TENSES
Tense is the form taken by a verb to indicate time and continuance or
completeness of an action or event.
Tenses are of three main types, viz. Present Tense, Past Tense and
Future Tense. Further, each of these is sub-divided into four categories,
i.e., Simple Tense, Continuous Tense, Perfect Tense and Perfect
Continuous Tense.
(I) Present Tense
It expresses an action or event that takes place in the present time; or, a
habit or state that currently or generally exists.
(1) Simple Present Tense
It is used to describe universal truths, habits, unchanging situations and
scheduled activities.
Examples for repeated or regular actions in the present time period:
I take the tram to the office.
Prakash works eight hours every day.
The train to Mumbai leaves at 10 P.M.
He goes to dance classes in the weekends.
I get up every day at four o'clock in the morning.
Examples for facts:
We belong to India.
Sun sets in the west.
The president of the USA lives in the White House.
Examples for habits:
They travel to their farmhouse every weekend.
She brushes her teeth twice a day.
I get up early every day.
Formation of Simple Present Tense
The first person (I) takes the first form of verb like- I go and we
work there, etc.
The second person (You) takes the first form of verb like- You
come and You run, etc.
In the third person singular number, the verb always ends with 's'
like- He wants, She gives, Nina thinks, Ravi runs, etc.
In case the verb is ending with 'y', it changes to 'ies' like- She flies
and He cries, etc.
In the third person plural number, the first form of verb is used like-
They come, Children play, etc.
(2) Present Continuous Tense
It is used for those actions which are happening now or are unfinished.
This tense is also used when the action is temporary and it is also
known as Present Progressive Tense.
Examples:
He is weeping.
She is talking with the guests.
The baby is sleeping in the crib.
Present Continuous Tense is also used to express something not
happening right now or will not happen in the near future.
Examples:
You are not watching the game.
She is not sitting over there.
I am not going to the meeting after work.
The Present Continuous Tense is also used in questions.
Examples:
Is he laughing? Are you coming?
Are they listening to the teacher?
(3) Present Perfect Tense
It is used to indicate the completion of an activity or an action that
occurred at some point in the past. Though, the time of the action is not
exactly known, this tense is mostly used to refer to actions completed in
the immediate past (not a very long time ago).
Examples:
I have eaten my meal.
I have finished cooking.
He has bought a car.
In the present perfect sentences, the past participle of 3rd form of verb is
used with the auxiliary verbs ‘has' or 'have ‘depending upon the subject
of the sentence. For example, if the subject of the sentence is ‘She, He,
It or a singular noun' then the auxiliary verb 'has' is used and when the
subject of the sentence is "They, You or a plural noun' then the auxiliary
verb 'have' is used.
Examples:
She has qualified the exam.
They have helped us.
You have done a good job.
He has not started a business.
It has come.
(4) Present Perfect Continuous Tense
It is used for an action which started in the past and is continuing at the
present time. A time reference is also used in the sentence to show the
time of action. The specific words 'since' and 'for' are used to show the
time of action.
'Since' is used to refer to a point of time since Sunday, since 6 A.M.,
etc.,
'For' is used to express the duration of time for 10 days, for six months,
etc.
The auxiliary verbs 'have been' or 'has been' is used depending upon the
subject of the sentence. If the subject of the sentence is 'She, He, It or a
singular noun' then the auxiliary verb 'has been' is used and if the
subject of the sentence is 'They, You or a plural noun' then the auxiliary
verb 'have been' is used.
Sentence Structure: Subject + Have been / Has been + Present
Participle (verb + ing) + (Object) + Time-reference
Examples:
He has been living in the USA since 1990.
She has been working in this company since 2002.
He has been studying this book for three months.
They have been waiting for me for three hours.
Ravi has been writing for this newspaper since 25th May, 2007.
I have been watching the movie for two hours.
Examples of interrogative sentences:
Has she been working as a professor for five years?
Have they been making a noise for two hours?
Has she been writing the report since 1st March, 2016?
Has your mother been teaching you since 2001?
(II) Past Tense
It expresses an action, event or state in the past.
(1) Simple Past Tense
It is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The time
of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past.
Examples:
He went home yesterday.
The work was finished on 4th June.
She worked in a sugar factory.
My father believed in superstitions.
The steamer sailed yesterday.
He went home some time back.
She used to carry an umbrella.
(2) Past Continuous Tense
It is used to mention an ongoing action of the past or an action that
continued for sometime in the past. It is also known as Past Progressive
Tense. In these sentences, 1st form of the verb + ing and auxiliary verbs
'was' or 'were' is used depending upon the subject of the sentence. If the
subject of the sentence is 'I, She, He or a singular noun then the
auxiliary verb 'was' is used and if the subject of the sentence is 'You, we,
They or a plural noun then the auxiliary verb 'were' is used.
Examples:
He was waiting for his mother.
She was riding a bike.
The dog was barking at them.
I was planning for the holidays.
They were eating their meal.
You were not preparing for the exam.
We were not going with them.
(3) Past Perfect Tense
It is used to show that something happened before another action in the
past or simply, to express two actions that happened in the past. In this
case, it is important to use the connecting words like when, before,
because, etc., correctly to show which action/event happened earlier
than the other.
Examples:
I had done my homework when Hari came to see me.
They lost many games because they had not practised enough.
You had studied French before you moved to Italy.
When I reached the station, the train had departed.
I had just gone out when it started raining.
(4) Past Perfect Continuous Tense
It is used to show an action/event that began before a certain point of
time in the past and was continuing at the given point of time in the
sentence. The sentence includes a 'time-reference' with 'since' and 'for'
to show when the action started in past or for how long the action
continued in the past.
Sentence structure: Subject + Had been + Present Participle + (Object)
+ Time-reference
Examples:
She had been watching the game for two hours.
He had been working for a newspaper for seven years.
I had been applying for jobs since May 2013.
She had been teaching since October, 2010
Had she been waiting for her husband for three years?
Had they been asking for me?
(III) Future Tense
It expresses an action/event that has not yet happened or a state that
does not yet exist.
(1) Simple Future Tense
It is used to express an action that will occur or happen in the future.
Examples:
I will buy a laptop at the end of this month.
We will shift to a new apartment the next week.
My father will buy me a bicycle on my birthday.
He will leave for Canada day after tomorrow.
She will get admission in a new school.
(2) Future Continuous Tense
It is used to express an on-going or continued action which will occur at
some time in the future. In these sentences, the first form of the verb +
ing is used along with the auxiliary verbs 'will be or 'shall be’.
Examples:
He will be singing a song for the audience.
I shall be reading the paper then.
He will be meeting us next week.
I will be writing a report.
(3) Future Perfect Tense
It is used to indicate the completion of an action/ event in the future. In
these sentences, the third form of the verb is used with the auxiliary
verbs 'will have' or 'shall have'.
Examples:
I shall have written my exercise by that time.
He will have completed his project by Sunday.
I will have taken my lunch.
He would have finished his task.
(4) Future Perfect Continuous Tense
It is used to indicate an action represented as being in progress over a
period of time that will end in the future. Time period is generally
mentioned along with it. 'Since' or 'for' is used in the sentence for time-
reference.
Sentence Structure: Subject + Will/Shall have been + Present
Participle + (Object) + Time reference.
Examples:
By next July, we shall have been living here for four years.
The child will have been sleeping since 10 P.M.
The doctor will have been treating patients for three years.
You will have been using my bike for six months.
The company will not have been advertising posts for two years.
Will he have been studying for so long?
Shall I have been waiting since morning?
Directions Qs. (1-20): Choose the correct tense for each sentence.
1. By the time we reach the station, the train _______.
(a) will leave
(b) leaves
(c) leaving
(d) left
2. What tense is used in the sentence: "She has been studying for two
hours"?
(a) Present Continuous
(b) Present Perfect Continuous
(c) Past Continuous
(d) Past Perfect Continuous
3. Choose the correct tense: "He ______ to the concert last night."
(a) went
(b) goes
(c) is going
(d) will go
4.What tense is used in the sentence: "They will have completed the
project by tomorrow"?
(a) Future Perfect
(b) Future Continuous
(c) Past Perfect
(d) Present Perfect
5. Identify the tense: "She is cooking dinner right
now."
(a) Present Simple
(b) Present Continuous
(c) Past Simple
(d) Past Continuous
6. What tense is used in the sentence: "I had finished my work before
she called"?
(a) Past Perfect
(b) Present Perfect
(c) Future Perfect
(d) Past Continuous
7. Choose the correct tense: "The sun _________in the east."
(a) rises
(b) rising
(c) will rise
(d) rose
8. What tense is used in the sentence: "They will be playing football at
this time tomorrow"?
(a) Future Perfect Continuous
(b) Future Continuous
(c) Present Continuous
(d) Present Perfect Continuous
9. Identify the tense: "I have visited that museum before."
(a) Present Perfect
(b) Past Simple
(c) Past Perfect
(d) Future Simple
10. Choose the correct tense: "She ________ a book when I called her."
(a) reads
(b) was reading
(c) has read
(d) will read
HOMEWORK
11.What tense is used in the sentence: "He will be watching TV at 8 PM
tonight"?
(a) Future Continuous
(b) Future Perfect
(c) Present Continuous
(d) Present Perfect Continuous
12. Identify the tense: "They were playing chess when the guests
arrived."
(a) Past Simple
(b) Past Continuous
(c) Past Perfect
(d) Past Perfect Continuous
13. Choose the correct tense: "I_____ my keys in the car yesterday."
(a) lose
(b) lost
(c) losing
(d) will lose
14. What tense is used in the sentence: "She has been waiting for the
bus for half an hour"?
(a) Present Continuous
(b) Present Perfect
(c) Past Continuous
(d) Past Perfect Continuous
15. Identify the tense: "We will have a meeting tomorrow."
(a) Future Simple
(b) Future Perfect
(c) Future Continuous
(d) Present Perfect
16. What tense is used in the sentence: "They are planning a surprise
party for her"?
(a) Present Simple
(b) Present Continuous
(c) Past Simple
(d) Past Continuous
17. Choose the correct tense: "He _______ to the gym every day."
(a) goes
(b) go
(c) going
(d) will go
18. What tense is used in the sentence: "I will visit my grandparents next
weekend"?
(a) Future Perfect
(b) Future Continuous
(c) Future Simple
(d) Present Perfect Continuous
19. Identify the tense: "She had never seen the ocean before she went
on vacation."
(a) Past Simple
(b) Past Perfect
(c) Past Perfect Continuous
(d) Present Perfect
20. Choose the correct tense: "The company ______ its new product
next month."
(a) launches
(b) will launch
(c) launched
(d) launching
ANSWERS
1. A
2. B
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. A
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. B
11. A
12. B
13. B
14. D
15. B
16. B
17. A
18. C
19. B
20. B
