Tense sub types in English Grammar - Simple, Perfect, Imperfect, Perfect Imperfect

There are 4 subtypes for each tense

1. Simple - used to indicate simple action/ habit.
2. Imperfect (Progressive/Continuous) - used to indicate that action is going on (in progress).
3. Perfect - used to indicate that action has finished in the past.
4. Perfect Imperfect - used to indicate action was going on and it is still in progress.

Simple tense needs just the verb. But for other tenses, we need to use (to be / to have) forms as mentioned below.

1. to be forms - am/is/are (present),  was/were (past), will be(future)
2. to have forms - have/has(present),  had(past), would have(future)

For example - for continuous tense, we need to use to be+ing (I am working). For perfect tense, we need to use "to have+pp" (I have worked). For perfect imperfect tense, we need to use "to have + been + ing" (I have been working)

1. Imperfect (Progressive/Continuous) - to be + ing
2. Perfect - to have + pp
3. Perfect Imperfect - to have + been + ing

In below list, you will see which form can be used for each type of pronoun.

1. I                        - am/was/will be / have/ had/ would have
2. we                     - are/were/will be/ have/ had/ would have
3. You (Singular)  - are/were/will be/ have/ had/ would have
4. You (Plural)      - are/were/will be/ have/ had/ would have
5. He/She/It          - is/was/will be/ has/ had/ would have
6. They                 - are/ were/ will be/ have/ had / would have

Below tables shows how we can use tenses in English.

Below table shows examples using Pronoun I.

I	Present	Past	Future
simple	I go  I do not go	I went I did not go	I will go I will not go
Imperfect	I am going I am not going	I was going I was not going	I will be going I will not be going
Perfect	I have gone I have not gone	I had gone I had not gone	I would have gone I would have not gone
Perfect  Imperfect	I have been going I have not been going	I had been going I had not been going	I would have been going I would not have been going

Below table shows examples using Pronoun We. Other pronouns you and they can be used in similar way.

We/You/They	Present	Past	Future
simple	We go We do not go	We went We did not go	We will go We will not go
Imperfect	We are going We are not going	We were going We were not going	We will be going We will not be going
Perfect	We have gone We have not gone	We had gone We had not gone	We would have gone We would have not gone
Perfect  Imperfect	We have been going We have not been going	We had been going We had not been going	We would have been going We would not have been going

Below table shows examples using Pronoun He. Other pronouns She and It can be used in similar way.

(He/She/It)	Present	Past	Future
simple	He goes He does not go	He went He did not go	He will go He will not go
Imperfect	He is going He is not going	He was going He was not going	He will be going He will not be going
Perfect	He has gone He has not gone	He had gone He had not gone	He would have gone He would not have gone
Perfect  Imperfect	He has been going He has not been going	He had been going He had not been going	He would have been going He would not have been going

What do you think on this topic? Please express your opinion or ask any question through comment below. You can write to me at reply2sagar@gmail.com