Tenses

Overview
Tenses of English language
 English tenses are used to indicate the time of an
action or event. There are three main time
categories: past, present, and future, and each
has four aspects: simple, continuous
(progressive), perfect, and perfect continuous.

 Tense is one of the functions of a verb. Everything

that happens (actions or conditions or states),
happens in present time, in past time, or in future
time. A verb indicates the time of an action, a
condition, or a state by changing its form.
Contin…….
 In everyday conversations, we often talk about
routines, habits, and facts. Therefore the most
commonly used tenses are:
 Simple Present (Most Frequently Used)
• Used for habits, routines, general truths, and
schedules.
• Examples:
• I wake up at 7 AM.
• She goes to work every day.
• The sun rises in the east.
Contin…….
 Present Continuous
• Used for actions happening now or near-future plans.
• Examples:
• I am cooking dinner right now.
• He is watching TV.
• We are meeting at 5 PM.
 Simple Past
• Used for completed actions in the past.
• Examples:
• I visited my grandma yesterday.
• She bought a new phone.
• We watched a movie last night.
Contin…….
 Simple Future
• Used for future plans, promises, or predictions.
• Examples:
• I will call you later.
• She will arrive at 8 PM.
• It will rain tomorrow.
Present Tense
Introduction to Present Tense:
 The Simple Present Tense is one of the most common and
useful tenses in English. We use it to talk about things that
happen regularly, facts, routines, habits, and universal truths.
 Key Use Cases:
• Facts and General Truths:
Example: "The Earth revolves around the Sun." (This is always
true.)
• Habits or Routines:
Example: "I wake up at 6 AM every day."
• Scheduled Events (usually in the near future):
Example: "The train leaves at 8 PM."
• Instructions or Directions:
Example: "You mix the ingredients and bake for 20 minutes."
Types of Present Tense:

 While the Present Tense often categorized into

1. Present Indefinite, (simple present tense)
2. Present Continuous
3. Present Perfect
4. Present Perfect Continuous
Simple Present Tense

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I do not walk to the Do I walk to the

I walk to the store.
store. / I don't walk. store?

She does not play

She plays tennis Does she play
tennis. / She doesn't
every day. tennis every day?
play.
Present Continuous
(Progressive) Tense
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I am walking to the I am not walking to Am I walking to the

store. the store. store?

She is not playing

She is playing Is she playing
tennis. / She isn't
tennis now. tennis now?
playing.
Present Perfect Tense

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have not walked

I have walked to Have I walked to
to the store. / I
the store. the store?
haven't walked.

She has not played

She has played Has she played
tennis. / She hasn't
tennis before. tennis before?
played.
Present Perfect Continuous
Tense
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have not been

I have been Have I been
walking to the
walking to the walking to the
store. / I haven't
store. store?
been walking.

She has not been

She has been Has she been
playing tennis. /
playing tennis for playing tennis for
She hasn't been
an hour. an hour?
playing.
Past tense
Past tense
 The past tense is a grammatical tense used to describe
actions or events that have already happened.
 The past tense is used to talk about actions or events that
have already happened. It helps convey the time when
something occurred, whether it was a simple, ongoing,
completed, or continuous action in the past.
 The second form of the verb (also called the past tense
form) is used to indicate actions that are completed in the
past. This is primarily used in the simple past tense.
Past tense types
 While the Present Tense often categorized into
1. Past Indefinite, (simple past tense)
2. Past Continuous
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Continuous
Simple Past Tense
 Describes a completed action or event in the past.
• Example: She walked to the store yesterday.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I did not walk to
I walked to the Did I walk to the
the store. / I didn't
store. store?
walk.
She did not play
She played tennis Did she play tennis
tennis yesterday. /
yesterday. yesterday?
She didn't play.
Past Continuous (Progressive)
 Describes an ongoing action that was happening at a
specific time in the past.
• Example: I was reading when the phone rang.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I was not walking
I was walking to Was I walking to
to the park. / I
the park. the park?
wasn't walking.
They were not
They were eating eating lunch at Were they eating
lunch at noon. noon. / They lunch at noon?
weren't eating.
Past Perfect Tense
 Describes an action that was completed before another
action in the past.
• Example: She had finished her homework before she went
out.
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I had not finished
I had finished my Had I finished my
my homework. / I
homework. homework?
hadn't finished.
She had not seen
She had seen the Had she seen the
the movie before. /
movie before. movie before?
She hadn't seen.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
Describes an action that was ongoing in the past up until
another action or point in the past.
1. Example: He had been studying for two hours when I
called him.
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I had not been
I had been reading reading for an Had I been reading
for an hour. hour. / I hadn't for an hour?
been reading.
They had not been
Had they been
They had been waiting for the bus.
waiting for the
waiting for the bus. / They hadn't been
bus?
waiting.
Future tense
What is the Future Tense?
 The future tense in English refers to expressions used
to describe actions, events, or states that will occur
after the present moment. Unlike other tenses, the
future tense is not marked by specific verb inflections
but is formed using auxiliary/modal verbs
like "will", "shall", and other constructions
(e.g., going to).
Where to Use "Will" and "Shall"?
 Both "will" and "shall" are used to 2. Promises and Offers
indicate the future, but they have specific 1. To make commitments or extend help.
contexts and subtle differences in usage.
2. Example:
 1. Using "Will" 1. I’ll help you with your homework.
 "Will" is the most common auxiliary verb 2. Don’t worry, I will always support you.
for the future and is used in a variety of
2. Commands and Requests
contexts:
3. Polite commands or formal requests.
1. Predictions
4. Example:
1. Used to express beliefs about the future.
1. Will you open the window?
2. Example:
2. You will finish your assignment by
1. It will rain tomorrow. tomorrow.
2. She will succeed in her career. 3. Spontaneous Decisions
5. For decisions made at the moment of speaking.
6. Example:
1. I’ll answer the phone.
Using "Shall"
 Shall" is less commonly used  Legal and Contractual
in modern English but remains Language
important in formal and legal • Used to indicate obligation or
contexts. Its usage is more certainty in formal documents.
typical in British English.
• Example:
1. Future Intentions (Formal)
• The tenant shall pay the rent
"Shall" is used for formal by the 5th of each month.
statements about the future,
particularly 1. Suggestions and Offers
with "I" and "we" as When asking for or giving
subjects. suggestions.
Example: Example:
I shall call you later. Shall we go for a walk?
We shall meet at the park at Shall I bring you some tea?
Key Differences Between "Will" and
"Shall"
Feature Will Shall

Common in everyday More formal and

Formality
usage. traditional.

Primarily used with "I"

Subjects Used with all subjects.
and "we".

Predictions, promises, Formal declarations,

Context
decisions. suggestions.
Modern Trends

In modern English, "will" has largely replaced

"shall" for most purposes, especially in informal
contexts. "Shall" is still used in legal or
contractual language and polite offers or
suggestions.
Future tense types
 While the Future Tense often categorized into
1. Future Indefinite
2. Future Continuous
3. Future Perfect
4. Future Perfect Continuous
Simple Future Tense

Form Structure Example

Subject + will + base

Affirmative She will write a book.
verb

Subject + will not

Negative She won’t write a book.
(won’t) + base verb

Will + subject + base

Interrogative Will she write a book?
verb?
Future Continuous Tense

Form Structure Example

Subject + will be +
He will be working
Affirmative present participle (verb +
tomorrow.
-ing)

Subject + will not (won’t) He won’t be working

Negative
be + present participle tomorrow.

Will + subject + be + Will he be working

Interrogative
present participle? tomorrow?
Future Perfect Tense
Form Structure Example

Subject + will have + They will have completed

Affirmative
past participle the task by 6 PM.

They won’t have

Subject + will not (won’t)
Negative completed the task by 6
have + past participle
PM.

Will + subject + have + Will they have completed

Interrogative
past participle? the task by 6 PM?
Future Perfect Continuous

Form Structure Example

Subject + will have

I will have been studying
Affirmative been + present participle
for 3 hours by 8 PM.
(verb + -ing)
Subject + will not (won’t) I won’t have been
Negative have been + present studying for 3 hours by 8
participle PM.
Will + subject + have
Will I have been studying
Interrogative been + present
for 3 hours by 8 PM?
participle?