Tenses and their types

1. Tenses

2. Learning Targets
∙ I can form and use the past tense and
its forms (e.g., I walk; I was walking, I
will be walking, I have walked etc.)
verb tenses.
∙ I can use verb tense to convey
various times, sequences, states, and
conditions.
∙ I can recognize and correct
inappropriate shifts in verb tense.

3. The Present
Tense
1.Simple present tense is used to:
• talk about an action going on in
the present time
Example: I cannot access the
Internet.
The server is down.
• talk about a habit or a universally
accepted fact
Examples: Children go to
school every day.
The Sun rises in the east.
• to repeat a proverb
Example: The early bird
catches the worm.
• to express a future event that is
part of a fixed programme.
Example: Father goes to South
Africa tomorrow.

4. The Present
Tense
2. Present continuous tense
is used to talk about an
action that is going on at the
very moment of speaking.
Example: We are studying
grammar.

5. The Present
Tense
3. Present perfect
tense is used to talk
about an action that
has just been
completed.
Example: He has
accessed the Internet.

6. The Present
Tense
4. Present perfect continuous tense
is used to talk about an action that
began in the past and is still going on
at the time of speaking.
The words ‘for’ and ‘since’ are used with
the verb to express the present
continuous tense.
• ‘For’ is used to indicate the period of
time that the action has been going on.
• ‘Since’ is used to indicate the point in
time from when the action began to take
place.
Examples:
It has been raining for two days.
It has been raining since yesterday.
HAS/HAVE+ BEEN+ING FORM OF THE
VERB

7. The Past Tense
Simple past tense is used
to:
• talk about an action
finished before the time of
speaking
• talk about some past habit
Examples:
The dog chewed up the
bone.
Last year I attended school
every day.

8. The Past Tense
Present perfect or simple
past?
•Present perfect: we think
about the past and the
present together
Example:
I have made a cake.
Would you like some?
•Simple past: We only
think about the past, not
the present
Examples: I made a cake
for Ria’s birthday.

9. The Past Tense
Past continuous tense is used to
talk about an action of longish
duration that had been in progress in
the past, but has ended before the
time of speaking.
Example: This time last month we
were holidaying in Kasauli.
The simple past tense is used with
the past continuous tense to show
that another action of very short
duration took place while the main
action was still in progress.
Examples: I was watching (past
continuous) television when my
father entered (simple past) the
room.
The ministers were holding a protest
meeting at Jantar Mantar when
someone stole their cell phones.
WAS/WERE+V-ING

10. The Past Tense
Past perfect tense is used to
talk about an action that took
place and was completed at
some point of time in the past
before it was followed by
another action.
The first action is in the past
perfect tense while the action
that follows it is in the simple
past tense.
Examples: When Niti had
finished (past perfect) her
homework, she switched
(simple past) on the
television.
The train had left when we
reached the station.
HAD+THIRD FORM OF
VERB

11. The Past Tense
Past perfect continuous
tense is used to talk about
an action that began at a
given moment in the past,
had continued up to some
recent time and had just
finished.
Example: I had been
watching television till
late at night.
had+been+ing form of
verb

12. Future Time Simple future is
used to talk about an
action that is going
to take place after
the time of speaking.
Example: The petrol
station owners will
hold a strike
tomorrow.

13. Future Time
Future continuous is
used to talk about an
action of longish
duration that will be in
progress after the
time of speaking.
Example: My baby
will be joining a play
school next year.

14. Future Time
Future perfect is used
to talk about an action
that will be completed
before or at a given point
of time in the future.
Examples: We will have
finished building the
house before the
monsoon.
By this time next month
you will have finished
your exams.
will+have+third form of
verb

15. Future Time
Future perfect
continuous is used to
talk about an action that
will begin before a given
moment in the future and
will continue up to that
given moment.
Example: This time next
month I will have been
working at my present
job for an year.
will+have+been+ing form