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Tenses | English
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Introduction to Tenses
Tenses in English grammar indicate the time an action occurs. They are formed using different
verb forms and auxiliary (helping) verbs.
Three Basic Tenses
English has three primary tenses:
1. Present Tense: Describes actions happening now, habitual actions, or general truths.
2. Past Tense: Describes actions that happened in the past.
3. Future Tense: Describes actions that will happen in the future.
Each of these tenses has four aspects: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. This
combination results in twelve main tenses in English.
The Present Tense
1. Simple Present Tense
• Structure: base form of the verb (add '-s' or '-es' for third-person singular).
▪ Example: I write, he writes, they write.
• Uses:
▪ Habitual actions: I drink coffee every morning.
▪ Facts or general truths: The sun rises in the east.
▪ Scheduled events in the near future: The train leaves at 6 p.m.
▪ States: I am a student.
• Signal words: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, every day/week/year,
etc.
2. Present Continuous Tense
• Structure: am/is/are + present participle (-ing form of the verb).
▪ Example: I am writing, he is writing, they are writing.
• Uses:
▪ Actions happening now: I am studying for my exam.
▪ Temporary situations: I am staying at a hotel.
▪ Plans or arrangements in the near future: We are going to the cinema tonight.
▪ Describing trends or changes: The climate is changing rapidly.
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Tenses | English
• Signal words: now, at the moment, today, these days, still, currently.
3. Present Perfect Tense
• Structure: have/has + past participle.
▪ Example: I have written, he has written, they have written.
• Uses:
▪ Actions that started in the past and continue to the present: I have lived here for
five years.
▪ Past actions with present results: I have lost my keys. (I don't have them now.)
▪ Experiences (without a specific time): I have visited Paris.
▪ Recent events: I have just finished my work.
• Signal words: since, for, yet, already, just, ever, never, so far, up to now.
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure: have/has + been + present participle (-ing form of the verb).
▪ Example: I have been writing, he has been writing, they have been writing.
• Uses:
▪ Actions that started in the past and are still ongoing, emphasizing duration: I
have been studying for three hours.
▪ Actions that have recently stopped, with a present result: I'm tired because I
have been running.
• Signal words: for, since, how long, all day, all week.
The Past Tense
5. Simple Past Tense
• Structure: past form of the verb (regular verbs: add '-ed'; irregular verbs: vary).
▪ Example: I wrote, he wrote, they wrote.
• Uses:
▪ Completed actions in the past: I wrote a letter yesterday.
▪ Past habits or states: I lived in London when I was a child.
▪ A series of completed actions in the past: First, I woke up, then I had breakfast,
and then I went to work.
• Signal words: yesterday, last week/month/year, ago, in 2020, when, before, after.
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Tenses | English
6. Past Continuous Tense
• Structure: was/were + present participle (-ing form of the verb).
▪ Example: I was writing, he was writing, they were writing.
• Uses:
▪ Actions in progress at a specific time in the past: I was watching TV at 8 p.m.
last night.
▪ Background action when another action occurred: I was walking in the park
when it started to rain.
▪ Describing the atmosphere or setting in the past: The birds were singing, and
the sun was shining.
• Signal words: while, as, when, all day/night, at 5 p.m. yesterday.
7. Past Perfect Tense
• Structure: had + past participle.
▪ Example: I had written, he had written, they had written.
• Uses:
▪ Actions completed before a specific time or another action in the past: I had
finished my work before the meeting started.
▪ To show cause and effect in the past: I was tired because I hadn't slept well.
• Signal words: before, after, by the time, when, already, never.
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure: had + been + present participle (-ing form of the verb).
▪ Example: I had been writing, he had been writing, they had been writing.
• Uses:
▪ Actions that were in progress before a specific time or another action in the past,
emphasizing duration: I had been studying for hours before the exam.
▪ To show the cause of a past situation: He was upset because he had been waiting
for a long time.
• Signal words: for, since, how long, before, until.
The Future Tense
9. Simple Future Tense
• Structure: will + base form of the verb (shall is sometimes used with 'I' and 'we').
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Tenses | English
▪ Example: I will write, he will write, they will write.
• Uses:
▪ Predictions: It will rain tomorrow.
▪ Decisions made at the moment of speaking: I will have the soup.
▪ Promises or offers: I will help you with your homework.
▪ Scheduled future events: The meeting will start at 10 a.m.
• Signal words: tomorrow, next week/month/year, soon, in the future, later, tonight.
10. Future Continuous Tense
• Structure: will + be + present participle (-ing form of the verb).
▪ Example: I will be writing, he will be writing, they will be writing.
• Uses:
▪ Actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future: I will be watching
the game at 9 p.m.
▪ Actions that will be happening over a period in the future: I will be working on
this project all week.
• Signal words: at this time tomorrow, in an hour, all day/night, while.
11. Future Perfect Tense
• Structure: will + have + past participle.
▪ Example: I will have written, he will have written, they will have written.
• Uses:
▪ Actions that will be completed before a specific time in the future: I will have
finished the report by Friday.
▪ To express certainty about a completed action in the future: By the time you
arrive, I will have cooked dinner.
• Signal words: by then, by the time, before, in (a certain time).
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure: will + have + been + present participle (-ing form of the verb).
▪ Example: I will have been writing, he will have been writing, they will have
been writing.
• Uses:
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Tenses | English
▪ Actions that will have been in progress for a duration of time before a specific
time in the future: By the end of the year, I will have been studying English for
ten years.
▪ Emphasizing the duration of an action leading up to a future point: Next month,
she will have been working here for 20 years.
• Signal words: for, since, how long, by the time, before.
Summary of Tenses
Here's a table summarizing the twelve tenses:
Tense Structure Use Signal Words
Base form
always, usually, often,
Simple (s/es for 3rd Habitual actions, facts,
sometimes, rarely, never,
Present person scheduled events
every day/week/year
singular)
Actions happening now, now, at the moment,
Present am/is/are + -
temporary situations, today, these days, still,
Continuous ing
future plans, trends currently
Actions from past to
have/has + present, past actions with since, for, yet, already,
Present
past present results, just, ever, never, so far,
Perfect
participle experiences, recent up to now
events
Actions ongoing from
Present
have/has + past to present (duration), for, since, how long, all
Perfect
been + -ing actions recently stopped day, all week
Continuous
(present result)
Completed actions in the yesterday, last
Simple Past Past form past, past habits, series of week/month/year, ago, in
past actions 2020, when, before, after
Actions in progress at a
while, as, when, all
Past was/were + - past time, background
day/night, at 5 p.m.
Continuous ing actions, describing past
yesterday
atmosphere
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Tenses | English
had + past Actions before a past time before, after, by the time,
Past Perfect
participle or another past action when, already, never
Actions in progress
before a past time or
Past Perfect had + been + - for, since, how long,
another past action
Continuous ing before, until
(duration), cause of a past
situation
Predictions, decisions at tomorrow, next
will + base
Simple the moment of speaking, week/month/year, soon,
form (shall
Future promises, scheduled in the future, later,
with I/we)
future events tonight
Actions in progress at a
at this time tomorrow, in
Future will + be + - future time, actions
an hour, all day/night,
Continuous ing happening over a future
while
period
will + have +
Future Actions completed before by then, by the time,
past
Perfect a future time before, in (a certain time)
participle
Actions in progress for a
Future duration before a future
will + have + for, since, how long, by
Perfect time, emphasizing
been + -ing the time, before
Continuous duration leading to a
future point
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Practice Questions
1. Incorrect: The chef prepares a delicious meal when the guests arrived.
Correct: The chef was preparing a delicious meal when the guests arrived. (Past
continuous interrupted by simple past) OR The chef had prepared a delicious meal when
the guests arrived. (Past perfect before simple past)
2. Incorrect: By the time we reach the station, the train will already leave.
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Bihar Public Service Commission Recruitment 2025 (BPSC AE)
Tenses | English
Correct: By the time we reach the station, the train will already have left. (Future
perfect)
3. Incorrect: She is living in Paris for the last three years.
Correct: She has been living in Paris for the last three years. (Present perfect
continuous)
4. Incorrect: I have finished my homework just now.
Correct: I have just finished my homework. (Present perfect with 'just') OR I finished
my homework just now. (Simple past with 'just now')
5. Incorrect: They go to the movies every Saturday. Last Saturday, they stayed home.
Correct: They go to the movies every Saturday. Last Saturday, they stayed home.
(Simple present for habit, simple past for a specific past event)
6. Incorrect: He tells me that he will visit me tomorrow.
Correct: He tells me that he will visit me tomorrow. (Simple present for reporting a
future action) OR He is telling me that he will visit me tomorrow. (Present continuous
for an action happening now, reporting a future action)
7. Incorrect: If I would have known about the meeting, I would have attended it.
Correct: If I had known about the meeting, I would have attended it. (Third conditional)
8. Incorrect: She has been studying for the exam since two hours.
Correct: She has been studying for the exam for two hours. (Present perfect continuous
with 'for' for a duration)
9. Incorrect: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It was doing so for centuries.
Correct: The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It has been doing so for centuries.
(Simple present for universal truth, present perfect continuous for an action continuing
over a period)
10. Incorrect: While I was cooking dinner, the phone rings.
Correct: While I was cooking dinner, the phone rang. (Past continuous interrupted by
simple past)
11. Incorrect: They are building a new stadium next year.
Correct: They are going to build a new stadium next year. (Future intention) OR They
will build a new stadium next year. (Simple future)
12. Incorrect: He has been working on this project since last month and still not finished.
Correct: He has been working on this project since last month and still hasn't finished.
(Present perfect continuous)
13. Incorrect: I will call you when I will arrive.
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Tenses | English
Correct: I will call you when I arrive. (Simple present after 'when' for a future event)
14. Incorrect: She said that she is tired.
Correct: She said that she was tired. (Past tense in reported speech)
15. Incorrect: We have been knowing each other for ten years.
Correct: We have known each other for ten years. ('Know' is a stative verb, usually used
in simple perfect)
16. Incorrect: The movie starts at 7 PM. We are already late.
Correct: The movie starts at 7 PM. We are already late. (Simple present for a scheduled
event, simple present for a current state)
17. Incorrect: If it rains, the match will be cancelling.
Correct: If it rains, the match will be cancelled. (Passive voice, simple future)
18. Incorrect: He used to playing cricket when he was a child.
Correct: He used to play cricket when he was a child. ('Used to' followed by the base
form of the verb)
19. Incorrect: By next year, I will be graduating from university.
Correct: By next year, I will have graduated from university. (Future perfect)
20. Incorrect: They have lived here before they moved to Mumbai.
Correct: They had lived here before they moved to Mumbai. (Past perfect for an action
before another past action)
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