) ………………………… the show when the blackout happened.
4. By the time Lisa reached the office, Mr. Braugh (go) …………………………..
5. The kids (sleep) ………………………….. well in the yurt. (negative)
1. Inigo left the company last year.
2. Everybody had eaten before her husband came home.
3. Shay was watching the show when the blackout happened.
4. By the time Lisa reached the office, Mr. Braugh had gone.
5. The kids didn’t sleep well in the yurt.
The Future Tense: Checking Your Understanding
Lastly, below are future tense examples with answers as a review.
Future Tense Exercise:
Complete the following sentences by changing the verbs in parenthesis into the proper form.
1. Samantha (wait) ………………………….. for us at the entrance. (future continuous)
The Bobcats (win) ………………………….. the tournament. (future simple)
By Monday, we (finish) ………………………….. painting the barn. (future perfect)
Greta (live) ………………………….. here for one year in two weeks. (future perfect continuous)
Raymart (call) ………………………….. us in one hour. (future simple)
1. Samantha will be waiting for us at the entrance.
2. The Bobcats will win the tournament.
3. By Monday, we will have finished painting the barn.
4. Greta will have been living here for one year in two weeks.
5. Raymart will call us in one hour.
12 Present Tense Sentence Examples:
For more bonus content, let’s include even more present past and future tense examples according to their usage. Let’s begin with the present tenses.
Instruction or directions (simple present)
1. Put on your mask before you enter the lobby.
2. Turn the sofa sideways until it’s adjacent to the wall.
3. Reserve the tickets as soon as the dollar sale goes live.
Actions occurring now (present continuous)
4. Celest is calling her contact inside.
5. Angelie and Beth are arguing in the clearing.
6. Is Danilo reporting to the officers on the 6th floor?
With time expressions (present perfect)
7. They have tried to untie the know for hours.
8. Hector hasn’t seen another person since last month.
9. Tannawat and Wabi have lived in a coastal village for a year.
Repeated actions still in progress (present perfect continuous)
10. Dina’s group has been scouring the city for supplies.
11. Krishelli has been weighing the pros and cons of the job.
12. Bogs has been operating his foundation since he loved to Davao.
12 Past Tense Sentence Examples:
Examples of past present and future tense are valuable references for your personal language advancement. Let’s refer to more of the past tenses in the following:
With adverbs of frequency and time expressions (simple past tense)
1. Lewis manned the store yesterday.
2. Fia bought another futon last week.
3. The animals moved around actively.
For repeated actions in the past (past continuous)
4. She was doing yoga every day last summer.
5. Gudrun was house-sitting for Miguel last year.
6. He was checking his watch every five minutes or so last night.
First completed action of 2 events (past perfect tense)
7. They had climbed the ladder before the warning was announced.
8. Dedoyco had completed his degree before he went to Sydney for a gap year.
9. Solange had blown the candles before everyone finished singing the birthday song.
Completed ongoing action prior to another event (past perfect continuous)
10. Delilah had been tinkering with the car when her father spotted her.
11. Julietta had been concentrating on the lab tests when her superior called.
12. The pipes had been leaking for two days before the plumber came to the cafe.
12 Future Tense Sentence Examples:
An example of present past and future tense can show you a pattern that you can utilize in your own speech or writing. Let’s study more of the future tenses according to their uses.
Predictions (simple future)
1. They will overturn the ruling.
2. Dawson will ace the license exam.
3. Tatiana will win the acting award next week.
At a moment in the future (future continuous)
4. He will be arranging the furniture.
5. Jungsam will be modifying the criteria.
6. It will be snowing by this time tomorrow.
Actions completed in the future, with time expression (future perfect)
7. Eunice will have sung every song in the repertoire.
8. We will have seen the opera 3 times before they wrap.
9. Yula will have articulated the essence of the study in her paper.
Emphasis on duration in the future (future perfect continuous)
10. Cherie will have been staring at the wall for 2 hours at 4 o’clock.
11. Jessie’s employees will have been towing trucks for a week by tomorrow.
12. The kids will have been rummaging through the basement for 3 days on Saturday.
We have covered fundamental and some advanced concepts regarding the four types of past tense. You now have a usable and powerful understanding of their correct usage. Our blog has various pages dedicated to the remaining tenses to provide well-rounded information about English Grammer and supplement your English learning experience. It’s essential to learn example and patterns of the tense and their conjugation and to apply what you’ve learned by implementing them into your own native needs.
Frequently Asked Questions for Present Past Future Tense
Just like the other two main tenses (the present and past), the future tense follows 4 aspects. So you’ll have the simple future tense, future continuous tense, future perfect tense, and future perfect continuous tense. For formulas and over 100 practical examples, you can read or review this article for your reference.
1. I will go home in an hour.
2. Will they stay after dinner?
3. They will deliver during the holidays.
4. Jaeran will push the crate to the side.
5. Won’t you tell her I called 3 times already?
6. Marky and Suksam will wash the dishes later.
7. George will be straining the fermented rice tonight.
8. Won’t Dragon be driving along the coastal highway?
9. The bed and breakfast guests will leave after four days.
10. His class will be hosting the event as a fundraising attempt.
11. The dogs will be howling in a few minutes unless you feed them.
12. My professor will meet with the panel to assist with our presentation.
13. These blocks will have controlled the flow of the water after an hour.
14. Will Drey make it to the other side of town despite the crazy weather?
15. My Grandpa will have stashed his collectible cards before his birthday.
16. I will be crying in three weeks when I have to see you off at the airport.
17. Will Jaxon and Beatrix have been living in their countryside cabin for 3 years?
18. The 4th graders will have been reviewing past tense present tense future tense for a week.
19. Sheena and her team will have been patrolling the river borders for a month on Christmas Day.
20. Our local government will have been operating the relocation program for five years because of the sponsors.
(Note: For more examples of past present future tense words, read the full article for more than 100 references across 12 tenses. The article also includes present tense past tense and future tense formulas and usage in English.)
“Has” and “have” can be used as main verbs and are in their present conjugation. They can also be used as auxiliary verbs used in present perfect, present perfect continuous, future perfect, and future perfect continuous tenses. “Had” is their counterpart in the past tense.
The primary types are the present tense past tense future tense. Each of the main types is further classified into 4 aspects: simple, continuous or progressive, perfect, and perfect continuous, which makes 12 tenses in total.
Knowing the conjugations of present past future tense words is crucial to improve your proficiency in English. Take a look at each example of past present and future tense:
Present: I walk to work. She doesn’t eat breakfast. He drives to school.
Past: I walked to work. She didn’t eat breakfast. He drove to school.
Future: I will walk to work. She won’t eat breakfast. He will drive to school.
For more examples of past present future words, our blog has more pages with different emphases in tenses. Or you can review this article in full and take notes from all sentences it contains.
Neither. The base form, which is also used in the present tense is “feel” and the past form is “felt”.
The past future present tense all have continuous or progressive aspects, which change verbs into their -ing or present particle forms. However, “feel” is a stative verb and doesn’t normally assume the present participle form.
In conversational English, you might hear the word used in this manner or see present past and future tense examples such as “How are you feeling?” or “I’m feeling Japanese food for dinner.” or “He was feeling dejected yesterday.” or “She will be feeling the pain tomorrow.” This is okay in informal language, but this isn’t standardized usage.
Learn from History – Follow the Science – Listen to the Experts
What’s the one thing that makes LillyPad so special? Lilly! Lilly’s a personal English tutor, and has people talking all over the world! Lilly makes improving your English easy. With Lilly, you can read in four different ways, and you can read just about anything you love. And learning with Lilly, well that’s what you call liberating!
For learners of all ages striving to improve their English, LillyPad combines the most scientifically studied and recommended path to achieving English fluency and proficiency with today’s most brilliant technologies!
Additionally, the platform incorporates goal-setting capabilities, essential tracking & reporting, gamification, anywhere-anytime convenience, and significant cost savings compared to traditional tutoring methodologies.
…it’s a whole new story!
Do you want to improve your English? Visit www.lillypad.ai.
William is a professional English and ESL teacher with over 15 years of experience. He has taught students of all ages, from children to business executives, and has worked with ESL learners from all over the globe. With a degree in English Education, William has developed curriculum for learners of all levels and interests. He is passionate about helping people learn English effectively and shares his knowledge with the LillyPad community. When he’s not teaching or writing, William enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.