Introduction to Tenses

In English grammar, verbs are often used in a way that it indicates or

denotes the time when an event occurred. These verbs that take up
different forms to indicate the time of an action, event or condition by
changing its form are called as tenses. Tenses can be broadly
classified into three broad categories:

1. Past Tense
2. Present Tense
3. Future Tense
With each of these tenses, there are four aspects associated with it.
An aspect here refers to the nature of action performed by the verb.
We will also learn about them in an introduction to tenses.

 Perfect or complete
 Perfect continuous
 Progressive or Continuous
 Simple or indefinite.
This way, we get total possibilities of 12 tenses in English grammar.
Let us understand more about each of these groups of tenses.

Past, Present & Future

Past Tense

This tense is used to refer to something that happened in the past.

Sometimes, past tense is also called as ‘simple past tense’. Example:
We stayed in a hotel.

 Past continuous tense: This type of past tense is used to describe

an event or occurrence that is ongoing or continuing in the
past. Example: We were playing tennis at the club.
 Past Perfect Tense: This type of tense is used to describe an event
in the past that has been completed. Example: We had completed
our match before she had come.
 Past Perfect Continuous: This type of past tense verb is used to
indicate an event, action or occurrence that started before another
event, action or occurrence in the past. We can say that one action
or event interrupted another. Example: I had been playing the
drums since school time.
Present Tense

This tense is used to refer or indicate to something that occurs in the

present. The simple present or indefinite present tense is used to
describe an action, event, or condition that is occurring in the present
while being spoken about or written. Example: The dogs’ bark.

 Present Continuous Tense: This tense indicates the continuous

nature of an act or event in the present and has not been completed.
The activity has begun in the past and will be completed in the
future. Example: She is preparing chicken sandwiches for
breakfast.
 Present Perfect Tense: This tense is used to describe an action
that had begun in the past, continues into the present and has just
been completed. The time of occurrence of the action is generally
not mentioned. This tense is also used to describe an action
happened in the past before another action took place. Example: I
have just completed my dinner.
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense: This tense is used to describe
an action, event or occurrence that has begun in the past and
continues into the present. It is also used for an action that began
and just finished in the past or in cases where there is no mention
of time. Example: They have been trying to contact her.
Future Tense

This tense is used to refer to or indicate something that hasn’t

happened at the time of speaking or writing. ‘Simple Future Tense’
commonly formed with the use of words ‘will’ and ‘shall’. Example:
We shall be there by noon.

 Future Continuous Tense: This tense is used to describe actions

that are ongoing or continuing in the future. It is commonly used in
sentences by using the simple future tense of the verb with the
present participle i.e ‘-ing’. Example: His parents will be attending
the convocation.
 Future Perfect Tense: Is used to refer or describe an event that
will be completed sometime in the future before another action
takes place. It is written by using the past participle of the verb
with the simple future tense of the verb. Example: I will have
completed 10 years of work in August this year.
 Future Perfect Continuous Tense: This tense is used to describe
an action that is continuing into the future and will be completed at
a specified time in the future. This tense is written using the future
perfect tense of the verb with the present participle. Example: I
shall have been living in Mumbai for five years by May 2019.
With this introduction to tenses, you may have now got a good idea
about the tenses and their various types and forms. We will learn
more about each of these tenses in the following chapters.

Solved Example for You

Q. She _________ food when the guests arrived yesterday.

a.) preparing b.) was preparing

c.) is preparing d.) has been preparing
Sol. (b) was preparing. The sentence is in past tense which is
indicated by the word ‘yesterday’. It is also indicated in the sentence
that it is in past continuous tense due to the words ‘when the guests
arrived’.

So, the option which is indicative of past continuous tense is option

b) was preparing. The completed sentence is: She
was preparing food when the guests arrived yesterday.

Past Tense
We know about the three types of tenses that are used in English
Grammar namely Past Tense, Present Tense and Future Tense. Each
of these tenses is actually verbs that are used to indicate the
occurrence of an event or action at a particular time. Today, let us
learn and understand more about the Past Tense and its different
types.

Past Tense
As we can understand from the name, a past tense verb is used to
indicate an action, event or condition that has happened in the past.
Each tense has four aspects that talks about the completion of the
event or action and based on that, we have four types of past tense
verbs:

 Simple Past Tense

 Past Continuous Tense
 Past Perfect Tense
 Past Perfect Continuous Tense.

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense is used to indicate or describe something that
happened or existed in the past. The situations or conditions to use a
simple past tense is to:
 describe an action, event or condition that occurred in the past or
at a specified time
 refer or describe an action that has been completed and there is
no time mentioned.
 describe an action or occurrence of an event that is done
repeatedly and regularly.
 describe a state of mind in the past or a feeling that was felt in the
past.
 refer to someone who has died
 describe events that have occurred in quick succession in the past.

Formulating the Simple Past Tense Verb

To formulate the simple past tense verb, we add ‘- ed’. For verbs
ending in ‘e’, we add ‘-d’ and. However, there are some simple past
tense verbs such as cut, put, set etc which remain the same in the
present and past tense. Examples are,

 He worked at the Cheesecake Factory.

 I often brought my lunch to school.

Past Continuous Tense

Past continuous tense is used to indicate an ongoing event in the past.
Other conditions where past continuous tense is used are:

 To show that someone is in the middle of an action. Example: I

was calling him when he came home.
 Is used to describe an action taking place when another
occurred. Example: While they were painting the door, I was
painting the windows.
 For an action that was taking place in the past when an
interrupted action happened. Example: While he was working on
his laptop, he fell asleep.

Formulating the Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense is formed using the past tense of the
verb to be(was/were) and the present participle verbs ending in -
‘ing’. These two tenses can be used together to indicate that an
action happened while another was in progress.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense in a sentence or conversation describes an
event that happened in the past before another event in the simple
past tense was completed in the past. The situations where a Past
Perfect Tense is used are to:

 indicate an event that has occurred and been completed in the

past. Example: Meenu had borrowed money from the bank to buy
her new car.
 describe an event or action which happened before a definite
time in the past. Example: We had cleaned up the terrace before
the watchman arrived.
 describe an action that happened in the past before another
action took place. Example: We had reached their house after the
dinner was over.
Past Perfect Tense is also used to describe a state. Example: Their
wives had become good friends at the wedding. A very important use
of the Past Perfect Tense is that it is used to clarify which event
happened earlier when two actions were completed in the
past. Example: I had read those books that you bought for me.

Formulating the Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense is formed with the past tense of the auxiliary
verb have i.e which is had and the past participle of the main verb.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is used to describe actions that were going on in the past
up until another action in the past happened. They are often used in
the following situations:

 For an action that has occurred over a period of time having

begun in the past.
 To describe an action which started and finished in the past
before another past action.
 It is also regularly used in the reported speech where the present
perfect continuous tense becomes past perfect continuous tense.
Unlike the past continuous and past perfect tenses, past perfect
continuous tense is not used to indicate state, state of mind or
feelings. Examples:

 I had been studying.

 It had been raining hard for several hours and the streets got
flooded.
 If it had not been raining, we would have gone to the park.
Formulating the Past Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is formed with the past perfect tense of the verb ‘to be’,
which is ‘had been’ and the present participle of the verb i.e ‘-ing’.

Solved Example for You

Q: I __________ for hours so I was really glad when the bus finally
arrived.
(a) Had been waiting (b) Waiting

(c) Was waiting (d) waited

Sol. (a) Had been waiting. The sentence mentions that the bus
‘arrived’ and the verb in the first part of the sentence which is ‘wait’.
This indicates that there are two events that occurred and one
happened before the other and continued until the second event
occurred.

Therefore, it is a past perfect continuous tense and therefore the

correct option is (a). had been waiting. The completed sentence
is: I had been waiting for hours so I was really glad when the bus
finally arrived.

Present Tense
Now let us study the Present tense. When we an event is being
described in real time, i.e. happening at that very moment, we call it
the present tense. Let us learn more about the Present Tense and its
types.

Present Tense
There are many uses of tense. In English Grammar, the
Present Tense is used to talk about something that is going on
now(currently) or that is true now and at any time. Present Tense is of
four types:

 Simple Present Tense

 Present Continuous Tense
 Present Perfect Tense
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense uses the same verb form as the root form of
the verb. We use the simple present tense in the following conditions:

 To show a fact or something that is always true

 For activities that are done daily -regularly or habitually
 To express thoughts, feelings, opinions and beliefs
 For an action or event that is planned to happen in the future
 Used with a selected few adverbs to indicate something that happens
rarely
 Used in news, reported speech such as in sports commentaries, a
narration of books and stories etc
 It is also used with schedules, plans and programmes
 It is also used to give instructions.

Formulating a Simple Present Tense

When the singular form of the subject or a singular pronoun is used,

the verb is used in the simple present tense by adding a ‘-s’ to it. Let
us look at some examples,

 He goes to the library often.

 When does the flight to Seychelles depart from Mumbai airport?
 I always wake up at 6 am.
 We agree with most of your plan.
 I like chocolates.

Present Continuous Tense

This tense is used to describe a continued or ongoing action at the
present time. It expresses an action which is in progress at the time of
speaking and has not yet been completed. The Present Continuous
Tense is, therefore, used in the following conditions:

 As mentioned above, it is used for an action that is occurring at the time

of speaking
 When an action in the future is mentioned without specifying when it will
occur
 When we talk about a planned or arranged event or action that is set to
take place at a specified time in the future.
 It is also used in conditions where the action or event is occurring but
not necessarily while we speak
 It is used in a changing situation
 With adverbs such as ‘always’ which describe an action that happens
frequently.

Formulating the Present Continuous Tense

It is formed from the present tense of the auxiliary verb ‘to be’ and
the present participle of the verb ‘-ing’. Examples are,

 The noise is beginning to give me a headache.

 I am complaining to his mother about him.
 Why aren’t you doing your homework, Ravi?

Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense is used in case of repeated actions, in those
actions where the time is not important, and actions that began in the
past but are not finished yet and will probably finish in the present as
we speak. The Present Perfect Tense can be used in the following
scenarios:

 It is commonly used in actions or events that began in the past and have
continued into the present
 They are used to show an action that has been completed
 To indicate a time period that has not yet finished
 This tense is often used with phrases that begin with “This is the first” or
“second time” and so on.
 Is used to describe or express an action that is repeated in the past
 Used to indicate or describe actions that have been completed in the
recent past

Formulating the Present Perfect Tense

To form the present perfect tense, we need to use the simple present
tense of the auxiliary verb ‘have’ or ‘has’ based on whether the noun
being referred to is plural or singular. The auxiliary verb is then
followed by the past participle of the verb. It can also be written
as: have/has + past participle. Let us see some examples,

 We have known each other for a very long time.

 There have been many contenders for this role.
 Has there ever been a war during your lifetime?
 I have just eaten.
 We have had the same car for 8 years.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is generally used to describe or indicate an event that is
going on at this moment. The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is
used in the following conditions:

 It is used to describe an event that began in the past and is continuing

into the future
 An activity or event that began in the past and is now over(just recently
completed or over)
 It is also used when there is no mention of time.
Formulating the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The present perfect continuous tense is made up of two parts:

i. The present perfect tense of the verb ‘to be’: ‘have been’ or ‘has
been’ and
ii. The present participle of the main verb ‘-ing.
Some examples of present perfect continuous tense are,

 My hands are very dirty as I have been painting the walls.

 They have been trying to contact her.
 I have been working for them for the last seven months.
 The party has been going on all night.

Solved Example for You

Q: We ________in Chennai for six months.

(a) Had been living (b) Living

(c) Have been living (d) Are living

Sol. (c) have been living. Since the sentence talks about only one
event, option (a) had been living is incorrect as it is used in past
perfect continuous scenarios. Option (b) and (d) are both incorrect as
they are not present perfect continuous as the sentence is. Option (c)
is the correct answer as it is Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

Future Tense
How do you say about the things that have not happened yet and will
happen in the future? You will be interested to know the format of
the sentences which talk about the future. Interesting? Let’s learn
how to use tenses in the future tense.
Future Tense
As the name suggests, this form of tense is used for sentences with a
future sense. There are various ways of referring to the future
in English, below are types.

Types of Future Tense

There are four types of future tense:

a. Future Progressive Tense

b. Simple Future Tense
c. Future Perfect Tense
d. Future Perfect Progressive Tense
Let us understand more about each one of them and how they can be
used to refer to the future.

Simple Future Tense

 It is also used to denote facts or events of certainty

 It is used to give a warning or take a spontaneous decision
 To express readiness
 Make an offer or suggestion using ‘shall’
 To give an invitation or an order to someone
It can be used in affirmative, interrogative and negative sentences.
Both ‘shall’ and ‘will’ can be used in simple future tense sentences,
but modern English uses ‘Will’ rather than ‘shall’.

Examples: I’ll prepare dinner.

Why won’t you tell her the truth?

It will rain tomorrow.

Future Continuous/Progressive Tense

The future continuous or future progressive tense is used to denote an

event that is ongoing in the future. It is made up of two elements: a
simple future of the verb ‘to be’ + the present participle (-ing). The
future progressive tense is used in the following condition:

 To extend ourselves in the future

 To predict future events
 Ask or inquire about events in the future
 To refer to events in the future that have a continuous nature or
occur regularly
Examples: I will be gone for an hour.

In the afternoon, I’ll still be stuck in meetings.

By October, I will be swimming like a pro.

He will be coming to the meeting.

I will have spent all my money by this time next year.

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is a bit complicated as compared to the two

types mentioned above. It is used to refer to an action which will
have been completed at some time in the future.

The future perfect is composed of two elements: the simple future of

the verb “to have” (will have) + the past participle of the main verb.
It can be used in the affirmative, negative and affirmative and
negative of interrogative sentences.

Examples: By the time you get this letter, I will have left.

She will have arrived by lunch.

Won’t they have joined us by 7 pm?

Future Perfect Progressive Tense

This tense is used to describe an event that is ongoing and will

complete sometime in the future. A time reference is used to indicate
the starting time of the event or action or how long it has been
continuing. Commonly used words to indicate time reference are
‘since’ and ‘for’.

The future perfect progressive is composed of two elements: the main

verb in the present participle(base form of verb + -ing) + Auxilliary
verb ‘will have been’

Examples:

 They will have been living in Mumbai for 10 years.

 You will have been starting your shop since May.

 Next year, I will have been working at this company for one year.

 I will have been walking for 3 hours.

Other Ways of Depicting Future Tense

Apart from using the future tense form of the verbs, there are other
ways of indicating or talking about events in the future.

 Using present continuous tense

o I am leaving for Paris tomorrow.
o We are staying with friends when we get to Boston.

 Using simple present tense

o She has her accounts lecture in the morning.

o I have an English exam next Friday.

 Using the word ‘going’

o He’s going to be a skilled clinician.

o Is it going to rain this evening?

 Mentioning denote obligations

o You are to delete the mail right now.

o You are to leave this room before 8 am tomorrow.

 Referring to the immediate future

o He is about to leave

o We are just about to leave for the wedding reception.

Solved Example for You

Question: I ________ to Monterey this weekend. (drive) Do you
want to come along?

a. drive
b. will have driven
c. will be driving
d. drove
Sol. (c) will be driving. The sentence is clearly a future tense
statement which is talking about an event that is projected in the
future. So, the correct form of the verb ‘drive’ is its future continuous
form i.e will be driving. So, the correct answer is the option (c).