✨ Tenses – Present, Past, and Future
Class 5 English Grammar Guide
🕒 Introduction – What Are Tenses?
Tenses are like time machines of grammar. They tell us when an action happens — in the past, present, or future.
When we say something happened yesterday, is happening now, or will happen tomorrow, we are using tenses.
Without tenses, sentences would sound confusing and unclear.
👉 Example:
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I eat breakfast. (Present)
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I ate breakfast. (Past)
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I will eat breakfast. (Future)
These three sentences describe the same action, but at different times. That’s the power of tenses!
🟢 1. The Present Tense
The Present Tense talks about something that is happening now, something that happens regularly, or something that is always true.
There are four forms of the Present Tense.
🔹 (a) Simple Present Tense
Used for:
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Habits or daily routines
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General truths
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Facts
Structure:
👉 Subject + base form of verb (+s/es for he, she, it)
Examples:
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I play cricket every evening.
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She reads the newspaper daily.
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The sun rises in the east.
Real-life use:
Used for routines, facts, and truths.
Example: I study at St. Mary’s School.
🔹 (b) Present Continuous Tense
Used for:
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Actions happening right now
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Actions that are in progress
Structure:
👉 Subject + is/am/are + verb + ing
Examples:
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I am reading my English book.
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He is watching television.
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They are playing football.
Real-life use:
Used when describing what you are doing at this moment.
Example: I am writing my homework now.
🔹 (c) Present Perfect Tense
Used for:
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Actions just completed or recent experiences
Structure:
👉 Subject + has/have + past participle
Examples:
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I have finished my lunch.
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She has written a letter.
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They have reached home.
Real-life use:
Used when the result of a past action affects the present moment.
Example: I have cleaned my room.
🔹 (d) Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Used for:
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Actions that started in the past and are still going on
Structure:
👉 Subject + has/have + been + verb + ing
Examples:
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I have been studying since morning.
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She has been watching TV for two hours.
Real-life use:
Used when describing long, ongoing activities.
Example: I have been learning Taekwondo for a year.
🔵 2. The Past Tense
The Past Tense tells us about actions that happened before now — things that are already over.
There are four forms of the Past Tense.
🔹 (a) Simple Past Tense
Used for:
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Completed actions in the past
Structure:
👉 Subject + past form of verb
Examples:
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I visited my grandparents last week.
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She cooked dinner yesterday.
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They watched a movie.
Real-life use:
Used when telling stories or describing past events.
Example: We played cricket after school.
🔹 (b) Past Continuous Tense
Used for:
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Actions that were happening at a specific time in the past
Structure:
👉 Subject + was/were + verb + ing
Examples:
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I was reading a book at 8 p.m.
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They were playing football when it started to rain.
Real-life use:
Used when describing interrupted or ongoing actions in the past.
Example: I was sleeping when the phone rang.
🔹 (c) Past Perfect Tense
Used for:
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Actions that were completed before another past action
Structure:
👉 Subject + had + past participle
Examples:
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I had finished my homework before dinner.
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She had left when I arrived.
Real-life use:
Used when talking about the sequence of past events.
Example: He had eaten before the show began.
🔹 (d) Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Used for:
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Actions that were continuing for a time before another past event
Structure:
👉 Subject + had been + verb + ing
Examples:
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I had been studying for two hours before the power went off.
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They had been playing cricket all afternoon.
Real-life use:
Used for long past actions that ended before something else happened.
Example: She had been learning piano before she moved cities.
🔴 3. The Future Tense
The Future Tense tells us about actions that will happen later — something that has not yet occurred.
There are four forms of the Future Tense.
🔹 (a) Simple Future Tense
Used for:
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Actions that will happen in the future
Structure:
👉 Subject + will/shall + base verb
Examples:
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I will visit my friend tomorrow.
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She will go to school next week.
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They will play football in the evening.
Real-life use:
Used for plans, predictions, and promises.
Example: I will call you after dinner.
🔹 (b) Future Continuous Tense
Used for:
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Actions that will be happening at a certain time in the future
Structure:
👉 Subject + will be + verb + ing
Examples:
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I will be studying at 9 p.m.
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She will be watching her favorite show.
Real-life use:
Used to describe what will be in progress.
Example: Tomorrow at this time, I will be playing chess.
🔹 (c) Future Perfect Tense
Used for:
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Actions that will be completed before a specific future time
Structure:
👉 Subject + will have + past participle
Examples:
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I will have finished my homework by 8 p.m.
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She will have completed the project before the weekend.
Real-life use:
Used for goals, schedules, or deadlines.
Example: I will have revised all lessons before exams.
🔹 (d) Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Used for:
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Actions that will continue up to a certain time in the future
Structure:
👉 Subject + will have been + verb + ing
Examples:
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By next month, I will have been learning dance for a year.
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She will have been working here for five years by December.
Real-life use:
Used for describing ongoing future actions.
Example: By next summer, we will have been staying here for 10 years.
📊 Tense Summary Table
| Tense Type | Example Sentence | Time Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | I play football. | Now / Regularly |
| Present Continuous | I am playing football. | Happening now |
| Present Perfect | I have played football. | Just finished |
| Present Perfect Continuous | I have been playing football. | Since some time |
| Simple Past | I played football. | Yesterday / before now |
| Past Continuous | I was playing football. | At a past moment |
| Past Perfect | I had played football. | Before another past event |
| Past Perfect Continuous | I had been playing football. | For some time before a past moment |
| Simple Future | I will play football. | Later / tomorrow |
| Future Continuous | I will be playing football. | At a time in the future |
| Future Perfect | I will have played football. | Before a future event |
| Future Perfect Continuous | I will have been playing football. | For a duration up to a future time |
💬 Real-Life Uses of Tenses
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In Daily Life:
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“I am brushing my teeth.” (Present Continuous)
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“I brushed my teeth.” (Past Simple)
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“I will brush my teeth.” (Future Simple)
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In Story Writing:
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Past tense for narration
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Present tense for direct speech
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Future tense for planning or prediction
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In Exams:
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Identify correct verb forms.
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Example:
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She ___ (go) to school every day. → goes
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They ___ (play) football yesterday. → played
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I ___ (finish) my work soon. → will finish
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In Conversations:
Using correct tense shows clarity and confidence in communication.
🧠 Quick Tips to Remember
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Simple = Action itself
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Continuous = Action in progress
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Perfect = Action completed
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Perfect Continuous = Action continuing over time
Mnemonic: S → C → P → PC
(Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous)
📚 Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets:
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I ___ (read) a story now.
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She ___ (finish) her project yesterday.
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They ___ (go) to Delhi tomorrow.
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He ___ (study) for two hours before the bell rang.
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I ___ (learn) dance since January.
✅ Answers:
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am reading
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finished
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will go
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had been studying
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have been learning
🏁 Conclusion
Tenses are the foundation of English grammar.
They show time, sequence, and continuity of actions.
By mastering tenses, you’ll be able to speak, write, and express clearly in all situations.
Remember:
“Tense tells time, and time makes sense.”
Keep practicing, use examples from daily life, and soon you’ll be a tense expert!
🙋♀️ FAQs about Tenses for Class 5
Q1. How many tenses are there in English grammar?
There are three main tenses – Present, Past, and Future. Each has four forms, making 12 tenses in total.
Q2. What is the easiest tense to learn first?
The Simple Present Tense is the easiest because it describes everyday actions and facts.
Q3. How can I remember all tenses easily?
Use the pattern: Simple → Continuous → Perfect → Perfect Continuous and connect each to Past, Present, Future.
Q4. Which tense is used in storytelling?
Mostly the Past Tense is used for narration and describing completed actions.
Q5. Why are tenses important?
Tenses help express time clearly, making communication accurate and meaningful.
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