TENSES
SUMITHA.K
TGT ENGLISH
JNV WAYANAD, KERALA
INTRODUCTION
The word “Tense” is derived from the Latin word “tempus” which means “time”. A verb indicates the time of an action, event or condition by changing its form.
Tenses are the form taken by a verb to show the time of an action or the state of an event.
There are three tenses:
The Present Tense
The Past Tense
The Future Tense
Each of the three tenses has four forms or sub divisions to show the continuity or completeness of the action and time. These are:
The Indefinite tense does not indicate whether the action is complete or not.
The Continuous tense indicates that the action is still going on.
The Perfect Tense indicates that the action is just completed, finished or perfect.
The Perfect continuous Tense indicates that the action began in the past and is still continuing.
Tense | Indefinite | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect continuous |
Present | Play/ plays | Is/Am/ Are Playing | Has/ Have played | Has/ Have been playing |
Past | Played | Was/ were playing | Had played | Had been Playing |
Future | Will/ shall play | Will/ shall be playing | Will/ shall have played | Will /Shall have been playing |
Present tense
Present Indefinite Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Present Tense
Subject+ Verb1+ Object
* Expresses a general truth or an action that is occurring now.
Eg: The sun rises in the east.
* Expresses an action that occurs regularly or habitually.
Eg: She often goes for a walk in the morning.
Present continuous tense
Subject +Is/Am/Are+V1+ing+object
The present continuous tense is used to express an action which is happening at a particular time in the present or extending over a period of present time.
Examples
I am reading a book.
She is playing a violin.
They are watching a movie.
Present Perfect Tense
Subject + has/ have +V3+ object
Has – Singular; Have – Plural
The Present Perfect Tense denotes an action that was started in the past and has just been completed.
Eg: I have written a story.
He/ she has written a story.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject+ has/have+ been + V1+ing + Object
The present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that had started in the past and is still going on.
Eg: Sheela has been playing violin.
They have been singing a song.
Past tense
Past Indefinite Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Past Tense
Subject + V2 + object
The simple past tense is used to denote an action that had happened at a particular time in the past.
Eg: I ate an apple.
Hari washed his clothes
Past Continuous tense
Subject +was/were + V1+ing + object
The past continuous tense is used to denote an action which was happening at a particular time in the past.
Eg: Boys were playing cricket.
She was cleaning the room.
Past Perfect Tense
Subject+ Had+V3+Object
Past perfect tense is used to denote an action that was completed before another action started in the past. It is used with the earlier of the two actions. The simple past tense is used with the other action.
Eg: The train had left before I reached the station.
Students had finished the work before the teacher arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject +had been +V1+ing + object
Past perfect continuous tense is used to denote an action that was finished at some definite time in the past but which had been going on before it was finished.
Eg: I had been cleaning the room when I heard the fire alarm.
We had been watching a movie when we heard the noise in the street.
Future tense
Future Indefinite Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Future Tense
Subject +will/shall+ V1 + object
Simple future tense is used to denote an action that will take place in the future.
Eg: I shall play cricket in the evening.
They will come home by next week.
Future Continuous Tense
Subject+will/shall+ be+V1+ing+ object
Future continuous tense is used to express an action that will be going on at a particular time in the future.
Eg: I will be enjoying the party tomorrow.
Suman will be attending dance classes from next month.
Future Perfect Tense
Subject +will/shall + have + V3 + object
Future perfect tense is used to denote the completion of an action by a certain period of time in the future.
Eg:1. I shall have decided the destination of my holidays by tonight.
2. You will have received your results by next week.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject + will/shall +have been+ V1+ing + object
The future perfect continuous tense is used when an action is to continue up to a certain point of time in the future.
Eg: 1. You will have been waiting for three hours in the station before the train arrives.
2. The sun will have been going down by the time we are done.
There are twelve possible verb tenses
Verb Tenses
Present
Past
Future
1.Future Indefinite
2. Future Continuous
3. Future Perfect
4. Future Perfect Continuous
1.Present Indefinite
2. Present Continuous
3. Present Perfect
4. Present Perfect Continuous
1.Past Indefinite
2. Past Continuous
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Continuous