FUNDAMENTALS OF

TENSES
OVERVIEW
 Explanation:

🠶 EXAMPLE: The Birds are Flying now.

🠶 EXPLANATION: The birds" is the subject. “Are" is the present tense form of the
verb "to be" used with the subject "birds. “Flying" is the present participle form
of the verb "fly.” “Now" is the rest of the sentence, indicating the time when the
action is happening.
🠶 EXAMPLE: They are eating lunch now.
🠶 EXPLANATION: The Subject “They” is the pronoun indicating who is
performing the action. Verb in the -ing form "eating“ is the main verb "eat" in its
present participle form ("-ing"), indicating the ongoing nature of the action.
Object "lunch” is the noun. Adverb of Time "now" provides an information about
when the action is taking place. In this case, it specifies that the action is
happening at the present moment.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
 Explanation

I wake up everyday at 8 o'clock.

🠶 "I" is the subject. “Wake up" is the main verb. “Every day" is the
adverbial phrase with adverb specifying the frequency. "at 8
o'clock" is the phrase with preposition indicating the specific time.
Altogether, they show a habit which occur in everyday life.
PRESENT SIMPLE
 LET’S INTERPRET

She had cleaned the room when I got home yesterday.

 Explanation

Past perfect auxiliary verb "had" is used and, "cleaned"

is the past participle of the verb "clean." The past
perfect tense is used to indicate that the action of
cleaning the room was completed before another past
action (in this case, "I got home yesterday").
OVERVIEW OF PAST PERFECT
TENSE
We form the Past Perfect with had and the past
participle of a verb (e.g. started, taken):

I had taken it. OR I'd taken it. They had not started.
OR They hadn't started
TIMELINE OF PAST PERFECT TENSE
USAGE OF PAST PERFECT
1-An event before that time, we use the Past Perfect (e.g.
had been). Here is another example:

Now, talking about last Saturday:

Mary: We didn't need to queue because I had already bought

the tickets
 USAGE OF PAST PERFECT
2-We need the Past Perfect to make it clear that one of the events is
not in order:

D: I returned with my phone.

C: The bird had already flown away. (= The bird had gone before I
returned.)
USAGE OF PAST PERFECT
3-The Past Perfect is used in reported speech:

'I have suffered from asthma for many years!

She told the doctor that she had suffered from asthma for
many years.
 LET’S INTERPRET

The plumber had been fixing the water tape for two hours
 EXPLANATION
At some point in the past, the plumber
had been engaged in the ongoing activity
of fixing the water tap, and this had been
going on for a duration of two hours.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
An action that started in the past, continued
in the past, and also ended at a certain point
in the past.

Subject + had + been + present participle

(verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence
PRESENT
TENSES FOR
THE FUTURE?
BUT HOW?
 Present Continuous for Future:
This is formed using the present tense of the verb (am/are/is) + the
present participle (the -ing form of the main verb).
Examples:
• I am meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow.
• She is flying to Paris on Friday.
• We are having a party next weekend.
SIMPLE PRESENT

• The simple present can also be used to express

scheduled or planned future events, especially
with timetables, schedules, or fixed arrangements.

Examples:

• The train leaves at 6 PM tomorrow.

• The concert starts at 8 PM.
• Our flight departs on Monday morning.
USAGE OF
WILL AND
SHALL
LET’S INTERPRET

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

LET’S INTERPRET

I shall improve my cooking.

Simple Future Tense
This tense is used for actions that will happen at a
specific time in the future.
Structure: Subject+will/shall+base form of verb
Examples:
I will go to the store tomorrow.
She will call you later.
 Future Continuous Tense
This tense is used for actions that will be ongoing at a specific
time in the future.
Structure: Subject+will be+present participle (verb+ing)
Examples:
I will be working at 10 AM tomorrow.
They will be traveling to Paris next month.
 Future Perfect Tense
This tense is used for actions that will be completed
before a specific time in the future.
Structure: Subject+will have+past participle
Examples:
By the end of the week, I will have finished my project.
She will have left by the time you arrive.
 Future Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is used for actions that will have been ongoing
for a period of time up to a specific point in the future.
Structure:
Subject+will have been+present participle (verb+ing)
Examples:
By next year, I will have been working here for ten years.
They will have been traveling for 24 hours by the time they
reach their destination.
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. She ___ to the store every day.
🠶 A) go B) goes C) going D) gone

2. They ___ a new house last year.

🠶 A) buy B) buys C) buying D) bought

3. I ___ a book when you called.

🠶 A) read B) reading C) was reading D) have read

4. By the time he arrived, we ___ our dinner.

🠶 A) finished B) finish C) had finished D) have finished

5. She ___ in this company for five years now.

🠶 A) work B) works C) is working D) has been working
 Answers and Explanations
1. B) goes
🠶 Explanation: Present simple tense is used for routines and habits.
2. D) bought
🠶 Explanation: Past simple tense is used for actions completed in the past.
3. C) was reading
🠶 Explanation: Past continuous tense is used for actions that were in progress at a
specific time in the past.
4. C) had finished
🠶 Explanation: Past perfect tense is used to show that an action was completed before
another action in the past.
5. D) has been working
🠶 Explanation: Present perfect continuous tense is used for actions that started in the
past and continue to the present.
6. They ___ to the movies if they finish their homework.
🠶 A) go B) will go C) went D) going
7. We ___ tennis every Sunday.
🠶 A) play B) plays C) played D)playing
8. He ___ to Paris next month.
🠶 A) go B) goes C) will go D) going
9. I ___ my keys. I can't find them anywhere.
🠶 A) lose B) lost C) have lost D) had lost
10. When I was a child, I ___ play outside every day.
🠶 A) use to B) used to C) using to D) uses to
 Answers and Explanations
6. B) will go
🠶 Explanation: Future simple tense is used for actions that will happen in the future.
7. A) play
🠶 Explanation: Present simple tense is used for regular actions or habits.
8. C) will go
🠶 Explanation: Future simple tense is used for actions that will happen in the future.
9. C) have lost
🠶 Explanation: Present perfect tense is used for actions that have relevance to the
present.
10. B) used to
🠶 Explanation: "Used to" is used for past habits or states that no longer exist.
FILL IN THE BLANKS :
1. She ___ her homework already.
🠶 a) does
🠶 b) has done
🠶 c) do

2. I ___ coffee every morning.

🠶 a) drink
🠶 b) drank
🠶 c) have drunk
3. They ___ in New York since 2015.
🠶 a) live
🠶 b) have lived
🠶 c) lives
4. He ___ to the gym on Mondays.
🠶 a) goes
🠶 b) has gone
🠶 c) go
5. We ___ this movie before.
🠶 a) watch
🠶 b) have watched
🠶 c) watches
ANSWERS and EXPLANATIONS:
1. b) has done
🠶 Explanation: Present perfect is used for actions completed at
some indefinite time in the past.
2. a) drink
🠶 Explanation: Present simple is used for habitual actions.
3. b) have lived
🠶 Explanation: Present perfect is used for actions that started in the
past and continue to the present.
4. a) goes
🠶 Explanation: Present simple is used for routine actions.
5. b) have watched
🠶 Explanation: Present perfect is used for actions with relevance to
the present.