English · Culture & Society
tense
/tɛns/
[/tɛns/]
the time shown by a verb
Intermediatenoun
Definition
Tense is the form of a verb that shows when an action happens, such as past, present, or future. Students must use the correct tense in writing.
Example
Write the story in the past tense.
Write the story in the past tense.
Etymology
From Latin 'tempus' meaning time.
How & Where It’s Used
A key grammar topic in language study.