Tense

Mainly there are three tenses, past tense, present tense and the future tense. It is important to note that according to time it is said to be three tenses but according to verb forms we have only two tenses. They are Present and Past tense.

Present Tense

1. Simple Present Tense

2. Present Perfect Tense

3. Present Continuous Tense

4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
   Past Tense

1. Simple Past Tense

2. Past Perfect Tense

3. Past Continuous Tense

4. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
   Future Tense

1. Simple Future Tense

2. Future Perfect Tense

3. Future Continuous Tense

4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

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1.            Simple Present Tense

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Simple present tense is used to tell about the actions which would take place now, regularly takes place present time or in short period. The time indicators are every day, every month, always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, rarely and never.

Ex:

1. She+ cooks+ food every day. (cook + s)
   Sub + V1 + Object

2. Ravi + goes+ to college every day. ( go +es)

Sub + V1 + Object

Note: While writing simple present tense if the subject is third person singular then we have to add‘s’ or ‘es’ to the verb form.

Usage of Simple Present Tense

1. It is used to express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:

2. It is used to give instructions or directions:

3. It is used to express fixed arrangements, present or future.

4. It is used to express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:

5. It is used for making announcements at railway stations and parks.

6. It is used in news paper headlines.

7. It is used in Conditional Clauses.

8. It is used in Proverbs.

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2. Simple Past Tense

Simple past tense is used to talk about a completed action in the past. The simple past is the basic form of past tense in English. It is used to express the past events when they took place in the past exactly and indefinitely. It is used for all actions in the past irrespective of the point of time and it is also used as like simple present to express daily actions and routine works in the past. The time indicators of past tense are ago, before, last week, in 1947.

1. She + cooked + rice yesterday.
   Sub + V2 + Object

2. I + went + to market one hour ago.
   Sub + V2 + Object

3. We got Independence in 1947.

4. I used to walk daily to the school last year.
   Usage of Simple Past Tense

1. It is used to tell about past incidents which took place in the past.

2. It is used along with a past perfect tense.

3. It is used with another simple past tense.

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3. Simple Future Tense

Simple future tense is used to express a thing which would take place in future in the sense later than now. It expresses the speaker’s opinions, assumptions and speculations about future.

1. She + will + cook+ Biriyani tomorrow.
   Sub + will / shall + V0 + Object.

2. I +shall + go + to market next Sunday.

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Sub + will / shall + V0 + Object.

Future time indicators are tomorrow, next week, next year etc. The simple future is used:

• To predict a future event: It will rain tomorrow.

• With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision: I'll pay for the tickets by debit card.

• To express willingness: I'll do the washing-up. He'll carry your bag for you.

• In the negative form, to express unwillingness: The baby won't eat his soup. I won't leave until I've seen the manager!

• With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer: Shall I open the window?

• With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion: Shall we go to the cinema tonight?

• With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions: What shall I tell the boss about this money?

• With you, to give orders: You will do exactly as I say.

• With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:

Will you come to the dance with me?

Will you marry me?

Note: In modern English will is preferred to shall. Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an offer or suggestion. With the other persons ‘shall’ is only used in literary or poetic situations. If we use ‘will’ beside ‘I’ it means it is sure and it would take place in the sense. Ex. I will come to your sister marriage. Here in the given sentence ‘will’ is used in place of ‘shall’ it means it tells about confidence and assurance of the subject ‘I’ .

4. Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense is used the action which has just been completed and that it is in a completed condition

at the present time.

Ex.1. Rekha + has + written + a letter.

Sub + have/ has + V3 + Obj.

2. They + have + finished + their home work.

Sub + have/has + V3 + Obj.

Present Perfect time indicators words like lately, recently, ever, never, always, occasionally, often, since, this

week, this year etc. also indicate an incomplete period of time.

5. Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense is used to denote an action which is in a completed state at a given time in the past. It is used to denote an action which was completed earlier than another action in the past and when two actions took place in the past one after the other, the one which took place first for that Past Perfect Tense and the one which took place later for that Simple Past tense should be used.

Ex. 1. She + had + visited +Gujarat.

Sub + had + V3 + Obj.

1. They had left Gujarat before the earthquake occurred. Past Perfect Tense + before + Simple Past

2. The earthquake occurred after they had left Gujarat. Simple Past + after + Past Perfect Tense Note: Past Perfect Tense time indicators are before, after, when.

6. Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense is used an action which would be completed by a certain future time. It is expressed with ‘B y’ and ‘Before’.

Ex.

1. Raju + will have + completed + his home work by 6 ‘0’ clock in the evening. Sub + will/shall have + V3 + Obj.

2. He will have reached Bangalore before the strike begins.

3. They will have finished the construction by the end of next year.

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7. Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Tense is use to denote an action in progress at the time of speaking and an action that will take place in the near future.

Ex.

1. They + are + watching + match.
   Sub + is/am/are + V4 + Obj.

2. Lalitha is writing a letter.

3. I am leaving for Ethiopia next week.

4. The President of India is visiting Pakistan shortly.

Note: Certain verbs are not normally used in the continuous tense:

1. Verbs of perception: see, smell, hear, feel.

2. Verbs expressing feelings and emotions: love, like, hate, dislike, desire, fear, detest, wish, want, value,
   mind.

3. Verbs of mental activity: know, understand, remember, recollect, believe, expect.

4. Verbs of Possession: owe, own, possess and belong.

Some of these verbs are used in the continuous tense with special meaning.

1. The Principal is seeing the candidates tomorrow.( Interview)

2. They have been hearing all about the accident.( Receiving news)

3. Rekha is feeling for the lighter.( Trying to find by touching)

8. Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense is used to describe an action going on in the past, when two actions took place in the past at the same time; both the actions are described in the past continuous. Simultaneously when two actions took place in the past while one action was going on anther action took place. Then the action which was going on for that past continuous and for another simple past is used.

Ex.

1. They + were + making + kites.
   Sub + was/were + V4 + Obj.

2. While I was taking bath my mobile rang.

3. When she was cooking food somebody knocked at the door.

4. While I was writing exam my friend was asking for answers.

9. Future Continuous Tense

Future Continuous Tense is used to represent an action going on at some point in future time and also used to indicate future events that are planned.

Ex.

1. I + shall+ be+ plying + cricket tomorrow by this time or 6 pm.
   Sub + will/shall + be + V4 + Obj.

2. They shall be staying in Madanapalle till Sunday.

3. We shall be travelling to Bangalore by this time tomorrow.

10. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express an action which began in the past and still continuing in present and no one knows when it ends in future.

Ex.

1. Rakesh + has + been + reading + for four hours.
   Sub + have/has + been + V4 + Obj.

2. It has been raining since morning.

3. We have washing car for 2hours.

4. She has been cooking for 1 hour.

Note: Here in using Present Perfect Continuous Tense two things should be reminded that is usage of point of time and period of time. Point of time referred by ‘Since’ and Period of time referred by ‘For’. Ex. Since morning, since 1996, since Monday, etc. For 20 days, for one week, for 200 years, etc.

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11.Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used to denote an action which started sometime in the past, continuous past another point of time in the past at which it is still seen continuing.

Ex.

1. He + had + been + repairing + the radio. Sub + had + been + V4 + Obj.

2. I had been repairing my mobile for half an hour before my mother reached home.

3. We had been living in Gujarat for 10 years before the earthquake occurred.

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12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to denote a future action which is in progress over a period of time that will end in the future.

Ex.

1. They + will + have + been + living + here for five years by the end of the month. Sub + will/shall + been + V4 + Obj.

2. By the next month I shall have been working in this campus for ten years.

Note: However both Past Perfect Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous Tenses are not in modern usage.