Time and tense

A.Usage of simple present tense.

1. To express permanent Actions.

Eg. She runs a restaurant.
He comes from Delhi.
2. To express routine actions .
Eg. I get up at 5 a.m.
My father goes to office at 9 a.m.
3. To express Habitual actions (generally used with adverbs of
frequency )
Eg . He never comes on time.
He seldom invites his friends.
4. To express universal truth.
Eg. Milk is white.
5. To express planned future actions.
Eg. She gets married next year.
6. To express possession.
Eg. He holds a powerful post.
7. To express Historical events/Facts
Eg. The battle of Panipat begins.
8. To express subordinate clause of time or condition introduced by
IF, TILL or WHEN in a conditional sentence.
Eg. When you reach there, send me a letter.
I shall stay here till you come back.
If you give me blood, I will give you freedom.
9. To express situation/ existence / position in present.
(Structure: S + is/am/are + noun / pronoun +adj./adv.)
Eg. Passengers are safe.
The T.V. is on.
10. To begin imperative sentences.
Eg. Always speak the truth.

B. Usage of present continuous tense

1. To express temporary actions in present.

Eg. Patna is facing electricity problems these days.
2. To express Actions happening at the time of speaking.
Eg. He is sleeping.
 3. To express actions in progress, but not necessarily at the time of
speaking.
Eg. I am writing a book these days.
4. To express actions definitely planned for the near future.
Eg. I am going to Delhi next week.
5. To express Persistent Actions. (use ‘ALWAYS’ )
Eg.. She is always asking questions.

C. Usage of Present perfect tense

1. To express actions that have been completed but whose effect continues.
Eg. I have taken my lunch.
2. To express actions completed recently.
(Note: we use this tense with YET, ALREADY, JUST, AS YET, JUST NOW, SO FAR, SINCE,
EVER SINCE, PRESENTLY, ONCE, TWICE, THRICE.)
Eg. I have just received the letter.
3. To express actions started in past and continued up to the present moment.
Eg. I have not seen him since last Monday.
I have worked in this college for 10 years.

D.Usage of present perfect continuous

1. To express actions started in past and still going on and may extend into the
future.
Eg. She has been waiting for you for three years.

E. Usage of simple past tense.

1. To express actions completed in past.

Eg. I met him yesterday.
2. To express habitual actions in the past.
(Note: use adverb of frequency and modals like used to and would.)
Eg. He always came on time.
He used to smoke.
3. To express situation/position/ existence in the past.
Structure: S + was/were + noun/pronoun + adj./adv.
Eg. Nehru was a great statesman.
4. To express possession In the past.
Eg. India had a great amount of gold.
 5. To express two actions taking place simultaneously.
Eg. While they danced, we sang songs.
6. To express two actions, where the first action leads instantly to the second
action.
Eg. When I opened the door, the car ran away.
7. It is time + V2
Eg. It is time we took our lunch. (It is time for us to take our lunch)
8. Had better/had rather/ had sooner/ would rather/ would sooner are in past
tense but denotes the present time as it shows suggestion/advice.
Eg.. I would rather go. (It is better for me to go.)

F. Usage of Past Continuous Tense

1. To express temporary actions in past. The time of the action may or may not
be mentioned.
Eg. I was talking to my friend.
2. To express two actions going on at the same time in the past.
Eg. While the country was starving, its leaders were making merry
3. To express actions repeated over a period of time in the past.
Eg. He was always troubling his parents.
4. To express actions going on a same time when another action takes place.
(Note: For former action use past continuous and for latter action use past indefinite )
Eg. He was taking tea when I visited his house.

G. Usage Of Past Perfect Tense ( Past of Past Tense)

1. When there are two completed actions in the past , for former completed action
use past perfect and latter completed action use simple past.
Eg. The patient had died before the doctor came.
After I had taken my lunch, I went to school.
2. Unfulfilled actions
a. If + S + had +v3 + other words +S + would/could/might/ +have + v3 +other
words.
Eg. If she had worked hard, she would have passed the exam.
b. Had + S+ v3 +other words + S + would/could/might + have +v3 + other owrds.
Eg. Had I invited him to the function, he would have accepted it.
3. To express actions that did not come to expectations.
(Use verb: Hope, intend, expect, mean, suppose, want, think, assume, etc.)
Eg. I had hoped that she would come.
4. To express actions or events which has been completed before some point of
time.
Eg. By sunset, he had returned home.
1. Usage of Past Perfect Continuous

1. To express actions which started in the past and continued for some time in
the past.
Eg. He had been waiting for me for 2 hours.
2.To express actions that had been going on for some time before another action
took place in the past.
Eg. Before he came to film, he had been acting on stage for ten years.

2. Usage of simple future tense

1. To express actions to take place in future or to express simple futurity.

Eg. I shall read this book.
2. To express Natural / Habitual actions in the future.
Eg. Child will grow into adult.
3. To express offer/ invitation/suggestion.
Eg. Shall I get you a chair?
4. To express imagination
Eg. He will be over forty.
5. To express determination/promise/intention in the future .
Eg. I will help you at any cost.
6. To express command
Eg. All the students shall come in uniform.
7. In English language, future tense can be expressed in many ways :
a. By using present indefinite tense
Eg. The P.M. leaves for japan tomorrow morning.
b. By using ‘going to’ (S +is/am/are +going to +verb +other words
Eg. She is going to be a doctor.
c. By using ‘be +to +verb ‘
Eg. I am to start a business next year.
d. By using present continuous tense
Eg. He is coming on Sunday.

3. Usage of future continuous tense

1. To express temporary actions and future plans

Eg. She will be going to CHD next week.
2. To express imagination
Eg. Let us stop watching the cinema, papa will be coming.
3. To express habitual actions in the future.
Eg. Springs will be coming again.

4. Usage of future perfect tense

 1. To express actions to be completed by a certain time in future.
Eg. You will have got your results before the week begins.
2. To express assumptions
Eg. She will have got the prize.

5. Usage of future perfect continuous tense

1. To express actions that will start in future and continue in future only.
Eg. It will have been raining for three hours.