Tenses

TENSES
Simple Present Tense
Simple Present Tense is a type of sentence that has a function

to express an activity or fact that occurs in the present, and
structurally or its arrangement, simple present tense uses only
one verb.
Present Tense is one of the forms of verb tenses. It simply

describes the actions, truths(facts), future and situations. It is
very easy to form and uses base form of the verb.
It is a verb tense. A ‘verb’ is an action word. The ‘tense’ is the

time of the action. The ‘present’ is now. It shows how the past
is connected to the present/now.
Usage
1. Something which is true or factual –
1.1 General – “Chinese people eat a lot of rice.”

1.2 Permanent – “I am a teacher.” “He is a father.”
1.3 Mathematical/scientific – “One plus one equals two.”
“Water freezes at 0c.”
1.4 Habitual – “I drink coffee every day.”
1.5 Recurring – “It snows every winter.”
1.6 Eternal/Unvarying – “The Bible says ‘You must not kill’.”
1.7 Mental state – “I think she is very kind.”
Usage
2 Describing Feelings and Senses – “I feel very cold.” “I’m

freezing.”
3 Giving instructions, directions or demonstrations – “Open the
box on the table, take out the hand beater and beat the eggs
until they are creamy.”
4 Media (newspapers, radio announcements, television
broadcasts) – “Earthquake hits New Zealand.”
5 Timetables – “The train leaves at midnight.”
6 After ‘when’ or ‘if’ to form a time clause (also called the
‘General or Zero Conditional) – “I like to ski when it snows.”
“When it snows, I like to ski.” Note the comma in the second
example.
Present Continuous Tense
Present continuous tense expresses the ongoing action or task

of the present. It is also called present progressive tense. For
example, I am eating the meal.
Usage
To express actions that are happening now.

He is playing tennis now.
To express actions that are planned.

He is watching movie with his friend next Sunday.
For changing situations.

The climate is getting hotter each year.
To express time at the moment of speaking

We are performing our duty at the moment.
Present Perfect Tense
Present perfect tense expresses the completion of the action or

task of the present. For example, I have taken two doses of
medicine.
Signal Words
for
since
yet
still
already
ever
till now
Usage
How long?
I have been at work for six hours.
The work that has recently been completed.

He has just cooked the meal.
Time period that has not finished.

She has drunk two cups of tea today.
To describe the specific moment of time.

We have lived in this house since 2015.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense (present perfect progressive

tense) is used to express the action or task that started in the
past and continues in present.
Signal Words
for two hours,
for ________
how long
since morning,
since ______
Emphasis on duration of action.

I have been learning French since I went to school.
To express anger and irritation

Why have you been disturbing me?
Time bound expressions (since, for, lately, how long)

1. He has been watching TV for two hours.
2. He has been smoking since 2015.
Emphasis on duration of action.

I have been learning French since I went to school.
To express anger and irritation

Why have you been disturbing me?
Time bound expressions (since, for, lately, how long)

1. He has been watching TV for two hours.
2. He has been smoking since 2015.
Simple Past Tense
Simple past tense is used to express the actions that happened

in the past or happened one after the other. For example, The
baby crawled.
Signal words
Last night
Yesterday
Last Monday
In 1998
An hour ago
Simple Past Tense
Action that happened at definite time.

She went to the park an hour ago.
Actions that happened one after the other.

He ordered pizza. He received the pizza at home. He ate it.
The actions or states that finished in past.

His mother used to wash his clothes.
Past Continuous Tense
Past continuous tense expresses the actions or task that were

ongoing in the past. We cannot determine when the action
started or finished. For example, When I was walking
yesterday, it started raining.
Signal Words
when
as long as
while
yesterday.
Past Continuous Tense
Past continuous tense expresses the actions or task that were

ongoing in the past. We cannot determine when the action
started or finished. For example, When I was walking
yesterday, it started raining.
Signal Words
when
as long as
while
yesterday.
Past Perfect Tense
Past perfect tense indicates the finished or completed actions

of the past. For example, I had taken two doses of medicine
before the fever vanished.
Signal Words
before yesterday
already
when
until that day
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past perfect tense indicates the finished or completed actions

of the past. For example, I had taken two doses of medicine
before the fever vanished.
Signal Words
before yesterday
already
when
until that day
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express the action

that started in the past and continued in the past for some time.
It is also called Past Perfect Progressive Tense.
Signal Words
for two hours,
for ________
All day
since morning,
since ______
Usage
Emphasis on duration of action or task that finished in past

I had been learning French for two years before I went to
college.
Time expressions (since, for, lately, how long)

He had been drafting a plan for two days before the meeting.
Simple Future Tense
Simple future tense is used to express the actions in the future.

These can be decisions, assumptions or predictions, etc. For
example, It will be summer soon.
Signal words
tomorrow
next month
in a month
next week
Simple Future Tense
Used to express predictions about future.

There will be next-generation robots in 2050.
To express future decisions.

I will attend a meeting next Monday.
To express promise or offer.

I will help you cook meal.
To express actions that are not in our control.

It will be Sunday tomorrow.
Future Continuous Tense
Future continuous tense expresses the action that will be

ongoing at some time in the future. It is also called future
progressive tense. For example, I will be studying in this
college.
Signal Words
tomorrow morning
in one year
Next Monday
Usage
To express ongoing actions at a specific future time

He will be playing football at 10:00 am tomorrow.
To express an action that will definitely happen in the future.

He will be attending a webinar next Monday.
Time expression
I will be watching TV later this evening.
Future Perfect Tense
Future perfect tense is used to express the action that will be

completed in future at some time. For example, I will have
studied the French language.
Signal Words
by next year
by the end of next month
Usage
To express an action that will be completed before some stated

time in future.
I will have taken tea by 7 o’clock.
To show time expressions: by then, until.

They will not have finished their work until then..
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Future perfect continuous tense is used to express the ongoing

action that will be completed in future before a certain time. For
example, I will have been studying in this college for one year.
Signal Words
for the last two days
all day long
for the last three hours
Usage
To emphasize the duration of some action that will be

completed at some another point in the future.
By the end of this year, I will have been completing my
graduation for two years.
Time expression
I will have been watching TV for two hours by the time he
comes home
.
Past Future Tense
Future in the past is used to express the idea that in the past
you thought something would happen in the future. It does not
matter if you are correct or not. Future in the past follows the
same basic rules as the simple future. "Would" is used to
volunteer or promise, and "was going to" is used to plan.
Moreover, both forms can be used to make predictions about
the future.
.
Past Future Tense
I told you he was going to come to the party. plan

I knew Julie would make dinner. voluntary action
Jane said Sam was going to bring his sister with him, but he
came alone. plan
I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster.
prediction
He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt. promise.
Past Future Continuous Tense
It is used to express the ‘idea’ that in the past an action/event

was predicted, planned, promised, expected or obliged to be
happening (being continued) in a certain period in the future of
past, or while simultaneously another action/event happened or
was also happening (being continued) in the same period in the
future of past, regardless the fact that idea was not proved to
be true.
Past Future Continuous Tense
It is used to express the ‘idea’ in the past that an action/event

was predicted, planned, promised, expected or obliged to have
been done completely before/ by a certain time in the future (of
past), or before/while another action/event happened in the
future of past, regardless the fact that the idea has not been
proved to be true.
Past Future Perfect Continuous
Tense
It is used to express an action or imaginary situation that would

have been happening in the past. The verb of Past Future
Perfect Continuous is in progress at a certain point or during
certain periods in the past. Past Future Perfect Continuous are
suppositions or assumptions, referring to the actors in the
sentence just assumed the sentence stated by it.
Passage
When the wine was gone, and the places where it had been
most abundant were raked into a gridiron-pattern by fingers,
these demonstrations ceased, as suddenly as they had broken
out. The man who had left his saw sticking in the firewood he
was cutting, set it in motion again; the women who had left on a
door-step the little pot of hot ashes, at which she had been
trying to soften the pain in her own starved fingers and toes, or
in those of her child, returned to it; men with bare arms, matted
locks, and cadaverous faces, who had emerged into the winter
light from cellars, moved away, to descend again; and a gloom
gathered on the scene that appeared more natural to it than
sunshine.
Passage
The object of all this staring and blaring, was a young man of
about five-and-twenty, well-grown and well-looking, with a
sunburnt cheek and a dark eye. His condition was that of a
young gentleman. He was plainly dressed in black, or very dark
grey, and his hair, which was long and dark, was gathered in a
ribbon at the back of his neck; more to be out of his way than
for ornament. As an emotion of the mind will express itself
through any covering of the body, so the paleness which his
situation engendered came through the brown upon his cheek,
showing the soul to be stronger than the sun. He was
otherwise quite self-possessed, bowed to the Judge, and stood
quiet.
Passage
In the howling universe of passion and contention that seemed to

encompass this grim old officer conspicuous in his grey coat and red
decoration, there was but one quite steady figure, and that was a
woman's. "See, there is my husband!" she cried, pointing him out. "See
Defarge!" She stood immovable close to the grim old officer, and
remained immovable close to him; remained immovable close to him
through the streets, as Defarge and the rest bore him along; remained
immovable close to him when he was got near his destination, and began
to be struck at from behind; remained immovable close to him when the
long-gathering rain of stabs and blows fell heavy; was so close to him
when he dropped dead under it, that, suddenly animated, she put her foot
upon his neck, and with her cruel knife—long ready— hewed off his head.

Tenses

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TENSES

Simple Present Tense

Simple Present Tense is a type of sentence that has a function

Present Tense is one of the forms of verb tenses. It simply

It is a verb tense. A ‘verb’ is an action word. The ‘tense’ is the

1. Something which is true or factual –

1.1 General – “Chinese people eat a lot of rice.”

2 Describing Feelings and Senses – “I feel very cold.” “I’m

Present continuous tense expresses the ongoing action or task

To express actions that are happening now.

To express actions that are planned.

For changing situations.

To express time at the moment of speaking

Present perfect tense expresses the completion of the action or

The work that has recently been completed.

Time period that has not finished.

To describe the specific moment of time.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense (present perfect progressive

Emphasis on duration of action.

To express anger and irritation

Time bound expressions (since, for, lately, how long)

Emphasis on duration of action.

To express anger and irritation

Time bound expressions (since, for, lately, how long)

Simple past tense is used to express the actions that happened

Action that happened at definite time.

Actions that happened one after the other.

The actions or states that finished in past.

Past continuous tense expresses the actions or task that were

Past continuous tense expresses the actions or task that were

Past perfect tense indicates the finished or completed actions

Past perfect tense indicates the finished or completed actions

Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express the action

Emphasis on duration of action or task that finished in past

Time expressions (since, for, lately, how long)

Simple future tense is used to express the actions in the future.

Used to express predictions about future.

To express future decisions.

To express promise or offer.

To express actions that are not in our control.

Future continuous tense expresses the action that will be

To express ongoing actions at a specific future time

To express an action that will definitely happen in the future.

Future perfect tense is used to express the action that will be

To express an action that will be completed before some stated

To show time expressions: by then, until.

Future perfect continuous tense is used to express the ongoing

To emphasize the duration of some action that will be

I told you he was going to come to the party. plan

It is used to express the ‘idea’ that in the past an action/event

It is used to express the ‘idea’ in the past that an action/event

It is used to express an action or imaginary situation that would

In the howling universe of passion and contention that seemed to

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