VERB - TENSES
The time dimension in English is called Tenses.
Types of Tenses.
PAST
SIMPLE I ate Pizza yesterday
(s + V2 + O )
CONTINUOUS I was eating Pizza when you
arrived.
( S + ‘was/were’ + V4 + O )
PERFECT I had eaten all of the pizza
when you arrived.
( S + ‘had’ + V3 + O )
PERFECT I had been eating Pizza for 2
CONTINUOUS hours when you arrived.
( S + ‘had been’ + V4 + O )
PRESENT
I eat Pizza every day.
( S + V1 + O )
I am eating Pizza right now.
( S + am/is/are’ + V4 + O )
I have eaten all of the Pizza.
( S + ‘have/has + V3 + O )
I have been eating Pizza for 2
hours.
( S + ‘have/ has been’ + O )
FUTURE
I will eat Pizza tomorrow.
( S + ‘will’ + V + O )
I will be eating Pizza by the time
you arrive.
( S + ‘will be’ + V4 +O )
I will have eaten all of the Pizza
by the time you arrive.
( S + ‘will have’ + V3 + O )
I will have been eating Pizza for
2 hours when you arrive.
( S + ‘will have been’ + V4 + O )
Simple Present Tense

A habitual action I exercise every morning.

General or universal truth. The Sun sets in the west.
Vivid narration as a substitute for the simple past. Ravana fights bravely.

Exclamatory sentence that begins with ‘here’ or There he goes!

‘there’.
Future actions that are going to take place The next bus is at 6 pm tomorrow.
according to a fixed time line.
To introduce quotations with the verb ‘say’ Newton says ‘Every action has an equal reaction’.

Time clauses and conditional clauses in place of If you do not work hard, you will fail.
simple future.
Live commentary of a sporting event. ‘…in the air and Virat Kohli takes the catch.
Present Continuous Tense

An action happening at the time of speaking The boys are playing cricket.

An action that is not happening at the time of He is working in an MNC.

speaking but is in progress.

An action that has pre – arranged to take place in The wedding is going to take place on Sunday.
the near future.

Persistent and undesirable habit, especially with She is always finding fault with others.
adverbs like always, continually , constantly.
Present Perfect Tense

Recently completed activities. I have just started studying.

Past actions whose time is not definite or Have you read Shakespeare?
not given.

Past events whose effects still exist. I have finished my work and now I am free.

Actions that started in the past and are I have always used this brand of soap.
continuing until now and possibly into the
future.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense

An action that began in the past and is still I have been working on this project for
continuing. several months.

An action already completed but whose effect I have been running around for the job all
is still continuing. day and now tired.
Simple Past Tense

Actions that happened in the past. The movie started at 6. 00 pm.

To indicate past habits or repeated events I always rode a bike to school when I was
That are now over. young.
Past Continuous Tense

An action That was happening at some We were watching TV the whole evening.
time in the past. The time of action may
or may not be indicted.

This tense is also used with always, He was always sulking.

continually etc. for habits in past.
Past Perfect Tense
An action that was completed before a
definite time or before another action
that took place in the past.
An action took place in the past, which
was completed before another action
that took place in the past.
Desires in the past that have not been
fulfilled.
Those conditions of the past that were
impossible to fulfil.
After we had finished our dinner, we
went to the movie.
We had booked our tickets before we left
for Mumbai.
I wish I had not wasted my time.
If you had objected earlier, things would
have improved.
Simple Future Tense

Action that will happen in future We will go to the cinema tomorrow

Things which we cannot control and are Factual. We will begin our exams in May.

What we believe or think will happen in future. I think India will win the series against Australia.

Decision to do something at the time of speaking. It is raining. I will take an Umbrella.

Be going to + base form of verb when we have I’m going to buy a car.
decided to do something before talking about it.

The going to form for what seems likely or certain in She is going to have a baby.
the present.
The going to form for an action that is about to Get into the bus fast! It’s going to leave.
happen.
To express the immediate future.(Be about to + Base We are about to have our dinner.
form of verb)
Future Continuous Tense

An action which will occur in the normal I will be meeting him tomorrow.
case.
Action that will be in progress at a given At this time tomorrow, we will be
time in Future. attending the party.
Questions :

1) After Sheetal will returns (A)/ from Delhi(B) / I will go to meet her. (C) / No
error(D)

2) I used to work (A) /till 11 pm and (B) / then I go to bed. (C) /No error (D)

3) My younger brother (A)/ has left (B) /for Bhopal last Saturday. (C) /No error(D)

4) Air pollution caused by industrial effluents has been studied (A)/ for years, but
only recently has (B)/ the harmful effects of noise pollution become known.(C)/No
error(D)

5) The judge asked the lady (A)/ if the bag she had lost(B)/ contain ten thousand
rupees (C)/No error (D)