Verb Tenses are among the most important aspects of English grammar. If one understands the usage of verb tenses, it gives a lot of confidence to her/him.
This document helps the reader to understand the basic and extended uses of different forms of tenses.
It is important to speak the language if one intends to achieve fluency at speaking.
1. English Grammar
Sreeram’s Employability Skills Programmes Page 1
Verb Tenses
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE (Every day, regularly, usually, sometimes, seldom, never, occasionally , always)
Affirmative Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I walk. I do not walk. Do I walk?
2nd
person You walk. You do not walk. Do you walk?
3rd
person She walks. She does not walk. Does she walk?
plural They walk. They do not walk. Do they walk?
Repeated actions Habits General facts
Venkat plays tennis every Monday.
My parents go to temple every Friday.
He goes for a walk every morning.
I get up at 6:30.
I go to bed at 9:30.
Sreeram teaches English.
Chandana writes with her left hand.
Timeless truths / Universal truths Arranged/Scheduled actions in Future Here comes … there goes
The earth revolves round the sun.
Heat expands bodies.
Mongooses kill snakes.
Her train leaves at 3 o' clock.
The next bus leaves at 5 a.m. tomorrow.
The match begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
There goes the school bell.
Here comes our school bus.
Here she comes.
There she goes.
Series of events Newspaper Headlines
Tendulkar bowls a yorker to Kapil. Kapil comes forward and hits the ball to the fence.
Mr. Naidu greets the crowd and promises to offer good governance. Mr. Reddy criticises Mr.
Naidu for false promises.
Virat Kohli hits his 100th
century at Eden Park.
Prime Minister criticises the opposition for
stalling the parliament.
2. English Grammar
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SIMPLE PAST TENSE (Yesterday, last Sunday, last week, two days ago, in 2000)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I walked. I did not walk. Did I walk?
2nd
person You walked. You did not walk. Did you walk?
3rd
person She walked. She did not walk. Did she walk?
plural They walked. They did not walk. Did they walk?
Talking about completed actions along with the “time of happening”
I spent all my childhood in Srikalahasti.
I visited my grandfather yesterday.
Prasad left 10 minutes ago.
Venkat performed a magic show last week.
Rajiv came here last year.
Lakshmi met Radha yesterday morning.
Story-telling
Once upon a time there lived a king. One day, he met a beautiful princess.…
3. English Grammar
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SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE (Tomorrow, later, two days later, in two days, in a week, in a month, in a year, very soon, tonight)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I shall/will walk. I shall/will not walk. Shall/Will I walk?
2nd
person You will walk. You will not walk. Will you walk?
3rd
person She will walk. She will not walk. Will she walk?
plural They will walk. They will not walk. Will they walk?
Asking & giving information about the future
Talking about intentions
Predicting future / guessing
I will phone you tomorrow.
Sreeram will come here in half an hour.
I will go to Bangalore tomorrow.
Will you call me tomorrow?
Will Srinivas come tomorrow? Yes, he will come tomorrow.
Srinivas will not participate tomorrow.
Sathish shall be rich and famous one day.
It will rain tonight.
Rocky will never get a job.
4. English Grammar
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PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE (Now, at the moment, nowadays, these days, still, today, right now)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I am walking. I am not walking. Am I walking?
2nd
person You are walking. You are not walking. Are you walking?
3rd
person She is walking. She is not walking. Is she walking?
plural They are walking. They are not walking. Are they walking?
Actions happening “now” Planned / arranged actions in the near future
It is raining.
I am writing my homework.
He is having a bath at the moment.
We are all waiting for you.
What are you doing?
I am doing my homework.
Venkat is leaving for Chennai tomorrow.
What are you doing tomorrow?
Srinivas is coming soon.
Are you coming to the party in the evening?
No, I am not coming.
5. English Grammar
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PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE (All day yesterday, yesterday, last week, all morning, when, while, during)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I was walking. I was not walking. Was I walking?
2nd
person You were walking. You were not walking. Were you walking?
3rd
person She was walking. She was not walking. Was she walking?
plural They were walking. They were not walking. Were they walking?
Actions continuing in the past Repeated actions in the past
What were you doing yesterday evening?
I was watching TV.
At 7 am this morning, I was doing my homework.
I was resting all day yesterday.
Venkat was always complaining about Sreeram.
The students were constantly making good progress.
Past Continuous with Simple Past
I was watching a movie when the telephone rang.
As I was walking down the street, I saw Venkat.
Ravi was smoking when his father came.
6. English Grammar
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FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE (Tomorrow morning/evening, same time next month)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I shall / will be
walking.
I shall / will not be walking. Shall / will I be
walking?
2nd
person You will be walking. You will not be walking. Will you be walking?
3rd
person She will be walking. She will not be walking. Will she be walking?
plural They will be walking. They will not be walking. Will they be walking?
Actions that will be continuing in future Arranged or Scheduled events in future
This time tomorrow I will be travelling to Hyderabad.
This time next week, I will be flying to Singapore.
We shall be visiting Bangalore in the summer.
I will be meeting Venkat tomorrow.
He will be depositing money in the evening.
Polite Inquiries Guessing the present
Will you be coming with me?
Will Sreeram be joining us?
Don’t disturb them now – they will be sleeping.
7. English Grammar
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PRESENT PERFECT TENSE (just, never, ever, already, before, yet, always, lately, recently, how long, since, for)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I have walked. I have not walked. Have I walked?
2nd
person You have walked. You have not walked. Have you walked?
3rd
person She has walked. She has not walked. Has she walked?
plural They have walked. They have not walked. Have they walked?
Actions completed in the “near past” Action started in the past and continuing in the present
Sreeram has come just now.
I have had my lunch just now.
Have you come just now?
I have spoken with my friend just now.
We have known each other for thirty five years.
We have lived in this city since 1995.
I have studied hard for years.
Past events with “indefinite time adverbs” Completed action “without definite time”
Venkat has already been to the Reliance Mart.
Radha has not yet decided how to spend holidays.
I have just spoken with the Principal.
I am sure we have met before. Have we met before?
Have you ever seen a dinosaur? No, I have never seen a dinosaur.
Has Srinivas come yet? Yes, he has come already.
There has been a plane crash near New York.
Radha has written me a letter.
Venkat has broken his leg.
I have visited Chennai and Bangalore many times.
Have you completed your homework?
Has Satish brought the book? No, he has not brought the book.
Sentences formed with this/it/that is the first/second/third/only/best/worst/etc.
This is the fifth time you have asked me the same question.
It is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
That is the worst movie I have ever seen.
This is the best lunch I have ever had.
Bhajrangi Bhai Jaan is the third movie I have seen this week.
Enter the Dragon is the only English movie I have seen.
8. English Grammar
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PAST PERFECT TENSE (Before)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I had walked. I had not walked. Had I walked?
2nd
person You had walked. You had not walked. Had you walked?
3rd
person She had walked. She had not walked. Had she walked?
plural They had walked. They had not walked. Had they walked?
Talking about “earlier past” Talking about unrealised wishes/hopes
I had seen him twice before he left for Chennai.
The train had left before I reached the station.
The patient had died before the doctor came.
I had hoped to become a doctor, but I was not good at science.
Talking about the past events that did not happen Indirect Speech
If I had gone to Bengaluru, I would have studied MBA. (conditional)
I wish you had told me the truth.
Padma told me that she had lost her purse.
One of my friends told me that he had seen a flying saucer.
9. English Grammar
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FUTURE PERFECT TENSE (Before, by, by the time)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim
take teach tell think wear write
1st
person I will have walked. I will not have walked. Will I have walked?
2nd
person You will have walked. You will not have walked. Will you have walked?
3rd
person She will have walked. She will not have walked. Will she have walked?
plural They will have walked. They will not have
walked.
Will they have
walked?
action that will be completed at some point of time in the
future
We will have completed half the course by end of May.
The children will have finished their homework by 9’o clock today.
He will have written all the notes by tomorrow evening.
10. English Grammar
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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE (How long, since, for)
Basic Form Negative Form Question Form Use these verbs to practise…
Begin Build bite bring buy catch cut
dream drink drive fall eat feel fight
fly forget give go hear know lead
leave lose make meet pay read run
say see send shake shoot show sing
sit sleep slide speak spend swim take
teach tell think wear write
1st
person I have been walking. I have not been walking. Have I been walking?
2nd
person You have been
walking.
You have not been
walking.
Have you been walking?
3rd
person She has been walking. She has not been walking. Has she been walking?
plural They have been
walking.
They have not been
walking.
Have they been walking?
Actions that started in the past and are still going on Actions that started in the past and have just stopped
I have been reading since morning.
We have been waiting for Venkat.
It has been raining since Monday.
We have been waiting for you.
Identify the differences Identify the differences
It is raining again. ( when?)
It has been raining since Sunday.
I am learning English. ( when?)
I have been learning English for two years.
I have been painting the house since morning.
I have painted two rooms since morning.
I have been reading your book.
I have read your book.