TENSES

Prepared by VIKAS KUMAR MOBARSA

Introduction
■ Verb form that shows the time of an action/state is called Tense.
■ In other words, tense shows the relation between action and its time of
occurrence.
■ Different forms of verbs show different tenses.
■ The tense of a verb shows the time of an action or the state of being.
1. I write this letter to please you.
2. I wrote the letter in his very presence.
3. I shall write another letter tomorrow.
– In sentence 1, the Verb write refers to present time.
– In sentence 2, the Verb wrote refers to past time.
– In sentence 3, the Verb shall write refers to future time.
■ Thus, a Verb may refer
– (1) to present time, (2) to past time, or (3) to future time.
V1 (Base Form) V2 (Simple Past) V3 (Past Participle)
Be Was / Were Been
Have Had Had
Do Did Done
Go Went Gone
Eat Ate Eaten
Speak Spoke Spoken
Run Ran Run
Write Wrote Written
Take Took Taken
 See Saw Seen
Make Made Made
Give Gave Given
Come Came Come
Say Said Said
Keep Kept Kept
Know Knew Known
Find Found Found
Think Thought Thought
Tell Told Told
Feel Felt Felt
Tense Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subject + do/does Do/Does + Subject +

Simple Present Subject + Verb
not + Verb Verb?

Subject + Subject +
Am/Is/Are + Subject
Present Continuous am/is/are + Verb am/is/are not +
+ Verb + -ing?
+ -ing Verb + -ing

Subject +
Subject + Have/Has + Subject
have/has not +
Present Perfect have/has + Verb + Verb (past
Verb (past
(past participle) participle)?
participle)

Subject + Subject + Have/Has + Subject

Present Perfect
have/has been + have/has not been + been + Verb + -
Continuous
Verb + -ing + Verb + -ing ing?
Present Indefinite Tense
(Simple Present Tense)
This tense is used in the following ways

(1) To express habitual action, habit or custom.

Examples:
a) I watch television on Sunday.
b) She gets up every morning at 6 o’clock
c) He walks in the evening
d) My shop opens at 9 o’clock
e) I do exercise every morning
(2) To express general truths; as,
a)The sun rises in the east.
b)Honey is sweet.
c)Fortune favours the brave.

(3) In exclamatory sentences beginning with here

and there to express what is actually taking place in
the present ; as,
a) Here comes the bus!
b) There she goes!
(3) To indicate a future event which is part of a plan or
arrangement.
Examples:
a) The school reopens next week
b) The examination commences next month.

(4)In vivid narrative, as substitute for the Simple Past ; as

a) Sohrab now rushes forward and deals a heavy blow to
Rustam.
b) Immediately the Sultan hurries to his capital.
Present Indefinite
Tense
Formula/Structure Examples
Affirmative
Subject+base form (+s/es) The bird flies south in the winter.
Singular*

Plural Subject+base form The birds fly south in the winter.

Negative The bird does not fly south in the

Subject+does not+base form
Singular winter.

The birds do not fly south in the

Plural Subject+do not+base form
winter.

Interrogative Does the bird fly south in the

Does+subject+base form+?
Singular winter?

Plural Do+subject+base form+? Do the birds fly south in the winter?

 Common verbs in the simple present

Infinitive I, You, We, They He, She, It

to ask ask / do not ask asks / does not ask

to work work / do not work works / does not work

to call call / do not call calls / does not call

to use use / do not use uses / does not use

to have have / do not have has / does not have

1. She (play) baseball on Saturday.
2. We (live) in an apartment.
3. The boys (eat) breakfast at 7 am.
4. He (have) two brothers.
5. My mother (like) romantic movies.
6. Pedro (make) dinner every day.
7. Cynthia and Ramon (work) on Monday.
8. I (go) to school at 8 am.
9. The computer (be) broken.
10. My brother and I (watch) TV at night.
11. Susana ___________ (try) to learn new things every day.
12. My father __________ (run) on Saturday morning.
13. I ___________ (have) three brothers.
14. Adriana __________ (think) pizza is delicious.
15. The girls __________ (want) more pasta.
16. She _________ (give) money to charity.
17. The computer ________ (work) without a cable.
18. The Toronto zoo ________ (open) on Saturday.
19. The teacher ___________ (help) the students after class.
20. Everyone ___________ (need) a pen.
21. I ___________ (no, want) juice.
22. Sheila ___________ (no, be) happy.
23. Daniel ___________ (no, write) on his tablet.
24. The girls ___________ (no, be) hungry.
25. My dog ___________ (no, sleep) in the house.
26. Veronica ___________ (no, be) a nurse.
27. Paris ___________ (no, be) in Africa.
28. My teacher ___________ (no, give) us homework.
29. The store ___________ (no, open) on Sunday.
30. Pete ___________ (no, like) sushi.
Present Continuous
Tense
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subject + Subject + Am/Is/Are +

am/is/are + am/is/are not Subject + Verb +
Verb + -ing + Verb + -ing -ing?
The Present Continuous Tense is used for an action in
progress that is temporary in nature (not for a
permanent activity), in the present at the time of
speaking.

For example,
1. She is not working.
2. He is swimming in the pool.
3. It is raining outside.
It also expresses future actions or a definite arrangement in
the near future.

For example,
1. I am going to Shimla tomorrow.
2. We are going to Egypt in September.
3. She is coming over next week.

Continuous tense with “always” may express an idea which

is not to the liking of the speakers.

1. He is always preaching to strangers.

2. She is always complaining about her job.
3. He is always praising his friends.
 Incorrect Correct

He is owning a car. He owns a car.

We are hearing the bell. We hear the bell.

This house is belonging to me. This house belongs to me.

I am not hating him. I don’t hate him.

Are you forgetting my name? Have you forgotten my name?

I am not meaning this. I don’t mean this.

I am having no house to live in. I have no house to live in.

She stands in the shade of a tree. She is standing in the shade of a tree.

The temple is standing in the heart of the city. The temple stands in the heart of the city.
1.I _____ to watch a movie at Inox. (go)
2.We ___ in the nearby park. (play)
3.The boys ____ in the pond. (swim)
4.Rita ____ at the function. (sing)
5.The child ____ baseball. (play)
6.The chef ____ his famous ravioli. (cook)
7.The teacher ____ the students. (teach)
8.I ____ Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. (read)
9.The man ____ a Royal Enfield. (ride)
10.Sheema ____ for her dance performance. (practise)
11. The cat _____ on the fence. (sit)
12. They ____ a game of chess. (play)
13. The train ____ at the station. (arrive)
14. Mary ____ a cake for the party. (bake)
15. The kids ____ their homework. (do)
16. The sun ____ in the east. (rise)
17. I ____ for my math exam. (study)
18. The gardener ____ the flowers. (water)
19. The dog ____ at the stranger. (bark)
20. The birds ____ in the sky. (fly)
Change into present continuous tense.

1.He goes to play in the park.

2.COVID affects our lungs.
3.I ate a cheeseburger.
4.The Prime Minister will visit the school.
5.Ram walks to school.
6.The mason was building this tower.
7.Riya spoke at the inter-school competition.
8.The wrestlers fought hard.
9.The cuckoo sings beautifully.
10.Prerna left for Dubai.
11.I cleaned my room.
12.We bought a new car.
13.Anurag plays the guitar.
14.You went in the wrong direction.
15.I did a new project.
Present Perfect Tense
 Present Perfect Tense Structure
Subject + have/has + past
I/you/they/we
Positive participle (V3) + the rest of the
(S) have eaten (V3).
sentence
Subject + have/has + not + past
Negative participle (V3) + the rest of the You have not eaten.
sentence
Have/has + subject + past
Interrogative participle (V3) + the rest of the Have we eaten?
sentence
Have/has + subject + not + past
Negative
participle (V3) + the rest of the Has she not eaten?
Interrogative
sentence
• The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the
present and the past.
• The time of the action is before now but not specified,
and we are often more interested in the result than in the
action itself.
The present perfect is used to describe
•An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present.
I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
•An action performed during a period that has not yet finished.
She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
•A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now.
We have visited Portugal several times.
•An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just’.
I have just finished my work.
•An action when the time is not important.
He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his reading is important)
Actions started in the past and continuing in the present
•They haven't lived here for years.
•She has worked in the bank for five years.
•We have had the same car for ten years.
•Have you played the piano since you were a child?

When the time period referred to has not finished

•I have worked hard this week.
•It has rained a lot this year.
•We haven't seen her today.
Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past
and now.
•They have seen that film six times
•It has happened several times already.
•She has visited them frequently.
•We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

Actions completed in the very recent past (+just)

•Have you just finished work?
•I have just eaten.
•We have just seen her.
•Has he just left?
When the precise time of the action is not important or not
known
•Someone has eaten my soup!
•Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
•She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
1. We ___________ (find – negative) it yet.
2. Venu and Parvati ____________ (invited) all their friends for
today’s party.
3. Shashi _________ (sleep – negative) all night.
4. ________ he _________ (finish) his work?
5. It ___________ (be – negative) the same ever since you left.
6. They __________ (buy) a 2BHK flat.
7. You ___________ (come) to the right place.
8. _______ you ever ________ (be) to Malaysia?
9. Do you know why she __________ (like – negative) it?
10. ________ you _________ (hear) about the new education
policies?
1.I (not / work) today.
2.We (buy) a new lamp.
3.We (not / plan) our holiday yet.
4.Where (be / you) ?
5.He (write) five letters.
6.She (not / see) him for a long time.
7.(be / you) at school?
8.School (not / start) yet.
9.(speak / he) to his boss?
10.No, he (have / not) the time yet.
Present Perfect
Continuous Tense
■ Use the present perfect continuous when discussing an ongoing action that
started in the past or an action that started in the past and is finished but still
affects the present.

■ The structure for using the present perfect continuous is subject + have/has + been
+ verb (-ing).

■ One tip for using the present perfect continuous is to use it with words or phrases
that indicate that the action has been in progress and is still going or has recently
stopped but still affects the present.

– They have been waiting for the bus for over an hour.

– We have been talking about our project since the beginning of the
semester.
Forming the present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous is made up of two

elements: the present perfect of the verb 'to be' (have/has
been), and the present participle of the main verb (base +
ing)

Subject +has/have been + base + ing

She has been swimming
 Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have been living I haven't been living Have I been living?

You have been living You haven't been living Have you been living?

He, she, it has been living He hasn't been living Has she been living?

We have been living We haven't been living Have we been living?

You have been living You haven't been living Have you been living?

They have been living They haven't been living Have they been living?
The main difference between the present perfect
and present perfect continuous tenses is that the
present perfect emphasizes the result of an action,
while the present perfect continuous emphasizes
the continuity of an action.
Verbs without continuous forms
With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the
simple present perfect instead (verbs such as: know, hate, hear,
understand, want).
I've wanted to visit China for years.
She's known Robert since she was a child.
I've hated that music since I first heard it.
I've heard a lot about you recently.
We've understood everything.
1.Rahul ____ French for three months. (learn)
2.Mr. Rupert _____ in New Orleans for the past four years. (stay)
3.The boys _____ in the park since five o’clock. (play)
4.Tina ____ for some time. (meditation)
5.The child ____ for three hours. (sleep)
6.Mohit ____ for a new PS5 for a long time. (ask)
7.The builder _____ the tower for a few months. ( build)
8.I ____ David Copperfield since Saturday. (read)
9.Uma ____ the three pages since morning. (type)
10.Hira ______ for his friend at the cafe since the evening. (wait)
11. The teacher _____ for the last two hours. (teach)
12.The man ____ to fix the flat tyre for a few hours. (try)
13.The doctors _____ for three hours. (operate)
14.Raj _____ for his examination since the morning. (study)
15.My mother ____ cakes since two o’clock. (baking)
16.The man _____ the streets for hours. (wander)
17.Ron _____ video games since noon. (play)
18.Paro ____ with her friend on the phone for hours. (talk)
19.It ____ since dawn. (rain)
20.The dog ___ since last night. (bark)
1.He (work) in this company since 1985.
2.I (wait) for you since two o'clock.
3.Mary (live) in Germany since 1992.
4.Why is he so tired? He (play) tennis for five hours.
5.How long (learn / you) English?
6.We (look for) the motorway for more than an hour.
7.I (live) without electricity for two weeks.
8.The film (run / not) for ten minutes yet, but there's a commercial
break already.
9.How long (work / she) in the garden?
10.She (not / be) in the garden for more than an hour.
Simple Past Tense
Positive Negative Question
I spoke. I did not speak. Did I speak?
Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense is used to indicate or describe something that
happened or existed in the past. The situations or conditions to use a
simple past tense is to:
•describe an action, event or condition that occurred in the past or at
a specified time
•refer or describe an action that has been completed and there is no time
mentioned.
•describe an action or occurrence of an event that is done repeatedly and
regularly.
•describe a state of mind in the past or a feeling that was felt in the past.
•refer to someone who has died
•describe events that have occurred in quick succession in the past.
Examples
•action in the past taking place once, never or several times
•Example: He visited his parents every weekend.
•actions in the past taking place one after the other.
•Example: He came in, took off his coat and sat down.
•action in the past taking place in the middle of another action.
•Example: When I was having breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.
•if sentences type II (If I talked, …)
•Example: If I ate a lot of sweets, I would fall ill.
■ The Past Simple Tense is used to refer to actions that were
completed in a time period before the present time.
■ In the Simple Past the process of performing the action is
not important. What matters is that the action was
completed in the past.
■ The action may have been in the recent past or a long time
ago.
Forming verbs into the simple past tense
For regular verbs, add –ed to the root form of the verb
(or just –d if the root form ends in an e):
Play → Played
Type → Typed
Listen → Listened
Push → Pushed
Love → Loved
The simple past tense of some irregular verbs looks
exactly like the root form:
Put → Put
Cut → Cut
Set → Set
Cost → Cost
Hit → Hit
For other irregular verbs, including to be, the simple past forms
are more erratic:
See → Saw
Build → Built
Go → Went
Do → Did
Rise → Rose
Am/Is/Are → Was/Were
The most common regular verbs
in the past tense
Infinitive Past Tense Negative
to ask asked did not ask
to work worked did not work
to call called did not call
to use used did not use
The most common irregular verbs
in the past tense
Infinitive Past Tense Negative
to be was/were was not/were not
to have had did not have
to do did did not do
to say said did not say
to get got did not have
to make made did not make
to go went did not go
to take took did not take
to see saw did not see
to come came did not come
1.Last year I (spend) my holiday in Ireland.
2.It (be) great.
3.I (travel) around by car with two friends and we (visit) lots of
interesting places.
4.In the evenings we usually (go) to a pub.
5.One night we even (learn) some Irish dances.
6.We (be) very lucky with the weather.
7.It (not / rain) a lot.
8.But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.
9.Where (spend / you) your last holiday?
1. Dan (leave) very early today.
2. Sam and Sue (buy) a new house last month.
3. I (visit) Germany the previous week.
4. You (play) very well.
5. They (find) this book on their trip to Italy.
6. I (bake) this cake by myself.
7. We (open) the store in 1987.
8. The rain finally (stop), and we (go) home.
9. She (plan) to come, but she (have) some problems.
10. Kate (have) a big house, but she (sell) it.
11. Rose (be) very thin.
12. You (be) at work yesterday morning.
13. We (think) New York was in England!
14. They (bring) this from their trip.
15. She always (dance) in the summer.
1. Barbara (eat) the whole cake last night.
2. I (save) some money last year.
3. You (give) me all the books yesterday.
5. I (come), I (see), I (leave).
6. They (drink) too much.
7. We (be) very happy together.
8. The cat (jump) on the tree, and the bird (fly) away.
9. We always (cook) together.
10. She (arrive) in 1978.
11. Emily and Edward (meet) in Paris.
12. Peter (change) his name many years ago.
13. Julie (move) from Canada last month.
14. They (sing) a few songs together.
15. We (have) a lot of friends there.
Past Continuous Tense
 Present
Auxiliary Verb
Subject Participle (verb-
(was/were)
ing)
I was sleeping
You were studying
He/She/It was playing
We/They were sitting
Actions Happening at a Specific Time in the Past
This usage of the past continuous tense allows us to depict
an activity that was ongoing at a certain time in the past.
For instance:
•At 7 pm yesterday, Rohan was studying for his exams.
In this sentence, 'was studying' is in the past continuous
tense and shows that Rohan's study session was ongoing at
7 PM yesterday.
Two Actions Occurring Simultaneously in the Past
When two events were happening simultaneously in the past,
we use the past continuous tense for both activities. For
instance:
•While I was cooking dinner, my sister was watching TV.
Here, both 'was cooking' and 'was watching' are examples of
past continuous tense usage, reflecting that both actions
occurred concurrently.
Actions Interrupted by Other Actions or Events
We often use this tense to describe an action that was
interrupted by another event or action. We typically use the
simple past tense to express the interrupting action. For
instance:
•I was reading a book when the power went out.
In this sentence, 'was reading' is in the past continuous
tense as it indicates an action (reading a book) that got
interrupted by another event (the power going out).
Remember that stative verbs are not used in the continuous tense.
Stative verbs express a state – not an action. Since there is no action
in progress, the past continuous should not be used. Here are some
categories of stative verbs:
•Mental states – think, understand, believe, doubt, know, prefer,
remember, want
•Emotional states – like, love, hate
•Senses – see, hear, smell, taste, feel, seem, sound
•Possession – have, own, possess
•Communication – agree, disagree, mean, promise
•Other states – be, need, owe, cost, depend, matter
I was understanding math class until we started fractions.
I understood math class until we started fractions.
I was having a horse when I was a child.
I had a horse when I was a child.
The flowers were smelling good.
The flowers smelled good.
He was knowing exactly what needed to be done.
He knew exactly what needed to be done.
1.When I phoned my friends, they ___________ (play) monopoly.
2.Yesterday at six I ___________ (prepare) dinner.
3.The kids ___________ (play) in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
4.I ___________ (practice) the guitar when he came home.
5.We ___________ (not / cycle) all day.
6.While Aaron ___________ (work) in his room, his friends ___________
(swim) in the pool.
7.I tried to tell them the truth but they ___________ (listen / not) .
8.What ___________ (you / do) yesterday?
9.Most of the time we ___________ (sit) in the park.
11. I _______ (work) on my project when the power went off.

12. They _______ (play) cricket in the park when it started raining.

13. She _______ (read) a book when her phone rang.

14. We _______ (watch) a movie when the electricity was cut-off.

15. He _______ (cook) dinner when his friend arrived.

16. When I phoned my friends, they (play) ___________ monopoly.
17. Yesterday at six I (prepare) ___________ dinner.
18. The kids (play) ___________ in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
19. I (practice) ___________ the guitar when he came home.
20. We (not / cycle) ___________ all day.
21. While Alan (work) ___________ in his room, his friends (swim) ___________ in the
pool.
22. I tried to tell them the truth but they ___________ (not / listen ) .
23. What (you / do) ___________ yesterday?
24. Most of the time we (sit) ___________ in the park.
25. I (listen) ___________ to the radio while my sister ___________ (watch) TV.
26. When I arrived, They (play) ___________ cards.
27. We (study) ___________ English yesterday at 4:00 pm.
Convert present tense sentences to past continuous

1.I am studying for my test.

2.They are playing video games.

3.She is listening to music.

4.We are preparing for a party.

5.He is cleaning his car.

Write positive sentences in past progressive.

1.My mother / read / a novel

2.My father / watch / a movie

3.My elder sister / write / in her diary

4.My two brothers / listen / to the radio

5.My little sister and I / not / watch / a movie