TENSES
A Tense is a form of a verb that is used to show the time of an action.
Tenses denotes the time of action. They show when the work is done.
TYPES OF TENSES:
There are three types of Tenses.
1.Present Tense
2.Past Tense
3.Future Tense
Each Tense is divided into four types
PRESENT TENSE
Simple present
Present continuous tense
Present perfect tense
Present perfect continuous tense
PAST TENSE
Simple past tense
Past continuous tense
Past perfect tense
Past perfect continuous
FUTURE TENSE
Simple future
Future continuous tense
Future perfect tense
Future perfect continuous tense
Tense Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect continuous
S+ S+have/has+been+V1+ing
Present S+V1, V1+ S+am/is/are+V1+ing have/has+V3
s,es,ies
S+
Past S+V2 was/were+V1+ing S+had+V3 S+Had+ been+ V1+ ing
S+will/shall+ have+been+
Future S+ S+will/shall+be+V1+ S+will/shall+ V1+ ing
Will/ ing have+v3
shall+V1
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
It is used to denote scientific facts, universal truth and habitual action.
S+ V1
S+ V1+s, es, ies
Key words: (always, generally, usually, everyday, often)
Examples: 1.The Sun rises in the East.
2. Usually I get up at 5’O clock.
3. Water boils at 1000 C.
1 I go to school.
2 He goes to school.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
It is used to express an action taking place at the time of speaking.
S+am/is/are+v1+ ing
Key words: (at present, at this moment, currently, still)
Examples: 1. I am learning English now
2. At present I am watching t TV.
3. They are travelling to Kerala.
4. The students are writing the exam.
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
This tense expresses an action which started in the past and just finished.
have has
S+have/has+v3
I He
Key words: (just, just now, recently) We She
You it
Example:
they
1. He has just completed his internal exam.
2. We have constructed a house in Madurai.
3. I have written a book on English grammar.
4. It has bitten on my right leg.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
It is used to show an action that started in the past and still continue in the present.
S+ have/has+been+ v1+ ing
Keywords: (since, for, for a long time)
Example:
1. He has been working on the computer all the morning.
2. I have been living here since 1990.
3. They have been playing for two years.
4. It has been raining heavily since last night.
SIMPLE PAST TENSE
It is used to indicate an action completed in the past
S+ V2
Keywords: (yesterday, last night, two days ago, last month, last year, last week.)
Example:
1. I went to college yesterday.
2. I ate four dosas last night’
3. My father called me two days ago from Delhi.
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
The past continuous tense is used to denote an action going on at sometime in the
past. The time of the action may or may not be mentioned.
S+ was/were+ v1+ ing
Key words: (all morning, all last night, for a long time, throughout the night).
Example:
1. I was watching TV all morning.
2. We were travelling by bus.
3. He was waiting for me from 2 to 4.
4. We were writing exam for a long time yesterday.
PAST PERFECT TENSE
The past perfect describes an action that happened before other past events.
S+ had+ V3
Key words: (when, after, before)
Example:
1. When I arrived the railway station, the train had left.
2. After I had discussed with HOD, I informed the students.
3. Before I woke up, my husband had made tea.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
The past continuous tense is used to describe an action that continued up to another
point in the past.
S+had+been+V1+ing
Key words: (before, since, for)
Example:
1. Before I lost job, I had been working on some important project.
2. At the time, he had been writing a novel.
3. He had been running a business for a long time.
SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE
This simple future tense is used to talk about promises, offers and predictions. It
expresses the future.
S+ will/ shall+ v1
Keywords: (tomorrow, next day, soon, shortly, today evening, in a few minutes)
Example:
1. I shall go to Madurai.
2. She will play the game well.
Promise: I will call you later.
Offer: we will give you a ride.
Prediction: I have a feeling that this singer will become very popular.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
We use the future continuous tense to talk about action which will be in progress at a
time in future.
S+ will/shall+ be+ v1+ing
Keywords: (by this time tomorrow, by this time next week, at this time tomorrow)
Examples:
1. I will be driving by this time tomorrow.
2. He will be getting ready to face the interview.
3. He will be watching football match tonight.
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
It is used to talk about actions that will be completed by a certain future time.
S+will/shall+have+v3.
Keywords: (by the end of this year, by this time tomorrow, in two years time, in July next
year, in another five months)
Example:
1. I will have reached Chennai by this time tomorrow.
2. We will have completed our degree in two years time.
3. By the end of this year, he will have got married.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
It is used for actions which will be in progress for long time in future.
S+will/shall+have+been+ V1+ing.
Keywords: (for, till,Until)
Examples:
1. I will have been learning for a competitive exam until I get a job.
2. I will have been living in this area for the next five years.
3. We will have been taking care of my parents till they live.
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