Tenses

• The tense of a sentence indicates the “time” in

which a verb is located.
• The tense also indicates the ‘state or action’ of
the verb
• A change in the tense brings about a change in
the form of the verb.
 There are three types of tenses :
• Present tense : I see
• Past tense : I saw
• Future tense : I will see
 Four different forms of the basic tenses:
TENSE PRESENT PAST FUTURE

SIMPLE I watch I watched I will watch

CONTINUOUS I am watching I was watching I will be watching
PERFECT I have watched I had watched I will have
watched
PERFECT I have been I had been I will have been
CONTINUOUS
watching watching watching
 Present Tense
Simple Present Tense used to :
1. Indicate a future activity –
His bus arrives at 6:00 p.m.
2. Indicates general truths -
The earth is a sphere
3. Expresses exclamatory sentences –
There goes my money!
 Present Continuous Tense
It is used to speak about temporary events that
are in progress now or before, after & during
the time of speaking
 Why are you screaming?
 He is playing on the ground at the moment
 What is she doing? She is reading a book.
 Present Perfect Tense
Used for :
2. Indicates the effect of an action in the past
rather than the action –
The company has terminated their contract
with us
 Present Perfect Continuous
1. Describes an activity that starts in the past
and continues in the present –
 I have been waiting for the bus for an
hour
 She has been painting the picture for
five
hours
 Present Perfect Continuous
2. Used to indicate events or actions that have
just ended –
 I must wash myself. I have been
building sand
castles.
 You look out of breath. Have you been
running?
 Past Tense
Simple Past Tense :
1. Used for different types of past activities –
 He is jailed because he committed a
robbery
 A man met me on the road yesterday
 Past Continuous Tense
1. Describes an activity that was in progress in
the past for some time with or without the
implication of time –
 The ducks were basking in the sun
 We were cleaning the house for five
hours
 Past Perfect
1. Indicated ‘earlier past’ . It is used to take a
step back into the past when the past is
already being discussed –
 During our meeting, I realized that I had
seen
the minister before.
 She told me that she had finished.
 Past Perfect Continuous
1. Used to describe an event that had continued
up to the past time that we are speaking about
–
 When I found Rita I could see that she
had
been studying.
 They had been travelling for five weeks
and
they were hungry.
 Future Tense
Simple Future Tense :
1. Used to provide information about the future
–
 It will be winter soon.
 Will all your friends be at the party?
 Future Continuous Tense
1. Used to indicate an event that will be going
on at some time in the future –
 This time next week I will be holidaying
in
Germany.
 Have a happy journey. We will be
missing
you.
 Future Perfect Tense
1. Used to indicate that an event will be
complete or finished by a certain moment in
the future –
 The principal says that he will have
started
extra classes for the weak students by
Monday.
 I will have earned a lot of money by the
end of
this month.
 Future Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Used to indicate a continuous action –
 By January, I will have been working as a
lecturer for three years.
 By March, Mr. Rai will have been working
with us for a year.