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Types of Tense: Present, Past and

Future Tense
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What is Tense?

A Tense is a form taken by a verb to indicate the time of action.

Types of Tenses:

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There are mainly three types of Tenses, they are:-

1. The Present Tense:

The verb that refers to the present time is said to be in the present tense;
as

I write this letter to help you.

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2. The Past Tense:

The verb that refers to the past time is in the Past Tense.; as

I wrote this letter yesterday.

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3. The Future Tense:

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The verb that refers to the future time is in the Future Tense.; as

I shall write another letter tomorrow.

Note:

Sometimes a past tense may refer to present time and a present tense
may express future time; as

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I wish I knew the answer. (I’m sorry I don’t know the answer.) Past
Tense – Present time.

Let’s wait till he comes home. Present tense- future time

Each of these tenses are further subdivided into four types like

1. The Present Tense:

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(a) Simple Present Tense

(b) Present Continuous Tense

(c) Present Perfect Tense

(d) Present Perfect Continuous Tense

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2. The Past Tense:

(a) Simple Past Tense

(b) Past Continuous Tense

(c) Past Perfect Tense

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(d) Past Perfect Continuous Tense

3. The Future Tense:

(a) Simple Future Tense

(b) Future Continuous Tense

(c) Future Perfect Tense

(d) Future Perfect Continuous Tense

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Present Tense:

Simple Present Tense is used:-

1. To express a habitual action as

I get up at 5 AM every day.

He takes exercise every morning.

2. To express a universal truth or fact e.g. Privacy - Terms

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Honey is sweet.

Fortune favours the brave.

3. To express an action taking place in the immediate present.

Here comes the bus.

There she goes.

4. To indicate the present period.

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He works in this office.

He has a big garden

5. To express a future fixed action.

The train starts at 5 pm.

We go to the bank next week.

6. In a vivid narrative as a substitute for a simple past.

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Ram rushes forward and kicks the ball.

7. In time clauses, when it is introduced by conjunction of time such as

when, while, until, till, after, as soon as, no sooner, then etc.

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I shall wait till you come.

When you reach home I shall meet you.

8. In Conditional Clauses

If it rains we shall get wet.

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Unless he studies, he will not pass.

We will wait, until she comes back.

9. To introduce a quotation

Shakespeare says “frailty thy name is women”

10. In exclamatory sentences beginning with here, there.

Here comes Sohan!

Present Continuous Tense is used:

1. For an action going on at the time of speaking.

The boys are playing football.

2. For a temporary solution which may not actually be happening at the

time of speaking.

I am reading Tom Sawyer. (Not reading at the movement).

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He is teaching English in Delhi University, (may not be teaching at the
moment of speaking)

3. For an action planned in the near future.

I am going to the circus tonight.

She is being married next week.

4. For a repeated or habitual action used with an adverb like always,

continually, constantly, very etc.

He is always helping the weak.

He is always coming late to office.

Present Perfect Tense is used:

1. To express an action that has just been completed; as

He has just returned from office.

The Sun has set.

2. To express past action whose time is not defined.

Have you read this book?

Mr. Ram has been to USA.

3. To express a past action the effect of which still continues

I have cut my finger.

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I have finished my work.

I have lived in Delhi for ten years. (Implying that he is still living in
Delhi)

4. To denote an action beginning at sometime in the past and continuing

up to the present movement.

I have known him for a long time.

We have lived here for 10 years.

Also used with since and for. ‘Since’ means from that point, to the time
of speaking. While ‘for’ is used for a period of time.

He has been ill since last week.

I have lived here for two years.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used:

1. For an action which began at sometime in the past and still continue.

They have been playing since 4 o’ clock.

2. For an unfinished action

We have been building the house

I have been working for ten years.

3. For drawing conclusions

Her eyes are red, she has been crying. Privacy - Terms
The room stinks. Someone has been frying fish here.

Past Tense:

Simple Past Tense is used in the past:

1. To indicate an action completed, often occurring with an adverb of

time.

I read the letter yesterday

or Without an adverb of time. The time being implied

I didn’t sleep well.

Who left the door open?

2. For past habits or repeated actions.

He always carries a bag.

He took a long walk every morning.

3. To denote an action which continue for sometime in the past?

We studied chemistry for two years.

Past Continuous Tense is used:-

1. To denote an action going on, sometime in the past

He was listening to the radio all day.

She was weeping bitterly

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2. With an adverb ‘all’ emphasizing continuity or with ‘still’ emphasizing
duration

It was raining all night.

It was still raining when I woke up

3. For persistent habits in the past used with always, continually

He was always grumbling

4. Used in making polite enquiries

I was wondering if you could help me.

Past Perfect Tense is used:-

1. To describe an action completed in the past.

Mahatma Gandhi died on 30 Jan 1948.

2. However if two actions happened in the past it may be necessary to

show which happened earlier. The simple past is used in one clause and
the past perfect in the other.

The patient had died when the doctor arrived. (The patient was already
dead when the doctor arrived)

I had written the letter before he arrived.

3. With verb to show unfulfilled hopes and wishes. Thus verbs like
expect, hope, suppose, thinks, wants etc. is used to describe things we
hoped to do but could not do.
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I had thought to send him a letter but could not send it.

Past Perfect Continuous is used:

1. For an action that began before a certain time in the past and
continued up to that time as

At that time he had been editing the newspaper for two years.

The children had been practicing for two hours till I called them out.

2. Can be used for drawing conclusions.

Her eyes were red it was obvious she had been crying all day.

Future Tense:

Simple Future Tense is used:-

1. For an action that has still to take place.

I shall see him tomorrow.

The price of goods will rise by year end.

2. Other ways of expressing the future:-

Using simple present tense for official programmes and time table.

The college opens on 10th July.

Using present continuous tense when we talk of something that we plan

to do in the near future.
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He is arriving this evening.

I am going to Delhi tomorrow.

Using ‘will’, ‘shall’, ‘be going to’

I will see him tomorrow.

I shall see him tomorrow.

I am going to see him tomorrow.

3. By using ‘going to’ and ‘ be about to’ to describe the speaker’s

intention to do something in fairly immediate future.

I am going to think about it.

He is going to be a Doctor when he grows up.

Future Continuous Tense is used:

1. To represent an action as going on at some time in the future as

The guests will be arriving anytime from now.

2. For future events that are planned

He will be meeting us next month.

I shall be seeing the President tonight.

3. In the interrogative form this tense is used to ask a polite question.

Will you be doing it in our absence?

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Future Perfect Tense:

Future Perfect Tense is used to indicate the completion of an action in a

certain time in the future.

I will have returned by the year 2010.

Before you come, he will have slept.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to indicate an action that is in

progress over a period of time and will end in the future as

By next June we shall have been living here for four years.

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