Indefinite Aspect

by Craig Shrives

What Is the Indefinite Aspect?

The indefinite aspect (or simple aspect as it's more commonly called) is the verb form used to express a fact. Unlike other aspects (like the progressive aspect or the perfect aspect), the indefinite aspect does not make it clear whether the action is a complete action or a habitual action. For example:
  • Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. (fact)
  • We climbed Mount Everest yesterday.
    • (This is a fact. Context tells us it's a complete action.)
  • He climbs Mount Everest every year.
    • (This is a fact. Context tells us it's a habitual action.)
Any verb (in the past, present or future) in the simple tense is said to be in the "indefinite aspect."

Table of Contents

  • The Indefinite Aspect Is Quite Complicated
  • The Three "Indefinite Aspect" Verb Tenses
  • Examples of Verbs in the Indefinite Aspect
  • Forming the Indefinite Aspect
  • Verb Tenses Showing the Indefinite Aspect
  • Verb Tense Widget
  • Why Understanding the Indefinite Aspect Is Important
  • Printable Test
indefinite aspect examples

The Indefinite Aspect Is Quite Complicated

Despite also being called the simple aspect, the indefinite aspect is not simple. A verb in the indefinite aspect relies on a combination of context and tense to clarify whether the action is complete or on going. For example:
  • She ate cake.
    • (The tense tell us this is a complete action, but it is unclear whether this was a habitual action or not. The context doesn't make it clear.)
  • She ate a cake.
    • (This is also a complete action. This time, context suggests it wasn't a habitual action.)
  • She eats cake.
    • (This time, it's unclear whether this is a habitual action or just a fact.)
With the exception of the simple future tense (which is formed with the auxiliary verb "will"), verbs in the indefinite aspect are not formed using auxiliary verbs or participles. So, it's quite easy to form.

The Three "Indefinite Aspect" Verb Tenses

This lesson is about the three tenses (past, present, and future) in the indefinite (or simple) aspect. There are four aspects in total, each of which has three tenses. So, overall, there are 12 tenses.

The tables below show all 12 tenses categorized by aspect. The tenses in the indefinite (or simple) aspect are highlighted.
The "Indefinite (Simple) Aspect" TensesExamples
The indefinite aspect is used to describe facts and habits.
Simple Present Tense
  • The mice eat the cables.
    • Simple Past Tense
  • The mice ate the cables.
    • Simple Future Tense
  • The mice will eat the cables.
    • The "Progressive (or Continuing) Aspect" TensesExamples
    The progressive aspect expresses ongoing actions.
    Present Progressive Tense
  • The mice are eating the cables.
    • Past Progressive Tense
  • The mice were eating the cables.
    • Future Progressive Tense
  • The mice will be eating the cables.
    • The "Perfect (or Complete) Aspect" TensesExamples
    The perfect aspect expresses completed actions.
    Present Perfect Tense
  • The mice have eaten the cables.
    • Past Perfect Tense
  • The mice had eaten the cables.
    • Future Perfect Tense
  • The mice will have eaten the cables.
    • The "Perfect Progressive Aspect" TensesExamples
    The perfect progressive aspect expresses the end of an ongoing action.
    Present Perfect Progressive Tense
  • The mice have been eating the cables.
    • Past Perfect Progressive Tense
  • The mice had been eating the cables.
    • Future Perfect Progressive Tense
  • The mice will have been eating the cables.
    • Read more about the aspect of verbs.

    Examples of Verbs in the Indefinite Aspect

    Here are some examples of verbs in the indefinite aspect.

    In the Past Tense

    • I washed the car.
      • (simple past tense)
    • They washed the car.
      • (simple past tense)

    In the Present Tense

    • I wash the car.
      • (simple present tense)
    • They wash the car.
      • (simple present tense)

    In the Future Tense

    • I will wash the car.
      • (simple future tense)
    • They will wash the car.
      • (simple future tense)

    Forming the Indefinite Aspect

    Here is an overview on how to form the indefinite aspect:

    Forming the Simple Past Tense (for most verbs)

    [base form of the verb]
    +
    "ed"
    • They danced.
    This is how the simple past tense is formed with most verbs. However, there are several spelling rules to consider. Read more about forming the simple past tense.

    Forming the Simple Present Tense (for most verbs)

    [base form of the verb by itself]
    or if it's the third person singular (he, she, or it):
    [base form of the verb by itself]
    +
    "s"
    • We dance.
    • She dances.
    This is how the simple present tense is formed with most verbs. However, there are several spelling rules to consider. Read more about forming the simple present tense.

    Forming the Simple Future Tense

    "will"
    +
    [base form of the verb]
    • He will dance.

    Verb Tenses Showing the Indefinite Aspect

    Here are the 12 tenses again. This time, the tenses are ordered under the headings past tense, present tense, and future tense. As before, the tenses in the indefinite aspect are shaded in yellow.
    The 4 Past Tenses Example
    simple past tense I went
    past progressive tense I was going
    past perfect tense I had gone
    past perfect progressive tense I had been going
    The 4 Present Tenses Example
    simple present tense I go
    present progressive tense I am going
    present perfect tense I have gone
    present perfect progressive tense I have been going
    The 4 Future Tenses Example
    simple future tense I will go
    future progressive tense I will be going
    future perfect tense I will have gone
    future perfect progressive tense I will have been going

    Verb Tense Widget

    Use this widget to learn about the different tenses. How do you use this widget? Well, if there's a button, a drop-down menu, or a , then you can click it!
    to base form

    ( verb)

    Select the tenses.

    Present Tenses

    Simple Present Tense The simple present tense is mostly used to describe facts and habits. More...(opens new tab) I base form you base form he/she/it 3rd pers sing present we base form you base form they base form Present Progressive Tense The present progressive tense is used for an ongoing action in the present. More...(opens new tab) I am present participle you are present participle he/she/it is present participle we are present participle you are present participle they are present participle Present Perfect Tense The present perfect tense is used for actions that began in the past. (Often, the actions continue into the present.) More...(opens new tab) I have past participle you have past participle he/she/it has past participle we have past participle you have past participle they have past participle Present Perfect Progressive
    Tense     The present perfect progressive tense is used for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present, or a continuous activity that began in past but has now finished (usually very recently). More...(opens new tab) I have been present participle you have been present participle he/she/it has been present participle we have been present participle you have been present participle they have been present participle

    Past Tenses

    Simple Past The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that happened in the past. More...(opens new tab) I past tense you past tense he/she/it past tense we past tense you past tense they past tense Past Progressive Tense The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action. More...(opens new tab) I was present participle you were present participle he/she/it was present participle we were present participle you were present participle they were present participle Past Perfect Tense The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place. More...(opens new tab) I had past participle you had past participle he/she/it had past participle we had past participle you had past participle they had past participle Past Perfect Progressive
    Tense     The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended. More...(opens new tab) I had been present participle you had been present participle he/she/it had been present participle we had been present participle you had been present participle they had been present participle

    Future Tenses

    Simple Future The simple future tense is used for an action that will occur in the future. More...(opens new tab) I will base form you will base form he/she/it will base form we will base form you will base form they will base form Future Progressive Tense The future progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will occur in the future. More...(opens new tab) I will be present participle you will be present participle he/she/it will be present participle we will be present participle you will be present participle they will be present participle Future Perfect Tense The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will have been completed at some point in the future. More...(opens new tab) I will have past participle you will have past participle he/she/it will have past participle we will have past participle you will have past participle they will have past participle Future Perfect Progressive
    Tense     The future perfect progressive tense is used for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future. More...(opens new tab) I will have been present participle you will have been present participle he/she/it will have been present participle we will have been present participle you will have been present participle they will have been present participle

    Why Understanding the Indefinite Aspect Is Important

    Native English speakers can use all twelve tenses without giving the grammar a second thought. However, if you're learning or teaching English, you must spend time learning the tenses because expressing when something occurs is a fundamental communication skill. The simple tenses are usually the first tenses taught, but, as we've covered, they're not simple at all, and they're not used too often during a natural conversation.

    Remember that tenses do not just tell us whether something is a past, present, or future action. They also tell us whether the action is habitual, completed, or ongoing (called the aspects).

    The trick to learning tenses is mastering the following:
    • The verb "to be" in all its forms (am, is, are, was, were, will be)
    • The verb "to have" in all its forms (has, have, had, will have)
    • Present participles, i.e., the "ing" form of verbs (e.g., playing, thinking, eating)
    • Past participles (e.g., played, thought, eaten)

    Key Points

    • Learning or teaching English? Get your head in those verb tables!

    Printable Test

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    See Also

    What is aspect? What is the progressive aspect? What is the perfect aspect? What is tense? Glossary of grammatical terms