Tenses

 

TENESE

Tense is defined as the form of the verb that tells the relation between time and action. It denotes the time when the action is completed or the state of being.

There are three types of tenses: Present, Past and Future. These three tenses are further categorized as given below.

Simple Present Tense

 

The simple present tense is used to express-

 

• habitual actions: 

 

   Ex: She takes milk after dinner.

 

   • unchanging situations:

  

           Ex:   He works at a restaurant.

   •  direction and instructions:

        

         Ex: Take the powder and mix it with cool water.

 

  • scheduled programs and events in future:

        Ex:  The magic show begins at 6 p.m.

 

·        repeated actions:

 

         Ex: She goes to the cinema every week.

 

    • Scientific and general truth:

      Ex:  Milk provides us with many essential nutrients.

 

Form of the Verb Used:

·        We use base form (first form of the verb) with the subjects: I , we, you, they and other plural verbs.

·        We use base form of the verb + ‘s’ or ‘es’ with the subjects: he, she, it and other singular verbs.

 

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
He writes a letter	He does not write a letter.	Does he write a letter?
She sings a song.	She does not sing a song.	Does she sing a song?

 

Present Continuous Tense

The simple continuous tense is used to express-

 

• actions taking place at the time of speaking. For example:

       Ex: She is reading her book.

 

• for scheduled events taking place in the future. For example:

      Ex: Mr. Manish is coming tomorrow.

 

• something that happens again and again. For example:

     Ex: You are always coming late to the office.

 

• something that shows regular changes or development. For example:

      Ex: India is becoming a powerful nation.

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• action that is going on over a period of time, but it may be temporary.

    Ex:  I am learning English.

 

Form of the verb used in Present continuous Tense

Subject + am/is/are + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence

Affirmative	Negative	Interrogative
I am singing a song.	I am not singing a song.	Am I singing a song?
She is coming here.	She is not coming here.	Is she coming here?

 

Present Perfect Tense

 

The present perfect tense is used —

 

• to express the actions that have been completed at an unspecified time just before now.

     Ex:  She has finished her painting.

 

• to indicate the change in something that took place over a period of time. For example:

    Ex:  You have become more charming since I saw you last.

 

• to indicate that a certain action has taken place several times in the past. For example:

       Ex: I have reported this issue many times to the director.

 

• to indicate the accomplishment of individuals and humanity. For example:

    Ex: The scientists have discovered a new solar system.

 

to tell past action that has its influence on the present. For example:

Ex: She has gone to Chennai.

 

Form of the Verb

·        We use have + past participle (third form of the verb) with the subjects: I , we, you, they and other plural verbs.

·        We use has + past participle (third form of the verb) with the subjects: he, she, it and other singular verbs.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that started in the past and continues to the present. It suggests that how long something has been going on.

 

 For example:

• I have been living in Delhi since 2002.

• It has been raining for three hours.

• We have been swimming since 6 a.m.

 

Form of the Verb

·        We use have + been + present participle (verb+ing) with the subjects: I , we, you, they and other plural verbs.

·        We use has + been + present participle (verb+ing) with the subjects: he, she, it and other singular verbs.

Note:

The preposition ‘for’ is used to denote a specific amount of time in which someone or something was performing an action. For example, ‘I have been looking for my dog for some time now.’

 The word ‘since’, on the other hand, refers to a particular point of time from when the action started/began in the past to the present. It indicates that the action is continuing. For example, ‘Raj has been living in London since 2003.’

Past Tense

 

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The time of the action is mentioned sometimes, but not always. The time of the action may be in the recent past, or the distant past, and the duration of the action is not important.

 

We use simple past tense in the following situations.

• completed actions in the past. For example:

   Ex: They finished their work.

 

• status or habitual actions in the past. For example:

       Ex: During my school days, I played lots of cricket.

 

• wish or imaginary things. For example:

    Ex:  I wish I had a car.

 

Form of the Verb:

We use past form (second form) of the verb with all the subjects.

 

Past Continuous Tense

 

Past continuous tense is used—

 

• To describe a continued action at a definite time in the past. For example:

 

    Ex: Yesterday at 6 p.m. Priya was reading a book.

 

• To express an on-going action when another action took place in the past.

 

    Ex:  I was sleeping when Ram came.

 

Form of the verb:

We use was/were + present participle (ing form) form of the verb.

 

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is used-

 

• to indicate an action that was performed before another action in the past.

 

    Ex:  They had played cricket before we reached there.

 

• to express unreal or imaginary situations. For example:

 

    Ex:  I wish I had not left you alone.

 

• to express reported speech. For example:

 

   Ex: She said that she had done her work.

• with expressions like already, before or till. For example:

 

   Ex: The team had already lost the match.

 

Form of the verb:        

Subject + had + past participle + the rest of the sentence for the action that completed in past of the past action.

Subject+ past (second) form of the verb that completed in near past

 

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

 

Past perfect continuous tense is used to show that an action stated in the past and continued till some point in time in the past.

 

    Ex:  She had been writing a story for five hours when her mother stopped her.

 

Form of the verb:

Subject + had + been + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence

 

Simple Future Tense

 

The simple future tense is used to:

 

• express the actions that will be completed in the future.

 

    Ex: She will write a letter tomorrow.

 

·        to make promises.

 

Ex: I will help you whenever you need it.

 

 

• to express willingness or sudden decision.

 

     ExI will do whatever you say.

 

• to give orders.

 

§  You will finish this work today.

§  She will not go out today.

 

Form of the verb: 

subject+ will + base form of the verb.

 

Future Continuous Tense

 

The future continuous tense is used to:

 

• Describe an action that will be going on at some point in time in the future.

 

     Ex: Raman will be cleaning his room in the evening.

 

• Predict or guess an action that may take place in the future.

 

   Ex: I am sure that they will be coming to the party.

 

• Express the scheduled events in the future. For example:

 

   Ex: The chairperson will be meeting the members of the board tomorrow.

 

Form of the Verb:

 

Subject + will be + present participle (ing form) of the  main verb + rest of the sentence.

 

 

Future Perfect Tense

 

We use future perfect tense to indicate the time of completion of an action in the future.

 

Ex: She will have finished her work by tomorrow.

Ex: By the time you reach here, I will have left for Chennai.

 

Form of the Verb:

 

Subject + Helping verbs (will + have) + Past participle form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence.

 

 

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

 

Future perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that will start in the future and will be continued till some point of time in future.

 

   Ex:    By six o’ clock, I will have been painting for four hours.

          She will have been dancing for two hours when you will reach there.

 

Form of the Verb:

 

Subject + Helping verbs (will + have + been) + Present participle form of the main verb + the rest of the sentence.