TENSES

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 What are Tenses?

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 Tenses denote
Whatthe time
Are of action - they
Tenses
show when the work is done.

?
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Every English verb form has two parts :
1. Tenses denote the time of action.
Time
2. They show
Aspect when the work is
done.
 Tenses Overview
Time:
1. Past
2. Present
3. Future
 Tenses Overview

ASPECT:
1.Time
Simple
2.1.Continuous
Past
3.2.Perfect
Present
4.3.Perfect
Future continuous
COMBINATIONS OF TIME AND ASPECT
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
ASPECT
SIMPLE Past Simple Present Simple Future Simple
1.Simple
CONTINUOUS Past Continuous Present Future
2.Continuous Continuous Continuous

PERFECT
3.Perfect
Past Perfect Present perfect Future Perfect

PERFECT 4.Perfect continuous

Past Perfect Present Perfect Future Perfect
CONTINUOUS Continuous Continuous Continuous
 Tenses Overview
Quick Test

Recognize time and aspect in these sentences

1.I study
2.I was having tea at this time yesterday.
3.It has been raining since morning.
4.Where will she be next month?
Past, Present and Future English Verb Forms

English verbs have past and present forms. For example:

Is – was do – did want – wanted Go- went
Have- had Run- ran eat- ate leave- left

So, to make a past form from present, just change the present verb to a
past verb, like this:

You go shopping once a week. → You went shopping once a week.

He’s running in the park. → He was running in the park.
Ria hasn’t seen it yet. → Ria hadn’t seen it yet.
 Future English Verb Forms

It doesn’t matter if the aspect is simple, continuous, perfect or perfect

continuous. Using a present or a past verb decides whether the meaning is
present or past.

That’s almost too simple, right? But what about the future?
There are no future verb forms; you can’t change the verb to make it
future. So, you have to add something before the verb. For example:

I’ll be waiting for you outside the station.

When are you going to tell her?
He might join us later.
There are many things you can add before the verb to give it a future
meaning. 
It’s also very common to use present verb forms with a
future meaning, like this:

What are you doing this weekend?

Class starts at 10:00.

What should you remember from this?

every verb has only one past form, and only one
present form, but there are many possible
future forms. There isn’t one ‘future tense’ in
English.
Look at three sentences:

He went to Kashmir last year.

She goes to college by car.
Rohan will go with us.

What are these three verb forms? And can

you recognize the tense?
Look at three sentences:
1. He went to Kashmir last year.
2. She goes to college by car.
3. Rohan will go with us.

They’re all simple: past simple, present simple,

and future simple. simple verb forms describe
two things:

1. single actions.
2. repeated actions or states.
 Simple Present Tense
A sentence is presented in simple present tense when it is used to describe habits
or things you do regularly Example:
• He goes to office by car.
• I play in the ground daily.
• She gets up in the morning at 6’O clock.
For facts or things which are generally true.
• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
• Earth revolves around the Sun.
• It snows in winter.
Verbs of sensing, like ‘smell’, ‘see’ or ‘hear’ are generally used in present simple
tense.
• This flower smells sweet.
• I see her every Sunday.

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 If subject is 3rd person singular, s or es is used with the
verb
He goes to club daily.
She runs a parlour.
The sun sets in the west.
The verb is used in its original form; If subject is 1st and/or
2nd person singular, If subject is 1st and/or 2nd person
plural. If subject is 3rd person plural.
Some Examples:
All the participants start from this point.
Do you play tennis?
Do you write novels?

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 Past Tense Simple
past tense is used to narrate an action of the past.
Construction Subject + verb + Object
Examples:
 She worked at Mc Donald’s.
 
 Her father passed away in 1999.
 
 They went for the movie last week.
 
 Three years ago, I studied at the Canada University.

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 Something that happened several times in the past:
When I was a boy, I walked a mile to school every day.
We swam a lot while we were on holiday.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
something that was true for some time in the past:
we lived abroad for ten years.
She enjoyed being a dancer.
I played a lot of tennis when I was younger.
we often use expressions with ago with the past simple:
I met my wife a long time ago.

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 We use did to make questions with the past simple:
Did I play tennis when I was younger?
Did you live abroad?
When did you meet your wife?
Where did you go for your holidays?
But questions with who often don't use did:
Who discovered electric bulb?
Who wrote “Harry Potter”?
 
We use didn't (did not) to make negatives with the past simple:
They didn't go to Spain this year.
We didn't get home until very late last night.
I didn't see you yesterday.

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Simple future is used:

To predict a future event:

It will rain tomorrow.
With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
To express willingness: I'll bake the pie. He'll carry your bag for you.
In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
I won't leave until I've seen the manager!

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The simple future is used:
With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the concert tonight?
With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or
instructions: What shall I tell the boss about this money?
With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you help me?

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The present simple generally expresses repeated
actions or states.

The past and future simple can be used to talk about

single actions, repeated actions or states. For example:

1.He went to Kashmir every year until 2012.

2.She’ll go with you on Monday and Wednesday, but
she can’t on Thursday.

What about Continuous?

1. She was roaming in the market at seven o’clock last
night.
2. He is playing cricket.
3. This time next month, I’ll be writing my thesis.

past continuous, present continuous and future

continuous.

Can you see what connects them?

1. She was roaming in the market at seven o’clock last
night.
2. He is playing cricket.
3. This time next month, I’ll be writing my thesis.

past continuous, present continuous and future

continuous.

1. All continuous forms use the verb be, together with an -ing verb.
2. Continuous forms describe things which are incomplete. Generally,
continuous forms are used to talk about one moment in time.
2. Continuous forms describe things which
are incomplete. Generally, continuous
forms are used to talk about one moment
in time.
 Perfect Verb Forms

1.She hadn’t finished reading.

2.Rohan has finished his project.
3.They‘ll have finished everything by Sunday.

What do you notice?

Perfect Verb Forms
All perfect tenses use the verb have or had in the past, present or future
form.
After have, you use a past participle to make the perfect form.
So, for example, to make the past perfect, you take the past form of
have, which is had, and add a past participle.
For example:
1. I hadn’t thought about it.
2. She had never tried skiing before.

For the future perfect, take the future form of have, which could be will
have, and add a past participle, like this:
We’ll have finished all projects by this time next year
Meaning of Perfect Verb Forms
Perfect verb forms connect two points in time.

For example: The train had left. This connects two different times or
actions in the past.
To understand this, you need a longer sentence with more information.
For example:
1. The train had left when he reached the station.
The perfect form connects the two different actions.

The train had left He reached the station

A B
PAST FUTURE
NOW
Meaning of Perfect Verb Forms(Present)
Perfect verb forms connect two points in time.
For example: I have cleaned the room. This connects the present and the
past.
I have cleaned the room. (In the past)
Room is clean now. (in the present)
The perfect form connects the two different actions.
Meaning of Perfect Verb Forms(Future)
Perfect verb forms connect two points in time.

For example: She will have reached here by Sunday. This connects the
present and future.
The perfect form connects the two different actions.
Perfect Continuous Verb Forms
1. Your mom had been feeling much better.
2. We’ve been playing for 10 years.
3. By the end of the day, He’ll have been working
without a break for 14 hours.

What do you notice?

Perfect Continuous Verb Forms
Perfect continuous forms are a mix of the perfect and the
continuous.

How do you set the time of a perfect continuous form?

Examine Examples again:

1. Your mom had been feeling much better.
2. We’ve been playing for 10 years.
3. By the end of the day, He’ll have been working without a
break for 14 hours.
Perfect Continuous Verb Forms
Examine Examples:
1. Your mom had been feeling much better.
2. We’ve been playing for 10 years.
3. By the end of the day, He’ll have been working
without a break for 14 hours.

You set the time by changing the form of have. Use a past, present or
future form of have, plus been, plus a verb with -ing.

Has/Have/Had +been + V1 +ing

Practice
I write a letter.

Change this sentence into past perfect continuous, present

perfect continuous and future perfect continuous.
Practice
I write a letter

Change this sentence into past perfect continuous, present

perfect continuous and future perfect continuous.

1. I had been writing a letter.

2. I have been writing a letter.
3. I will have been writing a letter.
 Meaning of perfect continuous
The meaning is a combination of the two aspects: perfect and continuous.
So, the meaning is perfect because these forms connect two points in time.

I had been writing a letter…….

………… when something else happened.

Example: I had been writing a letter when you arrived.

the perfect aspect is used to connect two points in the past.

What about the continuous side? What meaning does that add?

It adds the idea of something incomplete or temporary.

 Error Spotting Rules
Rule 1. 
In Present Indefinite sentences the number and the person of
the subject play very important role. If the subject is Singular
number third person, affix ‘s’ or ‘es’ to the verb. If the verb ends
in any of the following : ss, o , x, z, sh,ch , add, ‘es’ instead of ‘s’
with the verb.
Example:
Pass-passes, miss-misses, do – does, mix – mixes, fix – fixes
etc.

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Rule 2
When the main verb is in Future Tense, use Present Simple in
clauses with if, till, as soon as, when, unless, before, until, even
if, in case and as.
Example:
We shall wait till she arrives.
I shall not go there even if it rains.

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Rule 3
Present Simple Tense must be used instead of Present
Continuous Tense with verbs of perception (feel, hear, smell
etc.), verbs of cognition (believe, know, think etc.), verbs of
emotion (hope, love, hate etc.) which cannot be used normally
in continuous form.
Example:
Incorrect – We are seeing with our eyes.
Correct – We see with our eyes. 
Incorrect – The water is feeling cold.
Correct – The water feels cold. 

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Rule 4
One must not use adverbs of past time like yesterday, last year,
last month, ago, short while ago etc. with Present Perfect Tense.
Example:
Incorrect – He has completed his book yesterday.
Correct – He completed his book yesterday.
Incorrect – We have met 3 days ago.
Correct – We met 3 days ago.

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Rule 5
If two or more actions took place in sequence, we use Simple
Past to denote the actions. (Otherwise Past Perfect is used to
denote the earlier action). This is usually used with conjunction
Before. 
Example:
•He switched on the light before he opened the door.
•The train started just before I reached the station.
•When Rahul reached home, Tina had had her lunch.

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Rule 6
The use of Simple Past Tense with , ‘wish’ and ‘If only’ shows
unreal Past and present state of things.
Example:
•I wish I were a millionaire! (I am not a millionaire)
•I wish I were a queen! (I am not a queen)
•If I only knew her! (I don’t know her.)

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Rule 7
In the following structure the use of Simple Past denotes unreal
past and present time situation.
Example:
•It is time we went home. (It is time for us to go home.)
•It is time you finished. (It is time for you to finish.)

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Rule 8
Use of Past Continuous with ‘When’ and ‘While’
When is usually used when one action was completed and
another action was going on. 
When gives the meaning ‘at the time that’. 
Example:
When he arrived, his wife was washing her clothes. 
When she went to Banaras, she bought a sari. 
While is used to denote a period. 
Example:
While I was teaching, I put through my best. 
While I was in Opera, I could enjoy very much. 

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Rule 9
Past Perfect is used when we look back on earlier action from a
certain point in the past.
Example:
•She had completed her work, before I reached there.
•I had started teaching before Manu came to my class.

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Rule 10
The Past Perfect is also used for an action which began before
the time of speaking in the Past and which stopped sometime
before the time of speaking.
Example:
He had served in a bank for twenty years; then he retired and
established his business. His children were now well settled.

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 Rule 11
Past Perfect Continuous is used when the action began before
the time of speaking in the past, and continued up to that time.
Example:
•It is now eight and she was tired because she had been cleaning
the house since dawn.
•This city has been prosperous since a very long time.

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Rule 12
When two actions are to be taken place on some
future time, we use Future Perfect for the action
completed first and Present Simple for the action to be
completed afterwards.
Eg:
•The student will have left the class before the teacher
comes.
•The Principal will have started before I reach there.

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 Rule 13
Future Perfect is also used for such incidents/actions about
which we presume that another person had the knowledge of
that incident or the action is already completed.
Example:
•You will have heard about Mother Teresa.
•He will have read the newspaper so far.  

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Practice

1. Adarsh hopes to become(a)/an officer after he

complete(b)/his higher education(c)/No error(d)
2. The police have found (a) / who they believe to be (b) / the
prime suspect in a murder case (c) / no error (d).
3. Now-a-days he teaches English (a)/ because the teacher of
English. (b)/ has gone for a month’s leave. (c)/ No Error (d).
4. I will let you know (a)/ as soon as I will get (b)/ any news in
this regard. (c)/ No Error (d)

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Answers
1. (B ) complete should be replaced with completes ,because 1
verb is in future tense
2. (B) believe should be replaced with believed, as 1st part is in
past tense.
3. (A)Replace ‘he teaches’ by ‘he is teaching’.
4. (B) replace I will get with I get.

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Practice

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Answers

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Practice

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Thank You