Dr.

Sudhir Chandra Sur Institute of Technology and Sports Complex

Continuous Assessment 2 (CA2)

Name of the Topic: TENSES

Subject’s Name: ENGLISH

Subject Code: HMHU-201

College Code: 255

Name of Student: SHUBHOJIT GHOSH

Name of Stream: CSE(C.S.)

Name of Semester: 2nd

University Roll No. 25531724015

Name of Section: E
Introduction
Tenses in English grammar are used to convey the time of an action or event. They
help us communicate when something happens—whether it's in the past, present, or
future. In English, there are three main tenses: Present, Past, and Future. Each of
these has four aspects: Simple, Continuous (Progressive), Perfect, and Perfect
Continuous.
This report explores the various tenses and their usages in English.

1. Present Tense
The present tense describes actions that are happening currently or habitual actions.
a. Present Simple Tense
• Structure: Subject + Base Verb (add "s" or "es" for third-person singular)
• Example: "She works at a bank."
• Usage: To describe habitual actions, general facts, and truths.
o Example: "The Earth revolves around the Sun."
b. Present Continuous Tense
• Structure: Subject + am/are/is + Verb-ing
• Example: "I am reading a book."
• Usage: To describe actions happening right now or temporary actions.
o Example: "They are studying for the test."
c. Present Perfect Tense
• Structure: Subject + has/have + past participle of the verb
• Example: "She has completed her homework."
• Usage: To describe actions that happened at an unspecified time before now or
actions that have relevance to the present moment.
o Example: "I have lived here for five years."
d. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure: Subject + has/have been + Verb-ing
• Example: "She has been working all day."
• Usage: To describe actions that started in the past and are still continuing or have
just finished.
o Example: "They have been waiting for an hour."
2. Past Tense
The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened.
a. Past Simple Tense
• Structure: Subject + Past form of the verb
• Example: "She visited the museum yesterday."
• Usage: To describe completed actions in the past.
o Example: "I went to the park last weekend."
b. Past Continuous Tense
• Structure: Subject + was/were + Verb-ing
• Example: "I was watching TV when you called."
• Usage: To describe actions that were happening at a specific time in the past or
actions that were interrupted.
o Example: "They were playing football all afternoon."
c. Past Perfect Tense
• Structure: Subject + had + past participle of the verb
• Example: "She had already left when I arrived."
• Usage: To describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.
o Example: "By the time I got there, the movie had started."
d. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure: Subject + had been + Verb-ing
• Example: "They had been traveling for hours when they finally stopped."
• Usage: To describe a continuous action that was happening before a specific point
in the past.
o Example: "She had been working all day before she took a break."

3. Future Tense
The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen.
a. Future Simple Tense
• Structure: Subject + will/shall + base form of the verb
• Example: "I will go to the store tomorrow."
• Usage: To describe actions that will happen in the future.
o Example: "We will visit the museum next week."
b. Future Continuous Tense
• Structure: Subject + will be + Verb-ing
• Example: "I will be studying at 8 PM tonight."
• Usage: To describe actions that will be happening at a specific time in the future.
o Example: "They will be working at this time tomorrow."
c. Future Perfect Tense
• Structure: Subject + will have + past participle
• Example: "By next year, she will have graduated."
• Usage: To describe actions that will be completed before a specific time in the
future.
o Example: "By 2025, I will have finished the project."
d. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
• Structure: Subject + will have been + Verb-ing
• Example: "By next month, I will have been working here for five years."
• Usage: To describe a continuous action that will be happening before a specific
time in the future.
o Example: "In two days, they will have been traveling for a week."

Conclusion
Tenses in English grammar provide clarity on the time frame of actions.
Understanding and using the right tense helps us communicate more effectively. The
English tense system is comprehensive, consisting of 12 distinct tenses, each of which
conveys a particular time reference and aspect (simple, continuous, perfect, and
perfect continuous). Mastering these tenses enables speakers and writers to be precise,
whether describing present, past, or future actions, events, or states.