Tense tells us when an action happens: now, before now, or after now. The verb changes its form to show the time.

1. Present Tense
Used for something that happens now or happens regularly.
Example: Riya plays cricket. They are at school.

2. Past Tense
Used for something that already happened.
Example: Riya played cricket yesterday. They were at school.

3. Future Tense
Used for something that will happen later. We usually use will or shall before the main verb.
Example: Riya will play cricket tomorrow. They will be at school.

Quick chart:

Present (now) Past (before) Future (later)
I walk. I walked. I will walk.
She eats. She ate. She will eat.
We go. We went. We will go.
He writes. He wrote. He will write.

Clue words that help us find the tense:

Tense Clue words
Present now, today, every day, always
Past yesterday, last week, ago
Future tomorrow, next week, soon

Remember: Present = happening now. Past = already happened. Future = will happen. Ask yourself, “When did the action take place?”

Last modified: Saturday, 24 October 2026, 11:10 AM