12 English Tenses – Definitions Rules Examples FAQs

Master the 12 English Tenses in just minutes! Learn with simple examples, clear rules & real-life usage — perfect for students, teachers, and English learners of all levels.

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Muhammad Irfan Abid

Muhammad Irfan Abid is an English grammar expert, educator, and content creator with over 10 years of experience in teaching and developing English language resources. As the founder of englishfy.net, he is passionate about simplifying complex grammar concepts for students, competitive exam aspirants, and ESL learners across the globe.

Understanding the 12 English tenses is the foundation of mastering grammar and fluent communication. Whether you’re writing, speaking, or preparing for exams like IELTS or TOEFL, tenses help you express time, action, and meaning accurately. In this complete guide, we’ll break down every tense — from Present Simple to Future Perfect Continuous — with clear examples, easy rules, and quick tips so you can finally learn them once and for all.

1. Present Indefinite Tense

You use the present indefinite tense (or simple present tense) in the following situations:

1. To describe habitual actions or routines:
   Actions that occur regularly, usually every day, week, or month.
   • I go to the gym every morning.
   • She drinks coffee at 7 AM.
2. To state general truths or facts:
   Facts that are always true or universally accepted.
   • Water boils at 100°C.
   • The Earth orbits the Sun.
3. To express unchanging situations or conditions:
   Things that are constant or permanent.
   • He works in a hospital.
   • They live in London.
4. To talk about scheduled events (often for public transportation, timetables, or events that are planned):
   • The train leaves at 10 AM.
   • The meeting starts at 3 PM.
5. To give instructions or directions:
   • First, mix the ingredients together.
   • Turn left at the traffic lights.
6. For future events in fixed or scheduled contexts (like timetables or programs):
   • The concert begins at 8 PM.
   • The flight departs tomorrow.

In all of these cases, the present indefinite tense is used because the action is either a regular occurrence, a fact, or something that’s not expected to change.

Present Indefinite Tense Formula

The Present Indefinite Tense (also called Simple Present Tense) is used to describe habitual actions, general truths, and facts. Here are the formulas for different types of sentences:

1. Affirmative Sentences

Formula:
🔹 Subject + V1 (base form) + s/es (if subject is he/she/it) + Object

✅ Examples:

• She writes a letter.
• They play football.

2. Negative Sentences

Formula:
🔹 Subject + do/does + not + V1 + Object

✅ Examples:

• He does not like tea.
• We do not watch TV.

3. Interrogative Sentences

Formula:
🔹 Do/Does + Subject + V1 + Object + ?

✅ Examples:

• Does she write a letter?
• Do they play football?

4. Negative Interrogative Sentences

Formula:
🔹 Do/Does + Subject + not + V1 + Object + ?
(Or)
🔹 Don’t/Doesn’t + Subject + V1 + Object + ?

✅ Examples:

• Does she not write a letter? (formal)
• Doesn’t she write a letter? (informal)

Would you like more examples or explanations? 😊

Present indefinite tense rules

Rules of Present Indefinite Tense (Simple Present Tense)

The Present Indefinite Tense follows specific rules related to subject-verb agreement, negation, and question formation. Here are the key rules:

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

✅ Use the base verb (V1) with “I,” “You,” “We,” and “They.”
✅ Add “s” or “es” to the verb if the subject is “He,” “She,” or “It.”

Examples:

• I write a letter.
• He writes a letter.
• She goes to school.

📝 When to add “es” instead of “s”

• If the verb ends in -o, -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, add “es” instead of “s.”
  ✅ Examples:
  • He goes to school.
  • She watches TV.
  • It passes through the tunnel.

2. Negative Sentences

✅ Use “do not (don’t)” with I, You, We, They.
✅ Use “does not (doesn’t)” with He, She, It.
✅ Do not add “s/es” to the verb in negative sentences.

Examples:

• I do not like tea.
• She does not play football. (❌ She does not plays)

Interrogative Sentences

✅ Start with “Do” for I, You, We, They.
✅ Start with “Does” for He, She, It.
✅ Use the base form of the verb (V1) after “do/does.”

Examples:

• Do you read books?
• Does he watch TV?
• Does she go to school?

Negative Interrogative Sentences

✅ Use “Do/Does + Subject + not + Verb + Object?”
✅ Use contractions (“Don’t/Doesn’t”) in informal speech.

Examples:

• Does she not like coffee?
• Doesn’t he play football?

Uses of Present Indefinite Tense

✅ For habitual actions or daily routines

• She wakes up early.
• We go to school every day.

✅ For general truths and facts

• The sun rises in the east.
• Water boils at 100°C.

✅ For future timetables and fixed schedules

• The train leaves at 9 AM.
• The shop opens at 10 AM.

✅ For instructions and directions

• You take the first left.
• Press the button and wait.

Rule of S and ES

Rules for Adding “S” and “ES” to Verbs in the Present Indefinite Tense

In the Present Indefinite Tense, we add “s” or “es” to the verb when the subject is He, She, or It (third-person singular).

✅ Rule 1: Add “S” to Most Verbs

🔹 If a verb is a regular verb, simply add “s” when the subject is He, She, or It.

✅ Examples:

• He reads a book.
• She writes a letter.
• It rains in July.

✅ Rule 2: Add “ES” to Verbs Ending in -o, -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z

🔹 If a verb ends in o, s, sh, ch, x, or z, add “es” instead of just “s.”

✅ Examples:

• He goes to school. (go → goes)
• She watches TV. (watch → watches)
• He misses the bus. (miss → misses)
• She fixes the car. (fix → fixes)

✅ Rule 3: If a Verb Ends in “Y”

🔹 If a verb ends in a consonant + “y,” change “y” to “i” and add “es.”

✅ Examples:

• He studies every day. (study → studies)
• She carries a bag. (carry → carries)
• The baby cries at night. (cry → cries)

❌ Exception: If the verb ends in a vowel + “y,” just add “s.”
✅ Examples:

• He plays cricket. (play → plays)
• She buys fruits. (buy → buys)

Interrogative Sentences

In the Present Indefinite Tense, interrogative sentences (questions) are formed using “Do” or “Does” at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject and the base verb (V1).

✅ Formula for Interrogative Sentences:

🔹 Do/Does + Subject + V1 (Base Form) + Object + ?

✅ Rules for Interrogative Sentences:

1️⃣ Use “Do” with I, You, We, They.
2️⃣ Use “Does” with He, She, It.
3️⃣ The main verb always remains in base form (V1) (No “s” or “es” after “Does”).

✅ Examples of Interrogative Sentences:

A) Yes/No Questions:

✅ Do you like coffee?
✅ Do they play football?
✅ Does he watch TV?
✅ Does she read books?
✅ Does it rain in summer?

B) WH-Questions (Using What, Where, When, Why, Who, How, etc.)

🔹 WH-word + Do/Does + Subject + V1 + Object + ?

✅ Where do you live?
✅ What does he eat for breakfast?
✅ Why do they study English?
✅ When does the train arrive?
✅ How do birds fly?

Negative Sentences

In Present Indefinite Tense, we form negative sentences using “do not” (don’t) or “does not” (doesn’t) before the base verb (V1).

🔹 Formula for Negative Sentences

✅ For I, You, We, They:
👉 Subject + do not (don’t) + V1 + object

✅ For He, She, It:
👉 Subject + does not (doesn’t) + V1 + object

📝 Note:

• The main verb remains in its base form (V1) after “do not” or “does not.”
• We do not add “s” or “es” to the verb in negative sentences.

🔹 Examples of Negative Sentences

✅ With “do not” (don’t) (for I, You, We, They)

• I do not like coffee.
• You do not play football.
• We do not watch TV.
• They do not go to school on Sundays.

✅ With “does not” (doesn’t) (for He, She, It)

• He does not eat meat. (❌ He does not eats)
• She does not read novels.
• It does not rain in summer.

Interro-negative Sentences

Interrogative-negative sentences in the Present Indefinite Tense are questions that also express negation (not).

🔹 Formula for Interrogative-Negative Sentences

1️⃣ Do/Does + Subject + not + V1 + Object + ?
2️⃣ Don’t/Doesn’t + Subject + V1 + Object + ? (Informal)

📝 Note:

• Use “Do” with I, You, We, They
• Use “Does” with He, She, It
• The main verb remains in its base form (V1)
• “Don’t” and “Doesn’t” are used in informal speech

🔹 Examples of Interrogative-Negative Sentences

✅ Formal (Do/Does + Subject + not + V1 + Object?)

• Do you not like tea?
• Does she not play football?
• Does he not study regularly?
• Do they not go to school on Sundays?

✅ Informal (Don’t/Doesn’t + Subject + V1 + Object?)

• Don’t you like tea?
• Doesn’t she play football?
• Doesn’t he study regularly?
• Don’t they go to school on Sundays?

2. Past Indefinite Tense

The past indefinite tense, also known as the simple past tense, is used to describe an action or event that occurred and was completed in the past. Here are some rules for using the past indefinite tense:

Recognition of Past Indefinite Tense in English

S + 2nd form of Verb + O

First of all, subject is placed at the start of sentence then 2nd form of verb and object at the end with full stop.

Note: In this tense, we will not add “s” or “es” at the end of verb.

Past Indefinite Affirmative Sentences

S + IIV + O

The past indefinite tense, also known as the simple past tense, is used to describe an action that took place in the past and is now completed. In Urdu, the structure of the past indefinite tense is as follows:

We played cricket. 

You drove a car.

Negative Sentence of Past Indefinite Tense

To make a sentence negative, add only “did not “right after subject. Let us formulate it.

S + did not + 1V + O.

Rule: After adding ‘did not’, IIV will be replaced with 1V

He did not go to school.

Amir and Ali did not tell a lie.

Interrogative Sentence of Past Indefinite Tense

Did + S  + 1V  + O + ?

Rule: After adding ‘did’ at the start, IIV will be replaced with 1V

Did he go to the market?

Did they do homework?

Interro-Negative Sentence of Past Indefinite Tense

S + II V  + O (Simple)
S + did not +IV  + O (-ve)
Now Interro-negative Sentence
Did + S + not +1V  + O?

Did they not go school?

Did they not do homework?

Past Indefinite Tense Exercise

• He worked in the education department. (Affirmative)
• He did not work in the education department. (Negative)
• Did he work in the education department? (Interrogative)
• Did he not work in the education department? Or
• Didn’t he work in the education department? (Interro-negative)

• They put in great effort every time.
• They did not put in great effort every time.
• Did they put in great effort every time?
• Did they not put in great effort every time? Or
• Didn’t they put in great effort every time?

• You loved to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza.
• You did not love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza.
• Did you love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza?
• Did you not love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza? Or
• Didn’t you love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza?

• We sat in the sunshine after job time.
• We did not sit in the sunshine after job time.
• Did we sit in the sunshine after job time?
• Did we not sit in the sunshine after job time? Or
• Didn’t we sit in the sunshine after job time?

The tense identifying tool tells you the tense. Just type any tense in the search box, and it will tell the sentence belongs to which tense.

Tense Identifier

Enter a Sentence: Identify Tense

3. Future Indefinite Tense

In this tense anything is done, happened, or borne in future or coming times.

Recognition of Future Indefinite Tense in English

They will go to school.

First of all, the subject is placed at the start of the sentence then will or shall, the first form of the verb, and the object at the end with a full stop.

Important: We shall place shall after I and We whereas will after every subject like you, he, she, Aamir, they, etc.

Examples

He will take tea.
We shall do our duty. 
I shall go to school.
Moosa will study a book.
They will travel to Lahore.

Examples

I shall go to school.
I will go to school.

You will write a letter.
You shall write a letter.

Exercise:

We shall play cricket

You will drive a car.

Negative Sentences of Future Indefinite Tense

To make a negative sentence, add “not” right after the helping verb (will/shall).

S+will/shall+not+1V+O 

Hamza will not go to school.

We shall not do homework.

Interrogative Sentences of Future Indefinite Tense

To make a sentence interrogative, place “

Shall +S+IV+O

Will he go school?

Shall we do homework?

  Interro-negative Sentences

To make a sentence interro-negative, place 
Shall /will+ S+not+1V+O

Will she not go to school?

Will this boy not do homework?

Future Indefinite Tense Exercise

There are many examples of the Future Indefinite Tense having affirmative, negative, interrogative, and interro-negative sentences and each sentence has these three converted sentences in every paragraph of the five sentences below. So, you can find any sentence converted into negative, interrogative, and interro-negative sentences.

• He will work in the education department. (Affirmative)
• He will not work in the education department. (Negative)
• Will he work in the education department? (Interrogative)
• Will he not work in the education department? Or
• Won’t he work in the education department? (Interro-negative)

• They will put in great effort every time.
• They will not put in great effort every time.
• Will they put in great effort every time?
• Will they not put in great effort every time? Or
• Won’t they put in great effort every time?

• You will love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza.
• You will not love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza.
• Will you love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza?
• Will you not love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza? Or
• Won’t you love to eat Chicken Tikka Pizza?

• We will sit in the sunshine after job time.
• We will not sit in the sunshine after job time.
• Will we sit in the sunshine after job time?
• Will we not sit in the sunshine after job time? Or
• Won’t we sit in the sunshine after job time?

• My children will love to do homework together.
• My children will not love to do homework together.
• Will my children love to do homework together?
• Will my children not love to do homework together? Or
• Won’t my children love to do homework together?

• The led TV will give clearer video than the old television.
• The led TV will not give clearer video.
• Will led TV give clear video?
• Will led TV not give clear video? Or
• Won’t led TV give clear video?

4. Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Tense (also called the Present Progressive Tense) is used to describe actions happening right now or around the present time. It can also indicate future plans in some cases.

The Present Continuous Tense is used to express an action that is happening at the moment of speaking or a temporary action that is ongoing.

Subject + is/am/are + verb (-ing) + object

1. She is reading a book. (Happening now)
2. They are playing football. (Ongoing action)
3. I am traveling to London next week. (Planned future action)

What is the Rule for Present Continuous Tense?

The Present Continuous Tense follows a specific structure and is used in different situations.

1. Structure (Formula):

Affirmative:
Subject + is/am/are + verb (-ing) + object

• She is studying for the exam.
• We are watching a movie.

Negative:
Subject + is/am/are + not + verb (-ing) + object

• He is not sleeping now.
• They are not playing football.

Interrogative:
Is/Am/Are + subject + verb (-ing) + object?

• Is she cooking dinner?
• Are they coming to the party?

2. Rules for Usage:

1. Ongoing Actions (Happening Now)
   • Used for actions happening at the moment of speaking.
   • Example: She is talking on the phone.
2. Temporary Actions
   • Used for actions happening around the present time but not necessarily at the exact moment.
   • Example: I am reading an interesting novel these days.
3. Future Plans
   • Used for fixed future arrangements.
   • Example: We are visiting our grandparents next weekend.
4. Changing or Developing Situations
   • Used for gradual changes or trends.
   • Example: The climate is getting warmer.
5. Repeated Actions with “Always” (Expressing Irritation)
   • Used to show something happens repeatedly (often with “always” or “constantly”).
   • Example: He is always complaining about work.

3. Spelling Rules for Adding ‘-ing’

What are 20 examples of present continuous tense with answers?

Here are 20 examples of Present Continuous Tense with answers:

1. Affirmative Sentences

1. She is reading a book.
2. They are playing football in the park.
3. I am watching a movie right now.
4. He is writing an email to his boss.
5. We are learning English.
6. The baby is sleeping peacefully.
7. The sun is shining brightly.
8. My friends are coming over for dinner.
9. She is baking a cake in the kitchen.
10. The kids are playing outside.

2. Negative Sentences

11. I am not feeling well today.
12. She is not talking to anyone.
13. They are not watching TV.
14. He is not studying for his exams.
15. We are not going to the mall today.

3. Interrogative Sentences

16. Are you listening to me?
17. Is she cooking dinner?
18. Are they playing cricket?
19. Is he working on his project?
20. Am I speaking too fast?

Present Continuous Tense Questions

Here are 20 Present Continuous Tense questions categorized into Yes/No Questions and WH-Questions:

1. Yes/No Questions (Answer with Yes/No)

1. Are you watching TV right now?
2. Is she reading a novel?
3. Are they playing football in the park?
4. Is he working on his project?
5. Am I speaking too fast?
6. Is the baby sleeping now?
7. Are we going to the shopping mall?
8. Is your brother studying for the exam?
9. Are the kids making a mess in the living room?
10. Is the teacher explaining the lesson?

2. WH-Questions (Answer with Information)

11. What are you doing right now?
12. Why is she crying?
13. Where are they going?
14. Who is he talking to on the phone?
15. What is she cooking for dinner?
16. Why are they shouting so loudly?
17. Which book is he reading?
18. How is the weather changing these days?
19. What are you thinking about?
20. Why is the dog barking?

5. Past Continuous Tense

In this tense anything is done, happened or borne in past time in Continuing aspects.

They were doing their duty.

Recognition of Past Continuous Tense in English:

S + was/were +1V + ing+ O

First of all, the subject is placed at the start of the sentence then is/are/am and the first form of verb plus ‘ing’ and object at the end with a full stop.

Examples:

* 1V=1st form of verb

* 1V + ing = 4th form of verb

If the subjects are singular that is “I, He, She, It, Name”, we have to use the helping verb “was” with all of these subjects and if the subjects are plural like “You, We, They, Names”, the helping verb “were” will be used.

For He, She, It, single name= use ‘was’ as helping verb

They, You, we, plural name= use ‘were’ as helping verb

Exercise:

We were playing cricket. 

You were driving a car.

We were eating food.

Moosa was eating bread.

Aamir and Asif were going for a walk.

They were writing a new topic.

Negative Sentences of Past Continuous Tense

Helping Verb= was, were

To make a sentence negative, add “not” right after the ‘helping verb’ and helping verbs may be was or were. We will add ‘not’ after one of the helping verbs (was/were).

S + was/were + not + 1Ving + O

He was not going to school.

They were not doing homework.

 Interrogative Sentence of Past Continuous tense

To make a sentence interrogative, we need a helping verb to put it at the start of the sentence and place a sign of interrogation/question mark at the end of the sentence. Remember, without a sign of interrogation the sentences will be considered incomplete or wrong. Also, do not place a full stop after a question mark.

Was he going to school?

Were they doing homework?

Interro-negative Sentence of Past Continuous Tense

To make a sentences interro-negative, it is an easy way that makes this sentence negative first then place helping verb at the start of the sentence and place question mark at the end.

S + Was/Were + 1V ing + O

S + Was/Were + not + 1V ing + O (Negative)

Was/Were + S +  not + 1V ing + O ? (Interro-negative)

Was he not going school?

Were they not doing homework?

Past Continuous Tense When and While

In the past continuous tense, “when” and “while” are commonly used to describe two past actions happening at the same time or when one action interrupts another. Here’s how they function:

1. “When” with Past Continuous & Simple Past

• “When” introduces a shorter action (Simple Past) that interrupts a longer action (Past Continuous).
• Structure:
  Past Continuous + when + Simple Past
  OR
  Simple Past + when + Past Continuous
• Examples:
  • I was watching TV when the phone rang.
  • She was cooking dinner when the lights went out.

2. “While” with Two Past Continuous Actions

• “While” is used when two longer actions were happening at the same time.
• Structure:
  Past Continuous + while + Past Continuous
• Examples:
  • I was reading a book while she was listening to music.
  • They were playing football while we were watching them.

3. “While” with Past Continuous & Simple Past

• “While” can also introduce the longer action (Past Continuous), and the shorter action (Simple Past) happens during it.
• Structure:
  While + Past Continuous, Simple Past
  OR
  Simple Past + while + Past Continuous
• Examples:
  • While I was walking to the store, I met an old friend.
  • He called me while I was sleeping.

Let me know if you need more clarification!

Past Continuous Tense Questions

When forming questions in the past continuous tense, we use:

✅ Was/Were + subject + verb (-ing)?

1. Yes/No Questions

Structure:
🔹 Was/Were + subject + verb (-ing) + ?

Examples:

• Was she studying when you called? (Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.)
• Were they playing football in the park? (Yes, they were. / No, they weren’t.)
• Was it raining last night?

2. Wh- Questions

Structure:
🔹 Wh-word + was/were + subject + verb (-ing)?

Examples:

• What were you doing at 8 PM yesterday?
• Where was she going when you saw her?
• Why were they laughing so loudly?
• Who was she talking to on the phone?

3. Negative Questions

Structure:
🔹 Wasn’t/Weren’t + subject + verb (-ing)?

Examples:

• Wasn’t he waiting for you?
• Weren’t they watching the match?

Negative questions are often used for confirmation or surprise.

6. Future Continuous Tense

In this tense anything is done, happened, or borne in future or coming times in Continuous aspects.

Basically, there are three basic contents in any sentence.

They will be going their duties.

First of all, the subject is placed at the start of the sentence then will be or shall be, the first form of the verb with “ing” (a fourth form of the verb) and object at the end with a full stop.

Important: We shall place “shall be” after “I” and “We” whereas “will be” after every subject like you he, she, Aamir, they, etc.

Examples of Future Continuous Tense

He will be going abroad.
We shall be eating food.
I shall be going to school.
Moosa will be studying a book.
They will be traveling to Lahore.

Change “shall be” into “will be” and “will be” change into “shall be” if there is needed to give a must touch.

Will be ➡️ shall be

Shall be ➡️ will be

Examples

We shall be playing cricket. 

You will be bathing in a canal.

I shall be going to school.

You will be bathing in the canal.

You will be writing a letter.

Negative Sentences of Future Continuous Tense

To make a sentence negative, add “not” right after the helping verb “will”.

Formula of Negative Sentence of Future Continuous Tense

S + will/shall + not + 1V ing + O

Examples:

He will not be going to school.

Interrogative Sentence of Future Continuous Tense

They will not be doing homework. 

To make the sentence of Future Continuous Tense interrogative, place “helping verb” at the start of the sentence and add a question mark at the end. Let us formulate:

Will/Shall + S + be + 1V ing + O ?

Will he be going to school?

Will they be doing homework?    

Interro-negative Sentences of Future Continuous Tense

To make a sentence interro-negative, first, make it negative and finally place the helping verb at the start of the sentence and end it by adding a question mark.

S +  will /shall + be+1V  + O (simple)

S +  will /shall not + be+1V  + O (-ve)

Now Interronegative Sentence:

Will /Shall + S + not + be+1V  + O?

Shall I not be going to school?

Will they not be doing homework?

7. Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to describe actions or situations that have occurred at an unspecified time before the present or actions that started in the past and continue into the present. It often connects the past with the present.

Recognition in English

S +has/have+ 3rd form of Verb + O

They have done their duty.

First of all, the subject is placed at the start of the sentence, then the 3rd form of the verb, and the object at the end with a full stop.

Examples

* 3V=3rd form of the verb
 has=He, She, It or singular name
 have=I, We, They, You or plural name

S    + has/have+ 3V  +        O

We have played cricket. 

You have driven a car.

Present Perfect Tense Exercise

In this portion, we’ll learn all types of sentence examples.

Affirmative Sentences

The affirmative sentences are also called positive or general sentences. Here are 10 examples of affirmative sentences present perfect tense:

Negative Sentences

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after has or have. Let us formulate it.
S +  has /have not +3V  + O

He has not gone to school.

They have not done homework.

Interrogative Sentence

To make a sentence interrogative, place “has” or “have” right before the subject or at the start of the sentence. Let us formulate it.

Has / Have  + S  + 3V  + O + ?

Has Ali gone to school?

Have they done school work?

 Interro-Negative Sentence

To make a sentence interro-negative, add “has“ or “ have” right before the subject of a negative sentence and put the sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.

S +has/have  +3V  + O (Simple)

S +has /have not +3V  + O (-ve)
Now Interronegative Sentence
Has /Have + S + not +3V  + O? 

Have Asif and Ali not gone to school?

Have you not done homework?

Present Perfect Tense Sentences Examples of All Sentences

8. Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action or a specific time in the past. It emphasizes that one event happened before another in the past.

Formula of Past Perfect Tense

S +had+ 3rd form of Verb + O

The function in any sentence is called action, and the time when the work is done is called action, whereas the work on which it is done is called object.

They had done their duty.

In this sentence, ‘they’ are doing their duty. So, ‘they’ will be the subject. The work is being done on ‘duty’, so, it is ‘an object’. Meanwhile, ‘done’ is a verb that is called a tense/verb.

First of all, the subject is placed at the start of the sentence, then 3rd form of the verb followed by “had” and the object at the end with a full stop.

Examples* 3V=3rd form of verb

Whatever the subject is, ‘had’ will act as a helping verb.

S    + had+ 3V  +        O

S  +  had  + 3V  +  O

S + has  +  3V  +  O

Recognizing the Tense

We can recognize this sentence by finding ‘had’ right after the subject.          

Exercise

We had played cricket.         

You had driven a car.

Negative Sentences of Past Perfect Tense

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after had. Let us formulate it.

S +  had  + not +3V  + O

Negative Sentences of Past Perfect Tense

He had not gone school.

They had not done homework.

Interrogative Sentence

To make a sentence interrogative, place “had” right before the subject or at the start of the sentence. Let us formulate it.

Had  + S  + 3V  + O + ?

Examples of Past Perfect Tense Interrogative Sentences

Had he gone to school?

Had they done homework?

Interro-Negative Sentences

To make a sentence interro-negative, add “ had” right before the subject of a negative sentence and put the sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.

S +had  +3V  + O (Simple)

S + had+ not +3V  + O (-ve)

Examples of Past Perfect Tense Interrogative Sentences

Now, the Interronegative Sentence will be as:

Had + S+not +3V  + O? 

Had you not gone abroad?

Had they not done homework?

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some important questions related to past perfect tense the students may have in their minds to ask.

1. Past Perfect Tense Ks2

The Past Perfect Tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past event. It helps show which event happened first.

Structure:

✅ Subject + had + past participle

Examples for KS2:

1. I had finished my homework before dinner.
2. She had baked a cake before the guests arrived.
3. We had already left when it started raining.
4. The train had departed before we got to the station.
5. He had never seen a lion before visiting the zoo.

How It Works:

• The past perfect action happens first.
• The simple past action happens after it.

Example:
✅ I had eaten (past perfect) before my friend arrived (simple past).

9. Future Perfect Tens

In this tense, anything will be done, happened, or borne in future complete aspects.

Structure of Future Perfect Tense

S +will/shall + have+ 3rd form of Verb + O

First of all, the subject is placed at the start of the sentence, then will have or shall have the 3rd form of verb and object at the end with a full stop.

They will have done their duty.

Remember:  ‘Will have’ will come after You, He, She, It, They, Name(s) whereas ‘shall have’ come after I and We.                  

Examples of Future Perfect Tense Affirmative Sentences

Exercise:        

We shall have played cricket.

You will have driven a car.

Here are 20 more unique examples of future perfect tense in affirmative sentences, formatted in a table:

Each sentence is unique and demonstrates the future perfect tense clearly. Let me know if you need more examples or variations!

Future Perfect Tense Negative Sentences

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after will or shall. There are two helping verbs in this tense, but we shall use the first helping verb will/shall to make a sentence negative. Let us formulate it:

Examples of Future Perfect Tense Negative Sentences

S +  will/shall +not +have +3V  + O

He will not have gone to school.

They will not have done homework.

Each of these sentences correctly follows the Future Perfect Negative structure:
Subject + will not have + past participle + rest of the sentence.

Future Perfect Tense Interrogative Sentences

To make a sentence interrogative, place “will” or “shall” right before the subject or at the start of the sentence and place a question mark at the end. Let us formulate it.

Examples of Future Perfect Tense Interrogative Sentences

Will / Shall  + S  + have 3V  + O + ?

Will he have gone to school?

Will they have done homework?

Here’s a table with 20 unique interrogative sentences in the Future Perfect Tense:

These sentences follow the Future Perfect Tense structure:
Will + subject + have + past participle + (time reference)?

Interro-Negative Sentence of Future Perfect Tense

To make a sentence interro-negative, add “Will” or “Shall” right before the subject of a negative sentence and put the sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.

S +will/shall + have +3V  + O (Simple)

S +will/shall + not + have 3V  + O (-ve)

Now Interronegative Sentence

Will/Shall+ S+not +have 3V  + O? 

Examples of Future Perfect Tense Interro-negative Sentences

Will she not have gone to school?                            

Shall we not have done homework?

“Shall not” is used with “we” in formal contexts.

Frequently Asked Questions for Future Perfect Tense

Here are some important questions related to future perfect tense.

what is the verb tense and aspect for Past Perfect, Future Perfect, Past Progressive, and Future Progressive?

The verb tense refers to when an action occurs (past or future), and the aspect describes whether the action is completed, ongoing, or habitual. Here’s how the four tenses you mentioned are categorized:

Each combination gives a different meaning based on whether the action is complete (perfect aspect) or ongoing (progressive aspect). Let me know if you need more clarification!

What are the key words for future perfect tense?

The future perfect tense is often used with specific time-related expressions that indicate a deadline or a point in the future before which the action will be completed.

Key Words for Future Perfect Tense:

1. Time Expressions:

• By + specific time (by tomorrow, by next year, by 2025, by 5 PM)
• By the time (by the time you arrive, by the time the movie starts)
• Before + specific time/event (before Monday, before summer ends)
• Until + point in the future (until next week, until 2030)

2. Adverbs of Certainty (Optional but Common):

• Certainly, definitely, surely (He will surely have completed his work by then.)

3. Conditional Clauses:

• If + present tense (If you arrive late, the train will have left.)

Examples:

1. By next week, she will have finished her assignment.
2. By the time we reach the airport, the flight will have taken off.
3. Before 6 PM, they will have completed the project.
4. She will have learned French by the end of the year.

10. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense states an action that started in the past and is still continuing in the present time. It emphasizes the duration of the action.

S+has/have+been+1V + ing+ O.

They have been doing duty.

Examples of  Present Perfect Continuous Tense for Affirmative Sentences

has been =He, She, It or singular name

have been =I, We, They, You or plural name

Ahmad has been doing a job.

He has been doing hard work.

Negative Sentence of Present Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after has or have. Let us formulate it.

S+has/have+not+been+4V+O

4V=1V + ing

We have not been going school.

She has not been cooking food.

Here is a table with 20 important negative sentences in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe an action that will have been happening for a certain period of time at a specific point in the future. It emphasizes the duration of the action up to that future moment.

Future =the period of time will be occurring/happening

Perfect = complete

Continuous =going on

Tense = time/verb

Future Perfect Continuous Tense = any complete action will be in process now

S + will have been + verb (-ing) + o

They will have been doing duty.

Examples of  Future Perfect Continuous Tense for Affirmative Sentences

will have been =He, She, You, It, They, or name(s)

shall have been =I, We

They will have been doing duty.

Negative Sentence of Future Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence negative, place “ not” right after will/shall. Let us formulate it.

S+will/shall +not+have+been+4V+O

We shall not have been going school.

Here is a table with 20 important negative sentences in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

Interrogative Sentences of Future Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence interrogative, place “will” or “shall” right before the subject or at the start of the sentence. Let us formulate it.

Will/shall  + S +been +1V+ing  + O + ?

Interro-Negative Sentences of Future Perfect Continuous Tense

To make a sentence interro-negative, add “will” or “ shall“ right before the subject of a negative sentence and put a sign of interrogation at the end. Let us formulate it.

(General Sentence)(Step 1)

S+will/shall+been+1V+ing+O 

(Negative Sentence)(Step 2)

S+will/shall+not+have+been+1V+ing+O 

(General Sentence)(Step 3)

Will/shall+S+not+have+been+1V+O? 

Here is a table with 20 examples of interro-negative sentences in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense.