Tenses are the form taken by a verb to show

the time of an action or the state of an

event.

 There are three tenses :

The Present Tense
The Past Tense
The Future Tense.
 Each of the three tenses has four forms or sub-
divisions to show continuity or completeness
of the action and time. These are :
1. Indefinite
2. Continuous or Imperfect
3. Perfect
4. Perfect Continuous
 Table Of English
Tense
Tense s Indefinite Continuo Perfect Perfect
us Continuo
us
Present Play (s) Is / Am / Are Has / Has / Have
Playing Have been Playing
Playe
d

Past Played Was / Were Had Had been

Playing Playe Playing
d
Future Will / Shall Will / Shall Will / Will / Shall
Play be Playing Shall have been
Have Playing
o The Indefinite Tense does not indicate whether
the action is complete or not.

o The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense that the action

is still going on.

o The Perfect Tense indicates that the action

is complete , finished or perfect.

o The Perfect Continuous Tense indicates that the

action began in the past and is still continuing.
Subject + Verb1 + Object

Expresses a general truth or an action that

is occurring now
Eg : The sun rises from the east.
Expresses an action that occurs regularly
or habitually
Eg : She goes to the school regularly.
 Affirmative Sentences : They play.

 Negative Sentences : They do not play.

 Interrogative Sentences : Do they play ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Do they not

play ?
Subject + Is/Am/Are + V1 + ing
+ Object.

The present continuous tense is

used to express an action which
is happening at a particular time
in the present or extending over
a period of present time.
 Affirmative Sentences : You are playing.

 Negative Sentences : You are not playing.

 Interrogative Sentences : Are you playing ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Are you not

playing ?
 Subject + has/have + V3 + Object.
 Has -> Singular , Have -> Plural.

 The present perfect tense denotes an action

that was started in the past and has just
been completed.
 Affirmative Sentences : I have played.

 Negative Sentences : I have not played.

 Interrogative Sentences : Have I played ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have I not

played ?
 Subject + has/have + been + V1 + ing + Object

 The present perfect tense is used when

an action that started in the past is still
continuing.
 Affirmative Sentences : We have been playing.
 Negative Sentences : We have not been playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Have we been playing
?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have we not
been playing ?
 Subject + V2 + Object.

 The simple past tense is used for an action

which happened at a particular time in the
past.
 Affirmative Sentences : I played.

 Negative Sentences : I did not play.

 Interrogative Sentences : Did I play ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Did I not

played ?
 Subject + was/were + V1 + ing + Object.

 The past continuous tense is used for an action

which was happening at a particular time in
the past.
 Affirmative Sentences : Boys were playing.

 Negative Sentences : Boys were not playing.

 Interrogative Sentences : Were boys playing ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Were boys

not playing ?
 Subject + had + V3 + Object.

 The past perfect tense is used to express an

action that was completed before another
action started in the past. It is used with the
earlier of the two actions. The simple past
tense is used with the other action.
 Affirmative Sentences : Sheila had played.

 Negative Sentences : Sheila had not played.

 Interrogative Sentences : Had Sheila played?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Had Sheila

not played ?
 Subject + had + been + V1 + Object.

 The past perfect continuous tense is used for

an action that began before a certain point in
the past and continued up to that point.
 Affirmative Sentences : Ria had been playing.

 Negative Sentences : Ria had not been playing.

 Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria been playing?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria not been

playing ?
 Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object.

 The simple future tense is used for an

action that will take place at particular time
in the future.
 Affirmative Sentences : Ravi will play.

 Negative Sentences : Ravi will not play.

 Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi play ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi not

play ?
 Subject + will/shall + be +V1 + ing + Object

 The future continuous tense is used to

express an action which will be in progress at
a particular time in the future.
 Affirmative sentences : I will be playing.

 Negative sentences : I will not be playing.

 Interrogative sentences : Shall I be playing?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Shall I

not be playing?
 Subject + shall/will + have + V3 + Object.

 Future perfect tense is used to indicate the

completion of an action by a certain period
of time in the future.
 Affirmative Sentences : She will have played.

 Negative Sentences : She will not have played.

 Interrogative Sentences : Will she have played?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will she not

have played?
 Subject + shall/will +have been + V1 + ing
+ Object.

 The future perfect tense is used when an

action is to continue up to a certain point of
time in the future.
 Affirmative Sentences : Raj will have been
playing.

 Negative Sentences : Raj will not have been

playing.

 Interrogative Sentences : Will Raj have been

playing ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will Raj not

have been playing ?
EXERCISE
.1. Read the following paragraphs and fill in the blanks with the correct form of verbs.

(1) Once there was a king. He (a) ……….. (know) for his benevolence.
Everyday he (b)…….. .. (feed) the
hungry and (c)........ (cloth) the poor before he (d) .. (take) his food.
He (e).. (do) so for
many years. He .. (love) by his subjects.
[1/2x 6= 3]

(2) Driving. . (a) (be) a big fun. However obedience to traffic rules. (b)
.. ..
(make) it more enjoyable and sate. While driving it must be (c) ....
remember) that you are enjoyable
for yourself as well as the life of other road users. With alarming rise
in the number of road mishaps, the need
(d) …( gain) a lot of importance across the globe. By practicing a few
golden
rules you . e). ... (become) a responsible citizen who believes in safe
driving and the safety of others.
(3) Growth (a) .. (get) retarded if the environment in which we live (b) (be) .
pollution (c) . (threaten) us today. We (d). .(pollute) the environment that
(e) . .
(Sustain) us. slowly we (f).. (glide) towards an unhealthy environment. We
(g)... (go blind)
after materialistic goals, which (h) . . (Speed) up the disaster

(4) Right now India (a) .. .(face) a big dilemma. The crime rate among
juveniles (b). (increase).
One of the theories, to (c) .. (Contain) it, (d) ... (favour) strong punishment for
the parents.
How can parents be (e) . .(punish) for the crime committed by their ward? In
the previous social set up
parents (t) . .. (hold) responsible for the acts of their children by the society.
The society (8) .
(be) strong then, now the law (h) .. .(be).
(5) Games (a).. (1make) the students physically strong and mentally well
balanced. They have positive
ettect on the behaviour also. A game should always be (b) ... (play) with
sportsman spirit. Intact, work
and play must (c) .. go) hand in hand.

(6) I could not recognise Seema. She (a) .. put on) a lot of weight. I advised
her to stop (b) . over
eat) and start (C) .. SKp) and (a) . (Walk).

(7) In the last hundred years, travelling (a) .

century, it (b) . take) two or three days to cross North America by a covered
wagon. The trip (c)
. (be) very rough and oten dangerous. Things (d). .change) a great deal in the
last hundred
and fifty years. Now, you can tly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of
hours.
(8) An elephant (a). (excel) other animals in intelligence.
Whenever it (b) ... (face) any ditficulty, it (C). . find) a way out. Thus, it (d).. ..
(be) one

(9) I(a). (expect) him here yesterday. He (b)... (not come) till today. No one
(c).. (know) what (d)..
(happen) to him. I (e).. (worry) about him. I hope he (9..(be) safe.

(10) There (a).. (be) a great rush at the counter yesterday. I (b) . (want) to
geta ticket for the movie. It (c) ..
(be) the first day of release. The manager suddenly (d).... (appear) on the
scene and (e) ..(announce) that
the show (f).. (cancel) for a reason beyond control.
(11) Yesterday a blue line bus (a) (run) over a school boy who (b) .. (Ccross)
the road. The boy (c)
(injure) seriously and (d)..rush) to the hospital. The passengers (e)... (catch)
hold ot the driver and (f)
. (hand) him over to the police.

(12) The wedding procession was yet (a)... (start). It (5) .... (wait) for us to
reach. We (c). (decide) not (d)
(dance) at all. But when we (e).(reach) the scene, we (f).... (draw) into it.