The document summarizes the structure of tenses in English and their use to indicate time sense. It presents the forms of verbs used in simple present, past and future tenses as well as perfect, perfect continuous, continuous and perfect tenses and examples of time expressions typically used with each tense to denote the time frame.

1. Tense Sense
Courtesy
K.V. Madhusudan
Resource Person (English)

2. TENSES – STRUCTURE – TIME SENSE
PRESENT PAST FUTURE
H.V. M.V. H.V. M.V H.V. M.V.
(do/ does) V1/ V5 (did) V2 shall/will V1
SIMPLE
always, (n)ever, often, usually, ago, yesterday, the other day, tomorrow, soon, shortly, later,
habitually, regularly, occasionally, last(week/month/year/summer), next (week/month/year/summer)
every (week/month/year/summer)
long ago, once upon a time
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
am/ is/ are V4 was / were V4 shall/will + be V4
now, at present, at the moment, at this/that time +past (yesterday, at this/that time + future
now a days, presently, today, last week, etc …) (tomorrow, next week, etc... )
tomorrow, next
(week/month/year/summer)
has/have V3 had V3 will/shall+have V3
just, already, (n)ever, before, yet, till by this/that time +past by this/that time + future
now, so far, recently, this week, etc (before/yesterday, last week, etc …) (tomorrow, next week, etc... )
for/ since for/ since for/ since
CONTINUOUS
has/have + been V4 had + been V4 shall/will +have + V4
PERFECT
How long … ? past + how long … ? been
for/ since for/since future + how long … ?
for/ since