What are tenses?

• It is the form of verb that gives the relation

present tense

Based on the state of

future tense
Each tense has four forms

TENSE
PRESENT: FUTURE:
PAST: Indefinite,
Indefinite, Indefinite,
continuous,
continuous, continuous,
Perfect, Perfect
Perfect, Perfect Perfect, Perfect
Continuous
Continuous Continuous
Present Tense
Present Indefinite also known as Simple Present
• Used to express habitual action, habit or custom
• Example: School starts at 7 am
• To talk about a general or universal truth
• Example: The earth revolves around the sun.
• To indicate a future event which is part of a plan
or arrangement.
• Example: The school reopens on the 17th of
August.
Present Tense contd.
• To introduce quotations with the verb says
• Example: Keats’ epitaph says, “Here lies one whose
name is writ in water”
• Vivid narration as a substitute for the simple past
• Example: Messi now has the ball.
• Exclamatory sentences that begin with here or there
• Example: Here you go!
• Time clauses and conditional clauses in place of simple
future.
• Example: If you do not study, you will fail.
Contd.
Rules for Affirmative sentences
singular subject + First form of the verb + s/es + ….
plural subject + first form of the verb + ….
Rules for Negative sentences
singular subject + does not + first form of the verb
+…
plural subject + do not + first form of the
verb + ….
Rules for Interrogative sentences
Do/ Does + subject + first form of the verb + ….?
question word + do/ does + first form of the verb + …?
Present Continuous
• The present continuous (progressive) form in English grammar has
the form is/are/am + -ing
examples:
• The birds are flying in the sky.
The present continuous (progressive) tense is used in the following
cases:
• 1. An action is going on at the time of speaking.
Examples:
She is singing now.
The boys are playing football.
• 2. For a temporary action that may not be actually happening at
the time of speaking, but may be ongoing, off and on.
Example:
I am reading The Da Vinci Code now. (I am not reading it at the
moment.)
Contd.
• 3. To refer to a particularly obstinate habit which has not changed despite many
warnings.
Example:
My sister is stubborn; she is always eating junk food ignoring everyone’s advice.
• 4. To refer to future events.
Example:
I am going to the capital tomorrow.
NOTE:
• The following verbs are not used in the continuous form, because of their
meaning.
• Verbs of perception such as see, hear, smell, notice, recognize.
• Verbs of appearing, such as appear, look, seem.
• Verbs of emotion, such as want, wish, desire, feel, like, love, hate, hope, refuse,
prefer.
• Verbs of thinking, such as think, suppose, believe, agree, consider, trust,
remember, forget, know, understand, imagine, mean, mind.
• Have (=possess), own, possess, belong to, contain, consist of, be (except when
used in the passive.)
Present Perfect Tense
The uses of the present perfect tense are as
follows:
• To indicate an action that began at some time in
the past, and is still continuing and possibly into
the future.
Example: I have already had lunch at her bistro.
• To express an action that has recently been
completed
Example: I have just booked the tickets.
Contd.
• To describe an action whose time is not given
Example: Have you read Moravia?
• To show how a past situation relates to the
present.
Example: I have already eaten now I can feed
the dog.
Present perfect continuous tense
• Used to describe an action that began in the
past and is still continuing
Example: It has been raining since last night.
• To express an action already completed, but
whose effect is still continuing
Example: I have been running around all day
long so I am dead tired.
Past indefinite/ simple past
Used to
• Indicate an action that happened in the past or to
report past actions
• To indicate past actions or repeated habits that are
now over
• The habitual past can also be expresses by using “used
to”
• Sometimes used without an adverb of time. Time may
be either implied or indicated
• To indicate another action which happened in the
middle of a longer action
Past continuous
Used to
• To indicate an action that was happening at
some time in the past
• Used to always, continually, etc for persistent
habits in the past
• Used for an action that was going on for a
given period or a period of time in the past
Past perfect
Uses
• To indicate an action that was completed
before a definite time or before another
action took place
• Desire in the past that have not been fulfilled
• Express condition so the past that were
impossible to fulfill
Past perfect continuous
• It indicates an action that began in the past
and continued up to a certain point in the
past.
Example:
At that time he was young and had a head full of
hair.
Future simple
Used to
• To say what we believe or think will happen in
the future
• Things which we cannot control and are
factual
• To indicate an instant decision
Future continuous
Used to
• Indicate an action that will occur in the normal
course of time
• To indicate an action that will be in progress at
a given point of time in the future
Future tense contd.
Future perfect Future perfect continuous
Used to Used to
• Describe an action that will • To describe an action that
be completed at some point will be in progress over a
of time in the future period of time and that will
end in the future.