Retain and sustain are the two words that share an equal rank with the word “maintain” in terms of meaning. Let us examine the “maintain” plea in different time sessions.
We must put the term “been” between two terms, “had” and “maintained,” to make a sentence in the past perfect continuous mode of tense. Here, we must consider the fact that the term “maintained” performs the role of both the past tense and past participle form of the term “maintain.”
Let us see how we can construct sentences in various modes of time.
“Maintain” in present tense
“Keep going” and “keep up” are the two best word groups to describe the meaning of “maintain.” Let us check the facts regarding the application of “maintain” in the present tense.
The terms “maintain” and “maintain” must be used in the present tense according to the number of nouns used in the sentence as the subject. The addition of “ing” is mandatory to frame the continuous form of the verb “maintain,” while the past participle form is required for the past perfect mode of tense.
When we can use “maintain” in the present tense?
The purpose of using the term “maintain” in the simple present mode of tense is to state that an entity keeps the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. at the current time.
Examples with “maintain” in the present tense
| Type of Tense | Examples with the verb “maintain” | Explanation |
| 1. Simple Present Tense | Sandip is a modern man, but he maintains the culture and traditions of his family with dignity. | As the subject is third-person male, the base term “maintain” is used with the addition of “s” to convey that the subject is following his family rules with proper decorum. |
| 2. Present Continuous Tense | Sandip is a modern man, but he is maintaining the culture and traditions of his family with dignity. | The purpose of using the term “maintain” in the present continuous mode of tense is to state that an entity is actively keeping or continuing the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. at the current time. The term “maintaining” is in use to state that the subject is functionally following his family rules with proper decorum. |
| 3. Present Perfect Tense | Sandip is a modern man, but he has maintained the culture and tradition of his family with dignity since his college days. | The purpose of using the term “maintain” in the simple present mode of tense is to state that the subject keeps the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. from the past, and the effect is still lingering. The phrase “has maintained” means that the subject began following his family rules with proper decorum some time ago and that the effect of that following is still evident. |
| 4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense | Sandip is a modern man, but he has been maintaining the culture and traditions of his family with dignity from his school days until now. | The term “have/has been maintained” must be placed as per the subject of the sentence in the present perfect continuous mode of tense to state that an entity is actively keeping the same balance, rhythm, process, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. from the past and is still in functional mode. The term “has been maintaining” is in use to state that the subject has been very actively following his family rules with proper decorum for some time now and that following is still in active mode. |
“Maintain” in past tense
Abandon, discontinue, and condemn are the most common antonyms of the term “maintain.” Let us check the facts regarding the application of “maintain” in the past tense.
Terms like “was maintained,” “were maintained,” “had maintained,” and “had been maintaining” are examples of terms to be used to construct sentences in the past mode of tense with the verb “maintain.”
When we can use “maintain” in the past tense?
The past tense “maintained” can be placed after the subject in the simple past mode of tense to execute that a singular or plural entity was prolonging the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. in the days that have already passed.
Examples with “maintain” in the past tense
| Type of Tense | Examples | Explanation |
| 1. Simple Past Tense | Mina maintained the expectations of her parents by performing well in all dance performances. | The subject was in a constant state of good dance performance in the past, according to the simple past mode of tense. |
| 2. Past Continuous Tense | Mina was maintaining the expectations of her parents by performing well in all dance performances. | The terms “was maintaining” or “were maintaining” can be placed according to the number of the subject to construct past continuous mode of tense to state that an entity was in the functional mode of keeping the same balance, rhythm, etc. of any work, activity, etc. in the days which have already passed. The sentence in the past continuous mode of tense states that the subject was constantly performing a good dance in bygone days. |
| 3. Past Perfect Tense | Mina had maintained the expectations of her parents by performing well in all dance performances before she got married. | The term “had maintained” must be placed in the past perfect mode of tense to execute a sequence of events, among which one must state that a singular or plural entity was prolonging the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. in the days that have already passed. The sentence is showing the sequence of two events, of which one states that the subject, Mina, was in a constant state of good dance performance in bygone days. |
| 4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense | Mina had been maintaining the expectations of her parents by performing well in all dance performances from her childhood days until her marriage. | The term “had been maintaining” in the past perfect continuous mode of tense is all about stating that the subject was completely active to keep up the rhythm, process, and so on for a specific time session in the days that have already passed. The sentence is in the past perfect continuous mode of tense to convey that the subject was constantly performing well in functional mode for a specific time period in bygone days. |
“Maintain” in future tense
The term “maintained” can also be regarded as the adjective form of the term “maintain.” Let us justify the use of “maintain” in various sessions of the future tense.
The addition of the future forms “will” or “shall” is mandatory to frame sentences in any form of future tense. We must add “be,” “have,” or “have been” along with “will” or “shall” according to the need of the various forms of the future mode of tense.
When we can use “maintain” in the future tense?
The base term “maintain” along with the future form “shall” or “will” must be placed after the subject to execute that an entity is going to keep the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. at the time that it is going to occur.
Examples with “maintain” in the future tense
| Type of Tense | Examples with the verb “maintain” | Explanation |
| 1. Simple Future Tense | Sandip will maintain the condition of his ancestors’ house as this house is an example of traditional Indian sculpture. | The simple future mode of tense is showing that the subject is going to keep up the condition of his ancestors’ house in the future. |
| 2. Future Continuous Tense | Sandip will maintain his ancestors’ house in good condition because it is an example of traditional Indian sculpture. | The form “maintaining” along with “will be” must be placed after the subject to frame the future continuous mode of tense to state that an entity will be functional while maintaining the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, and so on of any work, activity, personality, or so on at the time of occurrence. The future continuous mode of tense is showing that the subject will be actively keeping up the condition of his ancestors’ house in the future. |
| 3. Future Perfect Tense | Sandip will have maintained the condition of his ancestors’ house, as this house is an example of traditional Indian sculpture, within the next ten years. | The phrase “will have maintained” must be placed to frame the future perfect tense to convey that the subject is going to finish or complete while maintaining the same balance, rhythm, process, and so on of any work, activity, and so on at the time that will occur before a specific time limit in the future. The future perfect mode of tense states that the subject will complete his initiation to maintain the structure of his ancestor’s house before a specific day in the days ahead. |
| 4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense | Sandip will be maintaining the condition of his ancestors’ house, as this house is an example of traditional Indian sculpture, from next year until his death. | To execute that an entity will be very functional while maintaining the same balance, rhythm, process, dignity, etc. of any work, activity, personality, etc. for a specific pre-decided time session at the time which is going to occur, the term “will have been maintaining” must be placed after the subject. The future perfect continuous mode of tense is showing that the subject will be actively keeping up the condition of his ancestors’ house for a specific time period in the days ahead. |
Conclusion:
It is important to remember that the term “maintained” can be used in three different ways to frame sentences with different time frames. The term “maintained” can be used firstly as a past term, secondly as the past participle form, and finally as the adjective form of the term “maintain.”
Hey! I am Arpita Bose Roy. My qualifications are M.A. in English with B. Ed. in both general education and special education. I have 2 years of experience as a “language analyst” at IIT Kharagpur and 4 years of experience as an “Academic Content Developer” at IIT Kharagpur. Currently, I am working as an academic writer at Lambdageeks.