Tenses

Tenses denotes the time of action as well as the state.
Present
● Indefinite
● Continuous
● Perfect
● Perfect
continuous
Past
● Indefinite
● Continuous
● Perfect
● Perfect
continuous
Future
● Indefinite
● Continuous
● Perfect
● Perfect
continuous
Tenses

Present Tense
1. I love. (Simple present)
Verb shows the action is mentioned simply, without anything being said about the completeness or
incompleteness of the section.
1. I am loving. (Present continuous)
Verb shows the action is mentioned as incomplete or continuous that is, still going on.
1. I have loved. (Present Perfect)
Verb shows that the action is mentioned as finished, complete or perfect at the time of speaking.
1. I have been loving. (Present perfect continuous)
Verb shows that action is going on continuously, and not completed at this present moment.

The structure of Simple Present Tense
● +Ve= Subject+ V1+ Object (If subjects are I, We, They, You or Plural)
● -Ve= Subject+ do not (don’t)+ Object
● Question= Do+Subject+V1+ object?
Do + Subject+ not+V1+ Object?
Don’t + Subject+ V1+ Object?
● +Ve= Subject+ V1+ s/es+ Object (If subject is he, she, it, name or
singular)
● -Ve= Subject+ does not (doesn’t)+ V1+ object
● Question= Does+Subject+V1+Object?
Does+Subject+V1+ Object?
Doesn’t+Subject+V1+ Object?

Usage of Simple present Tense
● To express habitual action
Ex. He drinks tea every morning
● To express general truths
Ex. The sun rises in the east.
● In exclamatory sentences beginning with here and there to express what is
actually taking place in the present:
Ex. Here comes the bus!
There she goes!

● In Vivid narrative, as substitute for the simple past:
Ex. Sohrab now rushes forward and deals a heavy blow to Rustam.
● To express future event that is part of a fixed time table or fixed
programme:
Ex. The next flight is at 7:00 tomorrow morning.
The match starts at 9 o’clock.
● It is used to introduce quotations:
Keats says, ‘ A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.’
● In broadcast commentaries on sporting events:
Ex. Sachin strikes the ball and it goes across the boundary lines.

Let’s Check your progress
Fill in the blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets:
1. I_____in Model Town and my friend, Sham also_____there. (live)
2. My mother_____water and I_____rice every morning.(boil)
3. My father_____to his office and we_____to our schools at 8 am.(go)
4. I_____what my sister_____.(eat)
5. ______you ______in the same school in which Radha____?(read)
6. The sun _______in the day and the stars_____at night.(shine)
7. Beauty______no ornaments as you _______them. (need)
8. Sarla________as sweet as Sharda and Shushma______.(sing)
9. Sohan_______his fields in the same manner as other farmers______their
fields.(plough)
10.Rajini_______on bed but her sisters______on floor. (Sleep)

Present Continuous
● +Ve= Subject+ is/am/are+ Ving
● -Ve= Sub+ is/am/are+not+ Ving
Sub+ isn’t/aren’t/ain’t+Ving
● Question= Is/am/are+ Sub+ Ving
Isn’t/aren’t/ain’t/Sub+Ving

Usages of present Continuous
● For actions going on at the time of speaking
Ex. The boys are playing hockey.
● For a temporary action which may not be actually happening at the time of
speaking.
Ex. I am reading ‘David Copperfield’. (but I am not reading at this moment)
● For an action that has already been arranged to take place in near future
Ex. I am going to cinema tonight.
My uncle is arriving tomorrow.

● Although Simple present is used for habitual actions. However, for particularly
obstinate habits (sometimes which persists,in spite of advice or warning), we
use the present continuous with an adverb like always, continually, constantly
etc.
Ex. My dog is very silly; he is always running out into the road.
● The following verbs, on account of their meaning, are not normally used in
continuous form:
1. Verbs of perception: See, hear, smell, notice, recognise.
2. Verbs of appearing: appear, look, seem.
3. Verbs of emotion: want, wish, desire, feel, like, love, hate, hope, refuse
4. Verbs of thinking: think, suppose, believe, agree, consider, trust, remember,
forget, know, understand, imagine, mean, mind
5. Have(=possess), own, possess, belong to, contain, consist of, be(except when
used in the passive)

Eg. These grapes are tasting sour. X
These grapes taste sour. (Correct)
She is seeming sad.(X)
She seems sad.(Correct)
● However, the verbs listed above can be used in the continuous tense with a
change of meaning.
Ex. She is tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt. ( test the flavour of)
I am thinking of going to Malaysia.
(think of=consider the idea of)
They are having lunch. (have=eat)

Fill in the blanks with correct tense of verb:
1. Look! The sun ______(rise)
2. Why ______you ______so fast?(run)
3. The children _______in the park. (play)
4. Mohini ______a novel now. (read)
5. Water ______from the running tap. (flow)
6. _____it______outside now?(rain)
7. What _____your sister _____these days?(do)
8. I _____tonight.(return)
9. They ______for Kanpur tomorrow. (leave)
10.Why_____you____a noise?

Present Perfect Tense
● +Ve= Subject+has/have+V3+Object
● -Ve= Subject+has/have+not+V3+Object
Subject+hasn’t/haven't V3+ Object
● Question: Has/have+Subject+not+ V3+Object?
Hasn’t+haven’t+Subject+V3+Object?

Usages of Present Perfect
● To indicate completed activities in the immediate past (with just); as
Ex. He has just gone out.
● To express past actions whose time is not given and not definite; as
Have you read ‘Gulliver’s Travels’?
I have never known him to be angry.
● To describe past events when we think more of their effect in the effect in the
present than of the action itself; as
Gopi has eaten all the biscuits. (i.e.there aren’t any left for you)
I have cut my finger. (and it is bleeding now)
I have finished my work. (=now I am free)

● To denote an action beginning at some time in the past and continuing up to the
present moment (often with since- and for- phrases); as,
I have known him for a long time.
He has been ill since last week.
We have lived here for ten years.
We haven’t seen Padma for several months.
● The present Perfect is never used with adverbs of past time.
Ex. He has gone to Kolkata yesterday. (X)
He went to Kolkata yesterday. (correct)

Fill in the blanks with correct tense (present) of the verbs given in bracket:
1. Where_____you_____your purse? (lose)
2. _____she not yet______her work?(finish)
3. How many suns ______she______?(solve)
4. My sister______from Meerut presently.(return)
5. Raju _____Saroj since 1980. (Know)
6. Asha_____never_____the Red fort.(see)
7. ______you not _____your bath as yet?(take)
8. I ______not ______my lesson. (revise)
9. We_____not_______from Rajini for the last 4 months.(hear)
10.She ______in Delhi for 8 years. (live)

Present Perfect Continuous Tense
● +Ve= subject+has/have+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/since+time
● -Ve= Subject+has/have+not+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/since=time
Sub+hasn’t/havn’t+been+V1+ing+obj+for/since+time
● Question= has/have+sub+been+V1+ing+obj+for/since+time?
Has/have+Sub+not+been+v1+ing+obj+for/since+time?
Hasn’t/haven’t+Sub+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/since+time?

Usages of Present Perfect Continuous Tense
● The present perfect Continuous is used for an action which began at some time
in the past and is still continuing; as,
He has been sleeping for five hours (and is still sleeping)
They have been building the bridge for several months.
● This tense is also sometimes used for an action already finished. In such cases
the continuity of the activity is emphasised as an explanation of something.
Why are you so wet?
I have been watering the plants.

Fill in the following blanks with correct present tense form of the verbs given in
brackets:
1. It_______outside for half an hour. (hail)
2. The storm _______since 4 o’clock. (howl)
3. I _________for the bus since morning. (wait)
4. Since when ______you______in this school? (read)
5. It_______not_____since midnight. (rain)
6. She______midnight oil for 5 years.(burn)
7. I________fore the examination for one year. (prepare)
8. Malaria ________in this city since July. (rage)
9. How long______you ______for me? (wait)
10.The washerman_______our clothes since 1985. (wash)

Miscellaneous exercise 1 (Present tense)
Fill in the blanks with correct present tense form of the verbs given in brackets-
1. Water _______at 100°C.(boil)
2. We_________a hockey match tomorrow.(play)
3. ______your brother______his account?(clear)
4. The cattle_______in the field.(graze)
5. She ______meat several times.(taste)
6. You______a losing game.(play)
7. Everybody_______with the rising sun.(rise)
8. They______footlball for two hours.(play)
9. There______(go) the bell!
10. If you_____not______(obey), you will be punished.
11. _____you______(go) for a walk daily?
12. The train_______just_____(arrive)
13. Where______you_____(put up) these days?
14. He ________(not pass) his B.A. yet.
15. Asha_______(suffer) from fever since Monday.
16. He________(wait) for me for the last three hours.
17. ______you_______(write) letters for one hour?

Miscellaneous exercise 2 (present tense)
Rewrite the following sentences making necessary changes.
1. I am studying English since three years.
2. She has passed the High school examination in 1979.
3. The earth is moving round the sun.
4. I have received your letter on Sunday last.
5. I am seeing water birds over there.
6. There stands Ram and his brother.
7. He is pass in English.
8. I write a letter to my father already.

PAST TENSES
Simple Past:
● +ve: Subject+V2+object
● -Ve: Subject+did not (didn’t)+V1+obj
● Ques: Did+Subject+V1+Object
Did+Subject+not+V1+Obj
Didn’t+subject+V1+Obj?

Usages Of Simple Past
● The simple past is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs
with adverbs or adverbs phrases of past time.
The steamer sailed yesterday.
I received his letter a week ago.
● Sometimes this tense is used without an adverb of time. In such cases the time may
be either implied or indicated by the context.
I learnt Hindi in Nagpur.
I didn’t sleep well. (i.e. last night)
● For past habits:
Ex. He studied many hours everyday.

Let’s check your progress
Fill in the following blanks with correct Tense of the verbs given in brackets:
1. I_____your letter this morning. (receive)
2. How many deer_____you_____in the zoo? (see)
3. My father _____a new house last month.(buy)
4. Prices_______by forty percent last year. (rise)
5. Columbus______America. (discover)
6. Thousands of people_____their lives in the earthquake. (lose)
7. Gangu______ten rupees from me.(borrow)
8. When______you_____from Allahabad?(return)
9. I______to her house on foot.(go)
10.A thief_____into our garage last night.(break)

Past Continuous Tense Structure
● +Ve=Sub+was/were+V1+ing+obj
● +Ve= Sub+ was/were+not+V1+ing+obj
Sub+wasn’t/weren’t+V1+ing+obj
● Question: Was/were+Sub+V1+ing+Obj?
Was/were+Sub+not+V1+ing+obj?
Wasn’t/weren’t+Sub+V1+ing+Obj?

Past Continuous Tense (Usages)
● To denote an action going on at some time in the past. The time of the action
may or may not be indicated.
Ex. We were listening to the radio all evening.
It was getting darker.
● The past continuous and simple past are used together when a new action
happened in the middle of a longer action. The simple past is used for the new
action.
Ex. The light went out I was reading.
When I saw him, he was playing chess.

Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets:
1. The baby_____in the room.(weep)
2. Children______a noise in the class. (make)
3. Why______you____at her?
4. We saw the aeroplane while it_____.(take off)
5. The students____their morning prayer when I reached their school.(say)
6. I_____my beard when the telephone bell rang.(shave)
7. My mother_____when I returned home.(sleep)
8. The old lady_____the Gita when the guests arrived. (read)
9. Mother_____tea for us when the school bus horned.(prepare)
10.She found that the baby_____bitterly.(cry)

Past Perfect (Structure)
● +Ve= Subject+had+V3+Obj
● -Ve= Subject+had+not(hadn’t)+V3+Obj
● Ques: HAd+sub+V3+Obj?
Had+Sub+not+V3+Obj?
Hadn’t+Sub+V3+Obj?

Past perfect (Usages)
● Describes an action completed before a certain moment in the past; as
I met him in New Delhi in 1996, I had seen him last five years before.
● If two actions take place in the past, one after the other, the 1st action
will be in Past Perfect and the second action will be in simple past
tense.
● Ex. I saw him before he stopped his car. (X)
● I had seen him before he stopped his car. (correct)
Before he understood anything the robber fled. (X)
Before he understood anything the robber had fled. (correct)

Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets:
1. Mohan____already____his breakfast. (take)
2. If she _____for the examination she would not have failed.(prepare)
3. The bell_____before I reached the school.(go)
4. The patient_______before the doctor arrived.(die)
5. She____not___the place before her husband permitted her.(leave)
6. _____the child____before his mother returned from office?(sleep)
7. The rain____when we stepped out of our house.(stop)
8. If you____her, she would have got first division.(help)
9. The cinema show____when I reached the hall.(start)
10.If she_____the bus, she would have caught the train.(board)

Past Perfect Continuous (Structure)
● +Ve= Sub+had+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/since+time
● -Ve= Sub+had+not+been+V1+ing+obj+for/since+time.
Sub+hadn’t+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/since+time
● Ques= had+Sub+been+V1+ing+for/since+time?
Had+Sub+not+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/since+time?
Hadn’t+sub+been+V1+ing+obj+for/since+time?

Past Perfect Continuous (Usages)
● Used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued
up to that time.
At that time he had been writing a novel for two months.

Fill in the blanks with correct tense of the verbs:
1. She _______hard since December. (study)
2. Sarla_______her love for many years.(befool)
3. How long______the two neighbours_____when a third one joined them?(sleep)
4. I_____for hours when you knocked at my door. (sleep)
5. Tenzing_____to climb Everest for many years before he succeeded in his mission.
(try)
6. Sheela_______preperations for four years before he appeared at IAS examination.
(make)
7. They_____the sums for four hours when I joined them. (solve)
8. The Americans______for war for many years. (prepare)

Miscellaneous exercise 3
Choose the correct verb form from those in brackets:
1. The earth_______round the Sun. (move, moves, moved)
2. My friends______the Prime Minister yesterday. (see, have seen, saw)
3. I ______him only one letter up to now. (sent, have sent, send)
4. It started to rain while we_______tennis. (are playing, were playing, had played)
5. She______worried about something. (looks, looking, is looking)
6. He______fast when the accident happened. (is driving, was driving, drove)
7. He______asleep while he was driving. (falls, fell, has fallen)
8. I’m sure I _____him at the party last night. (saw, have seen, had seen)
9. He_____a mill in town. (have, has, is having)
10. He______here for the last five years. (worked, is working, has been working)
11. He thanked me for what I ______. (have done, had done, have been doing)
12. I _______him for a long time. (know, have known, knowing)
13. Don’t disturb me. I ______my homework. (do, did, am doing)
14. Abdul______to be a Doctor. (wants, wanting, is wanting)
15. He______TV most evening. (watches, is watching, watch)

16. I ______Rahim at the Zoo. (saw, have seen, had seen)
17. Ashok fell off the ladder when he ______the roof. (is mending, was mending, mended)
18. Here are your shoes. I ______them. (just clean, just cleaned, have just cleaned)
19. She _________unconscious since 4 o’clock. (is, was, has been)
20. I ______a lot of work today. (did, have done, had done)
21. Look! The Sun ______over the hills. (rise, rises, is rising)
22. We______for his call since 4:30. (are waiting, have been waiting, were waiting)
23. He used to visit us every week, but he ______now. (rarely comes, is rarely coming, has
rarely come)
24. We______our breakfast half an hour ago. (finished, have finished, had finished)
25. Did you think you________me somewhere before. (had seen, have seen, were seeing)

FUTURE TENSES
Simple Future (Structure)
● +Ve= Sub+Shall/will+V1+Obj
● -Ve= Sub+Shall/will+not+V1+Obj
Sub+Shan’t/Won’t+V1+Obj
● Question: Shall/will+Sub+V1+Obj?
Shall/will+Sub+not+V1+Obj?
Shan’t/Won’t+Sub+V1+Obj?

Use of “Shall” and “Will”
❖ Shall is Used with first person I and We in future tense. All other persons take will.
Eg. I shall go to college tomorrow and he will come with me.
❖ In modern english, “will” can be used with I and We but in interrogative sentences we must use
only shall with I and We.
Eg. Will I go? (X)
Shall I go? (Correct)
❖ Shall is used with second person (you), third person (He, she, it, they), to denote command,
promise, threat, determination, compulsion and advice.
Eg. Command: You shall leave room at once.
Promise: You shall be awarded.
Threat: Trespassers shall be prosecuted.
I will punish you.

Determination: I will work hard and score good marks.
Compulsion: You shall be here for the meeting.
❖ Shall is used with the first person to make a suggestion in interrogative
sentences.
Shall we talk to the management?

Usage of Simple Future
● The Simple Future tense is used to talk about things which we cannot control. It expresses the future
as fact.
Eg. I shall be twenty next saturday.
It will be Diwali in a week.
● When we decide to do something at the time of speaking.
It is raining. I will take an umbrella.
“Mr. Sinha is very busy at the moment. ” Okay, I’ll wait.
● We use the going to form (be going to+ base form of the verb) when we have decided to do something
before talking about it.
Have you decided what to do? - Yes I am going to resign the job.
Why do you want to sell your motorbike?- I am going to buy a car.

● The going to form may also express an action which is on the point of happening.
Let’s get into train. It is going to leave.
Look! The cracker is going to explode.
● We also use the going to form to talk about what seems likely or certain, when
there is something in the present which tells us about the future.
It is going to rain; look at those clouds.
She is going to have a baby.
● Be about to+base form of the verb can also be used for immediate future.
Ex. let’s get into the train. It’s about to leave.
Don’t go out now. We are about to have lunch.

● If two action takes place in future one after the other and one depends on the
second- First action will be in Simple present tense and second action will be in
Simple future tense.
Ex. If he goes, he will get the opportunity to explore.
● Simple future tense is never used immediately after the following words.
Instead simple present tense is used.
If, as soon as, in case, provided, unless, until, before, after, when
Ex. I will leave as soon as he reaches the airport.

1. We_______not _______to the market, in case it rains. (go)
2. She_______here till I do not return. (stay)
3. She_______me next week. (see)
4. If I work hard, I _____the examination. (pass)
5. If she tries a scooter, she____the train.(catch)
6. She hopes you _____her. (help)
7. If Nitin works hard, he ______the class. (top)
8. She______my house next Monday if she comes to Delhi. (visit)
9. Now that her husband is here, she _____indoors. (keep)
10.No one ______my room. (enter)

Future continuous tense
● +ve= Subject+ Shall/will+be+V1+ing+Obj
● -Ve= Subject+Shall/will+not+be+V1+ing
Sub+shan’t won’t+be+V1+ing+obj
● Question: Will/Shall+Sub+be+V1+ing+obj?
Will/shall+Sub+not+be+V1+ing+Obj?
Won’t/Shan’t+sub+be+V1+ing+Obj?

Future Continuous Usages
● To talk about actions which will be in progress at a time in the future.
I suppose it will be raining when we start.
This time tomorrow I will be sitting on the beach in Singapore.
● We can also use this tense to talk about actions in future which are already
planned or which are expected to happen in the normal course of things.
I will be staying here till sunday.
He will be meeting us next week.

1. Dinesh _______for us at the appointed time. (wait)
2. When Sarla calls on me, I _____my clothes. (iron)
3. The gardener ______the plants next month. (water)
4. Sonu______his lesson tomorrow at this time. (revise)
5. Mohini______tea when you enter her room. (make)
6. The patient _____rest when the doctor arrives. (take)
7. The peon ______the bell by the time I reach the school. (ring)
8. Sharda ______for Madras by the time I reach the school. (ring)
9. We_____our courses by the end of January. (complete)

Future Perfect (Structure)
● +Ve= Subject+will/shall+have+V3+Obj
● -Ve= Subject+ will/shall+not+have+V3+Obj
Subject+won’t/shan’t+have+V3+Obj
● Question= Will/shall+Sub+have+V3+Obj?
Will/shall+Sub+not+have+V3+Obj?
Won’t/Shan’t+Sub+have+V3+Obj?

Future perfect Usages
● An action that will have been completed in future, comes under Future perfect
Tense.
You will have finished your syllabus by the end of next month.
● Look at the difference:
1. By the time I reach the station, the train will have left.
2. By the time I reached the station, the train had left.

1. The picture ______by the time we reach the hall. (start)
2. _____you _______your studies by 2007? (finish)
3. The farmers_____not______the harvest before september. (reap)
4. I______exercise before the sun rises.(take)
5. He ______his lesson by next week. (learn)

Future Perfect Continuous (Structure)
● +Ve= Sub+shall/will+have+been+V1+ing+obj+for/from+time.
● -Ve= Sub+shall/will+not+have+been+V1+ing+obj+for/from+time.
Sub+shan’t/won’t+have+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/from+time.
● Question: Will/shall+Sub+have+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/from+time?
Will/shall+sub+not+have+been+V1+ing+obj+for/from+time?
Won’t/shan’t+sub+have+been+V1+ing+Obj+for/from+time?
● Verbs that are not used in ing form are not used in ‘continuous or perfect
continuous tenses’.

Future Perfect Continuous Usages
● This tense is used for actions which will be in progress over a period of time that
will end in the future.
By the next March we shall have been living here for four years.
I’ve been teaching for twenty years next July.
This tense is not very common.

Let’s check you progress
1. They_____the sums since morning. (solve)
2. We _____ in the river for three hours before noon. (bathe)
3. We _____our time during examination days. (not waste)
4. The farmers ______the field since 2008. (plough)
5. ____he_____ for you for an hour? (wait)
6. By next year, I _____in Jaipur for seven years. (live)
7. Our school team _____the other team for the seventh time. (defeat)
8. She_____since 8 A.M. before I reach home at noon. (study)

Tenses

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