Tenses
What are Tenses?
Tense is something which tells us when the action expressed by the verb took place. There are three main divisions of tenses.
- Past Tense: The past tense is used to talk about actions which took place in the past.
- Present Tense: The present tense is used to talk about actions which take place in the present.
- Future Tense: The future tense is used to talk about actions which will take place in the future.
Present Tense
The present tense can be divided into four categories:
- Simple
- Continuous
- Perfect
- Perfect continuous
Simple Present Tense
Examples of sentences in the simple present tense:
Habitual action | I exercise every day. Mala visits her mother on Tuesdays. |
|---|---|
Ability | Manish plays the flute. Rishi can drive cars. We leave tonight. They move to their new apartment this week. Mr Prasad is the CEO of this company. Man is a social animal. The pen is mightier than the sword. I trust you more than I trust myself. |
Events of the near future | |
Facts | |
Non-factual beliefs |
Present Continuous Tense
- The present continuous tense is used to express actions which are currently in progress.
- Progressive helping verbs (is, am, are) are used along with the „-ing‟ form of the verb.
Helping Verbs | Main Verb (-ing form) |
|---|---|
is working are packing | |
Examples of sentences in the present continuous tense:
Present continuous tense on a timeline:
Now
Past Present Continuous Future
Action in progression
Present Perfect Tense
- The present perfect tense is used to express an action which may have happened at a specific time before now.
- Perfect helping verbs (has, have) are used with the past participle form of the verb.
- The present perfect tense is never used when the time or date of the action is mentioned.
- Frieda has visited us in 1999. Incorrect
- Frieda visited us in 1999. Correct
Examples of sentences in the present perfect tense:
Recently completed action | Bob has released the birds from their cage. The train has halted at the station. This has happened before. Jennifer has met you once. We have believed every word you said. Meera has always used the best cosmetics. The despot has led the country to ruins. Pooja has turned into a high-flying socialite. Manoj has eaten the last biscuit on the plate. The rebels have ended the rule of the autocratic king. I have learnt how to speak in Mandarin. Ratna has set up an automatic burglar alarm. |
When the time of completion is unspecified | |
A past action which is still in continuation | |
Changes which have happened over time | |
When the consequences are more important than the action itself | |
A past action whose benefits can be felt to this day |
Present perfect tense on a timeline:
Action completed in the past
Now
Present Perfect Tense Action which happened at a specific time before now
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- The present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action which may have happened in the past and has continued up to this very moment.
- It is formed out of the addition of perfect helping verbs (has, have) to the participle form of progressive helping verbs (been) and finally to the „-ing‟ form of the main verb.
Helping Verb (Perfect) | Helping Verb (Participle) | Main Verb (-ing) |
|---|---|---|
has have | been been | speaking playing |
Examples of sentences in the present perfect tense:
Points to remember
- The words „for‟ and „since‟ are used with the present perfect continuous tense to indicate the duration of the action.
- Use „for‟ to talk about the duration of the action.
- The Principal has been lecturing us for one hour.
- It has been pouring for four hours.
- Use „since‟ to indicate when the action began.
- Ram Singh has been working in this company since 1980.
- Both the men have been toiling in the field since morning.
Present perfect continuous on a timeline:
(Duration of action)
Past
Present Perfect Continuous
Present
Past Tense
The past tense can be divided into four categories:
- Simple
- Continuous
- Perfect
- Perfect continuous
Simple Past Tense
- The simple past tense is used to express an action which was completed at one point of time in the past.
Completed actions | I appeared for the interview yesterday. Meera paid her bills. Usha taught at a college nearby. The princes practised archery by the river. Queen Cleopatra was married to Julius Caesar. We lived only on bread and water. |
Habitual actions of the past | |
Past facts or generalisations |
Simple past tense on a timeline:
Simple Past Tense
Now
Past Continuous Tense
- The past continuous tense is used to express actions which were in progression at one point of time in the past.
- It is formed when progressive helping verbs (was, were) are added to the „-ing‟ form of the main verb.
Continuing actions of the past | Gerald was painting on a huge canvas. Sangeeta was talking in her sleep. The bomb was ticking as they spoke. Lalith was sleeping when he heard the alarm bell. The mice were following the Pied Piper. The queen was listening to the minstrel‟s songs. |
To mention the action of longer duration while comparing two actions | |
To talk about a progressive action in a narrative |
Past continuous tense on a timeline:
Past Continuous Action in progression
Now
Past Perfect Tense
- The past perfect tense is used to express an action which may have happened at a specific time before another action began in the past.
- The perfect helping verb „had‟ is used with the past participle form of the verb.
- The past perfect tense is never used when the time or date of the action is mentioned.
- Kirk had graduated in 2007. Incorrect
- Kirk graduated in 2007. Correct
Past perfect tense on a timeline:
Action 1
Action 2
Now
Past perfect tense
The action which happened
before another action in the past
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
- The past perfect continuous tense is used to express an action which may have started at a particular point of time in the past and may have ended at another point of time in the past.
- It is formed out of the addition of the perfect helping verb had to the participle form of the progressive helping verb been and finally to the „-ing‟ form of the main verb.
Helping Verb | Helping Verb (Participle) | Main Verb (-ing) |
|---|---|---|
had had | been been | sleeping talking |
Examples of sentences in the past perfect continuous tense:
An action which may have started and may have gone on for a while in the past | Krishna had been talking to himself in a stupor. William had been sleeping during the lecture. |
Past perfect continuous tense on a timeline:
Action started
Action ended
Now
Past Perfect
Future Tense
The future tense can be divided into four categories:
- Simple
- Continuous
- Perfect
- Perfect continuous
Simple Future
- The simple future tense is formed by adding the modal auxiliaries „will‟, „would‟, „may‟, „shall‟ and „might‟ to the simple present tense of the main verb.
Events of the future | The lunch will be ready in 10 minutes. Dr Paranjpe will preside over the meeting. You will regret if you are hasty. Children would get the wrong message. I will travel to Ireland someday. Prince Dhruva will be the heir to the throne. Our child will study in this school. Nagma will report the matter to me. |
Consequences of present actions | |
Expressing promise or a plan | |
Future facts or habitual actions |
Simple future tense on a timeline:
Now Simple Future
Future Continuous Tense
- The future continuous tense is formed by adding the modal auxiliaries „will‟ or „would‟ and the progressive helping verb „be‟ to the „-ing‟ form of the main verb.
Modal Auxiliary | Progressive Helping Verb | Main Verb |
|---|---|---|
will would | be be | going breaking |
Examples of sentences in the future continuous tense:
Future events which will be in continuation | Future events or plans |
|---|---|
Rita will be travelling to Mumbai at this time tomorrow. George would be listening to music at night. | I will be studying in the National Institute of Technology. Falguni and I will be accompanying Sheetal to her house. |
Future continuous tense on a timeline:
Now Future
Continuous Action in progression
Future Perfect Tense
- The future continuous tense is formed by adding the modal auxiliaries „will‟ or „would‟ and the perfect helping verb „have’ to the participle form of the main verb.
Modal Auxiliary | Perfect Helping Verb | Participle Form of Main Verb |
|---|---|---|
will would | have have | eaten taken |
Future
Now Action Completed
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
- The future perfect continuous tense is formed by the addition of the modal auxiliaries will or would; perfect helping verb have; the past participle form of progressive helping verbs (been); and the present participle (-ing) form of the main verb.
Modal Auxiliary | Perfect Helping Verb | Helping Verb (Past Participle) | Main Verb (Present Participle) |
|---|---|---|---|
will would | have have | been been | talking sleeping |
Examples of sentences in the future perfect continuous tense:
Future perfect continuous tense on a timeline:
Now
Action started
Action ended
