Tenses

TO WALK

I WALK IN THE GARDEN

HE/SHE WALKS IN THE GARDEN
THEY WALK IN THE GARDEN
WE WALK IN THE GARDEN
There are twelve different tenses in English, namely
#Simple Present Tense
#Present Continuous Tense
#Present Perfect Tense
#Present Perfect Continuous Tense
#Simple Past Tense
#Past Continuous Tense
# Past Perfect Tense
#Past Perfect Continuous Tense
#Simple Future Tense
#Future Continuous Tense
#Future Perfect Tense
# Future Perfect Continuous Tense
 Simple Present Tense
Uses:
•Something happens regularly.
•You show a habitual action.
•Something that happens often
•They are universal or geographical truth.
•You have to show a planned future action eg: Timetable, programs

Signal Words: Example:

•Everybody •He walks every day.
•Someday •Mr. Bob jogs ever morning
•Always •I love to eat pizza.
•Seldom •The sun rises in the east.
•Sometimes

Form: 1st form of the verb i.e. the infinitive form of the verb.
 Present Continuous Tense
It is also known as present progressive tense.

Uses:
•It is used to show something that is happening at the same time of
speaking or around it.

Signal Words: Example:

•Know •The boy is always disturbing the class.
•At the moment •They are watching television.
•Look •I am teaching English.
•Listen

Form: Is/are/am + ing form of verb

 Present Perfect Tense

Uses:
•You want to express something that has happened in the recent
past and has some connection to the present.
•It is an action started in the past and is over / completed in the
recent present.
Signal Words: Example:
•Just •I have just completed my work.
•Yet •He has finished eating.
•Never •Mr. Joe has worked in the
•Already company for ten years.
•Since
•For
Form: Has/have +past participle form of verb.
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Uses:
•To show an action that began in the past and is still continuing
•It also tells us how long the action has been happening

Signal Words:
•All day Example:
•The whole day •I have been studying for the whole
•How long day.
•Since •It has been raining since morning.
•For

Form: Has/have + been + ing form of verb

To sing
To take
To draw
To write
 Simple Past Tense

Uses:
•To show an action that took place or happened at a certain time in
the past.
•To show a past habit.

Signal Words: Example:

•Last •I walked to the market yesterday.
•Ago •He went to Europe for a vacation last year.
•Yesterday

Form: Regular verb + ed

Irregular past tense of the irregular verbs
 Past Continuous Tense
Uses:
•To show an action that was taking place at a certain time in the
past.
•To show two actions that were taking place at the same time in the
past.
•To show an action that was taking place at a certain time when
another happened.
Signal Words: Example:
•That day •They were reading in the library at that moment.
•Yesterday •I was eating my dinner when the lights went off.
•When

Form: was/ were + ing form of verb

 Past Perfect Tense
Uses:
•It is mostly used when two actions are related to each other.
•To show an unfulfilled wish.
•To show the first of two actions that happened in the past. The action
which had already happened is placed in the past perfect and the
other action is put into simple past. (Example: The thief had escaped
before the police arrived.)
Signal Words: Example:
•Then •I had finished my work when my cousins
•At that moment came in.
•By the time •I wish I had sung that evening.
•Before

Form: had + past participle

 Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Uses:
•To show the continuity of an action at a certain time in the past.
•To show an action that was going on in the past, when the second
one took place.

Signal Words: Example:

Since •I had been completing my homework when
For the storm arose.
•The driver had been driving for four hours
before he took a nap.

Form: had + been + present participle(ing form)

 Simple Future Tense
Uses:
•Predictions about future
•Spontaneous decision about something to be done
•To show a future action is certain to happen by using ‘going to’
•To show an action that is happening in the immediate or near
immediate future by using ‘about to’
Example:
Signal Words:
•It will rain tomorrow
•Tomorrow
•We will go out for a movie tomorrow.
•Later
•They are going to plan a welcome party
•The day after
for the new team.
•Please hurry! The train is about to leave
the station
Form: will/shall + verb
 Future Continuous Tense
Uses:
•An action will be in the progression at a certain time in the future.
•To show a planned action

Signal Words: Example:

•Tomorrow •I will be working late tomorrow.
•Later •I shall be waiting for her after school.
•The day after

Form: will/shall + be + ing form of the verb

 Future Perfect Tense
Uses:
•To show an action that will be completed by a certain time in the
future.

Signal Word: Example:

•By then •I shall have done my homework by tomorrow.
•I will have finished my course before October
next year.

Form: will/shall + have + past participle

 Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Uses:
•The future perfect continuous tense is not often used simply
because situations requiring the use of this tense are very seldom.
•However, when used, it is used to express an action that has
started sometime in the past and which will definitely be completed
at some indefinite time in the future.

Signal Words: Example:

•Later •I will have been working on the project
•Tomorrow by the middle of next year.
•Next year

Form: will/shall + have + been + present participle (ing form)

 Formation of Tenses
Perfect
Simple Continuous Perfect
Continuous
Has/ Have + been
Is/am/are + Has/have +
Present + present
Base verb ing form of past
Tense participle (ing
verb participle
form of verb)

ed form of
Was/were + had + been +
verb Had + past
Past Tense ing form of present participle
Irregular participle
verb (ing form of verb)
verbs

Will/shall + have
will/shall + Will/shall +
will/shall + + been + present
Future Tense be + ing form have + past
base verb participle (ing
of verb participle
form of verb)