Tenses

 Tense is defined as the form of verb that gives relation between TIME
and ACTION.

 The verb tenses can be categorized according to time frame as:

✓ Present Tense
✓ Past Tense
✓ Future Tense
 Each tense is further divided into 4 forms:-
Structure of present indefinite tense
➢ Singular subject + V1 + ‘s/es’
- He plays
- She laughs
➢ Plural subject + V1 (base form)
- They play
- We play
➢ “I” and “You” follow the rule of the plural form of the subject
Rule for Negative Sentences Rule for Interrogative Sentences
➢ Singular subject + does not + V1 ➢ Do/does + subject + V1 ?
- He does not play cricket.
- Does she play football?

➢ Plural subject + do not + V1

➢ Question word + do/does + subject +V1…..?
- They do not read books.
- What do they speak at home?

➢ “I” and “You” follow the rule of the plural

form of the subject
Structure of present continuous tense

➢ Singular subject + is + V4 (verb + -ing)

- He is playing
- She is laughing
➢ Plural subject + are + V4
- They are playing
- We are dancing
➢ “ I ”+ am + V4
- I am playing
➢ “You” + are + V4
- You are playing
Rule for Negative Sentences Rule for Interrogative Sentences
➢ Singular subject + is/am + not + V4
- He is not playing cricket. ➢ Is/are/am + subject + V4 ?

➢ Plural subject + are + not + V4 - Are you eating breakfast?

- They are not reading books.

➢ Question word + Is/are/am + subject +V4…..?

➢ “You” follow the rule of the plural form of

the subject  - What am I doing?
Structure of present perfect tense

➢ Singular subject + has + V3 (past participle)

- He has gone for work

➢ Plural subject + have + V3

- They have done the work

➢ “I” and “You” follow the rule of the plural form of the subject
- I have written the homework
- They have eaten the breakfast
Rule for Negative Sentences
Rule for Interrogative Sentences
➢ Singular subject + has + not + V3…
- He has not eaten lunch.
➢ Have/has + subject + V3 ?

➢ Plural subject + have + not + V3… - Have you taken your tiffin box?
- They have not read the book.
➢ Question word + have/has + subject + V3 ?
➢ “I” and “You” follow the rule of the plural
form of the subject
 - What has she done right now?
Structure of present perfect continuous
tense
➢ Singular subject + has + been + V4(present participle)
- Tony has been studying MBA since 2019.

➢ Plural subject + have + been + V4

- They have been waiting for us since morning.

➢ “I” and “You” follow the rule of the plural form of the subject
- I have been crying since this morning.
- You have been preparing for the class since yesterday.
Rule for Negative Sentences Rule for Interrogative Sentences
➢ Singular subject + has + not + been + V4…+
for/since…
➢ Have/has + subject + been + V4 …+ for/since
- He has not been studying since 5 +…?
days.

- Have you been sleeping since 8 O’clock?

➢ Plural subject + have + not + been + V4…+
for/since…
➢ Question word + have/has + subject + been
+ V4 …+ for/since +…?
- They have not been reading books for - Why have they been playing football
weeks. since afternoon?

➢ “I” and “You” follow the rule of the plural

form of the subject
Structure of past indefinite tense
Rule for Negative Sentences
 Subject + did not + V1
 Singular/plural subject + V2 - I did not cry.
- He died - They did not play
- I cried
- They played Rule for Interrogative Sentences
- It laughed
➢ Did + Subject + V1
- Did I cry?
- Did they play?
➢ Question word + did + subject +V1
- Why did his father scold him?
- What did Arun do that day?
Structure of past continuous tense

➢ Singular subject + was + V4 (verb + -ing)

- He was playing
- She was laughing
- I was writing
➢ Plural subject + were + V4
- They were playing
- We were dancing
➢ “You” + were + V4
- You were playing
 Rule for Negative Sentences
▪ Singular Subject + was + not + V4
- He was not laughing that day.
▪ Plural Subject + were + not + V4
- They were not listening carefully.

➢ Rule for Interrogative Sentences

▪ Was/were + subject + V4 …?
- Were they listening?
▪ Question word + was/were + subject + V4 …?
- What was Rony doing there?
 Structure of past perfect tense

 Singular/plural subject + had + V3

Rule for Negative Sentences
- She had gone
subject + had + not + V3
- I had cried
- She had not cooked yesterday.
- They had played
Rule for Interrogative Sentences
- It had laughed
- I had left * Had + subject + V3 ….?
- Had he written the work?
- You had drawn
* Question word + had + subject +V3…..?
- Why had Steve gone to London?
Structure of past perfect continuous
tense

 Singular/plural subject + had + been + V4

- She had been studying since last Monday
- I had been thinking since morning
- They had been playing for 2 hours
- I had been writing since evening
- You had been drawing for 4 hours
Rule for Negative Sentences

subject + had + not + been + V4 …. + since/for +….?

- She had not been studying since morning.

Rule for Interrogative Sentences

* Had + subject + been + V4 …. + since/for +….?

- Had he not been writing the work since morning?

* Question word + had + subject + been + V4 …. + since/for +….?

- Where had he been playing since evening?