Tenses

The Tense of a verb tells us when the action is, was, or will be carried out. From the tense
of a sentence, we come to know about the time of an action. Time is universally divided
into past, present, and future. Tense is a form of the verb that expresses time.

Aspect
There are two aspects in English—the progressive (continuous) and the perfect. The
progressive aspect shows that an action is still in progress, while the perfect aspect shows that
the work is complete.

The following table shows the different forms of the verb:

Forms of the Simple Present Tense:

• The simple present tense is formed by using the plain infinitive. But -s or -es are
added to the bare infinitive (i.e. infinitive without ‘to’) for the third person singular
(He, She) and singular noun (Nitu).
• We form the negative sentences by using doesn’t or don’t before the main verb.
• The interrogative sentences are formed by using do or does before the subject.
• The negative interrogative sentences are formed by using do or does before the
subject and not after the subject.
 Uses of the Simple Present Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) to express universal truths, facts, customs: • The sun sets in the west.
• The earth revolves round the sun.

(ii) to express habitual action: • I go to temple daily.

• My father goes for a walk in the evening.

(iii) to express a permanent state: • My house faces west.

• NH-1 (National Highway) leads to Amritsar.

(iv) in exclamatory sentences: • Look out!

• Here comes the bus!

(v) in subordinate clauses beginning with ‘if’ • If you request him, he will help you.
and when’: • When you go there, try to meet him.

(vi) in imperative sentences: • Let us go out for a walk.

• Shut the door.
• Please, give me a glass of water.

(vii) to indicate a planned future action or • This aeroplane files for London next week.
series of action when they refer to a journey: • Our examination commences on next Monday.

(viii) for narrative events in a dramatic way: • Lights are switched on.
• The hero is seen lying dead on the stage.

(ix) in running commentaries on sports • Mohit passes the ball to Rohit.

events: • Rohit hits the ball straight into the goal.

(x) to introduce quotations: • Our teacher says, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
• My father says,” Hard work is the key to success.”

Note: We generally use the following adverbs or adverbial phrases in the present tense:
always, often, daily, generally, usually, everyday, every week, frequently, etc.

Present Progressive (Continuous) Tense

Form:
(i) The present progressive tense is formed by adding present participle (verb + ing) to the
present forms of the auxiliary, be: am/is/are + present participle:

• She is singing.
• I am working.
• They are sleeping.
 Uses of the Present Progressive Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) The present progressive tense is used for an action • He is reading a newspaper.
that is in progress at the time of speaking: • The children are playing football.

(ii) The present progressive tense is used for an action • He is learning English.
that is in progress and will continue in future. It may not • My neighbour is writing a novel.
be going on at the time of speaking:

(iii) It is used to describe an action that is planned to • I am meeting him tomorrow.

take place in the near future: • He is going to England next week.

(iv) It is used to express disapproval of a persistent habit • She is continually watching movies on T.V.
or something done again and again. We generally use • He is repeatedly making the same mistakes.
adverbs such as always, constantly, repeatedly, etc: • They are constantly changing their statements.

Present Perfect Tense

Form:
(i) The present perfect tense has the form ‘have/has + past participle’, be verb + ed/en. Has is
used with the third person singular and singular nouns and have is used with plural forms and
I, we, you, they.

• She has written this essay.

• I have completed my work.

Uses of Present Perfect Tense

Uses Examples

(i) to express an action that has been recently • He has just left the place.
completed: • Our team has won the match.

(ii) for past actions whose time is not given: • He has been to Agra.
• Has she cooked the lunch?

(iii) with adverbs like already, often, recently, • I have already read this novel.
yet, • He has recently met the Prime Minister.
(iv) for an action which began in the past and is • They have lived in this city for a long time. He has been
still continuing: ill since Tuesday.
• I have always helped him.

Present Perfect Progressive Tense

Form:
(i) The present perfect progressive tense has the form ‘have/has + present participle’ (verb +
ing):

• The farmers have been ploughing their fields since morning.

• The children have been playing for the last two hours.

Uses of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) to express an action which began at • It has been raining since morning.
some time in the past and is still • He has been working for the last two hours.
continuing: • She has been teaching for ten years.

(ii) to express an action which has already • He has been watering the plants (but is not doing so now).
been finished: • She has been working all the day.
• I have been working in the field.

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Simple Past Tense

Form:
(i) The simple past tense is formed by using the past tense form of the verb:

• The children played.

• I wrote a letter.

Uses of the Simple Past:

Uses Examples

(i) to indicate an action that was • I went to Delhi yesterday.

completed in the past. Generally, the • She met us two days ago.
adverbials of the past time are used:
 (ii) sometimes without adverbials of time: • My father congratulated me on my brilliant success.
• Our team won the match.

(iii) for an activity done in the past: • Satish studied for three hours.
• I swam for half an hour.

(iv) to express a habitual or regular action • She visited the temple every day.
in the past: • He worked in his garden every Sunday.

(v) in conditional clauses: • If you went there, you should meet him.
• If he accepted my advice, he would overcome his difficulty.

(vi) in the indirect form of speech: • He said, “I work for eight hours every day.” - He said that he
worked for eight hours every day.
• My teacher said, “I pray to God for your success.” - My
teacher said that he prayed to God for our success.

Past Progressive Tense

Form:
(i) The past progressive tense has the form ‘was/were + present participle” (verb + ing):

• He was writing a letter.

• The children were playing.

Uses of the Past Progressive Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) to express a state or an action that was • She was cooking at 8 a.m.
continuing at a certain point of time in the past. It • I was going to college in the morning.
had begun before that point and was probably • Was the farmer returning from his fields in the
continuing after it. evening?

(ii) to express an action that was in progress in the • She was singing.
past: • I was reading a newspaper.

(iii) to express an action in progress at some point • He was reading a novel when the doorbell rang.
of time in the past when another event took place: • I was sleeping when my father came from his office.

(iv) to describe two or more actions continuing at • While I was bathing, my sister was washing clothes.
the same time: • While he was doing homework, his brother was
listening to songs.
(v) to indicate a frequently repeated action or • He was constantly complaining about something or
persistent habit in the past: the other.
• She was always finding fault with my work.

Past Perfect Tense

Form:
(i) The past perfect tense has the form ‘had + past participle’.

• I had read this book before.

• She had never been to Agra.

Uses of Past Perfect Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) for an action that had been completed before • I had done my work before he came.
another action began in the past: • The guests had already left when she reached there.

(ii) to describe an action taking place before a • By 2 p.m. all the students had left the school.
particular time in the past: • By 6 a.m. he had left for Delhi.

(iii) to describe an action in the past which • The child was crying because the father had beaten
became the cause of another action: him.
• Sonu was weeping because he had lost his bag.

(iv) to describe an action in the past using the • He had already left for Ludhiana.
time adverbials such as already, since, before, etc • She had not come here since 1960.
• They had not met each other before.

(v) to express an unfulfilled wish: • If you had worked hard, you would have passed.
• If they had left early, they would have caught the train.

Past Perfect Progressive Tense

Form:
(i) The past perfect progressive tense has the form ‘had + been + present participle’:

• They had been waiting here since morning.

• She had been dancing for half an hour.
 Uses of Past Perfect Progressive Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) to describe an action in the past that had begun • She had been dancing for half an hour when we
and had been going on for some time before another reached there.
action took place in the past: • The match had been going on for several hours.

(ii) to express a repeated action in the past: • She had always been asking us for help.
• They had been trying to meet the Prime Minister.

(iii) to describe an action which began before the • The farmer had been ploughing since morning.
time of speaking in the past. The action either • The children had been playing for the last one hour.
stopped before that time or continued up to it:

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Future Time Reference

Future time in English can be expressed in the following ways:
(i) Simple Present Tense
(ii) Present Progressive Tense
(iii) to be/be to
(iv) be about to
(v) be going to.

(i) The simple present tense can be used to express a series of planned actions in the future,
especially a journey.

• The meeting starts at 10 a.m.

• He goes to Delhi tomorrow.

(ii) The present progressive tense is used when the planned action for the future is definite.

• They are leaving for Japan next week.

• We are visiting the Taj on Monday.

(iii) To be/be to: ‘To be/be to’ is used to express a necessity or duty or something planned
for the future:

• We are to be in the school at 8 a.m.

• I am to attend the meeting at 10 a.m.

(iv) Be about to: ‘Be about to’ may be used to express events or actions which are likely to
happen in a very short time.
 • The train is about to leave.
• The headmaster is about to come.
• The bell is about to ring.

(v) Be going to: ‘Be going to’ is used to refer to express events or actions that happen in the
future as a result of present intention or situation:

• She is not going to give us money.

• Prices are going to rise.
• Do you think it is going to rain?

Note: We generally use the modals ‘shall’ and ‘will’ to express future time.

Form:
(i) The future time is expressed by using ‘shall’ or ‘will’ with the base form of the verb:

• I shall go there tomorrow.

• They will come here in the evening.

Uses of the Simple Future Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) Shall is used with the second and third persons to • I shall not apologise, whatever may happen.
express determination, promise, intention, etc. • You shall get a reward if you win the race.
• He shall be fined if he does not attend classes.

(ii) Shall is used with the first person to express an • Shall I open the door?
offer or suggestion: • Which dress shall I wear?

(iii) Will is used with the first person to express • I will do it myself.
willingness, determination, etc: • I will help you.
• We will never commit such a mistake again.

(iv) The simple future is used to express the speaker’s • We think he will reach there in time.
opinion, for something to be done in the future. We • They suppose that he will never help them.
use such verbs believe, know, suppose, think, we also
use such adverbs as perhaps, possibly, surely, etc:

(v) The simple future is used to express habitual • They will abuse you again and again.
action: • He will go to church daily.

(vi) The simple future is used for an action that is yet • I shall help him.
to take place: • He will come here tomorrow.
 Future Progressive Tense
Form:
(i) The future progressive has the form shall/will + be + present participle:

• I shall be doing this work tomorrow.

• He will be going to Delhi tomorrow.

Future Perfect Tense

Form:
(i) The future perfect has the form: ‘Shall/will + have + past participle’.

• We shall have reached there.

• He will have done this work.

Uses of Future Perfect Tense:

Uses Examples

(i) The future perfect expresses an action that is • They will have reached the station in half an hour.
expected to be completed by a certain time in the • He will have finished his homework by this time.
future:

(ii) The future perfect is used to express the speaker’s • He will have known the Sharmas.
belief that something has taken place: • She will have read “The Tempest.”

Future Perfect Progressive Tense

Form:
(i) The future perfect progressive has the form: shall/will + have + been + present participle:

• She will have been cooking now.

• I shall have been preparing for my examination.

Uses of Future Perfect Progressive:

Uses Examples

The future perfect progressive expresses an action as • By next June, I shall have been completing my
being in progress over a period of time that will end at studies.
some point in the future.

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Tenses Practice