Is the sentence in the past, present or future tense?

Key Notes :

📝 Past, Present, and Future Tense

What is Tense?

Tense tells us when an action happens. 🕒

• Past Tense – something that already happened ⏳
• Present Tense – something that is happening now 🌞
• Future Tense – something that will happen later 🚀

Past Tense ⏳

Definition: Shows an action that has already happened.

Signal words: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2020

Examples:

• I played football yesterday. ⚽
• She watched a movie last night. 🎬

💡 Tip: Many past tense verbs end in -ed, but some are irregular (e.g., go → went, eat → ate).

Present Tense 🌞

Definition: Shows an action that is happening now or happens regularly.

Signal words: now, every day, always, often

Examples:

• I eat breakfast at 7 a.m. 🍽️
• She is reading a book now. 📖

💡 Tip:

• Simple present: for habits and facts → “I play.”
• Present continuous: for actions happening now → “I am playing.”

Future Tense 🚀

Definition: Shows an action that will happen later.

Signal words: tomorrow, next week, soon, in the future

Examples:

• I will go to the park tomorrow. 🌳
• They are going to watch a movie next week. 🎥

💡 Tip: Future tense often uses will or going to.

Quick Check: How to Identify Tense 🕵️‍♂️

Tense	Signal Words	Example Sentence
Past ⏳	yesterday, last week, ago	I played cricket yesterday. ⚾
Present 🌞	now, always, every day	She reads a book every day. 📖
Future 🚀	tomorrow, next week, soon	We will visit the zoo tomorrow. 🦁

Fun Tips to Remember 🎨

• Past: Think 🕰️ “It’s gone!”
• Present: Think 🌼 “It’s happening now!”
• Future: Think ✨ “It’s coming soon!”