SEEMA’S ENGLISH INSTITUTE
GRAMMAR
TENSES
(It is not necessary that all passages are in the past tense, read carefully)
TENSES EXAMPLE FORMATION
Simple Present Tense He drives a car. V1(s)
Simple Past Tense He drove a car. V2
Simple Future Tense He will drive a car. will/shall + V1
Present Continuous Tense He is driving a car. is/am/are + ing
Past Continuous Tense He was driving a car was/were +ing
Future Continuous Tense He will be driving a car. will/shall + be + ing
Present Perfect Tense He has driven a car. has/ have + V3
Past Perfect Tense He had driven a car. had + V3
Future Perfect Tense He will have driven a car. will/shall + have +V3
Present Perfect Continuous He has been driving a car has/have been + ing
Tense since ........
Past Perfect Continuous He had been driving a car had been + ing
Tense since ........
Future Perfect Continuous He will have been driving will/shall + have been+ ing
Tense a car since ........
USES OF TENSES
Simple Present Universal Truth The sun rises in the east.
V1/ V1s Proverbs A stitch in time saves nine.
Regular actions My school begins at 8 am
Present Continuous Action going on at the I am learning grammar now.
( is/am/ are + ing) time of speaking ( use of At present we are doing a
now etc) science project.
Present Perfect The action has just We have just reached home.
( have / has + V3) finished ( already ,
recently, just )
Present Perfect Continuous Action started earlier still Mother has been cooking since morning/ for
( have/ has + been + ing) going on two hours .
Simple Past An action that took place We saw a movie last night.
( V2) in the past at a particular
time ( yesterday, last
week, night , month ,
year)
Past Continuous An action going on in the Yesterday we were playing cricket in
( was / were + ing ) past the evening.
Past Perfect An action that was We had reached the station before
( had + V3) completed in the train arrived.
the past
** 2 actions in the past
1st action - past perfect – had + V3
2nd action – simple past – V2
Past Perfect Continuous An action which started The little girl had been crying since two hours
( had + been + ing) in the past and was still
going on
Simple Future Predicting a future event It will rain tomorrow
( will / shall + V1) To show willingness We will win the match
Future Continuous An action which will go We will be travelling next week
( will /shall + be + ing) on in future
Future Perfect An action that will He will have finished his science project
( will + have + V3) complete in future tomorrow
Future Perfect Continuous An action which started Next year I shall have been studying law for
( will / shall + have + been + earlier will still go on in three years.
ing) future
