TENSES

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TENSES
 WHAT IS TENSES - ?
The word Tense is derived from latin word TEMPAS which
means time. A verb indicates the time of an action, event or
condition by changing its form.

ACTION

Time line

PAST
P FUTURE

It actually describes when any action happened with respect to time.

 Tenses are divided mainly into

3
Types

Past Tense Present Tense Future Tense

 WHAT IS TENSES - ?
• Present Tense :--- Present tense expresses an
unchanging, repeated, or reoccurring action or
situation that exists only now. It can also represent a
widespread truth.

• Past Tense :--- Past tense expresses an action or

situation that was started and finished in the past.

• Future Tense :--- Future tense expresses an action or

situation that will occur in the future.
 Now, each of these 3 types have 4 sub-types
Each of the three tenses has four forms or subdivisions to show
continuity or completeness of the action and time. These are :

Simple Continuous

Perfect Perfect Continuous

 Simple

Past Continuous

Tense Perfect

Perfect Continuous

TENSES Simple
Continuous
Present
Tense Perfect

Perfect Continuous

Simple

Future Continuous
Tense Perfect

Perfect Continuous
The Indefinite Tense : does not indicate
whether the action is complete or not.

The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense : that the

action is still going on.

The Perfect Tense : indicates that the action is

complete , finished or perfect.

The Perfect Continuous Tense : indicates that

the action began in the past and is still
continuing.
 Forms of Verbs
Example
Mainly Divided Into 5 Main Forms

• Base form, we will denote it as V1  The base form of play is Play, - V1

• Past Form, we will denote it as V2  In past form it is played, - V2

• Past participle we will denote it as V3,  In past participle form it is played, - V3

• 'S/Es form', we will denote it as Vs/es,  In s/es form, it is plays, - Vs/es

• 'Ing form' which we will denote as Ving.  In Ing form it is playing. - Ving
V1 V2 V3 Vs/es Ving

Go Went Gone Goes Going

 Simple present tense
Subject + V1 + Object

• Cats like milk.
1. Facts or Generalizations. • Birds do not like milk.
• Do pigs like milk?

• I play tennis.
2. Repeated Actions.
• She does not play tennis.
• Does he play tennis?

Every day Always On Monday Usually

Sometimes Seldom Rarely Never

At weekend
 Simple present tense
• Affirmative Sentences : They
play.

• Negative Sentences : They do

not play.

• Interrogative Sentences : Do
they play ?

• Negative Interrogative
Sentences : Do they not play ?
 Simple past tense
Structure of it is : S + v2 + object

1. Completed Action in the Past

I saw a movie yesterday.

2. Duration in the Past

I lived in Brazil for two years.

3. A Series of Completed Actions I finished work, walked to the beach,

and found a nice place to swim.

4. Past Facts or Generalizations

She was shy as a child, but now she is very
outgoing.
 Simple past tense
Affirmative Sentences : I ate.

Negative Sentences : I did not eat.

Interrogative Sentences : Did I

eat ?

Negative Interrogative Sentences :

Did I not ate ?

Yesterday Last month Two days ago

In 1947 Then When I was

 Simple future tense
Structure is : S + (will) + v1 + object.

Examples:
Simple future has two different forms in 1. You will help him later.
English: "will" and "be going to.“ 2. Will you help him later?
3. You will not help him later.

1. FORM Will [will + VERB]

Examples:
1. You are going to meet Jane tonight.
2. FORM Be Going To 2. Are you going to meet Jane tonight?
[am/is/are + going to + VERB] 3. You are not going to meet Jane tonight.

Examples:
1. I will call you when I arrive.
3. "Will" to Express a Promise 2. Don't worry, I'll be careful.
3. I won't tell anyone your secret.

Example:
4. "Be going to" to Express a Plan He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.
 Simple future tense
Affirmative Sentences : Ravi will
sing.
Negative Sentences : Ravi will not
sing.
Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi
sing ?
Negative Interrogative Sentences :
Will Ravi not sing ?

Tomorrow To night Next week

In a month In two days Soon
 Tenses Structure / Formula Examples
Simple Past Affirmative S + V2 + … He read a book yesterday.

Simple Past Negative S + Did + not + V1 + … He did not read a book yesterday.

Simple Past Questions Did + S + V1 + … + ? Did he read a book yesterday?

Simple Present Affirmative S + V1 + ‘s’ or ‘es’ + … He reads a book daily.

Simple Present Negative S + Do/Does + not + V1 + … He does not read a book daily.

Simple Present Questions Do/Does + S + V1 + … + ? Does he read a book daily?

Simple Future Affirmative S + Will/Shall + V1 + … He will read a book tomorrow.

Simple Future Negative S + Will/Shall + not + V1 +… He will not read a book tomorrow.

Simple Future Questions Will/Shall + S + V1 + … + ? Will he read a book tomorrow?

 Simple Tense
Simple present tense Simple past tense Simple future tense

1. Completed Action in the 1. Simple future has two

1. Facts or Generalizations.
different forms in English:
Past "will“ and "be going to.“
2. Repeated Actions.
2. Duration in the Past
Sentence structure is : 2. FORM Will
3. A Series of Completed [will + VERB]
Subject + V1 + Object
Actions
3. FORM Be Going To
4. Past Facts or [am/is/are + going to +
VERB]
Generalizations

Structure of it is : 4. "Will" to Express a

Promise
S + v2 + object
5. "Be going to" to Express a
Plan

Sentence structure is :

S + (will) + v1 + object.
The Indefinite Tense : does not indicate
whether the action is complete or not.

The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense : that the

action is still going on.

The Perfect Tense : indicates that the action is

complete , finished or perfect.

The Perfect Continuous Tense : indicates that

the action began in the past and is still
continuing.
 Present Continuous
Examples:
1. Now
1. You are learning English now.
2. You are not swimming now.

2. Longer Actions in Progress Now Examples: (All of these sentences can be said while
eating dinner in a restaurant.)
1. I am studying to become a doctor.
2. I am not studying to become a dentist.

3. Near Future Examples:

1. I am meeting some friends after work.
2. I am not going to the party tonight.

4. Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

Examples:
1. She is always coming to class late.
2. He is constantly talking. I wish he
would shut up.
 Present Continuous
• Affirmative Sentences : You
are listening.

• Negative Sentences : You are

not listening.

• Interrogative Sentences : Are

you listening ?

• Negative Interrogative
Sentences : Are you not
listening ?
 Past Continuous
• Interrupted Action in • Examples:
the Past • I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was
writing a letter.

• Specific Time as an Interruption Examples:

1. Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
2. Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my
desk at work.
Examples:
• Parallel Actions 1. I was studying while he was
making dinner.
2. While Ellen was reading, Tim was
watching television.
• Repetition and Irritation with "Always" Examples:
She was always coming to class late.
He was constantly talking. He annoyed
everyone.
 Past Continuous
• Affirmative Sentences : Boys
were dancing.

• Negative Sentences : Boys

were not dancing.

• Interrogative Sentences : Were

boys dancing ?

• Negative Interrogative
Sentences : Were boys not
dancing ?
 Future Continuous
1. Interrupted Action in the Future Examples:
1. I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.
2. I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.

2. Specific Time as an Interruption in Examples:

the Future 1. Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner.
I will be in the process of eating dinner.

3. Parallel Actions in the Future Examples:

1. I am going to be studying and he is going to be
making dinner.
 Future Continuous
• 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 ?
 Tenses Structure / Formula Examples
Past Progressive S + was/were + (V1+ ‘ing’) + … He was reading a book yesterday.
Affirmative

Past Progressive Negative S + was/were + not + (V1+ ‘ing’) + … He was not reading a book yesterday.

Past Progressive Question Was/were + S + (V1+ ‘ing’) + … + ? Was he reading a book yesterday?

Present Progressive S + is/am/are + (V1+ ‘ing’) + … He is reading a book.

Affirmative

Present Progressive S + is/am/are + not + (V1+ ‘ing’) + … He is not reading a book.

Negative

Present Progressive Is/am/are + S + (V1+ ‘ing’) + … + ? Is he reading a book?

Question

Future Progressive S + Will/Shall + be + (V1+’ing’) + … He will be reading a book

Affirmative tomorrow.

Future Progressive S + Will/Shall + not + be + (V1+’ing’) + He will not be reading a book tomorrow.
Negative …

Future Progressive Will/Shall + S + be + (V1+’ing’) + … + ? Will he be reading a book tomorrow?

Question
 Continuous Forms
The Future
The Present Continuous The past continuous continuous

• The present continuous • The past continuous is Future continuous has

is formed using  formed using  two different forms:
am/is/are  was/were  "will be doing "
and
"be going to be doing."
1. Statement: You are
watching TV. 1. Statement: You were
studying when she called. 1. You will be waiting for
her when her plane
2. Question: Are you watching arrives tonight.
 TV? 2. Question: Were you study
ing when she called? 2. Will you be waiting for
3. Negative: You are not her when her plane
watching TV. 3. Negative: You were not arrives tonight?
studying when she called.
3. You will not be
waiting for her when her
plane arrives tonight.
The Indefinite Tense : does not indicate
whether the action is complete or not.

The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense : that the

action is still going on.

The Perfect Tense : indicates that the action

is complete , finished or perfect.

The Perfect Continuous Tense : indicates that

the action began in the past and is still
continuing.
 Perfect Forms The Future
Past Perfect continuous
Present Perfect Forms Forms
Future perfect has two
different forms:
• Used to show that an action • Used to show that an action
has taken place once or took place once or many "will have done"
many times before and now.  times before another point in and
the past.  "be going to have done."
has/have past participle 1. You will have perfected,  your
had + past participle.  
English by the time you come
back from the Corona
1. Statement: You have
Holidays.
seen that movie many times. 1. Statement:  You had
studied English before you moved
to New York.. 2. Will you have perfected your
2. Question: Have you seen  English by the time you come
2. Question:  Had you studied 
back from the Corona Holidays
that movie many times? ?
English before you moved to New
York?
3. Negative: You have not 3. You will not have
perfected your English by the
seen that movie many times. 3. Negative: 
You had not studied English before time you come back from the
you moved to New York. Corona Holidays.
 Present Perfect
• Unspecified Time Before Now
• Time Expressions
• Duration From the Past Until Now
Examples:
1. I have seen that movie twenty
times.
2. I think I have met him once before.
Examples:
1. Have you been to Hyderabad  in the last
year?
2. I have seen that movie six times in the last
month.
Examples:
1. I have had a cold for two weeks.
2. She has been in England for six months.
 Present Perfect
• Affirmative Sentences : I have
played.

• Negative Sentences : I have

not played.

• Interrogative Sentences : Have

I played ?

• Negative Interrogative
Sentences : Have I not
played ?
 Past Perfect
• Completed Action Before Examples:
Something in the Past
1. I had never seen such a beautiful
beach before I went to Vizag.
2. I did not have any money because
I had lost my wallet.

• IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect

Example:
1. She had visited her Hyderabad relatives once in
1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.
 Past Perfect
• Affirmative Sentences : Sheila
had played.

• Negative Sentences : Sheila

had not played.

• Interrogative Sentences : Had

Sheila played?

• Negative Interrogative
Sentences : Had Sheila not
played ?
 Future Perfect
• Completed Action Before
Something in the Future
• Duration Before Something in the Future
(Non-Continuous Verbs)
Examples:
1. By next November, I will have
received my promotion.
2. By the time he gets home, she is going
to have cleaned the entire house.
Examples:
1. I will have been in London for six
months by the time I leave.
2. By Monday, Susan is going to have
had my book for a week.
 Future Perfect
• 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?
 Tenses Structure / Formula Examples
Past Perfect Affirmative S+Had + V3+… He had read a book.

Past Perfect Negative S+Had+not+V3+… He had not read a book.

Past Perfect Question Had+S+V3+…+? Had he read a book?

Present Perfect Affirmative S+has/have+V3+… He has read a book.

Present Perfect Negative S+Has/have+not+V3+… He has not read a book.

Present Perfect Question Has/have+S+V3+…+? Has he read a book?

Future Perfect Affirmative S+Will/Shall have +V3+… He will have read a

book.
Future Perfect Negative S+Will/Shall+not+ have +V3+… He will not have read a book.

Future Perfect Question Will/Shall+S+have +V3+…+? Will he have read a book?

 Present Perfect Continuous
Present Perfect
Continuous Forms
•  Which is used to show
that an action started in
the past and has continued
up to the present
moment.  formed using
• The present perfect
continuous is formed using   had + been + present participle.
has/have + been + present
participle.
1. Statement:  You have been
waiting here for two hours.
2. Question:   Have you been
waiting here for two hours?
3. Negative:  You have not been
waiting here for two hours.
Future Perfect
Past Perfect Continuous
Continuous Forms
FORM Future Perfect
Continuous with "Will"
[will have been + present
• which is used to show that an
action started in the past and participle]
continued up to another point Examples:
in the past. 
You will have been
• The past perfect continuous is
waiting for more than two
hours when her plane
finally arrives.
1. Statement:  You had been FORM Future Perfect
waiting there for more than two Continuous with
hours when she finally arrived.
"Be Going To"
2. Question:  Had you been
[am/is/are + going to have
waiting there for more than two been + present participle]
hours when she finally arrived? Examples:
You are going to have been
3. Negative:  You had not been waiting for more than two
waiting there for more than hours when her plane
two hours when she finally
arrived. finally arrives.
 Present Perfect Continuous
Duration from the Past Until Now Examples:
1. They have been talking for the last
hour.
2. She has been working at that
company for three years.

Recently, Lately Examples:

1. Recently, I have been feeling really tired.
2. She has been watching too much television
lately.
 Present Perfect Continuous
• 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 ?
 Past Perfect Continuous
• Duration Before Something
in the Past
• Cause of Something in the Past
Examples:
1. They had been talking for over an
hour before Tony arrived.
2. She had been working at that
company for three years when it
went out of business.
Examples:
1. Jason was tired because he had been
jogging.
2. Sam gained weight because he had
been overeating.
 Past Perfect Continuous
• 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 ?
 Future Perfect Continuous
Duration Before Something in the Future
Examples:
1. They will have been talking for over an hour
by the time Thomas arrives.
2. She is going to have been working at that
company for three years when it finally closes.

2. Cause of Something in the Future

Examples:
1. Jason will be tired when he gets home because
he will have been jogging for over an hour.
 Future Perfect Continuous
• 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 ?
 Tenses Structure / Formula Examples
Past Perfect Progressive S+had+been + (V1+ing)+… He had been reading a book
Affirmative since morning.
Past Perfect Progressive S+had+not+been +(V1+ing)+… He had not been reading a book
Negative since morning.
Past Perfect Progressive Had +S+been+ (V1+ing)+…+? Had he been reading a book
Question since morning?
Present Perfect Progressive S+has/have+been+ (V1+ing)+… He has been reading a book
Affirmative since morning.
Present Perfect Progressive S+has/have +not+ been + (V1+ing)+… He has not been reading a book
Negative since morning.
Present Perfect Progressive Has/have+S+been + (V1+ing)+…+? Has he been reading a book
Question since morning?
Future Perfect Progressive S+will/shall have + been+(V1+ing)+… He will have been reading a
Affirmative book since morning.
Future Perfect Progressive S+will/shall+not+have +been+(V1+ing)+… He will not have been reading a
Negative book since morning.
Future Perfect Progressive Will/shall+S+have+ been+(V1+ing)+…+? Will he have been reading a
Question book since morning?
 Thank you
Have a nice day and see you
Tomorrow
Active and Passive Voice
 Meaning of voice
The voice of a verb tells whether the subject of the sentence performs or receives
the action.

Voices are of two types

Active Voice
• In the active voice, the subject
performs the action expressed by the
verb.

• Eg.- Rams sings a song.

• Here ‘Rams” is the subject and the

verb is ‘sing’ and ‘song’ is the object.
Here the action of ‘singing’ is being
done by the subject i.e. ‘Rams’.
 Meaning of voice
The voice of a verb tells whether the subject of the sentence performs or receives
the action.

Voices are of two types

Passive Voice
• In passive voice subject receives
the action expressed by the verb.

• Eg.- A song is sung by Rams.

• Here the ‘song’ is subject ‘sing’ is

the verb and ‘Rams’ is the entity
who did the action of singing and
‘song’ is the entity on whom
action has been done.
 What are Active and Passive voice?

Mahesh holds a book.

Active:
Subject 1st form of a verb object

A book is held by Mahesh.

Passive:
Subject 3rd form of a verb object

Subject becomes object and object becomes subject

How do Active and Passive Voice
Differ?

Active Voice Is Direct

• The subject directly acts on the object.

• The tone is clear and immediate.
• As if you throw a ball directly at a target.
• The target gets all the force of the ball.
 How do Active and Passive
voice differ?

Passive Voice Is Indirect

• The subject is acted ON by the object

• The tone is roundabout
• As if you bounce a ball off a wall to hit a target
• The wall and the target both get some of the force of the
ball
• So the impact is not as strong or clear
When would you WANT to use passive
voice?
• When intentionally trying to hide the subject of the sentence.

For example:

A politician might say, “The mistake was made by someone.” Hiding the subject
helps him/her hide the blame.

• When intentionally trying to minimize the guilt of the subject.

For example:

A cheating boyfriend might say, “Cheating was committed by me.”

• When passive voice better emphasizes the main point of the message,

Such as:

“Children were harmed by the drunk driver.”

The passive voice requires a "double verb" and will always
consist of a form of the verb "to be [be forms]" and the past
participle (usually the "en/ed/t" form) of another verb.

Review the forms of "to be":

am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been
 General rules of conversion
Active Voice to Passive Voice

1. The subject in the active voice

becomes the object in the passive
voice and the object in the active
voice becomes the subject in the Active Voice Passive Voice

passive voice. I me

He him
2. Put ‘by’ in front of the subject in the You you
passive voice. We us

She her
3. Use 3rd form of verb + is/ am/ are/
was/ were/ been/ being according to They them

the tense in passive voice. It it

Who whom
4. The following pronouns are used in
the passive voice as:
 General rules of conversion
Active Voice to Passive Voice
5. There is no passive voice of present/ past/ future perfect continuous sentences and
future continuous.

6. Generally, passive voice can be made of transitive verb i.e. verbs which have an object
attached to them.

Sentences of an intransitive verb cannot be converted into passive voice.

1.They laughed- No passive

2.The laughed at- The teacher was laughed at by them.

In the first sentence, there is no object thus it cannot be converted into passive voice.

But in the second sentence ‘teacher’ is the object thus its passive voice is possible.
 General rules of conversion from passive voice to active
1. voice
The subject of passive voice becomes object in active voice and the object in
passive voice becomes the subject in active voice.

2. Remove the preposition ‘by’.

3. Use 1st form of the verb.

Let us understand the conversion from active to passive voice with the verb ‘sing’ in
the following forms of tense.
Tense                         Verb (Active)                  Verb (Passive)
Simple present               sing/ sings                    am/ is/ are sung
Simple past                       sang                        was/ were sung
Simple future                      sung                       shall/ will be sung
Present continuous     is/ am/ are singing          is/ am/ are being sung
Past Continuous        was/ were singing           was/ were being sung
Present Perfect           has/ have sung                has/ have been sung
Past Perfect                   had sung                         had been sung
Future Perfect           will/ shall have sung               will/shall have been sung
Rules for conversion of interrogative sentences in passive
voice
Interrogative sentence starting with

(a) Is/ am/ are

Passive rule: Is/ am/ are + subject + 3rd form of verb + by + object ?

Eg.- Active: Is he writing a letter.

Passive: Is a letter being written by him.

(b) Does/ do

Passive rule: Is/ am/ are + subject + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Does he need a pen.

Passive: Is a pen needed by him.

Rules for conversion of interrogative sentences in passive
voice
Interrogative sentence starting with

(c) Did

Passive Voice: was/ were + subject + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Did Ram write a letter?

Passive: Was a letter written by him?

(d) was/were

Passive Rule: was/ were + subject + being + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Was she cooking food?

Passive: Was food being cooked by her?

Rules for conversion of interrogative sentences in passive
voice
Interrogative sentence starting with

(e) Has/ have/ had

Passive Rule: Has/ have/ had + subject + been + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.- Active: Has she written a book?

Passive: Has a book been written by him?

(f) Modal auxiliary verb Eg.- may/ can etc.

Passive Rule: Modal Auxiliary + subject + be + 3rd form of verb + by + object?

Eg.-  Active: Can she control the situation.

Passive: Can the situation be controlled by her?

Rules for conversion of interrogative sentences in passive
voice
Interrogative sentence starting with

(g) ‘Wh’ words eg. Why, when, where etc.

Passive Rule: The sentence will start by ‘wh’ word and then convert according to
the above rules.

Eg.- Active: Who broke this beautiful glass?

Passive: By whom was this beautiful glass broken?

We do not use an object in the passive sentences wherein in active sentences the
subject is unknown or is not required to be written i.e. it is understood from the very
sentence like someone, somebody, nobody, people etc.

Eg.-   Active: Someone has stolen has my watch.

Passive: My watch has been stolen herein object it is no need to write    ‘someone’.

Imperative sentences are those sentence which empress order, request advice or
suggestion.

(a) Order

Passive Rule: let+ subject+ be+ 3rd form of verb

Eg.- Active: shut the window.

Passive: Let the window be shut.

Rules for conversion of Imperative sentences in passive
voice

(b) Request

Passive Rule: You are requested + to + 1st form of verb + object.

Eg.- Active: Please open the door.

Passive: You are requested to open the door.

(c) Suggestion

Passive Rule: subject + should be + 3rd form of the verb

Eg.- Active: Always speak the truth.

Passive: The truth should always be spoken.

Rules for conversion of Imperative sentences in passive
voice
(d) Advice

Passive Rule: You are advised + to + object

Eg.-Active: Work hard.

Passive: You are advised to work hard.

•The sentences which express the state of mind or feelings we don’t use by in them.

•Sentences starting with ‘there’

Passive Rule: there + be + 3rd form of verb + object

Eg.- Active: There is no milk to waste.

Passive: There is no milk to be wasted.