Definition of tense

 In linguistics, *tense* refers to the grammatical category that expresses the time at which an action or state takes place.

Tense helps to:

1. *Locate an action in time*: past, present, or future.

2. *Indicate the duration or completion of an action*: ongoing, completed, or repeated.

There are three main tenses:

1. *Past tense*: describes actions that occurred before the present moment.

Example: "I walked to school."

2. *Present tense*: describes actions that are happening now.

Example: "I am walking to school."

3. *Future tense*: describes actions that will occur later.

Example: "I will walk to school."

Additionally, there are several *aspectual tenses* that provide more nuanced information about the action:

1. *Simple tense*: focuses on the action itself.

2. *Progressive tense*: emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action.

3. *Perfect tense*: indicates the completion of an action.

4. *Perfect progressive tense*: combines the perfect and progressive aspects.

Understanding tense is essential for effective communication, as it helps to convey the timing and nature of actions and events.