1.5 TENSEs
Communication is a set of meaningful sentences. To communicate effectively we should
be able to construct
correct sentences expressing the intended thoughts. Grammar, being a set of rules, states that there are three main tenses.
Tenses help us to communicate in the correct manner
in which we want
to communicate.
|
Tenses |
||
|
Present Tense |
Past Tense |
Future Tense |
We speak in terms of time i.e. present, past and future.
We use tenses according to our needs. There are different sub types of the main three tenses. Every sub type of a tense is used with a different purpose
and on different occasions.
For exampl:
1.
I visit
the temple every day.
2. Raj killed
an insect
last night.
PRESENT TENSE
Simple Present Tense
|
Structure |
Usage |
Examples |
|
Subject + Verb 1 (s/es/ies) + Object |
•
To express habitual/routine
action, universal truths. |
Ram eats mango |
|
We go to college |
||
|
You always
come late |
Present Continuous Tense
|
Structure |
Usage |
Examples |
|
Subject +
am/is/are + Verb
+ ing + Object |
•
To denote
ongoing action at the
time of speaking •
To denote
planned future action •
To denote
continuous action but not necessarily now. |
We are watching a movie |
|
Rakesh is playing football |
||
|
I am preparing for my exam. |
Present Perfect Tense
|
Structure |
Usage |
Examples |
|
Subject + have/has
+ Verb
3 + Object |
•
To denote
the action taken place just now. |
Sita has
passed the exam. |
|
We have
reached at station. |
||
|
I have called him. |
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject + have/has
+ been
+ Verb 1 + ing + Object |
•
To denote
the action taken place just now. |
We have
been trying to call you. |
|
They have been visiting us in every summer |
||
|
Sanket has been preparing for Exam since 2017 |
||
PAST
TENSE
Simple Past Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject + Verb 2 + Object |
•
To denote
the actions completed in past. |
I saw
a tiger yesterday. |
|
She did
not call him |
||
|
We
completed our homework |
||
Past Continuous
Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject +
was/were + Verb + ing + Object |
•
To denote
ongoing past action. |
She was watching TV yesterday. |
|
People were waiting for
bus. |
||
|
I was
talking to my friend. |
||
Past Perfect Tense
|
Structure |
Usage |
Examples |
|
Subject + had
+ Verb 3 + Object |
•
To denote
action which has taken
place in the remote
past. |
I had gone to
Mumbai. |
|
She had
informed me. |
||
|
People had got angry. |
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject + had
+ been + Verb1 + ing + Object |
•
To denote
an action that occurred
sometime in the past
and continued in the past. |
Rakesh had been doing study. |
|
Sunita
had been sleeping. |
||
|
Government had been warning to people. |
||
FUTURE
TENSE
Simple Future Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject +
Shall/Will + Verb 1 + Object |
•
To denote
future action. |
Neeta will come tomorrow |
|
We shall
go to picnic. |
||
|
They will
complete the task. |
||
Future Continuous Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject + Shall
be / Will be + Verb + ing + Object |
•
To denote
ongoing future action i.e. action that will be going
on in future time. |
I shall
be travelling to Paris. |
|
Father will be looking for us. |
||
|
Akash will be attending lecture. |
||
Future Perfect Tense
|
Structure |
Usage |
Examples |
|
Subject +
Shall/Will have + Verb
3 + Object |
•
To denote
an action that will be
completed in the future time. |
Officer will have gone there. |
|
He will
have closed the shop. |
||
|
I shall
have given you. |
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
|
Structure Usage Examples |
||
|
Subject +
Shall/Will have + Verb1
+ ing + Object |
•
To denote
action that will be
started in the future and
continued in the future. |
Rinku will have been eating food.. |
|
Teacher will have been
conducting lecture. |
||
|
They will have been
working on a project |
||
1.6 Sample
Exercises
Rewrite the following sentences
using correct form of verbs
given in bracket.
1. When you arrive tonight, we Will
go (go) out for dinner.
2. Whenever we meet, we plan (plan) a trip.
3. The sun is shining
(shine) brightly.
4. 
Vijay was waiting (wait) for me when I arrived.
5. I promise I did not / will not (not/tell) him about the
surprise party.
6. Shikhar Dhawan scored (score) a century
in the last match.
7. I am getting
(get) hungry. Let's go
and have something to eat.
8. Have (have) you ever visited
(visit) the
U.S. before your trip in 2006?
9. Who invented (invent) the bicycle?
10. Yesterday evening the phone rang (ring) three times while were having (have) dinner.11. When I met you last time, you were thinking (think) of moving to a new flat.
12. She only understood the movie
because she had read (read) the
book.
13. Can you help (help) me move this
heavy table?
14. Hello Nitya, I have
not seen (not/see) you for
ages. How are you?
15. We can go out now. It is not
raining (not/rain) any more.
16. He goes (go) to that
place every year.
17. There I noticed (notice) how important it is (be) to speak English
nowadays.
18. And I have already (already begin /) to read the novel.
19. If I pass (pass) my exams successfully, I will (start) an apprenticeship in September.
20. while I was doing (do) the
language course, I met (meet) lots of young people from
all over the world.
