Learn all 12 tenses in English grammar with a simple story, structure and example charts, signal words, and the exceptional modal forms. A complete pillar guide with Bengali explanations.
Tense is really just one thing: a way of showing when something happens. Yet many students find the 12 tenses in English grammar a maze of names and formulas. This lesson clears that maze. First we will learn tense through a simple story from your own daily life, then we will lay out all 12 tenses in full charts with structures, signal words, and examples. By the end, the whole system will make sense, not as a list to memorise, but as something you already feel.
Tense আসলে একটাই জিনিস: কোনো কাজ কখন ঘটছে তা দেখানোর একটি উপায়। তবু অনেক শিক্ষার্থীর কাছে ১২টি tense যেন নাম আর সূত্রের এক গোলকধাঁধা। এই পাঠ সেই ধাঁধা পরিষ্কার করবে। প্রথমে আমরা তোমার দৈনন্দিন জীবনের একটি সহজ গল্পের মধ্য দিয়ে tense শিখব, তারপর ১২টি tense কে পূর্ণ chart এ গঠন, signal word ও উদাহরণসহ সাজিয়ে দেখব। পাঠ শেষে পুরো বিষয়টি তোমার কাছে মুখস্থ করার তালিকা নয়, বরং এমন কিছু মনে হবে যা তুমি আগে থেকেই অনুভব করো। তাহলে চলো, শুরু করা যাক।
What is Tense?
Tense is the form of a verb that shows the time of an action or event, whether it happens in the present, the past, or the future (কাজের সময় প্রকাশ করে)। The important point is this: it is the verb, not the subject or object, that shows the tense.
Tense হলো verb এর এমন একটি রূপ যা কোনো কাজ বা ঘটনার সময় দেখায়, সেটি বর্তমান, অতীত নাকি ভবিষ্যতে ঘটছে। গুরুত্বপূর্ণ কথাটি হলো: subject বা object নয়, verb ই tense প্রকাশ করে।
Look at these three sentences. The subject (I) and the object (him) never change; only the verb changes, and that alone changes the tense.
নিচের তিনটি বাক্য দেখো। subject (I) আর object (him) একই আছে; শুধু verb বদলেছে, আর সেটাই tense বদলে দিয়েছে।
- Present: I help him now.
- Past: I helped him yesterday.
- Future: I shall help him tomorrow.
So always remember: to find the tense, look at the verb.
তাই সবসময় মনে রেখো: tense বের করতে হলে verb এর দিকে তাকাও।
The Two Big Divisions of Tense
Tense is divided in two ways at once, and putting them together gives us 12 (দুইভাবে ভাগ করে ১২টি পাওয়া যায়)।
By time, there are three tenses: present, past, and future. By aspect (the state of the action), each of those has four forms: indefinite, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
সময় (time) অনুযায়ী tense তিন প্রকার: present, past, future। আর কাজের অবস্থা (aspect) অনুযায়ী প্রতিটির চারটি রূপ: indefinite, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous। তিনে চারে গুণ করলেই মোট ১২টি tense।
- Present Tense: indefinite, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous
- Past Tense: indefinite, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous
- Future Tense: indefinite, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous
Learn the Four Aspects Through a Story
Before the charts, let us feel the four aspects through a simple story. Imagine you play cricket every afternoon in the field in front of your college. Now watch how the same action, playing cricket, is told in four different moments. Each moment is one aspect of tense.
Chart দেখার আগে চলো একটি সহজ গল্পের মধ্য দিয়ে চারটি aspect অনুভব করি। কল্পনা করো, তুমি প্রতিদিন বিকেলে তোমার কলেজের সামনের মাঠে ক্রিকেট খেলো। এখন লক্ষ্য করো একই কাজ, ক্রিকেট খেলা, চারটি ভিন্ন মুহূর্তে কীভাবে বলা হয়। প্রতিটি মুহূর্ত tense এর একেকটি aspect।
First moment: Indefinite Tense
One night your father asks you, “What do you do in front of your college?” You answer, “I play cricket in front of my college.” You are not playing right now; you are simply talking about a daily habit. That is the indefinite (simple) tense: it states a general fact or habit.
একদিন রাতে তোমার বাবা জিজ্ঞেস করলেন, “তুমি তোমার কলেজের সামনে কী করো?”
তুমি উত্তর দিলে, “I play cricket in front of my college। (আমি আমার কলেজের সামনে ক্রিকেট খেলি)”
তুমি এই মুহূর্তে খেলছ না; শুধু একটি প্রতিদিনের অভ্যাসের কথা বলছ। এটাই indefinite (simple) tense: এটি সাধারণ কোনো সত্য বা অভ্যাস প্রকাশ করে।
Second moment: Continuous Tense
It is now afternoon, and you are on the field playing. Your father passes by, sees you, and asks, “What are you doing now?” You answer, “I am playing cricket now.” As you speak, the action is going on. That is the continuous tense: an action happening right now.
এখন বিকেল, তুমি মাঠে খেলছ। তোমার বাবা পাশ দিয়ে যেতে যেতে তোমাকে দেখে জিজ্ঞেস করলেন, “তুমি এখন কী করছ?”
তুমি বললে, “I am playing cricket now। (আমি এখন ক্রিকেট খেলছি)”
তুমি যখন বলছ, কাজটি তখন চলছে। এটাই continuous tense: এই মুহূর্তে চলমান একটি কাজ।
Third moment: Perfect Tense
Now it is night, and you are studying at home. Your father returns from the market and asks, “Have you played this afternoon?” You answer, “Yes, I have played this afternoon.” The playing began and finished hours ago; the action is complete. That is the perfect tense: a completed action whose result still matters now.
এখন রাত, তুমি বাড়িতে পড়ছ। তোমার বাবা বাজার থেকে ফিরে জিজ্ঞেস করলেন, “তুমি কি আজ বিকেলে খেলেছ?”
তুমি বললে, “Yes, I have played this afternoon। (হ্যাঁ, আজকে বিকেলে আমি খেলেছি)”
খেলা কয়েক ঘণ্টা আগে শুরু হয়ে শেষও হয়ে গেছে; কাজটি সম্পূর্ণ। এটাই perfect tense: একটি সম্পন্ন কাজ যার ফল এখনো গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।
Fourth moment: Perfect Continuous Tense
Go back to the afternoon, when your father asked what you were doing and you said, “I am playing cricket now.” Notice you did not say how long you had been playing. The moment you add the duration, the tense changes: “I have been playing cricket for two hours.” That is the perfect continuous tense: a continuing action shown together with its duration. The clear sign is a mention of time or period.
ফিরে যাও সেই বিকেলে, যখন তোমার বাবা জিজ্ঞেস করেছিলেন তুমি কী করছ আর তুমি বলেছিলে, “I am playing cricket now। (আমি এখন ক্রিকেট খেলছি)”
খেয়াল করো, তুমি বলোনি কতক্ষণ ধরে খেলছ। যেই মুহূর্তে তুমি সময়কাল যোগ করবে, tense বদলে যাবে: “I have been playing cricket for two hours। (আমি ২ ঘণ্টা ধরে ক্রিকেট খেলছি)”
এটাই perfect continuous tense: সময়কাল উল্লেখসহ একটি চলমান কাজ। এর স্পষ্ট চিহ্ন হলো সময় বা কতক্ষণ ধরে তা উল্লেখ করা।
Remember these four moments, and you already understand the four aspects: indefinite, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
এই চারটি মুহূর্ত মনে রাখো, তাহলেই তুমি চারটি aspect বুঝে ফেলেছ: indefinite, continuous, perfect আর perfect continuous।
The 12 Tenses at a Glance
Here is the whole system in one chart. Read it across for each aspect, and down for each time.
পুরো বিষয়টি একটি chart এ দেওয়া হলো। প্রতিটি aspect এর জন্য পাশে পড়ো, আর প্রতিটি time এর জন্য নিচে পড়ো।
| Aspect | Present | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | verb / verb+s | verb (past form) | shall/will + verb |
| Continuous | am/is/are + verb-ing | was/were + verb-ing | shall/will be + verb-ing |
| Perfect | have/has + past participle | had + past participle | shall/will have + past participle |
| Perfect Continuous | have/has been + verb-ing | had been + verb-ing | shall/will have been + verb-ing |
1. Indefinite (Simple) Tense
The indefinite tense expresses a general fact, a habit, or a regular action (সাধারণ সত্য বা অভ্যাস)।
Indefinite tense সাধারণ কোনো সত্য, অভ্যাস বা নিয়মিত কাজ প্রকাশ করে।
Signal words (চিহ্ন): always, usually, every day, regularly, sometimes, never.
Structure chart:
| Present Indefinite | Past Indefinite | Future Indefinite |
|---|---|---|
| verb / verb + s/es | verb (past form) | shall/will + verb (base) |
| Helper: do/does | Helper: did | Helper: shall/will |
Full chart with examples:
| Present Indefinite | Past Indefinite | Future Indefinite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning (অর্থ) | বর্তমানের সাধারণ কাজ বা অভ্যাস | অতীতের সাধারণ কাজ | ভবিষ্যতের সাধারণ কাজ |
| Structure | subject + verb (+s/es) | subject + verb (past form) | subject + shall/will + verb |
| Negative/Interrogative | do/does not + base verb | did not + base verb | shall/will not + base verb |
| Affirmative | Rafi reads the newspaper regularly. | Rafi read the newspaper regularly. | Rafi will read the newspaper regularly. |
| Negative | Rafi does not read the newspaper regularly. | Rafi did not read the newspaper regularly. | Rafi will not read the newspaper regularly. |
| Interrogative | Does Rafi read the newspaper regularly? | Did Rafi read the newspaper regularly? | Will Rafi read the newspaper regularly? |
Read the full lessons: Present Indefinite Tense, Past Indefinite Tense, and Future Indefinite Tense.
2. Continuous (Progressive) Tense
The continuous tense expresses an action that is going on at a certain time (চলমান কাজ)। It is also called the progressive tense.
Continuous tense কোনো নির্দিষ্ট সময়ে চলমান একটি কাজ প্রকাশ করে। একে progressive tense ও বলা হয়।
Signal words (চিহ্ন): now, at this moment, still, at that time, while.
Structure chart:
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | Future Continuous |
|---|---|---|
| am/is/are + verb-ing | was/were + verb-ing | shall be/will be + verb-ing |
Full chart with examples:
| Present Continuous | Past Continuous | Future Continuous | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning (অর্থ) | এই মুহূর্তে চলমান কাজ | অতীতে চলছিল এমন কাজ | ভবিষ্যতে চলতে থাকবে এমন কাজ |
| Structure | subject + am/is/are + verb-ing | subject + was/were + verb-ing | subject + shall/will be + verb-ing |
| Negative/Interrogative | am/is/are + not + verb-ing | was/were + not + verb-ing | shall/will + not + be + verb-ing |
| Affirmative | Rafi is reading the newspaper now. | Rafi was reading the newspaper then. | Rafi will be reading the newspaper then. |
| Negative | Rafi is not reading the newspaper now. | Rafi was not reading the newspaper then. | Rafi will not be reading the newspaper then. |
| Interrogative | Is Rafi reading the newspaper now? | Was Rafi reading the newspaper then? | Will Rafi be reading the newspaper then? |
Read the full lessons: Present Continuous Tense, Past Continuous Tense, and Future Continuous Tense.
3. Perfect Tense
The perfect tense expresses an action that is already complete, but whose result or link to the present still matters (সম্পন্ন কাজ)।
Perfect tense এমন একটি কাজ প্রকাশ করে যা ইতিমধ্যে সম্পন্ন হয়েছে, কিন্তু যার ফল বা বর্তমানের সাথে সম্পর্ক এখনো গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।
Signal words (চিহ্ন): already, just, ever, never, yet, recently, before (for past perfect).
Structure chart:
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | Future Perfect |
|---|---|---|
| have/has + past participle | had + past participle | shall/will have + past participle |
Full chart with examples:
| Present Perfect | Past Perfect | Future Perfect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning (অর্থ) | সদ্য সম্পন্ন কাজ, ফল বর্তমানে আছে | অতীতে দুটি কাজের আগেরটি | ভবিষ্যতে নির্দিষ্ট সময়ের আগে সম্পন্ন হবে |
| Structure | subject + have/has + past participle | subject + had + past participle | subject + shall/will have + past participle |
| Negative/Interrogative | have/has + not + past participle | had + not + past participle | shall/will + not + have + past participle |
| Affirmative | Rafi has read the newspaper. | Rafi had read the newspaper before I came. | Rafi will have read the newspaper by noon. |
| Negative | Rafi has not read the newspaper. | Rafi had not read the newspaper before I came. | Rafi will not have read the newspaper by noon. |
| Interrogative | Has Rafi read the newspaper? | Had Rafi read the newspaper before I came? | Will Rafi have read the newspaper by noon? |
Read the full lessons: Present Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Tense, and Future Perfect Tense.
4. Perfect Continuous Tense
The perfect continuous tense expresses an action that has been going on for a period of time, with the duration mentioned (সময়কালসহ চলমান কাজ)।
Perfect continuous tense এমন একটি কাজ প্রকাশ করে যা কিছু সময় ধরে চলছে, এবং সময়কাল উল্লেখ করা থাকে।
Signal words (চিহ্ন): for (a period), since (a point of time), all day, how long.
Structure chart:
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|---|---|
| have/has been + verb-ing | had been + verb-ing | shall/will have been + verb-ing |
Full chart with examples:
| Present Perfect Continuous | Past Perfect Continuous | Future Perfect Continuous | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meaning (অর্থ) | সময়কালসহ চলমান কাজ (এখনো চলছে) | অতীতে সময়কালসহ চলছিল | ভবিষ্যতে সময়কালসহ চলতে থাকবে |
| Structure | subject + have/has been + verb-ing | subject + had been + verb-ing | subject + shall/will have been + verb-ing |
| Negative/Interrogative | have/has + not + been + verb-ing | had + not + been + verb-ing | shall/will + not + have been + verb-ing |
| Affirmative | Rafi has been reading the newspaper for an hour. | Rafi had been reading the newspaper for an hour. | Rafi will have been reading the newspaper for an hour. |
| Negative | Rafi has not been reading the newspaper for an hour. | Rafi had not been reading the newspaper for an hour. | Rafi will not have been reading the newspaper for an hour. |
| Interrogative | Has Rafi been reading the newspaper for an hour? | Had Rafi been reading the newspaper for an hour? | Will Rafi have been reading the newspaper for an hour? |
Read the full lessons: Present Perfect Continuous Tense, Past Perfect Continuous Tense, and Future Perfect Continuous Tense.
A Note on Negatives and Questions
Two small rules save many marks (দুটি ছোট নিয়ম):
- For a negative, place not right after the first helping verb: “She will not have finished”, not “will have not finished”.
- For a question, move the first helping verb to the front: “Have you eaten?”, “Was he playing?”
দুটি ছোট নিয়ম অনেক নম্বর বাঁচায়। Negative করতে হলে প্রথম helping verb এর ঠিক পরে not বসাও: “She will not have finished”, কখনো “will have not finished” নয়। আর প্রশ্ন করতে হলে প্রথম helping verb টি বাক্যের শুরুতে আনো: “Have you eaten?”, “Was he playing?”
Exceptional Forms of Tenses
The 12 tenses cover most of what we say, but not everything. Some ideas, a possibility, an impossibility, a wish, or a duty not done, do not fit neatly into any single tense. We express them with modal verbs (should, would, could, may, might, must) and conditional sentences. Traditionally, these are grouped into four exceptional classes. They are advanced, and you do not need them to master the basic 12, but they round out your understanding.
১২টি tense আমাদের বেশিরভাগ কথা প্রকাশ করে, তবে সবকিছু নয়। কিছু ভাব, যেমন সম্ভাবনা, অসম্ভাব্যতা, ইচ্ছা বা না-করা দায়িত্ব, কোনো একটি tense এ ঠিকভাবে বসে না। এগুলো প্রকাশ করতে modal verb (should, would, could, may, might, must) ও conditional sentence লাগে। প্রচলিতভাবে এদের চারটি exceptional class এ ভাগ করা হয়। এগুলো উন্নত পর্যায়ের এবং মৌলিক ১২টি tense শেখার জন্য দরকার নেই, তবে এগুলো তোমার বোঝাকে সম্পূর্ণ করে।
1. Tense of Happening
This expresses something that was supposed to happen, or a duty or obligation, often one that was not fulfilled. It usually uses “should have / ought to have + past participle” for the past, or “was/were to + verb”.
এটি এমন কিছু প্রকাশ করে যা ঘটার কথা ছিল, অথবা একটি দায়িত্ব বা কর্তব্য, যা প্রায়ই পালন করা হয়নি। সাধারণত অতীতের জন্য “should have / ought to have + past participle” ব্যবহৃত হয়।
- I should have finished the work yesterday. (a duty that was not done)
- The meeting was to start at ten. (what was supposed to happen)
2. Tense of Possibility
This expresses that something may or might happen, or may be true. It uses the modals “may, might, can, could”.
এটি প্রকাশ করে যে কোনো কিছু ঘটতে পারে বা সত্য হতে পারে। এতে “may, might, can, could” modal ব্যবহৃত হয়।
- It may rain this afternoon. (a present possibility)
- He might have missed the train. (a possibility about the past)
3. Tense of Impossibility
This expresses something that cannot happen or could not have happened, often an unreal or imaginary condition. It uses “cannot, could not have”, and conditional sentences like “If … had …, would have …”.
এটি এমন কিছু প্রকাশ করে যা ঘটা অসম্ভব বা ঘটতে পারত না, প্রায়ই একটি অবাস্তব বা কাল্পনিক শর্ত। এতে “cannot, could not have” এবং conditional sentence ব্যবহৃত হয়।
- If I had wings, I would fly to you. (an impossible, imaginary condition)
- He could not have said such a thing. (impossible about the past)
4. Tense of Expectation
This expresses a wish, a hope, or an expectation about what should or would happen. It uses “would, should, is to, is expected to”.
এটি একটি ইচ্ছা, আশা বা প্রত্যাশা প্রকাশ করে যে কী হওয়া উচিত বা কী হবে। এতে “would, should, is to, is expected to” ব্যবহৃত হয়।
- I hope you will pass the exam. (an expectation)
- The result is to be published next week. (an expected event)
Note: these four classes come from traditional grammar and rest on modal verbs and conditional sentences rather than plain tense forms. You will meet them fully in the lessons on modal verbs and conditional sentences.
মনে রেখো: এই চারটি class প্রচলিত grammar থেকে এসেছে এবং সাধারণ tense রূপের বদলে modal verb ও conditional sentence এর উপর নির্ভর করে।
A Tip for the Exam
When you must choose a tense, do not guess from feeling alone. Look for the signal word first. “Every day” points to indefinite, “now” to continuous, “already” or “just” to perfect, and “for” or “since” to perfect continuous. Find that clue, match it to the aspect, then use the correct structure. That habit turns tense questions from guesswork into a simple, sure process.
কোনো tense বাছতে হলে শুধু অনুমানে যেয়ো না। আগে signal word খোঁজো। “every day” মানে indefinite, “now” মানে continuous, “already” বা “just” মানে perfect, আর “for” বা “since” মানে perfect continuous। ওই সূত্রটি খুঁজে বের করো, aspect এর সাথে মেলাও, তারপর সঠিক structure ব্যবহার করো। এই অভ্যাসই tense এর প্রশ্নকে অনুমানের বদলে একটি সহজ, নিশ্চিত প্রক্রিয়ায় পরিণত করে।
Related Lessons
Keep building your grammar foundation with these lessons:
- The 8 Parts of Speech Rules, Examples & Chart [Easy Tricks]
- Transformation of Sentences: All Rules in One Guide
- Classifications of Persons in English Grammar
- Structure & Analysis of Sentences in English Grammar
- Kinds of Sentences in English Grammar with Magical Theory
- Voice Change Rules: Active to Passive Voice with Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tenses are there in English?
There are 12 tenses, formed by three times (present, past, future) and four aspects (indefinite, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous).
What decides the tense of a sentence?
The form of the verb, not the subject or object. Change the verb and you change the tense.
What is the difference between continuous and perfect continuous tense?
The continuous tense shows an action going on now (I am playing). The perfect continuous tense shows an action going on for a period, with the duration mentioned (I have been playing for two hours).
What are the exceptional forms of tenses?
They are four traditional classes, tense of happening, possibility, impossibility, and expectation, expressed with modal verbs and conditional sentences rather than plain tense forms.
What are signal words in tense?
They are time words that hint at the tense, such as “every day” (indefinite), “now” (continuous), “already” (perfect), and “for” or “since” (perfect continuous).