Using different tenses

1. Tenses = Time of Action
Let’s begin with Simple Past Tense.
Dear Students Let’s learn Tenses
Let’s learn them one by one and do write the following
slides in your English Fair Notebook.

2. Where to use : The Past Simple is used to write and talk about completed actions that
happened in a time before the present.
Examples:
Affirmative
1) Aviral demanded an ice cream yesterday.
(V2 Only)
Negative
2) His brother didn’t demand an icecream.
(Did+ Not + V1)
Interrogative
3) Did you demand an icecream?
(Did+ Subject+V1)
4) Aviral was happy.
(Be form: Was and Were)
Simple Past / Past Indefinite Tense
PAST Completed Action or Past State of Being
X
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Key words/Hint Words: yesterday, last, ago, in 2019
I / He / She / It V2
You / We / They V2

3. Where to use: To express habits, facts,
thoughts and feelings, general statements and
repeated actions.
Key words/Hint Words/Time words: often, always, never, every day, month,..., usually,
sometimes, generally, normally, rarely, seldom, whenever, on Mondays, Tuesdays,...
Examples:
Affirmative
1) Kashvi always attends English class.
Rule: (Singular Subject = V1+ s/es )
Negative
2) Kashvi doesn’t always attend English class.
(Doesn’t + V1)
3) We don’t often answer the questions.
(Don’t +V1 )
Interrogative
3) Do you generally answer the questions?
(Do+ Subject+ V1)
4) Tejasv is happy today.
(Be form: is, am, are)
PRESENT Repeated Action or State of Being
X X X X X X X X
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Simple Present / Present Indefinite Tense
He / She / It
You / We / They/I V1
V1+s/es

4. Where to use: to talk about the future.
Key words/Hint Words/Time words: tomorrow, next
Examples:
Affirmative
1) Vaishvi will attend English class.
Rule: (Will + V1 )
Negative
Vaishvi will not attend English class.
3) Interrogative
Vaishvi will attend English class.
Rule: (Will + Subject+ V1)
Note: We may use ‘will’ with all subjects. It depends upon the context and
meaning.
FUTURE An Action or State of Being That Will Happen
X
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Simple Future Tense
You/We/She/He/It will
I / We shall

5. Continuous / Progressive Tense
+
Verb1 + ing

6. Key words/Hint Words/Time words: when/while
Examples:
Affirmative
1) We were learning tenses in English class when the network became poor.
Rule: (Was/Were+ V1+ing )
Negative
We were not learning tenses in English class when the network became poor.
3) Interrogative
Were we learning tenses in English class when the network became poor ?
PAST
An Ongoing Action Occurred in the Past
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Be
were
was
Past Continuous / Progressive Tense
I / He / She / It was
You / We / They were
Where to use : It is used to tell or talk about a long action in the past.

7. Where to use: when something is
happening at the moment.
Key words/Hint Words/Time words: now, at the moment
Examples: (complete the examples on your own based on the moment.)
Affirmative
1) My mother is ________________________________.
(Be form : is,am,are + V1+ ing)
Negative
2) My father is not _______________________.
3) Interrogative
Am I _______________________?
PRESENT
An Ongoing Action Occurring Right Now
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Be is
am
are
He / She / It is
You / We / They are
I am
Present Continuous / Progressive Tense
continuous
V1+ing

8. Where to use: when planning for something is done.
Key words/Hint Words/Time words: now, at the moment
Examples:
Affirmative
1) My mother will be visiting the doctor tomorrow.
(Will+be +V1+ing)
Negative
2) We shall not be moving out of our houses till March.
3) Interrogative
Will you be helping me with my revision work ?
Note: We may use ‘will’ with all subjects. It depends upon
the context and meaning.
FUTURE
An Ongoing Action Will Occur in the Future
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
will be
shall be
Future Continuous / Progressive Tense
You/We/She/He/It will be
I / We shall be
V1+ ing
continuous

9. Where to use : The Past Simple is used to write and talk about completed actions that
happened in a time before the present.
Examples:
Affirmative
1) Aviral demanded an ice cream yesterday.
(V2 Only)
Negative
2) His brother didn’t demand an icecream.
(Did+ Not + V1)
Interrogative
3) Did you demand an icecream?
(Did+ Subject+V1)
4) Aviral was happy.
(Be form: Was and Were)
Simple Past / Past Indefinite Tense
PAST Completed Action or Past State of Being
X
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Key words/Hint Words: yesterday, last, ago, in 2019
I / He / She / It V2
You / We / They V2

10. Where to use: It is used when a past action started in the past and has just finished or
is still happening. There has to be a relation to the present.
Some Examples:
Affirmative
1) 6E and 6H have already answered the
questions.
(Have+V3)
Negative
2) Some students have not revised tenses yet.
3) Interrogative
Have you enjoyed the game ?
PRESENT
An Action Occurred at an Unspecified Time in the Past
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Present Perfect Tense
X X
have
has
+ V3 I / He / She / It has
You / We / They have
Perfect
Key words/Hint Words:
already,just,ever,never,yet,for,since

11. Where to use: It is used when an action had happened before another action in the
past took place.
Some Examples:
Affirmative
After she had done her homework, she visited me.
Past
An Action Occurred before another event in the Past
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Past Perfect Tense
X X
had + V3 I / He / She / It had
You / We / They had
Perfect
2nd action
1st
action
Key words/Hint Words: before,after
Now try to write Negative and Interrogative sentences on your
own 
2nd action
1st action in Past
So Past Perfect

12. Where to use: It is used when an action happened before another action in the past
took place.
Example:
Affirmative :
I shall have completed my work before she will come home .
Future
An Action will occur before another event in the Future
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Future Perfect Tense
X X
Will/Shall have+ V3 You/They/He/She/It will have
I / We shall have
Perfect
2nd
action
1st
action
Key words/Hint Words: before, after
1st action in
Future so Future
Perfect
2nd action in Future
Now try to write Negative and Interrogative
sentences on your own 