TENSE PART- I

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

• e.g. I am fine, aren’t I

Note – Present Continuous Tense also denoted events that will take place in near future

• e.g. I am going to Delhi tomorrow.

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

• With he/she/it singular/name use – was

• With you/we/they/plural use –were

In conditional sentences ‘were’ is used no matter it is used as helping verb or main verb

• e.g. – I wish I were a bird

• He pretended as if he were the Principal

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