An educated study on English Tenses

For O/A level, TOEFL, IELTS

By Makhjanul Islam Tauhid

What is tense: Tenses describe the time of actions.

Parent tenses

 Present tense
 Past tense
 Future tense

Offspring of Present tense

I. Simple present
Structue: subj+verb(s/es)+object (if any)
Example: Tiger Woods play golf.

Usages notes:

 To express actions in the present time: Mother calls me a fool.

 Habitual actions: I read the Holy Quran regularly.
 Universal facts: The earth moves round the sun.
 Historical facts: Akbar ascends the throne when he is only twelve years old.
 Near future: I sell the laptop tomorrow. = (I will sell the laptop tomorrow), the
school opens on the 20th. (The school will open on the 20th)

II. Present continuous:

Structure:
subj+am/is/are+(verb+ing)+object (if any)
Example: I am reading a novel.

Usages:

 Action taking place right now: They are going to the party.
 Near future: He is sitting for the examination this year. (= He will sit for the
examination this year). Note: it’s better to mention the time when future is expressed
in the present continuous tense.
 Something taking place recently: I am working in the nearby factory.
 Habitual action that someone maintaining till now: I am playing football even in this
old age.
 Unfinished task: Now I am reading a novel by James Joyce.
III. Present perfect tense ( In fact, we should call it ‘Past towards Present’ tense)

Structure:
subject+have/has+v(past participle form) +object
Example: The boy has attended his class.
How to trace:

 The action has just finished

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  But the effect of the action is still obvious or visible of felt

Usages:

 Action done just right now: He has just come to the spot.
 Something done in the past but actual time not mentioned: I have read the book but
I have forgotten the most of it.
 Something done before but still it is possible: Humayun Ahemed has written number
of novels.
 Something done within an incomplete period of time: I have bought my wristwatch
this month. ( The month is not completed yet)
 With lately, recently, shortly etc (it is also suggests incomplete time): My father has
bought the apartment recently.
 Sometimes for habitual action: I have always advised you to not to take drugs.
 Something done in the past, still it is going on and (may be) will go on in the future: I
have lived in Dhaka for ten years.
IV. Present Perfect continuous tense:

Structure:

subject+have/has+been+(verb+ing)+object

Example: He has been living here for ten years. It has been raining since morning.

How to trace:

 Something has started in the past

 Still going on

Offspring of past tense

I. Simple past tense

Structure:
sub (past)+object
Example: I submitted my English assignment.
Usages:
 Something took place in the past: She danced in the school-party.
 Habitual action in the past: I studied hard in my boyhood.
 For irregular habit we use ‘used to/would’: in my boyhood, I used to (would) go out
for a walk with my father.
 For expressing modesty or request: Could you show me the way to the City Hospital?
II. Past continuous tense:
Structure :
sub+was/were+v(ing)+ob
Example: She was preparing her assignment. They were having a nice party on Suhana’s
birthday.
III. Past perfect tense:
Structure:
sub+had+v(past participle form)+ob
Example: I had finished my homework.
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 What to remember:
 There are always two past events
 Both events are somehow related
 The earlier event is written in the past perfect tense, and the latter one is in the
simple past tense.
 They are often used in the same sentence.
 They are also used in different sentences.

Usages:

 As an earlier past event (in two different sentences): example 1-In 1976, 60% of
families were poor. By 1996, this had fallen to 51%. Example 2- A new manager
arrived. Several employees had left the company already.
 As an earlier past event in same sentence: When we took over the charge of the
company, productivity had already declined a lot.
 With before and after: We had reached to the party before it started. We submitted
our project after the fair had been over.
 After when, until, once, now that, as soon as and this type of conjunctions the verb
must be past perfect tense: I could not do it until ten minutes had been over. As
soon as he had seen me, ha laughed aloud.
 With no sooner…than and Hardly…when or scarcely...When/before: No sooner had
we reached the station than the train started. Hardly had we reached the station
when the train started.
 With ‘just’ past perfect tense is used if other verb is in the simple past tense: when I
came he had just finished eating.
IV. Past perfect continuous tense:

Structure:

sub+had+been+verb(ing)+others

Example: He had been reading in this University for two years.

How to trace:

 One event in the past going on before another one started

What to remember:

 Just like past perfect tense it also relates two past events.
 Like other perfect continuous tense the time is mentioned

Usages
 The continuing earlier one is written in the past perfect tense and the latter one is in
the simple past tense. Example- I had been reading a book for an hour before I
started this work.

Offspring of future tenses:

I. Simple future tense

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 Structure:
Sub+shall/will/+verb(present)+ob
Example: I shall study hard from now on. I will be a teacher in my matured life.
II. Future continuous tense
Structure:
Sub+shall/will+be+verb(ing)+ob

Example: I shall be working on my English project.

How to trace:
 A future planning of continuing something

More examples: don’t call me after 1 a.m. May be I will be sleeping then. She will be playing guitar
from 2 to 3 p.m tomorrow.

III. Future perfect tense:

Structure:
sub+will/shall+have+verb(past participle form)+ob
Example: I shall have completed my assignment before 5 p.m.

How to trace:
 You are guessing or viewing or somehow confirm that something in the future will
be completed within a limited time or before another thing is done

Usages

 The earlier event is written in the future perfect tense and the latter is in the simple
present tense: I shall have done my project before she comes to my place.
IV. Future perfect continuous tense:
Structure:
Sub+shall/will+have+been+verb(ing)+ob
Example: She will have been studying science .

How to trace:
 There will be two events
 You are viewing that one event will be continuing before another one starts

Usages

 The earlier event is written in the future perfect continuous tense and the latter is in
the simple future/simple present tense: They will have been working until it is 5 p.m.
we will have been staying there for two days until we find our friend.

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