All about Tenses1

All about Tenses

TENSE MEANS : "TIME OF ACTION"

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​LOOK AT THE FORM OF VERB USED IN SENTENCES TO KNOW THE TENSES

GENERALLY, THERE ARE THREE TENSES

​PRESENT

​PAST

​FUTURE

​

​EACH OF THESE HAVE GOT SUB DIVISIONS

SIMPLE PRESENT

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT PERFECT

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

SIMPLE PRESENT :

SUB + PRESENT TENSE FORM OF VERB

EXAMPLES

​I SPEAK

​WE SPEAK

​YOU SPEAK

​HE SPEAKS

​SHE SPEAKS

​IT SPEAKS

​THEY SPEAK

​GOVIND SPEAKS

​GOVIND AND RAJU SPEAK

USES OF SIMPLE PRESENT

​TO INDICATE:

​1. HABITUAL ACTION / REPEATED ACTION

​2. GENERAL TRUTH

​3. FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS

​IDENTIFY THESE 3 USES FROM THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES.

Mr. Lakshman goes to office everyday

​Mrs. Lakshman parks her car in the courtyard

​The sun sets in the western horizon

​Our trip to Kailas begins on Monday next week

​These need no further explanation

Multiple Choice

Identify the verbs seen in the sentence.

"The mouse that the cat hit ran away"

• mouse,ran.

• ran, away

• hit, ran.

• hit, cat.

Multiple Choice

Mrs. Anita ................................(read) a report yesterday ( Be careful - past time reference can be seen)

read-read-read

• reads

• read

• red

• reading

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer (simple present tense should be used)

The moon .......................... around the earth ( go)

• is going

• go

• goes

• does not goes

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct answer (simple present tense should be used)

Mary and Tom ....................... an invitation for the party every week. (receive)

• receive

• receives

• has received

• is receiving

Present continuous Tense

​Structure is :

​

​SUBJECT + IS/ARE/AM + "ing" FORM OF VERB

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IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, A SET OF SENTENCES is GIVEN IN SIMPLE PRESENT.

​

YOU SHOULD CONVERT THEM INTO PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE​

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​

​simple present ........>

​​I SPEAK

​WE SPEAK

​YOU SPEAK

​HE SPEAKS

​SHE SPEAKS

​IT SPEAKS

​THEY SPEAK

​GOVIND SPEAKS

​GOVIND AND RAJU SPEAK

​​I am SPEAKing

​WE are SPEAKing

​YOU are SPEAKing

​HE is SPEAKing

​SHE is SPEAKing

​IT is SPEAKing

​THEY are SPEAKing

​GOVIND is SPEAKing

​GOVIND AND RAJU are SPEAKing

​Present Continuous

Two simple uses of present continuous tense

​To indicate an action that is happening at the time of speaking

​

​To indicate an action that is not exactly happening at the time of speaking

​

​example :

He is reading a book with his friend ( NOW)

​​They are doing a project work (NOW-A-DAYS)

​One additional use :

​

To indicate an action that will happen in recent future.

​Example:

​I am visiting my uncle's house this evening

We are watching a film tomorrow

Multiple Choice

USE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE :

UN SECRETARY GENERAL .............................. (CONDUCT) A MEETING VERY SOON.

• WAS CONDUCTING

• WILL CONDUCT

• WILL BE CONDUCTING

• IS CONDUCTING

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct possible answer in present continuous tense for the following sentence:

He ................................. tomorrow ( arrive)

• will arrive

• arrives

• is arriving

• does arrive

Fill in the Blanks

Multiple Choice

Use present continuous only

I and my friend..................................... laptop to do the project work ( use)

• are not use

• is using

• are using

• uses

​Present Perfect Tense

​Structure:

​SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE FORM OF VERB

​

​LETS MAKE THE SAME CONVERSION IN THE NEXT SLIDE

​PRESENT CONTINUOUS

​​​I am SPEAKing

​WE are SPEAKing

​YOU are SPEAKing

​HE is SPEAKing

​SHE is SPEAKing

​IT is SPEAKing

​THEY are SPEAKing

​GOVIND is SPEAKing

​GOVIND AND RAJU are SPEAKing

​​​I HAVE SPOKEN

​WE HAVE SPOKEN

​YOU HAVE SPOKEN

​HE HAS SPOKEN

​SHE HAS SPOKEN

​IT HAS SPOKEN

​THEY HAVE SPOKEN

​GOVIND HAS SPOKEN

​GOVIND AND RAJU HAVE SPOKEN

​PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

We need to learn the past tense and past participle forms of verb to master all the tenses

​English verbs have three different forms

​begin - began - begun

want - wanted - wanted

speak - spoke - spoken

​write - wrote -- written

​cut --- cut --- cut

​Present Perfect Tense indicates a completed action in the present..

​

​The action is complete but its effect is felt now in the present time

​​

​example : Manju has plucked all the flowers from my garden. (see there are no flowers left)

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Multiple Choice

Use Present Perfect only

Mr. Cat and Mr. Tiger ...........(meet) in the municipal park today.

• had met

• have met

• will meet

• did meet

Multiple Choice

Use present perfect and fill up.

Who ......................... admission in the new school?

• have been taken

• have taken

• has taken

• has been taken

Multiple Choice

Use present perfect and fill up.

Mr. Ram and his wife ............................. a beautiful garden in front of their house

• have created

• has created

• has not created

• created

​PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

SUB + HAVE/HAS+ BEEN+ "ING" FORM OF VERB

​

Typical use :

​This Tense speaks about an action, that started in the past and continued in the past and is still continuing at the time of speaking....

​

Multiple Choice

HE HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE FIELD SINCE THIS MORNING.

What does the sentence say?

• He didn't do any work in the morning

• He started working in the morning

• He started working in the morning and continued.

• He started working in the morning and continued and still continues..

​Simple past Tense

​This tense shows a completed action in the past, usually with a past time reference like "yesterday, last week, previous month" etc

SUB + PAST TENSE FORM OF VERB.​

​

Mr. Aravind came to my house yesterday

​Mrs. Arundhadi got her appointment in the last week

​​Mr. Prabhakar did not appear for the last meeting

​

​

​

​What is similar about

Simple past and Present Perfect tense?

​Both indicate completed actions

​

​However Present perfect speaks about completed action which has its effect in the present time

​

​​Simple past just only indicates a completed action in the past. It may not have present time connections. But things are always relative.

Multiple Select

Find out the correct sentences from the following. Two are correct.

(DO NOT USE PRESENT PERFECT - WITH A PAST TIME REFERENCE.)

• He has come yesterday

• He have come yesterday

• He has come.

• He came yesterday

Multiple Choice

Select the INCORRECT sentence from the following

• He has maintained good track records so far.

• He did maintain good track records so far.

• He has maintained good track records in the last month.

• He has maintained good track records always.

​PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

​SUB + WAS/WERE + "ING" FORM OF VERB

​.... indicates that an action was continuing or progressing for sometime in the past.

​

Structure : SUB + WAS/WERE + "ING" FORM OF VERB

​

​​examples :

Mr. Gopinathan was ploughing the paddy fields yesterday.

​

​Mrs. Kalyani was accompanying Mr. Sankaran in his world tours.

​What is the difference between Simple past and Past Continuous?

​In simple past, the action is simply mentioned, the duration of the action is not hinted at all.

​

​Past continuous indicates the continuity of the action. Thats all...

​

​Let's check out their difference.

Multiple Choice

Use simple past and Past continuous correctly.

1. When I ..................................( ride) home, I ..........................(met) with a Tiger on the way

• rode, met

• was riding, was meeting

• was riding, met

• wriding, have met

Multiple Choice

Use simple past and Past continuous correctly.

When I ............................... (cook) in the kitchen, suddenly a kitten ...........................(fall ) from the roof.

• was cooking, was falling

• cooked, fell

• was cooking, fell

• cooked, was falling

Past Perfect Tense

​SUB + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE FORM OF VERB

​This indicates a completed action in the REMOTE past.

​

​Again, it is quite relative....

​

​Structure : SUB + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE FORM OF VERB

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​EXAMPLES :

​

​Mr. Raicharan had studied all these books, when he was a child.

​What is the difference between Simple Past and Past Perfect tense?

​If 2 actions in the past are to be indicated, the first action will take past perfect tense and the second action will take simple past.

​Mr. Shankaran arrived at the railway station at 9 pm.

​But the train left at 8.45 pm.

​

So he could not catch the train. What action happened first?

Yes,... train leaving the station, happened first.

​When Mr. Shankaran arrived at the railway station at 9 pm, the train had already left at 8.45 pm

Multiple Choice

Use the past perfect and simple past correctly:

When Mr. Umman .................................. (visit) the park, the park attendant ............................ (switch) on all lights already.

• visits, switched.

• visited, will switch.

• visited, had switched

• will visit, had switched

Multiple Choice

Use the past perfect and simple past correctly:

When Mr. Mathai ..................... (reached) the school, the examination..................... (start) already.

• had reached, had started

• reached, had started

• reached, started.

Multiple Choice

CHOOSE THE SENTENCE FROM THE FOLLOWING

WHERE PAST PERFECT TENSE IS USED

• Mr. Govind and Mr. Chandran had completed their work previously.

• Mr. Govind and Mr. Chandran has completed their work previously.

• Mr. Govind and Mr. Chandran had been completed their work previously.

• Mr. Govind and Mr. Chandran have completed their work previously.

​PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

​SUB + HAD + BEEN + "ING" FORM OF VERB

It indicates the continuity of an action in the remote past.

​They had been ploughing the land manually in those days.

​

​Mr. and Mrs. Tomin had been living in Bombay for a very long time.

Multiple Choice

Use the correct form of past perfect continuous tense:

My masons .............................. (use) outdated tools in their construction work till 2018.

• has been using

• have been using

• had used

• had been using

Multiple Choice

Use the correct form of past perfect continuous tense:

My beloved teachers ....................................(answer) all my questions, when I was in the school.

• have been answering

• will have been answering

• had been answering

• were answering

​SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

IT INDICATES AN ACTION THAT WILL HAPPEN IN FUTURE.

​

​SUB = WILL/SHALL + INFINITIVE FORM OF VERB

​

​THE DURATION OF THE ACTION IS NOT IN THE PICTURE.

​

​EXAMPLE .

​

I SHALL REACH THERE IN TIME

​HE WILL ACCOMPANY US IN ALL JOURNEYS

​FIRST-PERSON SINGULAR AND PLURAL PRONOUNS (I, we) take "SHALL",

​

......and rest of the subjects will take "WILL"

WHEN THEY APPEAR AS SUBJECTS IN SENTENCES..

​FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

​SUB + WILL/SHALL + BE + "ING' FORM OF VERB

​

IT DENOTES AN ACTION THAT WILL BE PROGRESSING FOR SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE.

​

​IN NEGATIVE SENTENCE, THE EXPECTED DIFFERENCE WILL BE THERE.

​

MY COUSIN BROTHERS AND SISTERS WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE FAMILY REUNION.

​

​WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIMPLE FUTURE AND FUTURE CONTINUOUS?

Simple Future shows an action simply, while

​future continuous denotes it as progressing for a particular span of time

​Check out your understanding with the following exercise.

Multiple Choice

Use simple future or future continuous correctly and fill up the blanks.

Mr. Ram ................................. (sleep) by this time on Sunday.

• will sleep

• will be sleeping

• shall sleep

• shall be sleeping

Multiple Choice

Use simple future or future continuous correctly and fill up the blanks.

At 11 O' Clock in the morning, I ____________ in my office.

• shall work

• shall be working

• will work

• will be working

Multiple Choice

Use simple future or future continuous correctly and fill up the blanks

At sharp 10 am, the invigilators .......................... ( start) verifying the OMR sheets.

• will be starting

• shall be starting

• will start

• shall start

Multiple Choice

Use simple future or future continuous correctly and fill up the blanks

They .......................... (introduce) the new rule from next week onwards.

• will be introducing

• shall be introducing

• will introduce

• shall introduce

Multiple Choice

Use the correct tense

Both simple future and future continuous are provided here

I …………… you if you say that word again.

• will be hitting

• will hit

• shall hit

• shall be hitting

​FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

​This is quite a special item, as it indicates the perfection (completion) of an action by certain time in future.

​

​

​The action may be happening now, but the stress is on the completion or "ending point" of the action.

​SUB + WILL/SHALL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE FORM OF VERB

​THEY WILL HAVE COMPLETED THE WORK BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK

​

​YOU WILL HAVE COMPLETED YOUR STUDIES BY 31ST OF MARCH.

Multiple Choice

USE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

Mr. Junior and Mr. Senior .................................. (finish) their project work, by the end of next month.

• will be finishing

• will have finished

• will have been finishing

• will finish

Multiple Choice

USE FUTURE PERFECT

MY COUSIN BROS AND SIS ............................ (TAKE UP) THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES BY THIS TIME TOMORROW.

• WILL TAKE UP

• WILL BE TAKING UP

• WILL HAVE TAKEN UP

• WILL NOT BE TAKING UP.

​FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

​Probably the lengthiest tense structure,

.but ​rarely used...

​

​The structure is:

​

​​SUB + WILL/SHALL+HAVE + BEEN + "ING" FORM OF VERB.

​

​​MR. DORJI AND MR. TENSIN WILL HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE IN BOMBAY FOR 20 YEARS, BY 2022.

Multiple Choice

USE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE :

As you can see all future tenses are displayed in the options.

I ............ (drive) for 5 hours.

• will have been driving

• shall have been driving

• will be driving

• will have been driven

Multiple Select

Use the correct form of future tense ( choose any possible correct ones)

How long ..................... Jo ................................ when he retires?

• will ....... work

• will ....... be working

• will have....... been working

• will have ...... worked

Multiple Select

Use any correct FUTURE tense: Choose more than one.

This time tomorrow I ……………. a discussion with my boss.

• will have

• will be having

• shall be having

• shall have been having

​Please do study all these tense structures and their use and proceed to study Voice

​So, there are 12 tenses in English.

​Do check out your score everytime you finish the exercise

​THANKS