What Are Tenses?

Studies have shown that verb tense is one of the most challenging areas for most English language learners. 

In fact, some native speakers encounter difficulties with verb tenses as well. But what are verb tenses exactly? Are there really only two tenses of verbs? How do they function? 

If you are looking for answers to these questions, then you are in luck! We have them all here and more in this article. Please keep reading. 

Verb Tenses

The verb tense of a sentence indicates whether the activity in the phrase took place in the past, is taking place now, or will take place in the future.

Most verbs have three tenses: past, present, and future.

This means that the verb may take on new forms (adding an ending, changing spellings somewhat, etc.) to express something that has previously occurred, something that is presently occurring or is an ongoing truth/reality, or something that will occur in the future.

How is Tense Identified in a Language? 

When you ask native speakers, teachers, and students how many tenses there are in the English language, you will probably receive a variety of responses. 

Some may say three, while others may say twelve, and the majority of individuals are unlikely to know for sure. This is due to the fact that grammar is theoretical, and how we recognize tense can differ.

Most people understand that tense is tied to ‘verbs’ and ‘time’, but some people believe that any statement of time is related to tense – which is not exactly correct. 

Are There Really Only Two Verb Tenses in English?

As previously stated, tense is the expression of a specific point in time. It’s demonstrated by altering the form of the first verb in a verb phrase. 

This indicates that there are only two tenses in English: past and present.

As shown in the instances above, the past tense is typically constructed by adding a ‘-ed’ suffix to the end of a verb, regardless of who is performing the activity. 

The suffix ‘-s/-es’ appears on a verb in the present tense only when the third-person singular subjects it, ‘he’, and ‘she’ are responsible for the verb’s activities. 

Is There No Future Tense in English? 

No, technically there is no future tense in English, according to this definition of tense. This is due to the fact that changes in the form of a verb (such as ‘loves’> ‘loved’; ‘writes’> ‘wrote’) do not indicate the future.

Why Do People Say There are Twelve Tenses in English? 

We can observe that there are twelve patterns in English when we mix tense, aspect, and modality. 

It is up to an individual’s experience, background, and tastes to determine if teachers/professors overgeneralize the word ‘tense’ because it is easier for their students or because they are unaware of aspect and modality. 

Most English-language tutors, especially those with an EFL background, will refer to the twelve patterns below as tenses because they are easier to understand. 

We believe it is beneficial for you to master tense, aspect, and modality separately and in combination, because they all function differently and have various laws.

How are the Past and Present Tense Verbs Formed?

We will now be discussing how to build the present and past tenses in both regular and irregular verbs.

There are various ways how to form verbs and it all depends on whether the verb is regular or irregular. 

How Do I Conjugate Present-Tense Verbs? 

In English, verbs are conjugated (formed) for the present in a very uniform manner. You can follow the following two rules:

Make no changes to the verb for first– and second–person singular subjects (‘I’, ‘you’, and ‘us’) and third–person plural subjects (‘they’).

To show the present tense, add the suffix ‘-s/-es’ to the end of the verb for third-person singular subjects.

However, some verbs, notably those ending in ‘-sh’, ‘-ss’, or ‘-y’, are constructed differently in the third-person singular forms (‘he’, ‘she’, and ‘it’).

You should add the suffix ‘-es’ or replace ‘y’ with ‘-ies’ in these cases:

3 Rules for Forming the Past Tense in English 

The rule for forming the past tense of verbs is easier and simpler compared to the present tense.

The rule is the same irrespective of whether the doer of the action is singular or plural. 

1. To make the past tense, add the suffix ‘-ed’ to the end of the verb.

2. Simply add ‘-d’ to the end of the verb if it already ends in ‘e’.

3. Remove the ‘y’ and add ‘-ied’ to the end of the verb if it ends in ‘y’.

However, there is no structure for expressing the past tense for a small number of academic (irregular) verbs.

Instead, you should study these verbs on their own.

How Is a Verb Tense Used in Academic English Essays?

Now that you have learned how to make the two tenses in English (present and past), it is time to look at how these tenses are employed in everyday situations.

Let us start by looking at how the past and present tenses are used in general situations before diving deeper into how they are used in academic articles.

What are the Uses of the Past and Present Tenses?

The present and past tenses can be used in various ways when paired with aspects (such as progressive or perfect).

These tenses are typically possible to represent a limited number of functions in their simple form (since the aspect is not the emphasis of this reader), such as how:

The past simple is used to indicate events that occurred at a specific time in the past.

The present simple is used to communicate timeless generalizations, facts, and widely held beliefs.

The future simple is used to represent future occurrences that will be accomplished or experienced.

While the future tense is mentioned earlier, remember that verb modality, not verb tense, determines this.

Uses of the Present and Past Simple Tenses in Academic Contexts

The present simple tense is the most prevalent tense in academic writing, and it is frequently referred to as the ‘default’ tense.

This tense has six different purposes. You can utilize the present simple tense in the following situations:

Formulating thesis statements

Pertaining to graphs or tables

Describing the outcome of an experiment

Presenting appropriate source-based viewpoints

Creating definitions, explanations, and consequences

Describing a source’s results or broad notions

Is the Past Tense Also Useful in Essays?

The past tense is almost as prevalent as the present simple.

While the past simple is most usually used to indicate accomplished activities in the past, it has a few additional particular purposes in academic settings. This tense is useful in situations like:

Pertaining to research results 

Introducing events in history

Reporting research processes

Employing phrases that denote a period of time in the past

Supplying current background information

Providing a source’s discredited opinions

Why Do Verb Tenses Matter?

The English language’s backbone is made up of tenses.

If you do not utilize the tense that best expresses the idea, your sentence will be completely different than what you intended to say or write.

Correct tense usage necessitates using the correct verb form with the appropriate auxiliary. 

Furthermore, it is important to note that English is a chronological language. We use verb tenses to express chronology or the order in which events and dates occur. 

That being said, and with the explanations and examples cited above, it is obvious that verb tenses play a vital role in our daily conversations and our academic and professional lives. 

We hope this page has answered every query you might have about verb tenses and eventually made you more confident in using them.