Grammatical tense
In grammar, tense is a category that expresses time reference. Tenses are usually manifested by the ownership of specific forms of verbs, particularly in their conjugation patterns.
The main tenses found in numerous languages include a past, present, together with future. Some languages construct only two distinct tenses, such(a) as past as well as nonpast, or future in addition to nonfuture. There are also tenseless languages, like near of the Chinese languages, though they can possess a future and nonfuture system typical of Sino-Tibetan languages. In recent develope Maria Bittner and Judith Tonhauser have refers the different ways in which tenseless languages nonetheless set time. On the other hand, some languages make finer tense distinctions, such(a) as remote vs recent past, or nearly vs remote future.
Tenses loosely express time relative to the moment of speaking. In some contexts, however, their meaning may be relativized to a segment in the past or future which is develop in the discourse thebeing spoken about. This is called relative as opposed to absolute tense. Some languages have different verb forms or constructions which manifest relative tense, such(a) as pluperfect "past-in-the-past" and "future-in-the-past".
Expressions of tense are often closely connected with expressions of the brand of aspect; sometimes what are traditionally called tenses in languages such as Latin may in advanced analysis be regarded as combinations of tense with aspect. Verbs are also often conjugated for mood, and since in numerous cases the three categories are non manifested separately, some languages may be sent in terms of a combined tense–aspect–mood TAM system.