Tense

Importance of Tense : Why Tense Matters?

The Tenses are the most important part of English Language.

If you wish to write a correct sentence or wish to say anything to anyone, you
need to express the idea in the right form of tenses.

Tenses form the backbone of the English language.

The tense, which is most appropriate to express the idea, should be used, else the
statement/idea would express something opposite to what you wanted to state or
write.

Correct use of tense will imply the use of correct form of verb with proper
auxiliary.
 What is Tense?

The word “Tense” is derived from the latin word “Tempus” which means time.

Definition of Tense:

Tense is the form in which a verb is used to express when an action is, was, or will
be performed.

Based on time frame, that is when the action is taking place, we can divide or
categorize tense into three types-

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense
 Present Tense

Definition of Present Tense:

The tense which expresses an unchanging, repeated or reoccurring action or

situation that exists only now. It can also represent a widespread truth.

Like Past and Future Tense, Present Tense also categorized in four types.

• Present Indefinite Tense

• Present Continuous Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense
 Present Tense

❑ Present Indefinite Tense:

The tense where verb suggests the action which takes place always, in habitual or
regular basis, widespread truth, historical truth, and near future.

Structure: Subject + Verb (s/es) + Object (if any) + Extension (if any)

Example:

I go to school.
S V Object
She dances.
S V (s)
Karim goes to school every day.
S V (es) Object extension
 Present Tense

Subject Verb Object Extension

• Habitual Mother cooks rice thrice a day.

• Widespread truth The moon gives us light.

• Historical truth Akbar ascends the throne at the age of 12.

• Near future The school opens tomorrow.

For Interrogative and Negative sentence in Present Indefinite Tense, we use

do/does depending on the person.
 Present Tense

❑ Present Continuous Tense:

The tense where verb suggests the action which is currently running.

Structure: Subject + ‘be’ verb (am/is/are) + (main verb + ing) + Object

Example:

He is coming tomorrow. (near future)

S “be” verb V+ing Object
I am reading in this school. (something ongoing)
S “be” verb V+ing Object
They are playing football like old days. (habitual)
S “be” verb V+ing Object

o For Interrogative and Negative sentence in Present Continuous Tense, we use am/is/are not
depending on the person.
 Present Tense

Non-continuous Verbs

Non-continuous verbs are verbs that we do not normally use with continuous tenses.
These "stative" verbs are about state, not action, and they cannot express the
continuous or progressive aspect. Here are some of the most common
non-continuous verbs:

•feeling: hate, like, love, prefer, want

He is wanting him to be successful.

✔ He wants him to be successful.

I am hating you for this.

✔ I hate you for this.

I am preferring to stay at home.

✔ I prefer to stay at home.
 Present Tense

Non-continuous Verbs

•senses: appear, feel, hear, see, seem, smell, sound, taste

The fruit is tasting sour to me.

✔ The fruit tastes sour to me.

The flower is smelling nice.

✔ The flower smells nice.

It is appearing to me disturbing.
✔ It appears to me disturbing.
 Present Tense

Non-continuous Verbs

•communication: agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise

I am agreeing with your decision.

✔ I agree with your decision.

He is surprising the guests in the program.

✔ He surprises the guests in the program.

You are denying with his decision.

✔ You deny with his decision.
 Present Tense

But if these verbs are applied as participle/gerund, then there will be verb+ing..

Example:

Seeing an aeroplane, he got amused.

He is filled with joy after smelling the flower.

Hearing the noise, we all wake up.

A noising mike hampering their education.

 Present Tense

❑ Present Perfect Tense:

A work that is just finished but the result of it is still present, in such case we see
present perfect tense of the verb.

For example: It has rained.

Structure: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (have/has) + Main Verb’s Past Participle +

Object

Some Cases where present perfect tense takes place:

1. Just finished: He has just finished it.

2. A work done long ago but can be done again: He has written a number of novels.
3. With lately, recently: My father has been transferred to Khulna Recently.
4. With ever, never, always, occasionally, often: I have seen it often.
5. With for and since: I have lived here for ten years.
 Present Tense

❑ Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

A work started in the past and still continuing- in such cases we get verb’s present perfect
continuous tense.

Structure:

When For,
Subject + Auxiliary Verb (have been/has been) + (Main Verb + ing) + Object + for + period.

When Since,
Subject + Auxiliary Verb (have been/has been) + (Main Verb + ing) + Object + since + point
in time.

Example:

It has been raining for two hours.

He has been living here since 1990.

 Past Tense

❑ Past Tense:

When the action of the verb takes place in the past, it is called past tense.

Like Present Tense, Past Tense can also be divided into four types.

▪ Past Indefinite or Past Simple

▪ Past Continuous
▪ Past Perfect
▪ Past Perfect Continuous
 Past Tense

❑ Past Indefinite or Past Simple Tense:

A work that started and finished in the past and the result of it is no longer continuing, in
such cases we get the past indefinite tense or simple past.

Structure: Subject + V (past form) + Object + Extension (if any).

Example:

They made a noise.

S V Object
I played football in my childhood.
S V Object Extension

To make negative or interrogative, we use did not and did in past simple tense. Note
that when you use did, the verb changes to it’s base or present form.
 Past Tense

Did he saw a tiger running in the forest.

He did not saw a tiger running in the forest.

Did he not see a tiger running in the forest.

Let us find the mistakes in the above sentences.

 Past Tense

Did he saw a tiger running in the forest.

✔ Did he see a tiger running in the forest?

He did not saw a tiger running in the forest.

✔ He did not see a tiger running in the forest.

Did he not see a tiger running in the forest.

✔ Did he not see a tiger running in the forest?
 Past Tense

❑ Past Continuous Tense:

When a work in the past was continuing or running for a certain time, we get past
continuous tense in such cases.

Structure: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (was/were) + (M.V.+ing) + Object + Extension (if

any).

Example:

It was drizzling the whole day.

Subject AV MV+ing Object
Were the players taking a rest?
AV Subject MV+ing Object
Sakib was not running the race.
Subject AV MV+ing Object
 Past Tense

DON’T FORGET Non-Continuous Verbs

 Past Tense

❑ Past Perfect Tense:

A work or event that was finished but the result of it was still there, in such case we
see past perfect tense of the verb.

If there were two works or event of the past, the work or event which ended earlier
than the other, then we get past perfect tense as well.

Note that, the work or event which ended earlier becomes past perfect and the
work or event which ended later becomes past indefinite tense.

Structure 1:

Subject + Auxiliary verb (had) + Main Verb (Past Participle) + Object + Extension (if
any)
 Past Tense

Structure 2:

Past Indefinite Tense + after + Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense + before + Past Indefinite Tense

Example:

He had finished his work within two hours.

Subject AV MV.PP Object Extension
He had submitted his script before the bell rang.
Past Perfect Tense + before + Past Indefinite Tense
The student entered in the class after the exam had started.
Past Indefinite Tense + after + Past Perfect Tense
 Past Tense

❑ Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

A work started in the past and was continuing- in such cases we get verb’s past perfect
continuous tense.

Again, there can be two works or events. One work/event started in the past and was
continuing and the other just happened in the past. In such cases, the one which was
started and continuing will be in Past Perfect continuous and the other which started and
ended will be in past indefinite.

Structure 1:

Subject + Auxiliary Verb (had been) + (Main Verb+ing) + Object + for/since + extension

He had been reading this book for ten hours.

 Past Tense

Structure 2:

Past Perfect Continuous + before + Past Indefinite

Past Indefinite + after + Past Perfect Continuous

Example:

I had been taking classes before the bell rang.

Past Perfect Continuous + before + Past Indefinite

It was dusk after we had been digging a pond.

Past Indefinite + after + Past Perfect Continuous
 Future Tense

❑ Future Tense:

If the action of the verb will take place in the future then it will be future tense.

Like Present and Past Tense, Future Tense can also be divided into four types.

▪ Future Indefinite or Future Simple

▪ Future Continuous
▪ Future Perfect
▪ Future Perfect Continuous
 Future Tense

❑ Future Indefinite or Future Simple Tense:

When a work or action or event that will take place in the future, it is called future
indefinite tense.

Structure: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (Shall/Will) + Main Verb’s base/present form +

Object + Extension (if any)

Example:

They will not swim in the river.

S AV MV Object
Shall we not help the poor?
AV S MV Object
 Future Tense

❑ Future Continuous Tense:

When a work or action or event that will take place in the future and will be continuing,
it is called future continuous tense.

Structure: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (shall be/will be) + (MV+ing) + Object + Extension
(if any)

Example:

The girl will be singing a song in the program.

S AV MV+ing Object Extension
Shall I not be playing in the field?
AV S MV+ing Object
 Future Tense

DON’T FORGET Non-Continuous Verbs

 Future Tense

❑ Future Perfect Tense:

A work or event that will be started in the future and will be ended, .

If there are two works or event of the future, one work will be ended before another.
The work which will be ended earlier will be in future perfect tense and another one
will be in present indefinite tense.

Structure 1: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (shall have/will have) + (MV+PP) + Object +

Extension

Structure 2: Future Perfect Tense + before + Present Indefinite

 Future Tense

Example:

I shall have finished the work by 5 o’clock.

S AV MV+PP Object Extension
He will have done the work before the sun sets.
Future Perfect Tense + before + Present Indefinite
 Future Tense

❑ Future Perfect Continuous Tense:

A work or event which will be started in the future and will be continuing- in such cases
we get verb’s future perfect continuous tense.

Structure: Subject + Auxiliary Verb (shall have been/will have been) + (MV+ing) +
Object + period/point of time

Example:

The boys will have been playing cricket for two hours.
S AV (MV+ing) Object
 Exercise

a) It is seeming confusing to me. (Present Continuous)

b) He reads the book at night. (Present Perfect)
c) Has Walter written an article for two hours? (Present Perfect Continuous)
d) John is singing a song in the event. (Present Indefinite)
e) They have visited the Bay of Bengal. (Future Perfect Continuous)
f) His father is not allowing him to go outside. (Interrogative Present Perfect)
g) I will finish the work tomorrow. (Past Perfect)
h) He leaves his passport in the airport. (Past Perfect)
i) Faruk is writing an essay for two hours. (Future Perfect)
j) The cow gives us milk. (Present Continuous)
k) They forsake their leader in the mission. (Future Perfect)
l) She had hidden a book in her room. (Past Indefinite)
m) I went to the market in the morning. (Past Continuous)
n) She didn’t leave the meeting of today. (Present Perfect)