Each tense has four forms.
They are
1. Simple
2. Continuous
3. Perfect
4. Perfect continuous
So totally there are twelve tenses in English (3X4)
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
1. PRESENT TENSE
Simple
Present Continuous
Perfect
Perfect continuous
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
2. PAST TENSE
Simple
Past Continuous
Perfect
Perfect continuous
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
3. FUTURE TENSE
Simple
Future Continuous
Perfect
Perfect continuous
Thus, totally we have 3 X 4 = 12 tenses in English.
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
Now for each of these tenses we have to learn four important
aspects. They are
Structure
Tense Use
Clue words
PINNI
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
Structures of Tenses:
1. Continuous (V) = BE forms + ing (V4)
Present Past Past Present 2. Perfect (V) = Have form + V3
3. Perfect Continuous (V) = HBI
Tense Tense Participle Participle
(Have form + Been + Ing)
V1 (eat) V2 (ate) V3 (eaten) V4 (eating)
S.No Name of the tense Structure Example
1 Simple Present S + V1 + O I eat an apple.
2 Simple Past S + V2 + O I ate an apple.
3 Simple Future S + will / shall + V1 + O I will eat an apple.
4 Present Continuous S + am / is / are + V4 + O I am eating an apple.
5 Past Continuous S + was / were + V4 + O I was eating an apple.
6 Future Continuous S + will / shall + be + V4 + O I will be eating an apple.
7 Present Perfect Continuous S + have / has + been + V4 + O I have been eating an apple.
8 Past Perfect Continuous S + had + been + V4 + O I had been eating an apple.
9 Future Perfect Continuous S + will / shall + have + been + v4 + O I will have been eating an apple.
10 Present Perfect S + have / has + V3 + O I have eaten an apple.
11 Past Perfect S + had + V3 + O I had eaten an apple.
12 Future Perfect S + will / shall + have + V3 + O I will have eaten an apple.
S.No Name of the tense Structure Example
1 Simple Present S + V1 + O I eat an apple.
2 Simple Past S + V2 + O I ate an apple.
3 Simple Future S + will / shall + V1 + O I will eat an apple.
4 Present Continuous S + am / is / are + V4 + O I am eating an apple.
5 Past Continuous S + was / were + V4 + O I was eating an apple.
6 Future Continuous S + will / shall + be + V4 + O I will be eating an apple.
7 Present Perfect Continuous S + have / has + been + V4 + O I have been eating an apple.
8 Past Perfect Continuous S + had + been + V4 + O I had been eating an apple.
9 Future Perfect Continuous S + will / shall + have + been + V4 + O I will have been eating an apple.
10 Present Perfect S + have / has + V3 + O I have eaten an apple.
11 Past Perfect S + had + V3 + O I had eaten an apple.
12 Future Perfect S + will / shall + have + V3 + O I will have eaten an apple.
Key points to remember:
1. V4 is used in all the six continuous tenses and every V4 must be supported by a ‘BE’ form.
2. V3 is used in all the three perfect tenses and every V3 must be supported by a ‘Have’ form.
3. Both V4 and V3 together can manage nine tenses out of twelve sentences in English.
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
1. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE:
S + V1 (+ s/es) + O
Fundamental Rule in English: In simple present tense whenever the subject
is in third person singular number (He,She,It etc.,), we must add ‘s’ / ‘es’ to
the following verb.
Eg:
1. He goes to college daily.
2. She comes to Everest.
3. It works well.
4. Rohith Sharma plays cricket.
5. Chitra sings songs.
6. Mahesh looks smart.
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
Uses:
1. It is used to express habitual actions(regular actions)
Eg:
1. He gets up at 5 o’clock in the morning daily.
2. He goes to college at 8. am.
3. I eat a banana every day.
4. They play cricket every week.
5. He usually comes to my house on Sundays.
6. She goes to her village every month.
7. We celebrate Independence day on 15th August every year.
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
2. It is used to express universal truths.
Eg:
1. The sun rises in the east.
2. The earth moves around the sun.
3. Birds fly in the sky.
4. The cow gives us milk.
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
3. It is used to express planned future actions
Eg:
1. The CM visits Karimnagar tomorrow.
2. He comes to India in next month.
3. Our college reopens next week.
4. I go to Bangalore next Saturday.
5. We play cricket next Sunday.
EVEREST COACHING POINT for SSC CGL / CHSL, HYD:- 90 300 301 85/86, 99 855 125 45
