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English Tense
Tense is a basic concept of English Grammar. Learning tenses is necessary for learning English language.
The ‘tense’ is simply the way of using a form of verb in a sentence to express the time or state of an action.
We hear and read different sentences in our routine. Each of those sentences narrates about some action with regard to
the time (present, past, future) of its occurrence. In other words, each of those sentences belongs to a specific tense.
For expressing actions of present time, we use a specific structure of sentence. Similarly for expressing actions of past
and future, we may use a different structure of sentence. Tense refers to these rules for making structure of sentence
according to time of the action (present, past, or future).
The tense guides us for making correct sentence depending on the time of action. It tells us the following:
1. Structure of a sentence
2. Which form of main-verb should be used in a sentence
3. Which auxiliary verbs should be used in a sentence
Example.
The structure of each of the above sentence is different. Each sentence has different form of main verb and different
auxiliary verb. Each of the above sentences belongs to a different tense.
Hence, the tense is the way of structuring a sentence using correct verbs and auxiliaries to give a meaningful sense with
regard to time of occurrence of the action.
PRESENT TENSE
Present Simple Tense
Present Progressive Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect progressive Tense
PAST TENSE
Past Simple Tense
Past Progressive Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Progressive Tense
FUTURE TENSE
Future Simple Tense
Future Progressive Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect progressive Tense
The following examples express actions occurring on regular basis or facts that stand true all the time.
He works in a factory.
He plays football.
She loves her kids.
The sun rises in the east.
The shop closes at 9 P.M.
Structure of Sentence: Base form (1st form) of the verb will be used as a main verb in the sentence.
POSITIVE SENTENCES
Subject + Main verb + Object
Subject + Base form of verb + Object
Note: If the subject of the sentence is “she, it, he, a singular noun”, then “-es” or “-s” will be added to main verb in the
sentence.
Examples:
Note: If the subject of a sentence is “she, he, it, or a singular noun”, the auxiliary-verb “Does not” will be used in
negative sentence. If the subject of a sentence is “we, I, you, they or a plural noun” then auxiliary verb “Do not” will be
used in negative sentences.
Examples.
QUESTION SENTENCES
Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb + Object
Do/Does + A Subject + Base form of verb + Object
Remember: If the subject of a sentence is “she, he, it, or a singular noun”, the sentence will start with auxiliary-verb
“Does”. If the subject of a sentence is “we, I, you, they or a plural noun” , the sentence will with auxiliary-verb “Do”.
Examples:
For instance, a boy says, “I am drinking water”. It means that the action (drinking water) is being done exactly at this
time of the speaking.
Structure of Sentence:
Main verb: Present Participle (base form of verb + ing) e.g. eating, drinking, looking
Auxiliary verbs: “is, am, or are”
Note.
If subject of the sentence is “I”, then the auxiliary verb “am” will be used in sentence.
If subject of the sentence is “She, He, It, or a singular noun” then the auxiliary verb “is” will be used.
If the subject of sentence is “They, You or a plural noun” then the auxiliary verb “are” will be used.
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb
Subject + (is / am / are) + Present Participle verb (verb + ing)
I am washing my shirt.
She is sleeping.
Kids are playing cricket.
They are walking in the lawn.
He is writing a letter.
You are eating some food.
I am preparing myself for competition.
He is drinking water.
She is cleaning her room.
She is making tea.
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + NOT + Main verb
Subject + is / am / are + NOT + Present Participle verb (verb+ing)
Examples:
He is not sleeping.
She is not studying her books.
They are not coming to school.
I am not appreciating you.
I am not replying her.
He is not asking any question.
They are not waiting for you.
She is not laughing.
She is not listening to music.
You are not eating your meal.
Examples:
Structure of Sentence:
Main Verb: Past Participle or 3rd form of a verb
Auxiliary verbs: “has, have”
Note: If the subject of sentence is “She, he, it, or a singular noun”, the auxiliary verb “has” is used. If the subject of
sentence is “they, you, or a plural noun”, the auxiliary verb “have” is used.
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb + Object
Subject + Have / Has + Past Participle (3rd form of verb) + An Object
Examples:
Examples:
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Examples:
The specific words ‘since’ and ‘for” are used in sentence to show the time of action. The word ‘Since’ is used if the exact
starting time (e.g. since Monday, since 3 P.M) of action is known or intended to be reflected in the sentence. The word
‘for’ is used to express the amount of time (e.g. for three hours, for six months) for which the action was continued.
Structure of Sentence.
Main verb: Present Participle (Base form + ing) e.g. going, eating.
Auxiliary verb: Have been, Has been
Note: If the subject of sentence is “She, he, it, or a singular noun”, the auxiliary verb “has been” is used. If the subject of
sentence is “they, you, or a plural noun”, the auxiliary verb “have been” is used.
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb + Time-reference
Subject + Have been / Has been + Present Participle (verb+ing) + Time-reference
Examples:
Examples:
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Has/Have +Subject + Been + Present Participle (verb+ing) + Time-reference
Examples:
Examples:
I ate an apple.
He caught a bird in the bushes.
I met a friend in the market.
Examples:
Structure of Sentence:
Main Verb: Past Simple Form (2nd form of verb)
Note. 2nd form of verb is only used in positive sentence. In negative and question sentence, 1st form of verb is used as
main verb.
Auxiliary verb: Did
POSSITIVE SENTENCES:
I bought a laptop.
He applied for a job.
I ate my meal.
He met me in the library
She prepared some tea for the guests.
They played the game properly.
He asked me a question.
You qualified the exam.
She laughed to see the joker.
She cleaned her room.
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + NOT + Main verb + Object
Subject + Did + Not + Base form (1st form of verb) + Object
Examples:
Examples:
Structure of Sentence:
Main Verb: Present Participle (1st form of verb + ing) e.g. sleeping, going.
Auxiliary verbs: “Was / Were”
Note: If the subject of the sentence is “I, She, He”, or a singular noun, the auxiliary “was” is used. If the subject of
sentence is “You, they,” or a plural noun, the auxiliary “were” will be use.
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb + Object
Subject + Were / Was + Present Participle (Verb + ing) + An object
Examples:
Examples:
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb+ Object
Were / was + Subject + Present Participle + Object
Examples:
It may also be used to state an action that occurred in the recent past, but if it is intended to convey a sense of
completion of the action with reference to other activities taken place after the same action.
Structure of Sentence:
Main verb: Past Participle (3rd form of the verb) e.g. gone, written, etc
Auxiliary verbs: Had
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb + Object
Subject + Had + Past Participle (3rd form of verb) + Object
Examples:
She had undergone heart surgery in her childhood.
I had lost my camera.
She had cooked some food.
He had consumed a lot of alcohol.
They had shifted to a new home.
He had earned a lot of money.
She had appeared in the exam.
He had lent me his book.
They had bought a new car.
You had gone before I reached.
The patient had died before the doctor came.
Examples:
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb + Object
Had + Subject + Past Participle + Object
Examples:
For time-reference of the action, two specific words ‘since’ and ‘for’ are used in the sentence. The word ‘since’ is used if
the exact starting time (e.g. Friday, since 10 A.M) of the action is known or intended to be shown in the sentence. The
word ‘for’ is used to express the amount of time (e.g. for five hours, for nine months) for which the action was
continued.
Structure of Sentence:
Main Verb: Present Participle (base form verb + ing) e.g. waiting, drinking, looking.
Auxiliary verbs: Had Been
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Examples:
Examples:
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Had + Subject + Been + Present Participle + Object + Time-reference
Examples:
Structure of Sentence
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main Verb + Object
Subject + Will + Base or 1st form of verb + Object
Examples:
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + NOT + Main Verb + Object
Subject + Will + NOT + Base form of verb + Object
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main Verb + Object
Will + Subject + Base form of verb + Object
Examples:
Structure of Sentence
Main Verb: Present participle (Base or 1st form of verb + ing) e.g. writing, running, drinking.
Auxiliary verbs: will be
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main Verb + Object
Subject + Will be + Present Participle (1st form of verb + ing) + Object
Examples:
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main Verb + Object
Subject + Will NOT be + Present Participle (1st form of verb + ing) + Object
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Will + Subject + Be + Present Participle + Object
Examples:
e.g. The patient will have recovered from illness by the next month.
This tense is also sometimes used to express completion of an action in future before another activity happens.
e.g. She will have learnt the Chinese before she moves to China.
Structure of Sentence:
POSITIVE SENTENCES:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main verb + Object
Subject + Will have + Past participle (3rd form of verb) + Object
Examples:
Examples:
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Will + Subject + Have + Past participle + Object
Examples:
A ‘time-reference’ is used in the sentence to show starting time of the action or for how long the action continues.
For time-reference of the action, two specific words ‘since’ and ‘for’ are used in the sentence. The word ‘since’ is used if
the exact starting time (e.g. Friday, since 10 A.M) of the action is known or intended to be shown in the sentence. The
word ‘for’ is used to express the amount of time (e.g. for five hours, for nine months) for which the action continued
towards a point in future.
Structure of Sentence:
Main Verb: Present Participle (Base or 1st form of verb + ing) e.g. going, living working.
Auxiliary verb: Will have been
POSITIVE SENTENCES
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Main Verb + Object + Time-reference
Subject + Will have been + Present Participle (1st form of verb + ing) + Object + time-reference
Examples:
Examples:
He will not have been working in the factory for six months.
She will not have been playing games since November.
They will not have been using this car since March.
The company will not have been advertising posts for two years.
He will not have been listening to music for nine hours.
She will not have been washing her dresses since June.
I will not haven waiting for you for four hours.
He will not have been running his business since April.
She will not have been living here for five years.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
Will + Subject + Have been + Present Participle (1st form of verb + ing) + Object
Examples:
Will he have been loving her for five years?
Will she have been studying in the new college since December?
Will they have been working in this factory since June?
Will the kids have been making a noise for three hours?
Will they have been using their phone since Tomorrow?
Will you have been eating vegetables for three months.
Will she have been singing songs since Monday?
Will he have been taking medicine for his illness since Friday?
Will I have writing essays for Newspaper since Monday?
Will she have been teaching the kids since Morning?
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