Tenses- Present continuous, present perfect, past continuous, & past perfect.

2. PRESENT TENSE
• Present Continuous Tense
The Present Continuous is a verb tense which is
used to show that an ongoing action is
happening now.
• Use of Present Continuous Tense:
1. Action happening now
eg: -She is eating right now and cannot answer the
phone.
- They are watching cartoon at the moment.
- The children are sleeping.

3. 2. Talk about trends and development
eg: - It’s getting more expensive to go to
university.
- These days most people are using email
instead of writing a letter.
3.Something which happens again and again
eg: - She is always arguing.
- He is always laughing.
4. Future Action
- Planned to do something in the future.
eg: - I am visiting the zoo next week.
- I am going to Kolkata next month.

4. • STRUCTURE:
Subject + am/is/are + Verb + ing
I He You
She We
It They
• Positive Sentences:
Sub + am/is/are + Verb +ing
eg: She is reading.
• Negative Sentences:
Sub + am/is/are + not + verb + ing
eg: She is not reading.
• Interrogative Sentences:
am/is/are + Sub + verb + ing
eg: Is she reading?
am
is are

5. PAST TENSE
• PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE:
Unfinished, ongoing action in the past(finished action)
• STRUCTURE:
Subject + was/were + Verb + ing
I You
He We
She They
It
• Use of Past Continuous Tense:
1. Action was going on and interrupted by short action.
eg: -I was watching TV when she called.
- I was eating when the doorbell rang.
Was Were

6. 2. Action going on at a particular time.
eg: -At 8 p.m, I was eating dinner.
-He was busy in packing last evening.
3. Two actions going on simultaneously at same time in
past.
eg: -I was cooking and he was reading.
4. Actions that repeated in past(past habits).
eg: -They were yelling at each other.
-She was constantly singing.
• Negative Sentences:
Subject + was/were + not + Verb + ing
• Question Sentences:
Was/were + Subject + Verb + ing…

7. • PAST PERFECT TENSE:
Actions completed before some point in the past.
STRUCTURE:
Subject + had + verb(Past Participle/V3)
Eg: I was sick because I had eaten too mnuch the
previous night.
• Use of Past Perfect Tense:
1. Completed action before something in the past.
- We got to the theatre, the movie started.
- We got to the theatre, the movie had started.

8. 2. How long to a point in the past(for past actions
that started in the past and continued up to a
given time in the past).
eg: -I had never seen him for 5 years
-When he graduated, he had been in London for
six years.
3. Emphasize that the preceding action was
completed before the succeeding action started.
Eg:- I had gone to Delhi last week, before my father
came.
4. The action didn’t take place(unreal).
Eg: -I had wanted to help my brother.
-I wish I hadn’t slept too late last night.

9. • EXERCISE:
1. The baby ________ before her father came.
(cry)
2. He began to run after he ___________ the
cat.(see)
3. I ____________ in London, before I moved to
Paris.(live)
4. I returned home because I __________ my
notebook at home.(forget)
5. _____ the water ________ when you went to
kitchen?(boil)

10. • Present Perfect Tense
Use of Present Perfect Tense-
Action started in the past & continuing in the
present
eg: -She has worked in the school for five years.
-She has had the chickenpox since Friday.
When the time period referred to has not
finished
eg: - I have worked hard this week.
- We haven’t seen her today.

11. Actions repeated in an unspecified period between
the past & now.
eg: - It has happened several times already.
- We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
Actions completed in the very recent past (just)
eg: - I have just eaten.
- We have just seen her.
oSTRUCTURE:
Sub + have/has + V3(Past Participle)
I
We He
They She
You It
Have
Has

12. • Affirmative:
Sub + has/have + Past Participle(V3)
Eg: She has visited.
• Negative:
Sub + has/have + not + Past Participle(V3)
Eg: She hasn’t visited.
• Interrogative:
Has/Have + Sub + Past Participle(V3)
Eg: Has she visited?
• Negative Interrogative:
Has/Have + not + Sub + Past Participle(V3)
Eg: Hasn’t she visited?

13. • EXERCISE:
1. Mr. and Mrs. James aren’t at home. They
_________ to Delhi. (go)
2. I ___________ your book several times. (read)
3. I ________ him for five years. (know)
4. This month, I __________ my brother at all.
(not visit)
5. ______ she _________ the room? (clean)
6. He ___________ cheese since childhood. (hate)