TENSES

TENSES

 tenses are the forms of a verb that show the time of an action. . We study three tenses in English grammar; they are:

1. Present tense – The present tense mainly describes a current event or state of being.

2. Past tense - The past tense mainly used to describe a completed activity that happened in

the past.

3. Future tense – The future tense marks the event described by the verb as not having

happened yet, but expected to happen in the future.

PRESENT TENSE

The present tense is used in English  to tell us about an event that is going on in the

present time. The present tense has further four types. We will see them

one by one.

1. Present Indefinite or Simple Present

The sentence structure for simple present tense is:

Subject ( I, You, We, They ) + V1 ( First Form of Verb ) + Object

We use simple present tense in the following ways:

a) It is used to show a habit.

e.g. He goes to the park every morning at 7.

b) Simple present tense is used to express general truths.

e.g. A magnet attracts iron.

c) Simple present tense is used in exclamatory sentences starting with here and there.

e.g. Here goes the train!

There he comes! Let’s welcome him for coming late to the class.

d) Simple present tense is generally used with fixed timetables and fixed programmes.

e.g. The cricket match, for which you all are excited, starts at 7 pm.

2. Present Continuous tense

The sentence structure for present continuous tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + auxillary verb (is/am/are) + Verb+ing + Object

We use present continuous tense in the following ways:

a) It is used to show that an action is going on in that given time.

e.g. Look! Those boys are playing in the damp area of the park.

b) We also use present continuous tense to show a future action that has already been

planned.

e.g. I am going to Manali this month with my family.

c) Though simple present tense is used to show a habit, we also use present continuous

tense to indicate a repeated action despite several warnings.

e.g. My sister is silly. She is making the same mistake again and again.

d) We do not use the following words in present continuous form when used in their usual

meaning. We use simple present tense to use these words in a sentence.

3. Present Perfect Tense

The sentence structure for present prefect tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + has/have + V3 (third form of verb) + Object

The present perfect tense is used in the following ways:

a) This tense is used to show that an action is completed in the immediate past. It is used

with the word just.

e.g. She has just left with her friends.

b) This tense is used with the actions of the past whose time is ambiguous or is not

mentioned in the text.

e.g. Have you read The Mahabharata?

I have never seen him in a bad mood.

c) This tense is used when we emphasize more on the outcome (that we experience in

the present) than on the action (that has already happened in the past).

e.g. Rohit has cut his finger accidentally. (and it is bleeding now.)

Himanshu has eaten all the sweets. (and there are not any left for us.)

d) We use present perfect tense to show that an action started in the past is going upto

this moment in the present.

e.g. The couple has lived here for 20 years now.

4. Present perfect continuous tense

The sentence structure for the present perfect continuous tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + has/have + been + Verb+ing + Object

The present perfect continuous tense is used in the following ways:

a) We use this tense to show that an action started in the past is continuing in the present

too.

e.g. Neha has been sleeping on the couch for an hour.

b) This tense is used to show an already finished action. We use this tense to answer the

after-result of that action.

e.g. You are drenched in sweat from head to toe. What were you doing? I have been running

PAST TENSE

Past tense is used to show an action or condition that has happened in the past. This tense

has four aspects that talk about to what extent an action has been completed. Past tense

has the following types:

1. Simple past tense

The sentence structure for the simple past tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + V2 (second form of verb) + Object

a. This tense is used to point out that an action completed in the past. We use adverbs

of past like yesterday, ago, last week, etc. in such sentences.

e.g. She received the letter of appreciation yesterday only.

b. It is used to depict the old habits.

e.g. Sonal always carried a hat.

2. Past continuous tense

The sentence structure for the past continuous tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + was/were + Verb+ing + Object

a. This tense is used to show that an action was going on in the past.

e.g. She was reading novels during her autumn break.

The clause used with the conjunction ‘when’ is in simple past. The sentence of simple past

depicts the action happened later/most recent.

3. Past perfect tense

The sentence structure for the past perfect tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + had + V3 (past participle) + Object

a. This tense is used to describe an action that had been completed way before a

particular moment in the past.

e.g. They met Zoravar in Himachal in 2015. They had seen him last four years before.

b. Past perfect tense is used along with simple past tense to show the action happened

first in the series.

e.g. When Virat reached the stadium, the match had already begun.

4. Past perfect continuous tense

The sentence structure for the past perfect continuous tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + had + been + Verb+ing + Object

This tense is used to indicate that an action started in the past and continued up to a point in

the past.

e.g. When Simon joined the dance practice, Angelina had been dancing there for 5 years.

FUTURE TENSE

Future tense is used when an action is supposed to occur at a specific time in future. There

are 4 types in future tense:

1. Simple future tense

The sentence structure for the simple future tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + will + V1 (first form of verb) + Object

a. This tense is used to indicate the obvious events/things that will happen in the future.

e.g. She is 18 years old. She will be 19 next year.

b. We use this tense to predict what will happen in future.

e.g. I think she will win this time.

Note: We use words/phrases like probably, I think, I believe, I am sure in such sentences.

c. We also use this tense to show an action that we have decided to do in that instant.

e.g. It is raining cats and dogs outside. I will take an umbrella with me.

2. Future Continuous tense

The sentence structure for the future continuous tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + will + be + Verb+ing + Object

a. We use this tense to indicate that an action will be in progress in the future. The action

will continue to exist in that point of time.

e.g. At this time tomorrow Latika will be attending the concert.

b. This tense is used to show that an event is planned and is expected to happen in

future.

e.g. My sister will be visiting me during her summer holidays.

3. Future Perfect tense

The sentence structure for the future perfect tense is:

Subject ( I/ You/ We/ They ) + will + have + V3 (past participle) + Object

We use this tense to show that an action will be completed by that certain point of time in the

future.

e.g. By next month I will have shifted to my new place in Bandra

4. Future perfect continuous tense

Though it is not a common tense to use, we use it to show the events which have been

ongoing from a prolonged period but will end in the future.

e.g. Moin will have been working in this office for two years next December.