simple tense

noun

In English, the tense of a verb which is used specifically in the simple aspect--that is, the verb alone does not indicate whether the action is complete or habitual--and is usually used independently of any auxiliary verbs, with the known exceptions of 'will', 'shall', and 'would'.

“Please use only simple tenses in titles when submitting articles to our publication.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounsimple tense (plural simple tenses)

plural simple tenses

  1. grammarIn English, the tense of a verb which is used specifically in the simple aspect--that is, the verb alone does not indicate whether the action is complete or habitual--and is usually used independently of any auxiliary verbs, with the known exceptions of 'will', 'shall', and 'would'.

    Please use only simple tenses in titles when submitting articles to our publication.

    1 more example

    Present tense is a simple tense, even when used in complex ways, such as to describe past events.

Cite this entry
APA

simple tense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simple%20tense

MLA

“simple tense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simple%20tense. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “simple tense,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simple%20tense.

Source: simple tense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.