Tense denotes the time of action as well as the state.

Use of-
do / does / did / is / am / are / was / were / has / have / had / will
Present indefinite: Under Present Indefinite we include the following
activities:
(A) Routine Action – I go to school.
(B) Regular Action - I come here daily.
(C)Habits -He smokes.
(D)Universal Truth –The sun rises in the east.
Two and two make four.
(A) What is happening :Here comes the chief guest !
Note:
1.In newspaper headlines and commentary of sports, Simple Present
tense is used.
Example: PM signs deal.
Sachin breaks another record.
A terrible cyclone hits Indonesia.
2.To express planned action of near future-The holidays start next week.
3.An order or request- Obey your teachers.
Exercise:

1. I ……… in Model Town. (live)

2. The mother ……… food for us. (cook)
3. She ……. to temple every morning. (go)
4. They …………. football every evening. (play)
5. I …………. everybody well. (wish)
6. The cat …………. rats. (kill)
7. The farmers ………….. rain. (need)
Present Continuous Tense:
(Is/am/are + Verb + ing)
The Present Continuous Tense is used with the words—at this time, at
present, at the moment, now, nowadays, still etc. and in the following
cases :
(a) To describe an action in progress or the continuity of the action.
The girls are singing.
(b) To describe an action in progress, but not necessarily at the time of
speaking.
India is exporting onions to the Middle East.
What are you writing these days ?
1.In Interrogative form, the helping verb is used before the subject.
[Is/am/are + Subject + (Verb + ing)……….. ?]
Example : Are you going home ?

2.In Negative form, we add ‘not between the Principal Verb and the
operative helping verb.
[Subject + is/am/are + not + (Verb + ing) …]
Example: She is not weeping.
Exercise-
1. Look ! the sun ………… (rise)
2. Why ……….. you ………….. so fast ? (run)
3. The children ………. .in the park. (play)
4. Mohini ……….. a novel now. (read)
5. Water …………. from the running tap. (flow)
6. …………… it ………… outside now ? (rain)
Present Perfect Tense:
(Subject + Has /have + III form of the verb)
(i) In the Present Perfect Tense the past participle (III) form of the verb
is used with has or have.
(ii) ‘Has’ is added with third person singular subjects, as—‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’
and
(iii) ‘Have’ is added with I, ‘we’, ‘you, ‘they’ and plural nouns.

He has won a prize.

You have insulted me.
I have taken the dose of medicine.
(ii) In Interrogative form [Has, have are placed before the
subject.]
(Has/have + Subject + III form of the Verb…?)
Have they crossed the river ?
Have you seen my brother ?

(iii) In Negative form [‘not’ is used between the main verb and
the helping verb.]
(Subject + has/have + not + III form of the Verb…)
She has not come yet.
I have not received any information
The Present Perfect Tense is used with the words : yet, as yet, already,
just, just now, so far, since, ever since, presently, once, twice, thrice etc.
and in the following cases :
(a) To express an action that has been recently completed.
I have just received the letter.

(b) To describe a past experience.

I have seen this picture several times.
1. Where ………… you ………… your purse ? (lost)
2. How many sums ………… she ………… ? (solve)
3. Raju ………… Saroj since 1980. (know)
4. Asha ………… never ………… the Red Fort. (see)
5. ………… you not ………… your bath as yet ? (take)
6. I ………… not ………… my lesson. (revise)
Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
[Subject + has/have + been + I form of the Verb + ing…)

In order to form the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, we put has

been or have been before the Present Participle Form(v1+ ing) of the
Verb ; as—
It has been raining for two hours.
I have been flying a kite since 2 O’clock.
Note :
Since is used for a point of time.

For is used for a period of time.

(a) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe an
action that began in the Past, is still continuing and may
extend into the Future ; as—
She has been waiting for you for three hours.
They have been playing cards since 10 A.M.

(a) This tense is also used to express an action in a sentence

which begins with ‘For how long’ or ‘Since when’, as in—
For how long have you been sitting here ?
Since when has he been living in this house ?
1. It ………… outside for half an hour. (rain)
2. She ………… since 4 O’clock. (read)
3. I ………… for the bus since morning. (wait)
4. It ………… not ………… since midnight. (rain)
5. I ………… for the examination for one year. (prepare)
6. The washerman ………… our clothes since 1985. (wash)
The Past Tense
The Past Indefinite Tense
Or
The Simple Past Tense
(Subject + II form of the Verb…)
In the Simple Past (Past Indefinite) Tense the second form of the Verb is
used :
as—He came here yesterday.

‘Did’ is used in the Interrogative and Negative sentences.

‘Did’ is also used to lay emphasis.
Only the first form of the Verb is used with ‘did’.
(i) In Interrogative Sentences [‘did is placed before the subject and
verb in first form after it ; as—]
(Did + Subject + I form of the Verb…?)
Did you show me your homework ?

(ii) In Negative Sentences [‘did not’ is put after the subject and first
form of the verb is used thereafter : as—]
(Subject + did + not + I form of the Verb…)
I did not apply for leave.
Exception—I never told a lie.
(This sentence means—I did not ever tell a lie)
Uses of the Past Indefinite Tense

The Past Indefinite (Simple Past) Tense is used :

(a) To express an action completed in the past with reference to the
time of speaking.
I saw many birds in the zoo.

(b) To express habitual or regular action in the Past.

Gandhiji always spoke the truth.

(c) To express an event which occurred at a particular point in the Past.

My father came back home yesterday.
(d) To express an action which occupied a period of time in the Past,
but is now ended.
We lived in this house for ten years. (do not live now)
I stayed at the Green Hotel for two months. (not staying now)

(e) To express an action where some word, showing past action

(yesterday, ago. last, etc.) is given in the sentence, as,
He received your message yesterday.
I passed the S.S.C. Examination last year.
 Incorrect Correct

1. He has passed the Secondary School 1. He passed the Secondary School

Examination in 1978. Examination in 1978.

2. They have left for Agra yesterday. 2. They left for Agra yesterday.
3. She has written a letter to her father 3. She wrote a letter to her father last
last evening.
evening.
4. Babar has founded the Mughal
Empire. 4. Babar founded the Mughal Empire.
1. I ………… your letter this morning. (receive)
2. How many deer ………… you ………… in the zoo ? (see)
3. My father ………… a new house last month. ( buy)
4. Prices ………… by forty per cent last year. (rise)
5. Columbus ………… America. (discover)
6. Thousands of people ………… their lives in the earthquake. (lose)
7. When ………… you ………… from Allahabad ? (return)
8. A thief ………… into our garage last night. (break)
The Past Continuous Tense
(Subject + was /were + I form of the Verb + ing…)
(i) The Past Continuous Tense denotes an action going on in the
past. In order to form Past Continuous Tense we add Present
Participle(v1 + ing) to was or were ; as—
The train was running at full speed.
(ii) In Negative form [‘not’ is placed between the helping verb
and the principal verb ; as—]
(Subject + was/were + not + Verb + ing…)
She was not weeping.
(iii) In Interrogative form [the helping verb is placed before the
subject ; as—] (Was/were + Subject + Verb + ing + … ?)
Were the sheep grazing in the field?
Was/Were + subject + not + verb (ing form) + object?
• Examples:
1.Was he not playing football? (क्या वह फुटबॉल नह ीं खेल रहा था?)
2.Were they not studying for the exam? (क्या वे पर क्षा की तैयार नह ीं
कर रहे थे?)

Structure: Wasn’t /Weren't+ subject + verb (ing) + object?

Wasn't he playing football yesterday?
Weren't they studying for the exam?
Uses of the Past Continuous Tense

(i) The Past Continuous Tense is used to express an action that

was happening in the Past at the time of speaking. The time of
the action may or may not be mentioned.
Examples: The old lady was crying at the top of her voice.
They were not making a noise.

(ii) The use of this tense with Simple Past Tense denotes that the
previous action was going on when the latter action took place;
as—
My mother was cooking the food when I reached home.
1. The baby ………… in the room.(weep)
2. Children ………… a noise in the class.(make)
3. The students ………… their morning prayer when I reached their
school.(say)
4. My mother ………… when I returned home.(sleep)
5. The old lady ………… the Gita when the guests arrived. (read)
6. Mother ………… tea for us when the school bus homed. (prepare)
7. She found that the baby ………… bitterly. (cry)
THE PAST PERFECT TENSE
(Subject + had + III form of the Verb )

We often make mistakes while using the Past Perfect Tense. We

use ‘had’ at random wherever we view ‘past action’ in a sentence
in our mother-tongue.

I had gone to Delhi yesterday.

This sentence should be formed in Simple past.

I went to Delhi yesterday.

The structure of Past Perfect is—

In order to form the Past Perfect Tense we use ‘had’ before the
Past Participle (III) form of the Verb.

(i) In Interrogative form [‘Had is used before the subject]

(Had + Subject + not + in form of the Verb + ……… ?)
Had he left when you came ?
(ii) In Negative form [‘not is used after ‘had’]
(Subject + had + not + III form of the Verb + ………… )
I had not seen you before.

(iii)Interrogative (negative):
Hadn't + subject + past participle + object?
Hadn't they left before the rain started
Uses of the Past Perfect Tense
(a) The Past Perfect Tense is used to express an action
completed before another action took place ; as—
When he came to me, I had posted the letter.

(b) It is also used to express an unfulfilled wish in the past ; as—

I wish I had won the election.

(c) To denote the action or event which has been completed

before some point of time.
By afternoon he had completed much work
Use of Past Indefinite and Past Perfect Tenses in Time Clauses:

We can express time by using some ‘time-denoting’ Adverbs or

through Adverbial clauses of Time. The combination of two past
actions depends upon their mutual relevance.

Examples: I had waited for my friend until he arrived.

After he had sailed many days, he reached the coast.

1. If she ………….. for the examination she would not have failed.
(prepare)
2. The bell ………….. before I reached the school. (go)
3. The patient ………….. before the doctor arrived. (die)
4. She ………….. not ………….. the place before her husband
permitted her. (leave)
5. ………….. the child ………….. before his mother returned from
office ? (sleep)
6. The rain ………….. when we stepped out of our house. (stop)
7. If you ………….. her, she would have got first division. (help)
8. The cinema show ………….. when I reached the hall. (start)
9. If she ………….. a bus, she would have caught the train. (board)
•If she had prepared for the examination, she would not have failed.
(prepare)
•The bell had gone before I reached the school. (go)
•The patient had died before the doctor arrived. (die)
• She had not left the place before her husband permitted her. (leave)
• Had the child slept before his mother returned from the office?
(sleep)
• The rain had stopped when we stepped out of our house. (stop)
• If you had helped her, she would have got first division. (help)
• The cinema show had started when I reached the hall. (start)
• If she had boarded a bus, she would have caught the train. (board)
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

(Subject + had + been + Present Participle…)

(a) The Past Perfect Continuous Tense expresses an action that
had been going on for some time in the past. In order to use
this tense we use had been with Present Participle (ing) form
of the verb.

Example: Children had been playing since morning.

(b) The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is also used to express an
action that had been going on for some time before another
action took place in the past ; as—
Examples: They had been playing chess for two hours when I
joined them.

(i) In Interrogative form, ‘had precedes the subject and ‘been’

comes after the subject; as—
Had he been quarrelling with you for some time ?
(ii) In negative form, ‘not’ is placed after ‘had’ and before ‘been’ ;
as—
They had not been working on this project for many years.
1. She ………….. hard since December. (study)
2. Sarla ………….. her lover for many years. (befool)
3. How long ………….. the two neighbours ………….. when a third one
joined them ? (quarrel)
4. I ………….. for four hours when you knocked at my door. (sleep)
5. Tenzing ………….. to climb Everest for many years before he
succeeded in his mission. (try)
THE FUTURE TENSE
The Simple Future/Future Indefinite Tense
(Shall/ will + Verb)

The Future Indefinite Tense is used to express the action or event

which is likely to happen in Future. In this tense we use shall/will
between the subject and the first form of the verb. Normally we
use ‘shall with pronouns of first person (I, We). In the same way.
we use ‘will with the pronouns of second person (you) and third
person (he, she, it, they).
(i) In Negative sentences ‘not’ is added after ‘shall/‘will as the
case may be ; as— We shall not see the picture today.
(ii) In Interrogative sentences ‘will’/‘shall’ is placed before the
subject and first form of the verb after it ; as—
Will you go to college today ?
The Future Continuous Tense
(Will/shall + be + Verb + ing)

The Future Continuous Tense is used to express an event that is

expected to take place in the normal course or at some time in
the future ; as—
We shall be playing a football match on Sunday.
The new edition of this book will be coming out shortly.
When I reach Calcutta, it will be raining heavily there.
Will you be taking part in the debate ? (Interrogative)
The farmers will not be watering the plants at this time.
(Negative)
FUTURE CONTINUOUS:
• An action going on future comes under Future Continous Tense.
• Eg: We shall be taking the examanination at this time, next month.
• Note:- Some verbs do not take ‘ing’ form. Hense they cannot come in continuous
tense.
• List of such verbs:
• 1 Verbs of perception – see, taste, smell, here, prefer, please, notice, recognize.
• 2 Verbs of Thinking Process – Think, know, mean, mind, remember, suppose.
• 3 Verbs showing Possession- Own, have, belong, comprise, possess, contain,
consist.
• 4 Verbs expressing Feelings or State of Mind- Believe, like, dislike, love, adore,
want, wish, desire, hate, agree, trust, imagine.
• 5 Verbs in General – Look, seem, appear, affect, resemble, cost, require, become,
hope, refuse.
The Future Perfect Tense
(Shall/will + have + III form of the Verb)

(i) The Future Perfect Tense expresses an action which is

expected to be completed by a certain time in the Future ; as—
She will have covered half of her journey by Monday next.
(ii) The Future Perfect Tense sometimes expresses the speaker’s
belief that something has taken place. In such sentences it does
not express the Future ; as—
“You will have discussed the plans how to celebrate the function”,
said my mother.
(iii) It is also used for an action which at a given future time will
be in the past; as—
In two years’ time (i.e., two years from now) I shall have taken my
degree.
1. The picture ………….. by the time we reach the hall. (start)
2. ………….. you your studies by 2009 ? (finish)
3. The farmers ………….. not ………….. the harvest before September.
(reap)
4. I ………….. exercise before the sun rises. (take)
5. He ………….. his lesson by next week.(learn)
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
(Shall/will + have been + Verb + ing)

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express an

action that will have been going on at or before some point of
time in the Future ; as—
We shall have been waiting for you for a long time.