TENSE
Tense is the form of verb which shows the time of an action and its degree of completeness.
There are three tense.
1. Present 2 Past 3 Future
-
Indefinite Continuous Perfect Perfect continuous
-
Present Indefinite / Simple Present – Any action which takes place or any habitual fact, universal truth or behaviour
-
Regular Action – I go to college daily
-
Habbits – He takes tea
-
Universal truth –The dog barks
-
Irregular Action – Earthquake comes in Nepal.
-
Note: Simple Present tense is used to express planned action of near future.
-
E.g. P M leaves for America next week.
-
Rules – Simple or Affirmative Sentence
-
Subj + v1
-
+ S/es according to subject + Obj.
-
With he, she it - v1
-
+ s/es
-
With I, we, you, they – v1
-
Negative – Subject + do/does + not + v1
-
+ obj.
-
He, she , it – does not + v1
-
I, we, you they – do not + v1
-
Interrogative sentence – Do/does + subject + v1
-
+ obj + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative sentence – Do/does + subject + not +v1
-
+ objective + ?
-
Don’t/doesn’t + subject + v1
-
+ Objective + ?
Simple Past – An action which took place and that is over is called simple past.
Rules Affirmative Sentence – Subject + v2+ object
-
Negative – Subject + did not + v1
-
+ objective
-
Interrogative – Did + subject + object + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – Did + subject + not +v1
-
+ Object + ?
-
Didn’t + subject +v1
-
+ objective + ?
Note – Such expressions like last year, last week, yesterday, last Sunday, last month, last weekend. It is time, it
is high time followed by past Indefinite tense (v2)
-
e.g. – It is high time you leave this place. (x)
-
It is high time you left this place. (v)
-
Simple Future – An action which will take place in future.
-
Rule – Simple sentence
-
Subject + will/shall + v1
-
+ objective
Neg. sentence – Subject + will/shall + not + v1 + objective
-
Subject + won’t /shan’t + v1
-
objective
-
Interrogative – will/shall + subject + v1+ object + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – will/shall + subject + not + v1+ object + ?
-
Won’t /shan’t + subject +v1+ objective + ?
-
Note – use shall with I and we and others take will
Note: But this order is reversed in modals if there would be any threat, Promise, command determination, compulsion
and advice
-
e.g. I will kill you (Threat)
-
You shall pay for breaking the glasses (Threat)
-
We will stand united. (determination)
-
I will have to finish this work. (compulsion)
-
Present Continuous – Any action that is going on at the time of speaking or things which are in motion, comes under
-
Present Continuous
-
Rules – Simple or Affirmative -
-
Subject + is/am/are + v1
-
+ ing + objective
-
Negative – subject + is/am/are + not + v1
-
+ ing + object
-
– Subject + is /are/am not + v1
-
+ ing + object
-
Interrogative – is/am/are + subject + v1
-
+ ing + object
-
Interrogative cum Negative – Is.am/are + subject + not + v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
-
Isn’t/aren’t + subject + v1
-
+ing + objective + ?
Note – with I – am, with he, she, it – is, with we, you, they – are
Note – Am not has no contraction form. Hence in Question tag aren’t is used
Note – Present Continuous Tense also denoted events that will take place in near future
Past Continuous – Any action that was going on or in continuation in the past, past continuous tense is used.
-
Rule – Simple – Subject + was/were + v
-
1
-
+ing + object
-
Negative – subject + was /were + not + v1
-
+ object
-
Subject + wasn’t /weren’t +v1
-
+ing + object
-
Interrogative – Was/were + subject + v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – was/were + subject + not + v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
-
Wasn’t/weren’t + Subject + v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
Use of WAS/WERE
In conditional sentences ‘were’ is used no matter it is used as helping verb or main verb
Future Continuous – Any action that is going on in future comes under future continuous tense
-
Rules – Subject + will/shall + be +v1
-
+ ing + object
-
Negative – subject + will/shall + not +be + v1 = ing + object
-
Subject + won’t /shan’t + be +v1
-
+ ing + object
-
Interrogative – will/shall + subject + be + v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – will/shall + subject + not + be +v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
-
Won’t/Shan’t + subject + be +v1
-
+ ing + object + ?
Present Perfect tense – Any action that has recently completed or taken place comes under Present Perfect tense.
E.g.
-
My friend has recently visited Chandigarh
-
Rule – Simple Sentence – Subject + has/have +V3+ object
-
Negative – subject + has/have + not + v3+ object
-
Subject + hasn’t/ haven’t + v3+ object
-
Interrogative – Has/have + subject + v3+ object + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – has /have + subject + not + v3+ object + ?
-
Hasn’t/ haven’t + subject + v3+ object + ?
Note – If ‘since’ is followed by simple past tense then it is preceded by present perfect tense.
Has/have + v3
since v2
-
e.g. – I have not written to her since she left India
-
Note: In such sentences the perfect form of any modal can also be used
-
e.g. He may have grown old since I last saw him
-
Note – If since comes as a ‘Starter’ then we follow this rules
-
Since v2
-
Has/have +v3
-
Since he joined the post he has not taken any bribe.
-
Past Perfect - Note – Before/after concept Had + v3 before v2 V
-
2 After had +v3
-
Note – ‘By the time concept’
-
By the time v2 Had + v3
-
By the time v1 will/shall + have + v3
-
Look at the following sentences give below:
-
She waited long before her husband returned (x)
-
She had waited long before her husband returned (v)
-
We clapped after he performed well.(x)
-
We clapped after he had performed well (v)
-
By the time I reached theatre, the show started (x)
-
By the time I reached theatre, the show had started (v)
-
By the time I reach the cinema hall the film will already have started.
Past Perfect Tense
-
Rules Simple – Subject + had + v3 + object
-
Negative – subject + had + not + v3 + object
-
Subject + hadn’t + v3+ object
-
Interrogative - Had + subject + v3 = Object + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – Had + subject + not + v3+ object + ?
-
Hadn’t + subject + v3 + object + ?
Future Perfect – An action that will have been completed in future, comes under future perfect tense.
-
e.g. He will have read four plays of Shakespeare by the end of his vacation
-
Rules – Simple Sentences – subject + will/shall + have + v3
-
+ object
-
Negative Sentence – subject + will/shall + not + have + v3
-
+ object
-
Subject + won’t /shan’t + have + v3
-
+ object
-
Interrogative – will/shall + subject + have + v3
-
+ object + ?
-
Interrogative cum Negative – will/shall + subject + not + have + v3
-
+ object + ?
-
Won’t /shan’t + subject + have + v3
-
+ object + ?
-
Present Perfect Continuous - Any action which started from past and still going on comes under P.P.C. tense.
-
E.g. I have been working for the two hours.
-
Simple Sentence – Subject + has/have + been + v1
-
+ ing + object+ since/for
-
Negative – Subject + has/have + not + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for
-
Subject + hasn’t/haven’t + been +v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – Has/have + subject + not +v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for
-
Hasn’t/Haven’t + subject + been +v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for?
-
Past Perfect Continuous – An action that started in the past, continued and finished in past comes under P.P.C.
-
e.g. I had been teaching you since morning
-
Simple Sentence – Subect + had + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + for/since
-
Negative sentence – Subject + had + not (hadn’t) + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/ for
-
Interrogative Sentence – Had + subject + not + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for ?
-
Hadn’t + subject + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for + ?
Future Perfect Continuous – An action that continues up to some future point of time comes under F.P.C.
-
e.g. I shall have been playing since morning
-
Rule – Simple or Affirmative –
-
Subject + will/shall + have + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for
-
Negative – Subject + will/shall + not + have + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for
-
Subject + won’t /shan’t + have + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for
-
Interrogative – will/shall + subject + have + been + v1
-
+ ing =object + since/for + ?
-
Interrogative cum negative – will/shall + subject + not + have + been + v1
-
+ ing + object + since/for + ?
-
Won’t/shan’t + subject + have + been +v1
-
+ ing + object + since/ for +?
Important Points to Remember
Rule-1.
Verbs which can’t be used in Continuous and Perfect Continuous tense.
-
1. Verbs which expresses feelings or emotions like – Arise, believe, care, dislike, expect, feel forget, hate,
-
hear, know, like, love, remember, recognize, smell, taste, think, want, wish etc.
-
2. Verbs expressing ownership, possession – have, own, belong, comprise, contain, consist
-
Rule – 2. Words which are used in Indefinite tense – like – Generally, usually, rarely, normally, never, seldom,
-
often, always, daily, everyday. Every week, every month, once a week, twice a week ,thrice a week etc.
-
Continuous Tense words – like – these days, now-a-days, day by day, this week, this year, now, etc.
-
Perfect tense words – Already