TENSES

TENSES
 Topic Overview
Topic Overview

Introduction

Types of Time

Types of Tenses

Uses

Subject verb agreement for present perfect

 WHAT ARE TENSES ?

Tenses refers to a change in the verb

to reflect a change in time
 TYPES OF TIME

PAST PRESENT FUTURE

 TENSES ARE OF 4 TYPES

Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect continuous

 SIMPLE PRESENT
This tense is used to describe actions which take
place in the present. But no definite time is given.

SUB + V1 (s/es)
Examples :

 Suresh writes neatly.

 Mona plays football.

 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
This tense describes actions which continue or go on for some
time in the present

SUB + IS/AM/ARE + V1 + ING

Examples :

 I am teaching grammar.

 We are studying tenses.

 SIMPLE PAST
Simple past tense describes an action that took place at a
time in the past.
SUB + V2

Examples:

 Hi Rahul . Where were you yesterday?

 I went to my village.
 Did you enjoy ?
 Oh ! I enjoyed so much that I didn’t want to return.
 PAST CONTINUOUS
This tense describes actions which continued or were going on
for some time in the past.
SUB + WAS / WERE + V1 + ING

Examples :

 Children were playing in the park yesterday.

 I was sleeping when you called.

 PRESENT PERFECT
This tense is used for actions which start and finish in the
present time.

SUB + HAS / HAVE + V3

It is used in the following circumstances:

 When an action is completed in the near present or just now.

 When an action started earlier and continued up till the moment
of speaking.
 When an action happened earlier but its effect is there in the
present.
 Present Perfect Continuous
This tense is used for actions which started earlier and are
going on in the present. (no information is given about when
they will finish)

SUB + HAS / HAVE + V1 + ING

Examples :

 I have been playing for two hours.

 James has been teaching at the university since June.

 Past perfect
This tense is used for actions that finished in the past ,but
even before another action in past only.
SUB + HAD + V3
Example :

 I had solved the sum when the class began.

sum solved class began now

_____|_________________|____________|
10 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 11 a.m.
past in past past present
< - time line - >
 Past perfect continuous
This tense is used to describe actions that started at a time in
the past and continued for sometime in the past only.

SUB + HAD + BEEN + V1 + ING

Examples :

 I had been working for ten hours before leaving the office.

 They had been talking for over an hour.

 Simple Future
Simple future describes an action which will take place at a time in
the future.

SUB + WILL/SHALL + V1

Examples :

I shall play in the evening. (intention)

Brazil will win the match. (prediction)

 Future Continuous
This tense is used to describe actions which continue for some
time in the future.

SUB + WILL / SHALL + BE + V1 + ING

Examples :

 I shall be packing for the journey later.

 Mridul will be coming home in the evening.

 Future Perfect
This tense is used for actions which will finish by a certain time
in future.

SUB + WILL / SHALL +HAVE + V3

Examples :

 I shall have finished the painting by Wednesday.

 By next November, I will have received my promotion.

 Future perfect continuous
This tense is used when before a particular time in the future,
an action starts and continues after that time also.

SUB + WILL / SHALL + HAVE + BEEN + V1 + ING

Example:

 You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her
plane finally arrives.
 USE OF PAST CONTINUOUS
Past continuous is also used to describe a time period within
which an action took place.

was/were + v1+ing

Examples:

 Ramesh was studying when Rohan returned.

  You were studying when she called.

 
 Simple Future Tense
Simple future describes an action which will take place in future.

will + v1

Examples :

 I will bake a cake in the evening.

 I shall study on Sunday.

 Continuous future tense
Future continuous is used when an action is described in relation to
a future time around which that action will be going on.

will be + v1 + ing

Examples :

 When you return, I will be baking a cake.

 Don’t come on Sunday as I shall be studying.

 Use of past perfect
When there are two actions, both in past, then past perfect tense
is used to describe the action which took place first and simple
past tense is used to describe the action which took place later.

had + v1 + d/ed
Example :

John had cooked (past perfect) the meal when the guests

arrived(simple past).
 Difference between since and for

Uses of SINCE
Since is used when we know only the point in time when the
action began.

Examples:

Morning , Monday, 1997 etc.

It shows the time when the action began.

Example :

I have been studying since morning.

 Uses of FOR
For is used when we know the point when the action began and
the period for which it continued

Examples:
Two hours, 10 days, century

It answers the following question

For how much time did the action continue ?

Example:

I have been studying for five days.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREMENT FOR SIMPLE PRESENT
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL

1st person
(the person speaking)
verb verb
I play We play
2nd person
(the person spoken to)
verb verb
You play You play
3rd person
(the person spoken to)
Verb + s/es Bare verb
He/she/ it/ name plays
They play
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT FOR PRESENT
CONTINUOUS

PERSON VERB
1st person Am + verb + ing
I / we Am painting
2nd person Are + verb + ing
You Are
3rd person Is/are + verb +ing
He/she/ it/ they/ name He/she/it/name is
painting.
They are painting.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT FOR PAST CONTINUOUS

Person Singular Plural

1st I was We were

2nd You were You were

3rd He/she/it/ They were

name was
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT FOR PRESENT
PERFECT

PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL

1ST I have We have

2nd You have You have

3rd He/she/it/ They have

name has
Thanks...