THE VERB A verb is a word that tells or asserts something about a person or thing.

It tells us about what person or thing does ex: They play, we teach what is done to a person or thing ex: The picture is painted what a person or thing is ex: I am fine, The cat is dead Broadly verbs can be divided into two major categories. They are Lexical (main) verbs & auxiliaries (helping verbs) Lexical verbs have 5 froms like V1 (go), V2 (went), V3 (gone), V4 (going), Vs (goes) Every Lexical verb has three features. They are - Tense, Aspect & Voice TENSE: Tense is a form of a verb which is used to show the time of the action or state. ASPECT: Aspect tells whether the action expressed by the verb happens once or repeatedly, is completed or still continuing. ex: The girls are singing. continuous action Just they have completed the taks finished action Thus, a verb has two aspects namely continuous & perfect VOICE: Voice tells us whether the subject of a sentence perfoms the action or affected by the action. ex: He painted a picture subject performs the action A picture was painted by him subject is affected by the action Thus, a verb has two voices like active & passive TIME & TENSE: We cant equate tense and time. Time and tense do not go together. Please observe the following sentences 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. As I am preparing for this unit, my wife is watching T.V. (Present Tense - Present Time) I wrote a letter yesterday He is coming tomorrow I have painted a picture

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E
(Past Tense - Past Time) (Present Tense - Future Time) (Present Tense - Past Time)

If you walk around the campus, you will see some snakes (Present Tense - Future Time) The Nine o clock news reports two bombings and three murders (Present Tense - Past Time)
1

7. 8. 9.

The Sun rises in the East I wish I had a car Could you please ..... Can you please........

(Present, past & future time - Present Time) (Present & past Tense - Present Time) (Past Tense - Present Time) (Present Tense - Present Time)

Thus, we conclude there is no one-one coordination between time and tense. Time is the universal and it has three forms like the present, the past and the future, but, the Tense has only two forms like the Present and the Past. THE PRESENT TENSE: It has four forms like Simple, Continuous (progressive), perfect and Perfect Continuous) Present Simple: The present simple can be used in the following situations. 1. For repeated actions: ex: My father works in a school

Past

2.

For the present state:

Past

3.

For facts or general truths:

Past

4.

For scheduled actions (in the nearer future): ex: The C.M. arrives at 5 tomorrow
tomorrow 5 p.m.

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E
Present Future

ex: I am hungry now

Present

Future

ex:

The Sun rises in the East

Present

Future

Past

Present

Future

5. 6. 7.

In news papers headings:

ex:

India and China sign an agreement

I declare the sport meet open, I acknowledge your letter Actions, events in a story, play, book or a film ex: In Shankardada MBBS Chinranjeevi goes Sanaita and teases her. For regular or habitual actions: ex: walk.
2

As performative declarations: ex:

8.

She gets up early morning at 5 goes for a

9. 10. 11.

In proverbs:

ex: Time and Tide waits for none

In thesis writings: ex: R.K. Narayan says...... Commentaries, especially demonstrations: ex: Dhoni hits a six Now add salt to the solution

12. 13. 14. 15.

In opinion polls/questionnaires: ex: What do you think about this programme? For setteled state of affairs: In imperatives:

In exclamations starting with here and there: ex: Here comes my enemy! There goes the president! With communicative verbs like tell, hear, learn, write etc: ex: I hear that you are going to America

16.

Present Continuous: 1.

To talk about an action that is happening at the moment of speaking: ex: We are playing, please join us To emphasize the duration of the time: ex: He is walking slowly (He walks slowly means habitaul & permanent) To emphasize the limited duration: ex: She is living in Hyderabad (temporary) She lives in Hyderabad (permanent)

2.

3.

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E
ex: Come! And close this door.

ex: My daughter lives in Hyderabad

The present continuous can be used in the following situations.

4.

To show the action is not necessary be completed: ex: Yuvaraj is passing the ball to Dhoni (the ball is in the air) Yuvaraj passes the ball to Dhoni (completed action, the ball is in Dhonis hands) Yuvaraj passed the ball to Dhoni (after completion of the game) In emotional situations: ex: My bike always breaking down (irritation)

5.

6.

We need not be doing the action at the time of speaking: ex: I must leave now itself, as we are painting our house. In simultaneous actions: ex: I like to listen to music when I am driving. My mother is cooking while I am watching T.V. When a series of actions is temporary: ex: My car is off the road, I am travelling by bus nowadays. For future denoting actions: ex: I am studying to become a doctor.

7.

8.

9.

Present Perfect: 1.

To refer a state leading up to the present: ex: I have known his for ten years

2.

To indicate a habit in a period leading up to present: ex: Aravind has always wore uniform

3.

To mention that happened in the past without sating a specific time: ex: Petrol prices have been raised again If time reference is given we cant use this tense. To talk about the incidents that happened in the recent past: ex: I have seen the film

4.

Present Perfect Continuous: situations. 1.

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E

The present perfect can be used in the following situations.

The present perfect can be used in the following

For an action over a period of time up to the present: ex: We have been waiting for him since 4 o clock. For the temporary habits leading to the present: ex: Raju has been visiting his professors house nowadays to get the signature.

2.

In nature Present Perfect Continuous and Present Perfect are same. They describe state up to the present, but there is a difference. Present Perfect Continuous is used for temporary actions while the Present Perfect for the permanent actions.
4

THE PAST TENSE: It has four forms like Simple, Continuous (progressive), perfect and Perfect Continuous) Past Simple: The past simple can be used in the following situations. 1. To refer to a single event in the past: ex: He came to India last week. To refer the past state, i.e., a state of affairs that existed for a length of time in the past: ex: He worked as HM for two years To indicate past habitual actions: ex: When I was young I walked for five k.m.s everyday. We can use used to also to indicate the past habitual actions When I was young I used to walk for five k.m.s everyday. In reported speech: ex: He said that he was busy

2.

3.

4. 5. 6.

In hypothetical conditional clauses:

In modals to indicate more politeness/tentativeness: ex: Could I have your pen (politeness) I might complete this unit today (tentativenesss)

Past Continuous: The past continuous can be used in the following situations. 1. When something was going on continuously over a period of time: ex: We were shopping all them morning Past simultaneously actions: ex: I was sleeping while my mother was cooking

2.

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E

ex: If I were you, I wouldnt talk like that.

3.

Something was going on at a particular time in the past: ex: I was reading at seven o clock last night.

The Past Perfect: Use of the Past Perfect tense is For an action before a past time. Ex: She had met me six months back. I knew I had forgotten my mummy. We ran onto the platform, but the train had just gone. For a state. Ex: They had been friends for six months. Every thing had been arranged perfectly.

Past Perfect and Past Simple: To say that someone finished one action and then did something else, we use either whenhad done or after. did/had done. Ex: When
Mirinda had written the letter, she went out to post it. After Mirinda wrote/had written the letter, she went out to post it.

Sometime the choice of past simple and past perfect can make a difference to the meaning. Ex: When the boss arrived, the meeting started (=the boss arrived and then the meeting started). When the boss arrived, the meeting had started (=the meeting started before the boss arrived) We can sometime use the past perfect after before or until. Ex: We did not want to stop until we finished/had finished the job. 2. The Past Perfect Continuous:

Use of the Past Perfect Continuous tense is

For an action over a period up to a past time. Ex: Everything had been going so well up to then. The driver who died in the accident had been drinking Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E

o Period of time : I had been working at home. I am tired o Completed action: I had worked at home. It looked nice. o The past perfect continuous focuses on the on going action and the past perfect tense on the result of the action. When we say how long, we normally use the continuous form. When we say how many, we do not use the continuous. Ex: The volunteers brought in their collecting boxes at lunch time yesterday. They had been collecting money all morning. They had collected hundreds of pounds. Compare Past continuous and Past perfect continuous. Ex: When I saw Anoosha, she was writing (= I saw her in the middle of the writing). When I saw Anoosha, she had been writing (=I saw her after completion of her writing).

3. The Future: In English to represent the future we use the following items. 1) Will/shall, 2) Be going to, & 3) Present tense form Will/shall We use will+base form for the future representation. In first person we can use either will or shall in statements. Both are correct, and the meaning is same. Ex: I will/shall be there tomorrow. This city wont(=will not) same again. Generally shall will not be used with other objects. Ex: Tiger shall kill you if you go near. Wrong. Use only will. Will often expresses the future as fact, something we cannot control. It
6

expresses a prediction, a definite opinion about the future. Ex: It will be hot in summer in Ramagundam. Ill/well are often used for instant decisions. Ex: Its raining, Ill take an umbrella. I think Ill have to take medicines. Will sometimes expresses willingness. Ex: Ill wait here until your return. Will sometimes used in formal orders. It expresses the order as a definite future. This exphasizes the authority of the speaker Ex: You will leave the building immediately. Uniform will be worn. Be going to

Present tense form:

collected by: B. Surendra Mohan, SA (Eng) ZPHS Regadimaddikunta, Sulthanabab for ELTC, DIET, Karimnagar

R A G A N IM R A ,K T IE D ., .C .T .L E

We use be going to + base form for a present situation which points to the future. In the following situations be going to is used to express a prediction. Ex: Its ten already. Were going to be late. This fence is going to fall down soon. Be going to form also can be used for a present intention. Ex: Im going to start my own business. Im not going to live in Karimnagar all my life.

We use simple present tense for the future, but only for what we see as part of a timetable. Ex: The final match is on 20th May. The train leaves at 4.30. I change my train at Kazipet tomorrow. We do not use the present simple for decisions or intentions. Ex: I carry that bag for you (wrong). They build some flats here soon (Wrong). We use present continuous tense for what someone has arranged to do. Ex: Im going to see my akkaiah tomorrow. That means, it is already decided.