Tense
Tense shows us Two Things: (Time and Statement (Completeness of our work)
Time: (Present, Past, Future)
Note: All actions have Three Stages (Beginning, Middle, and End)
Statement: (Indefinite/Simple, Perfect, Continuous, P.C.)
Identification of Tense
Note: For the Identification of Tense we need two Things:
H.V= Be (Is, Am, Are, Was, Were)
Has, Have, Had, Will, Shall etc
Verb Forms= (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
Tense Chart
Tense Present Past Future
V.F
Indefinite
H.V I
Do, (Other)
Does (He, She, It) I & II
Did ( All )
I
Will (Other)
Shall (I, We)
V.F
Perfect
H.V III
Have, (Other)
Has (He, She, It) III & II
Had (All) III
Will have
Shall have
V.F
Continuous
H.V IV
Is (He, She It)
Am (I)
Are( other) IV
Was( He She It I)
Were (Other) IV
Will be
Shall be
V.F
Perfect
Continuous
H.V IV
Has been
Have been
Since (Point of Time) IV
Had been
For (Period of Time) IV
Will have been
Shall have been
Important Note
1. H.V is not used with two Tense i.e. “Present Indefinite and Past Indefinite” in case of “Affirmative Sentences” only. Also, II- Form is used in “Past Indefinite Affirmative Sentences”.
2. With “Present Indefinite Affirmative Sentences” ‘…s’ or ‘…es’ is used with the Verb incase of 3rd Person Singular (He, She, It) Subject.
3. “Past Perfect” is also called “Double Past”. In case of “Past Perfect” two actions are performed but not simultaneously. With first action – III form of verb is used as usual and with Second action II form of Verb is used.
4. In case of all “Perfect Continuous” tenses ‘Since’ and ‘For’ is used. ‘Since’ with ‘Point of Time’ and ‘For’ with ‘Period of Time.’
USAGE OF TENSE
1. Present Simple/ Indefinite:
1. To express habitual action: In this case we use following adverbs: Always, Often, Seldom, Usually, Daily, Everyday (Weak, month, year, normally, Twice, Thrice, a week etc
2. To express Universal or general Truth.
3. To give Commentary or sporting events on some action which is going on
4. To express official plans in the future i.e. plans which will go on according to a schedule of time table and programme.
5. To express great writers saying.
2. Present Continuous:
1. To express an action that is going on at the time of speaking.
2. To express one’s immediate personal plans.
3. To express an action taking place about the present time but not necessarily at the movement of speaking.
4. The following verbs are not normally used in the continous tense:
A. Verbs of Senses or Perception:- Hear, See, Taste, Smell etc.
B. Verbs of Like and Dislike:- Like, Dislike, Love, Hate, Desire, Want etc.
C. Verbs Express Wish:- Wish, Desire, Want
D. Verbs of Possession:- Possess, Own, Have, Contain, Belong, etc.
Verbs Connected with Mind:- Think, Suppose, Known, Understand, Remember, Believe, Feel, Forget. etc.
3. Present Perfect:
(i) To express recent past action.
(ii) To express an action just completed.
(iii) Mostly used words in this tense are:
So, Far, Since, For, Hitherto, Up to, Now, Lately, Recently, Yet, Already, Just etc.
4. Present Perfect Continuous:
(i) To express an action which began in the past and is still continuing.
5. Past Indefinite:
(i) To express habitual action in the past
(ii) To express an action completed in the past
(iii) To express past action when time is not given.
(iv) In this Tense following words are mostly used: Yesterday, Last week, Last month, Last year, & ago.
6. Past Continuous:
(i) It is used when the action continued for some time in the past.
(ii) It is used to describe two actions going in simultaneously in the past.
(i) It is used to describe an activity before another activity took place in the past or to describe which action took place first if either of the two happened in the past.
8. Past Perfect Continuous:
(i) It is used to express an action that continued for a specific time in the Past and was still continuing at the time of speaking.
9. Future Indefinite:
This tense is used for an action that has still to take place.
10. Future Continuous:
This tense is used to express an action going on at some point in future.
11. Future Perfect:
This tense is used to indicate the completion of an action by a certain future time.
12. Future Perfect Continuous:
This tense is used when an action is to continue for some period of time in the future.
