12 English Grammar Tenses

1. Tenses

2. What is a verb?
A verb is a word that describes an action.
1. He writes a letter.
2. Students write a letter.
3. I write a letter.
4. You write a letter.
Base present/
singular
ing
form
past past.
part:
Write writes writing wrote written
Work works working Wrote worked
Give gives giving gave given

3. What are tenses?
The term “Tenses” means “time”. So it donates
the time an action take place.
present Past Future
Simple Write/Writes
ලියනවා
Wrote
ලිවා
Will write
ලියාවි
continuous Am/is/are
writing
ලියමින් ඉන්නවා
Was/were
writing
ලියමින් හිටියා
Will be writing
ලියමින් ඉදිවි
Perfect Has/have
written
ලියලා තියයනවා
Had written
ලියලා තිබුණා
Will have written
ලියලා තියේවි
Perfect
continuous
Has/have been
writing
ලියමින් ඉදලා
තියයනවා
Had been
writing
ලියමින් ඉදලා
තිබුණා
Will have been
writing
ලියමින් ඉදලා
තියේවි

4. Simple present tense
 To express a habitual action
ex:- The school bus picks up the students at 6 a.m
 To express general truths
ex:- The sun rises in the east.
 To express a future event that is part of a fixed timetable
ex:-The match starts at 9 o' clock.
subject + present verb + rest
Ex:-He plays basketball every Sunday.
ඔහු හැම ඉරිදම බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම්
ටරනවා

5. Simple past tense
 To talk about actions completed in the past at a definite time.
ex:-They flew to London last week.
 Use to talk about past habits.
ex:-She always carried an umbrella.
Subject + past verb + rest
ex:-He played basketball yesterday.
ඔහු ඊබේ බාස්කට් බබබෝල් බස්ල්ලම්
ටළා

6. Simple future tense
 Use to talk about predictions.
Ex:- Roy will walk home.
subject + will present verb + rest
Ex:- He will play basketball next week.
ඔහු ලබන ස්තිබේ බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම්
ටරාවි

7. Present continuous tense
 Indicates an action that is taking place at the moment of
speaking.
Ex:-She is walking.
 To indicate actions about this time(not at the time of speaking.)
Ex:-I am reading a novel these days.
Subject + am/is/are + verb ing + rest
Ex:-He is playing basketball now.
ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරමින්
ඉන්නවා

8. Past continuous tense
 Indicates that somebody was in the middle of doing
something at a certain time.
Ex:-Anne was walking home when I met her.
subject + was / were verb ing + rest
Ex:-He was playing basketball when I went.
මම යනබටාට ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරමින්
සිටියයා

9. Future continuous tense
 To indicate actions happen continuously in the future.
Ex:-He will be walking to home.
Subject + will be verb ing + rest.
Ex:- He will be playing basketball next Sunday.
ඔහු ලබන ඉරිදා බාස්කට් බබබෝල් බස්ල්ලම් ටරමින්
ඉදිවි

10. Present perfect tense
 To indicate a link between the present and past.
Ex:-He has worked in this company since 2010.
 To indicate an action started in the past but not completed yet.
Ex:- She has gone out.
 To indicate actions completed in the recent past.
Ex: The train has just left the station.
subject + has/have past participle + rest
verb
Ex:- He has played basketball.
ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරලා
තිබයනවා

11. Past perfect tense
 To indicate actions in the past that had been completed before
another time or event in the past.
Ex:-(When Paul arrived at the party)Sarah had gone home.
Subject +had past participle + rest
verb
Ex:- He had played basketball when Mary came.
බම්රි එනබටාට ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරලා තිබුණාාා ා

12. Future perfect tense
 To indicate actions in the future that will have been completed
before another time or event in the future.
rest
Ex:-By the time we arrive, he will have studied.“
subject + will have past participle +
verb
Ex:- He will have played basketball when mother comes.
අම්මා එන විට ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරලා
තිබයවි

13. Present perfect continuous tense
 To indicate actions that started in the past and is continuing at the
present time.
Ex:-He has been sleeping for an hour.
Subject + has/have been + verb ing +rest
Ex:- He has been playing basketball for 3 hours.
ඔහු පැය තුනක් තිස්කබස්ක බාස්කට් බබබෝල් බස්ල්ලම් ටරමින්
ඉදලා තිබයනවා

14. Past perfect continuous tense
 To indicate actions in the past that took place before another time
or event in the past and continued during the second event/time
point in the past.
Ex:-He had been exercising before his mother
arrived.
subject + had been verb ing + rest
EX:- He had been playing basketball when Mary came.
බම්රි එන විට ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරමින් ඉදලා
තිබුණාානා

15. Future perfect continuous tense
 To indicate actions in the future that will have been continuing
until another time or event in the future.
Ex:-He will have been exercising when she arrive.
Subject + will have been verb ing + rest
Ex:- He will have been playing basketball when she comes.
ඇය එන විට ඔහු බාස්කට් බබබෝල්බස්ල්ලම් ටරමින් ඉදලා
තිබයවි

16. 1. I……………… to the cinema yesterday.(go)
2. My friend ……………….. To music every
evening.(listen)
3. They …………….. Their car. It looks new.(clean)
4. Listen! Mr. john ……………… the piano(play)
5. She …………. Her left arm two weeks ago.(break)
6. We ……………….. Atest now.(write)
7. Ken and Emely often ………..have lunch at school.(have)
8. He …………….. His money. So he can’t buy this
book.(lose)

17. 1. I went to the cinema yesterday.(go)
2. My friend listens to music every evening.(listen)
3. They have cleaned their car. It looks new.(clean)
4. Listen! Mr. john is playing the piano(play)
5. She broke her left arm two weeks ago.(break)
6. We are writing a test now.(write)
7. Ken and Emely often have lunch at school.(have)
8. He has lost his money .So he can’t buy this
book.(lose)