While tense indicates time of an action, the aspect shows the duration of that action, that is, it informs about the span of time that the action takes in the course of its completion. In the sentence: we have completed the task... while the verb "completed" indicates the time of the action done over the task, "have" tells the duration of the action done.
The major tenses in English are simply (3) numerically; they are comprised of The present, The past and The future tenses but each with its other forms. I.e. the present and other present forms; the past and other past forms... This made the types sum up to about twelve tenses. Taking the tenses one after the other, I will introduce you to the present and its forms first; this, I shall do, with adequate sentence examples that will be cited on each tense for clarification.
The Present
- Simple present tense: this expresses a habit or an indicative statement, ex.: that man is a soldier; pastors preach; God blesses every time.
- Present progressive tense: a tense that indicates an actions that is still in progress at the time of speaking, ex.: we are walking on the ramp; I'm writing a thesis.
- Present perfect tense: it's a tense that expresses an action that started and completed in the past but still has a relationship with the present. It uses either of the two present passives: has/have (depending on whether the subject is singular or plural) to attain such meaning. Ex.: my husband has left for church. They have gone to Virginia. Note: in the two sentences above, husband and they left for somewhere in the past but they aren't back, therefore their actions are still in relationship with present situation.
- Present perfect progressive: it's a tense that presents an action that was started in the past but is yet to be concluded; it still continues! Ex.: that professor has been teaching for 25 years. He has been building his mansion for 5 years. Note: the subject professor or he may not be in the classroom or at a site at the time of speaking but the tense simply indicates that the actions aren't concluded yet.
The Past
- Simple past tense: this informs about a past habit which the person being talked about is no longer involved in, ex.: she used to steal. This means that she no longer steals.
- Past progressive tense: there are two parameters used in describing this tense. It either states an action that was going on at a particular time in the past or an action that was going on in the past but interrupted by another. Ex.: captain Mitchell and sergeant Douglas were fighting against the Japanese over Okinawa by this time in 1945. Mr Stone was busy teaching his students before the headmistress summoned him.
- Past perfect tense: this is a tense that indicates two actions that were done in the past; one occurred before the other: the action that occurred first is expressed in the perfect tense while the other which occurred last is expressed in the simple past. Ex.: the teacher had left before you arrived. You had left for Canada before I came to you house.
- Past perfect progressive: this is an action that started, was going on and concluded sometime in the past but is under discussion/analysis now. Ex.: they had been trying to take Okinawa since 1944 before Desmond Doss joined the army in 1945. Abraham Lincoln had been trying to take the presidency since 1930 before God finally intervened in 1960.
The Future
- Simple future tense: it tells an action that is anticipated in the future, ex.: I shall have you imprisoned. We shall see you on the beach. They will make you a soldier; they are military instructors.
- Future progressive tense: it shows an action that is assumed to be going on in the future. Ex.: sister Mary will be singing the track soon. Pastor Emmanuel will be ministering at the crusade.
- Future perfect tense: it is a tense that shows an action that is assumed to have completed in the future. Ex.: by December next year, I will have graduated from the Oxford university. You'd/you had better see the doctor soon.
- Future perfect progressive: this tense indicates an action that is expected to have been going on in the nearest future. Ex.: that scholar will have started writing his dissertation by this time next year. Before Monday, next week, I'll have been running my masters degree at Yale university.
By now, you must have understood the theory and logic of tenses in English. You should be congratulated on discovering this literary-dedicated blog; lingualcommand is simply the best at literary information, both language and literature. We hope to help the l2 (language 2) English users attain the greatest proficiency in the language. University students reading English or anyone who wants to improve in the language use can equally benefit from this blog; do not hesitate to introduce this site to them. Posts here are written and proofread by professionals to ensure error-free posts and they are very liaised with school syllabus standards. You are welcome!