Tenses are grammatical structures that indicate the time of an action, event, or state in relation to the moment of speaking or another point in time. In English, there are three primary tenses: past, present, and future. Each tense has different forms that convey specific temporal relationships. Here’s a brief explanation of each tense:

1. Past Tense:

   • Simple Past: Describes an action, event, or state that occurred and was completed in the past.
     • Example: “I walked to the store yesterday.”
   • Past Continuous: Describes an ongoing action or state that was happening at a specific moment in the past.
     • Example: “I was reading a book when the phone rang.”

2. Present Tense:

   • Simple Present: Describes a general truth, habitual action, or a fact that is true in the present.
     • Example: “She works in a hospital.”
   • Present Continuous: Describes an action or state that is happening right now or around the present moment.
     • Example: “I am writing an email.”

3. Future Tense:

   • Simple Future: Describes an action or event that will happen in the future.
     • Example: “They will arrive tomorrow.”
   • Future Continuous: Describes an ongoing action or state that will be happening at a specific point in the future.
     • Example: “At 8 PM, I will be watching a movie.”

Each of these tenses can be further modified with auxiliary verbs (e.g., “have,” “will,” “am,” “is”) and additional aspects (e.g., perfect, perfect continuous) to convey more nuanced meanings about the timing, duration, or completion of an action. Mastering tenses is essential for effective communication in English, as it helps convey precise information about the temporal aspects of events or actions.