TENSE AND TRANSLATION

†Kv‡m© fwZ© n‡Z wb‡Pi †KvWwU Scan Kiæb

Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Active: Subject + V1(s/es) +

 am 
Passive: Subject +  is + V3
 are

This tense is usually not used to indicate present time. However, it is used to indicate present time (now)
with the following stative verbs.
GB tense mvaviYZ Avcbvi mvg‡b Dcw¯’Z mgq‡K wb‡`©k K‡i bv| eis wb‡¤œv³ stative (Ae¯’v evPK) verb ¸‡jv
Pjgvb eZ©gvb mgq‡K wb‡`©k Ki‡Z e¨envi nq|

know believe hear see smell wish

understand hate love like want sound
have need appear seem taste own
realise remember recognise fit belong contain
mean need suppose

I’m hungry. I want something to eat. (not I’m wanting)

Do you understand what I mean?
Anna doesn’t seem very happy right now.

Think
 When think means ‘believe’ or ‘have an opinion’, we do not use the continuous:

I think Mary is Canadian, but I’m not sure. (not I’m thinking)
What do you think of my idea? (= what is your opinion?)

 When think means ‘consider’, the continuous is possible:

I’m thinking about what happened. I often think about it.

Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. (= she is considering it)

see hear smell taste look feel

 We normally use the present simple (not continuous) with see/hear/smell/taste:

Do you see that man over there? (not are you seeing)
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

The room smells. Let’s open a window. This soup doesn’t taste very good.

 You can use the present simple or continuous to say how somebody looks or feels now:

You look well today. or You’re looking well today.

How do you feel now? or How are you feeling now?

but
I usually feel tired in the morning. (not I’m usually feeling)

am/is/are being

 You can say he’s being …, you’re being … etc. to say how somebody is behaving now:

I can’t understand why he’s being so selfish. He isn’t usually like that.
(being selfish = behaving selfishly now)
‘The path is icy. Don’t slip.’ ‘Don’t worry. I’m being very careful.’

Compare:
He never thinks about other people. He’s very selfish. (= he is selfish generally, not only now)
I don’t like to take risks. I’m a very careful person.

 We use am/is/are being to say how a person is behaving (= doing something they can control)
now. It is not usually possible in other situations:

Sam is ill. (not is being ill)

Are you tired? (not are you being tired)

NOTE : The verbs listed above are almost never used in the present or past progressive
(continuous), although it is possible in some cases.
`ªóe¨: Dchy©³ ZvwjKvq ewY©Z verb ¸‡jv cÖvq KL‡bvB present/past progresive G e¨eüZ nq bv, hw`I gv‡S g‡a¨
wKQz †ÿ‡Î progressive G e¨envi Kiv m¤¢e|
Simple present is used to indicate a regular or habitual action.
Simple present wbqwgZ wKsev Af¨vmMZ KvR wb‡`©k Ki‡Z e¨eüZ nq|
John walks to school every day.
Examples of simple present tense:
They understand the problem now. (stative verb)
Henry always swims in the evening. (habitual action)
We want to leave now. (stative verb)
The coffee tastes delicious. (stative verb)
Mark usually walks to school. (habitual action)
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

Your cough sounds bad. (stative verb)

 We use the present simple to say how often we do things:

I get up at 8 o’clock every morning.
How often do you go to the dentist?
Julie doesn’t drink tea very often.
Robert usually goes away two or three times a year.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS)

Use the following rule to form the present progressive.

 am 
Active: subject +  is  + [verb + ing]...
 are

am being
Passive: Subject +{ is being } + V3
are being

The present progressive is used to indicate present time (now) with all but the stative verbs listed
previously.
c~‡e© ewY©Z stative verb e¨wZZ mKj verb Gi †ÿ‡Î eZ©gv‡b Pjgvb KvR‡K wb‡`©k Ki‡Z present progressive
tense e¨eüZ nq|
John is eating dinner now.

It is also used to indicate future time.

GB tense Øviv fwel¨r mgq I wb‡`©k Kiv hvq|
We are leaving for the theater at seven o'clock.

Examples of present progressive:

The committee members are examining the material now. (present time)
George is leaving for France tomorrow. (future time)
Henry is walking to school tomorrow. (future time)
The president is trying to contact his advisors now. (present time
The secretary is typing the letter now. (present time)
We are flying to Venezuela next month. (future time)
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

 We use the present continuous when we talk about a change that has started to happen. We
often use these verbs in this way:

getting, becoming changing, improving

starting, beginning increasing, rising, falling, growing

Is your English getting better? (not Does your English get better)
The population of the world is increasing very fast. (not increases)
At first I didn’t like my job, but I’m starting to enjoy it now. (not I start)

I always do and I’m always doing

I always do something = I do it every time:

I always go to work by car. (not I’m always going)

I’m always doing something = I do it too often or more often than normal. For example:

I’ve lost my keys again. I’m always losing them.

I’m always losing them = I lose them too often, or more often than normal.

Paul is never satisfied. He’s always complaining. (= he complains too much) You’re always looking
at your phone. Don’t you have anything else to do?

Exercise 6: Simple Present and Present Progressive

Choose either the simple present or present progressive in the following sentences.
1. Something ——— (smell) very good.
2. We ——— eat) dinner at seven o'clock tonight.
3. He ——— (practice) the piano every day.
4. They ——— (drive) to school tomorrow.
5. I ——— (believe) you.
6. Maria ——— (have) a cold.
7. Jorge ——— (swim) right now.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

8. Inhn ——— (hate) smoke.

9. Jill always ——— (gp.t) up at 6:00 A.M.
10. Jerry ——— (mow) the lawn now.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Subject + V2 + Extensions
Subject + was/ were + V3 + Extensions

The simple past is used for a completed action that happened at one specific time in the past. The
italicized words in the previous sentence are important because they show that the simple past is not the
same as past progressive or present perfect.
Simple past tense AZx‡Z wbw`©ó mg‡q m¤úbœ n‡qwQj Ggb KvR‡K wb‡`©k K‡i| AvÛvijvBb Kiv k㸇jv ¸iæZ¡c~Y©
KviY G¸‡jv †`wL‡q †`q †h, simple past, past progressive A_ev present tense GKB bv|

John went to Spain last year.

Bob bought a new bicycle yesterday.
Maria did her homework last night.
Mark washed the dishes after dinner.
We drove to the grocery store this afternoon.
George cooked dinner for his family Saturday night.

PAST PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS)

Use the following rule to form the past progressive.
past progressive MVb Ki‡Z wb‡Pi m~ÎwU e¨envi Kiæb |
𝑤𝑎𝑠
Active: subject + { }+ [verb + ing]...
𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒

Subject + was being/ were being + V3

The past progressive is used to indicate: (past progressive hv wKQz wb‡`©k Ki‡Z e¨eüZ nq)
 An action which was occurring in the past and was interrupted by another action.
AZx‡Z GKwU KvR PjvKvjxb mg‡q Av‡iKwU KvR NU‡j past prograssive e¨eüZ n‡e|
In this case, the general rule is(G‡ÿ‡Î mvaviY wbqgwU n‡”Q):

when + subject1 + simple past tense + subject2 + past progressive ...

OR

subject1 + past progressive + when + subject2 + simple past tense...

When Mark came home, Martha was watching television.

OR
Martha was watching television when Mark came home.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

 Two actions occurring at the same time in the past. In this case, the following rules usually apply.
GKB mg‡q `ywU KvR Pjgvb _vK‡j,mPviPi wb‡Pi wbqgwU c&ª‡hvR¨ n‡e |

subject1 + past progressive + while + subject2 + past progressive .

OR

while + subject1 + past progressive + subject2 + past progressive ...

Martha was watching television while John was reading a book.

OR
While John was reading a book, Martha was watching television.

NOTE: The following construction is also possible, but it is not as common as the preceding two.
`ªóe¨: wb‡Pi MVbwUI e¨envi Kiv m¤¢e wKš‘ GwU Av‡Mi `ywUi g‡Zv GZUv cÖPwjZ bq |

while + subject1 + past progressive + subject2 + simple past...

While Martha was watching television, John read a book.

 An action which was occurring at some specific time in the past.

AZx‡Zi GKwU wbw`©ó mg‡q †Kvb wKQz PjwQj/N‡UwQj †evSv‡j|

Martha was watching television at seven o'clock last night.

What were you doing at one o'clock this afternoon?
Examples of past progressive:
John was walking to class when he lost his pen.
The student was reading while the professor was speaking.
George was watching television when his brother called.
Henry was eating a snack at midnight last night.
When Mary came home, her husband was cooking dinner.
Mark was driving on Main Street when his car broke down.

Exercise 7: Simple Past Tense and Past Progressive

Use either the simple past tense or the past progressive in the following sentences as appropriate,

1. Gene ______ (eat) dinner when his friend called.

2. While Maria was cleaning the apartment, her husband ______ (sleep).
3. At three o'clock this morning, Eleanor _____ (study).
4. When Mark arrived,, the Johnsons _____ (have) dinner, but they stopped in order to talk to him.
5. John ______ (go) to France last year.
6. When the teacher _____ (enter) the room, the students were talking.
7. While Joan was writing the report, Henry ______ (look) for more information, g. We ______ (see)
this movie last night.
9. At one time, Mr. Roberts ______ (own) this building.
10. Jose _______ (write) a letter to his family when his pencil ______ (break).
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

PRESENT PERFECT

Use the following rule to form the present perfect.

 has 
subject +   + [verb in past participle]...
 have

Subject + have been/ has been + V3

The present perfect is used to indicate:
Present perfect tense wb‡`©k K‡i :
 An action that happened at an indefinite time in the past.
AZx‡Z Awbw`©ó mg‡q ‡Kv‡bv KvR N‡UwQj Giƒc wb‡`©k Ki‡Z|
John has traveled around the world. (We don't know when.)

 An action that happened more than once in the past.

AZx‡Z GKvwaKevi N‡U‡Q Ggb KvR wb‡`©k Ki‡Z|
George has seen this movie three times.

‘It’s the (first) time something has happened’.

For example: Don is having a driving lesson. It’s his first lesson.
We can say:
It’s the first time he has driven a car. (not drives)
or He hasn’t driven a car before.
or He has never driven a car before.
In the same way we say:
Sarah has lost her passport again. This is the second time this has happened. (not happens)
Andy is phoning his girlfriend again. It’s the third time he’s phoned her this evening.

 The speakers are talking about a period that continues until now (recently, in the last few
days, so far, since I arrived etc.):
Have you heard anything from Ben recently?
I’ve met a lot of people in the last few days.
Everything is going well. There haven’t been any
problems so far.
The weather is bad here. It’s (= It has) rained every day since I arrived. (= from when I arrived until
now)
It’s good to see you again. We haven’t seen each other for a long time.
 In the same way we use the present perfect with today, this evening, this year etc. when these
periods are not finished at the time of speaking:

I’ve drunk four cups of coffee today.

Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

Have you had a holiday this year?

I haven’t seen Tom this morning. Have you?

 An action that began in the past and is still occurring in the present.
AZx‡Z †Kvb KvR ïiæ n‡qwQj Ges eZ©gv‡b GL‡bv Pj‡Q wb‡`©k Ki‡Z|
John has lived in the same house for twenty years. (He still lives there)
OR
John has lived in the same house since 1975. (He still lives there.) If it is now 1995:

 When we use the present perfect, there is a connection with now. The action in the past has a
result now:

Tom has lost his key. (= he doesn’t have it now)

He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it. (= I can’t remember it now)
Sally is still here. She hasn’t gone out. (= she is here now)
I can’t find my bag. Have you seen it? (= do you know where it is now?)

Compare gone (to) and been (to):

James is on holiday. He has gone to Italy. (= he is there now or on his way there) Amy is back home
now. She has been to Italy. (= she has now come back)

FOR/SINCE (Rb¨/†_‡K)

Use for + duration of time: for five hours, for thirty years, for ten minutes.
for + mg‡qi e¨vwß: †Kv‡bv KvR KZ mgq a‡i PjwQj †evSv‡Z mg‡qi Av‡M for e‡m |

Use since + beginning time: since 1975, since five o'clock, since January.
Since + ïiæi mgq : †Kv‡bv KvR ïiæi mgq †evSv‡Z mg‡qi Av‡M since e¨eüZ nq |

Avgiv mvaviYZ e‡j _vwK-

Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

it’s (= it is) a long time

since something happened
or it’s been (= it has been) six months (etc.)
GZ(mgq) n‡q †Mj

It’s two years since I last saw Joe. or It’s been two years since … (= I haven’t seen Joe for two
years)
It’s ages since we went to the cinema. or It’s been ages since … (= We haven’t been to the
cinema for ages)
How long is it since Mrs Hill died? or How long has it been since …(= when did she die?)

YET/ALREADY (GL‡bv/BwZg‡a¨)

The adverbs yet and already are used to indicate that something has happened (or hasn't happened) at
an unspecified time in the past. These adverbs are often used with the present perfect.
Yet Ges already Øq AZx‡Zi Awbw`©ó †Kv‡bv mg‡q wKQz n‡q‡Q/nqwb wb‡`©k Ki‡Z e¨eüZ nq| GB adverbs Øq cÖvqk
present perfect tense e¨eüZ nq|

already—affirmative sentences
yet—negative sentences and questions

Note: Already usually appears between the auxiliary and the main verb; however, it can appear at the
beginning or end of the sentence. Yet appears at the end of the sentence.
`ªóe¨: Already mPivPi auxiliary I main verb Gi g‡a¨ em‡Z †`Lv †`qv hvq| hw`I GwU ev‡K¨i ïiæ A_ev
†k‡lI em‡Z cv‡i| Yet ev‡K¨i †k‡l e¨eüZ nq|

 has 
subject +   + already + [verb in past participle]...
 have

 has 
subject +   + not + [verb in past participle]... + yet ...
 have

Examples of yet and already:

We have already written our reports.
We haven't written our reports yet.
Gabriel has already read the entire book.
The president hasn't decided what to do yet.
Sam has already recorded the results of the experiment.
Maria hasn't called her parents yet.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

NOTE: Another option with the use of yet is sometimes possible. In this case, the verb is positive and
the adverb yet does not appear at the end of the sentence.
`ªóe¨: gv‡Sg‡a¨ yet †K Ab¨fv‡eI e¨envi Kiv m¤¢e| ‡m‡ÿ‡Î †ÿ‡Î verb wU nu¨v-†evaK nq Ges yet ev‡K¨i †k‡l
e‡m bv|

 has 
subject +   + yet + [verb in infinitive]...
 have

John has yet to learn the material. = John hasn't learned the material yet.
We have yet to decide what to do with the money. = We haven't decided what to do with the money
yet.

This use of yet should not be confused with the coordinating conjunction yet, which means but.
Yet Gi e¨envi co-ordination conjunction yet, †hwUi A_© wKšZz, Gi mv‡_ ¸wj‡q †djv DwPZ bq |

I don't have the money, yet I really need the computer.

My neighbors never have the time,yet they always want to do something on Saturday nights.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS)

For an action that began in the past and is still occurring in the present (present perfect rules, third item),
it is also possible to use the present perfect progressive (continuous). Use the following rule to form
this aspect.
AZx‡Z ïiæ n‡q †Kv‡bv KvR eZ©gv‡bI Pjgvb Av‡Q †evSv‡Z (Present perfect Gi 3q wewa), Presnet perfect
prograssiveI e¨envi Kiv hvq| GB wµqviƒc m„wó Ki‡Z wb‡Pi m~ÎwU e¨envi Kiæb|

 has 
subject +   + been + [verb + ing]...
 have

Subject + have been being/ has been being + V3

John has been living in the same house for twenty years.
John has lived in the same house for twenty years.
Examples of present perfect:
Jorge has already walked to school.
(indefinite time)
He has been to California three times.
(more than once)
Mary has seen this movie before.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

(indefinite time)
They have been at home all day.
(not yet completed)
We haven't gone to the store yet.
(indefinite time)
John has worked in Washington for three years.
OR
John has been working in Washington for three years.
(not yet completed)

Exercise 8: Present Perfect and Simple Past

Use either the present perfect or the simple past in the following sentences.
1. John ________ (write) his report last night.
2. Bob ________ (see) this movie before.
3. Jorge ________ (read) the newspaper already.
4. Mr. Johnson ________ (work) in the same place for thirty-five line to retire years, and he is not
planning to retire yet.
5. We ________ (begin; negative) to study for the test yet.
6. George ________ (go) to the store at ten o'clock this morning.
7. Joan ________ (travel) around the world.
8. Betty ________ (write) a letter last night.
9. Guillermo ________ (call) his employer yesterday.
10. We ________ (see; negative) this movie yet.

PAST PERFECT (cyivNwUZ AZxZ)

Use the following rule to form the past perfect.

Past perfect tense MVb Ki‡Z wb‡Pi m~ÎwU e¨envi Kiæb|

subject + had + [verb in past participle]..

Subject + had been + V3 .

 Sometimes we talk about something that happened in the past:

Sarah arrived at the party.

This is the starting point of the story. Then, if we want to talk about things that happened before this
time, we use the past perfect (had …):

When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul had already gone home.

Some more examples:

When we got home last night, we found that somebody had broken into the flat. Karen didn’t come to
the cinema with us. She’d already seen the movie.

At first I thought I’d done the right thing, but I soon realised that I’d made a big mistake.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

The people sitting next to me on the plane were nervous. They hadn’t flown before.
or They’d never flown before.

The past perfect is used to indicate:

• An action that happened before another action in the past; there usually arc two actions in the sentence.
AZx‡Z GKwU Kv‡Ri Av‡M Av‡iKwU KvR †kl n‡q‡Q †evSv‡Z; GLv‡b mvaviYZ `ywU KvR _v‡K|

John had gone to the store before he went home.

1st action 2nd action

Jac told us yesterday that he had visited England in 1970.

2nd action 1st action

The past perfect is usually used with before, after, or when. Study the following formulas.
Past perfect tense mvaviYZ before, after Ges when Gi mv‡_ e¨eüZ n‡q _v‡K| wb‡Pi m~θ‡jv Aa¨qb Kiæb|

subject + past perfect + before + subject + simple past tense

John had gone to the store before he went home.

subject + simple past tense + after + subject + past perfect

John went home after he had gone to the store.

before + subject + simple past tense + subject + past perfect

Before John went home, he had gone to the store.

after + subject + past perfect + subject + simple past tense

After John had gone to the store, he went home.

NOTE: The adverb when can be used in place of before or after in any of these four formulas without
change in meaning. We still know which action happened first because of the use of past perfect.
`ªóe¨: A‡_©i cwieZ©b QvovB Dch©y³ Pvc †_‡K before/after Gi ¯’v‡b when e¨envi Kiv †h‡Z cv‡i| G Kvi‡Y ZL‡bv
past perfect tense e¨env‡ii Kvi‡Y †Kvb evK¨wU Av‡M n‡qwQj Zv Avgiv Rvb‡Z cvie|
 A state which continued for a time in the past, but stopped before now. Note that there is no connection
with the present.
GKwU Ae¯’v ev AZx‡Z GKwU mgq a‡i P‡jwQj| wKš‘ eZ©gv‡bi Av‡M †kl n‡q‡Q| g‡b ivL‡eb, eZ©gv‡bi mv‡_ Gi
†Kv‡bv m¤úK© †bB|

Abdu had lived in New York for ten years before he moved to California.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS)

This past perfect concept can also be conveyed by the past perfect progressive (continuous). Study the
following rule.
Past perfect aviYvwUI past perfect progressive Øviv cÖKvk Kiv hvq| wb‡Pi m~ÎwU Aa¨vqb Kiæb|

subject + had + been + [verb + ing]...

Subject + had been being + V3

Abdu had been living in New York for ten years before he moved to California.
Examples of past perfect:
The professor had reviewed the material before he gave the quiz. After Henry had visited Puerto Rico,
he went to St. Thomas. Before Ali went to sleep, he had called his family.
George had worked at the university for forty-five years before he retired.
OR
George had been working at the university for forty-five years before he retired.
After the committee members had considered the consequences, they voted on the proposal.
The doctor had examined the patient thoroughly before he prescribed the medication.

Exercise 9: Past Perfect and Simple Past

Supply the past perfect or simple past in the following sentences.
1. The policeman read the suspect his rights after he _____ (arrest) i, im.
2. After John ______ (wash) his clothes, he began to study.
3. George ______ (wait) for one hour before the bus came.
4. Maria ______ (enter) the university after she had graduated from the community college.
5. Jeannette ______ (wash) the pipettes after she had completed the experiment.
6. Jane sent a letter to her university after she _________ (receive) her scholarship check.
7. After the stewardesses had served lunch to the passengers, they _____ (sit) down.
8. The car ______ (flip) ten times before it landed on its roof.
9. We corrected our papers after we _____ (take) the quiz.
10. John ______ (live) in Miami for one year when his parents came to visit.
Writing Course Lecture
by Shameem Hossen

Active and Passive Voice

In addition to showing time through tense, action verbs also show whether the subject
performs the action or receives the action. This is called a verb’s voice. English verbs have
two voices: active and passive. (Linking verbs do not show voice.)

1. A verb is active when the subject performs the action.

We took the package home. (“We” are doing the action.)
I served a delicious meal. (“I” am doing the serving.)

Notice that in the active voice, the sentence starts with the subject. The first sentence
starts with We. The second sentence starts with I.

2. A verb is passive when its action is performed upon the subject.

A package was taken home. (The speaker is not indicated.)
A delicious meal was served by me.

Notice that in the passive voice, the sentence does not start with the subject. The first
sentence starts with the object, “a package.” The second sentence starts with the object, “a
delicious meal.”
In general, use the active voice whenever possible because it is more direct and forceful.
Using the active voice makes your writing crisp and powerful. The active verb is one word
rather than two. Further, there is no need for a prepositional phrase beginning with “by” if
you use the active voice.
Using the passive voice is preferable over the active voice under two conditions:

● You don’t want to assign blame.

A mistake occurred with the filing system.
Not surprisingly, the passive voice is very often found in business writing and speech. This
helps the writer or speaker avoid “finger pointing.”

● You don’t know who did the action.

A prank phone call was made at 2:00 A.M