TENSES

Tense is the form of the verb used to express the time of an action.

Mainly there are three tenses:

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

THE PRESENT TENSE

A verb that refers to the present time is said to be in the present tense.

Present family consists of four members, as; The Present Indefinite, The Present
Continuous, The Present Perfect and The Present Perfect Continuous.

(I) The Present Indefinite is used:-

To express an action that is happening now

Examples:

• I now go to school
• He writes a letter.
• They read a book.

To express the universal truths:

Examples:

• The sun rises in east.

• Two and two make four.
To express a future action:

Examples:

• The office opens on Monday week.

• He comes tonight.

To quote from the existing work of authors:

Examples:

• Shakespeare says, “Frailty thy name is woman.”

(II) The Present Continuous is used to denote an action that is going on at the time
when a statement is made.

Examples:

• They are telling a lie

• We are helping the poor.
• He is playing cricket.

(III) The Present Perfect is used to denote an action that has just been completed.

Examples:

• They have told a lie.

• We have helped the poor.
• He has played cricket.

(IV) The Present Perfect Continuous is used to denote an action that started in the
past and still going on.

Examples:

• It has been raining since morning.

• He has been playing cricket for two hours..

THE PAST TENSE

A verb that refers to the past time is said to be in the past tense.

Past family consists of four members, as; The Past Indefinite, The Past Continuous,
The Past Perfect and The Past Perfect Continuous.

(I) The Past Indefinite is used to denote an action as going on at some point in past.

Examples:

• He wrote a letter.
• We helped the poor.
• They told a lie.

(II) The Past Continuous is used to denote an action that was going on at some time
in the past.

Examples:

• They were telling a lie

• We were helping the poor.
• He was playing cricket.

(III) The Past Perfect is used to denote an action that has completed in past before
another action started.

Examples:

• They had told a lie before I came.

• He had played cricket when we reached there.

(IV) The Past Perfect Continuous is used to denote an action that finished at some
definite time in the past but that had been going in before it finished.

Examples:
 • It had been raining since morning.
• He had been playing cricket for two hours.

THE FUTURE TENSE

A verb that refers to the future time is said to be in the future tense.

Past family consists of four members, as; The Future Indefinite, The Future
Continuous, The Future Perfect and The Future Perfect Continuous.

(I) The Future Indefinite is used to denote an action that has still to take place.

Examples:

• He will write a letter.

• We shall help the poor.
• They will tell a lie.

(II) The Future Continuous is used to denote an action that will going on at some
time in the future.

Examples:

• They will be telling a lie

• We shall be helping the poor.
• He will be playing cricket.

(III) The Future Perfect is used to denote an action that will be finished at some
time in the future.

Examples:

• They will have told a lie.

• He will have played cricket.

(IV) The Future Perfect Continuous is used to denote an action that will be going
on in future and not completed in future.
Examples:

• It will have been raining since morning.

• He will have been playing cricket for two hours.

THE PRESENT TENSE

(I) THE PRESENT INDEFINITE

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I go. I don’t go. Do I go?

We go. We don’t go. Do we go?

You go. You don’t go. Do you go?

He goes. He doesn’t go. Does he go?

They go. They don’t go. Do they go?

It goes. It doesn’t go. Does it go?

(II) THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I am going. I’m not going. Am I going?

We are going. We are not going. Are we going?

You are going. You are not going. Are you going?
He is going. He is not going. Is he going?

They are going. They are not going. Are they going?

It is going. It is not going. Is it going?

(III) THE PRESENT PERFECT

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I have gone. I have not gone. Have I gone?

We have gone. We have not gone. Have we gone?

You have gone. You have not gone. Have you gone?

He has gone. He has not gone. Has he gone?

They have gone. They have not gone. Have they gone?

It has gone. It has not gone. Has it gone?

(IV) THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I’ve been going. I’ve not been going. Have I been going?

We’ve been going. We’ve not been Have we been going?

going.

You’ve going. You’ve not been Have you been going?

going.
He has been going. He has not been Has he been going?
going.

They have been They have not been Have they been going?
going. going.

It has been going. It has not been Has it been going?

going.

THE PAST TENSE

(I) THE PAST INDEFINITE

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I went. I didn’t go. Did I go?

We went. We didn’t go. Did we go?

You went. You didn’t go. Did you go?

He went. He didn’t go. Did he go?

They went. They didn’t go. Did they go?

It went. It didn’t go. Did it go?

(II) THE PAST CONTINUOUS

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I was going. I was not going. Was I going?

We were going. We were not going. Were we going?

You were going. You were not going. Were you going?

He was going. He was not going. Was he going?

They were going. They were not going. Were they going?

It was going. It was not going. Was it going?

(III) THE PAST PERFECT

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I had gone. I had not gone. Had I gone?

We had gone. We had not gone. Had we gone?

You had gone. You had not gone. Had you gone?

He had gone. He had not gone. Had he gone?

They had gone. They had not gone. Had they gone?

It had gone. It had not gone. Had it gone?

(IV) THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I had been going. I had not been going. Had I been going?
We had been going. We had not been Had we been going?
going.

You had going. You had not been Had you been going?
going.

He had been going. He had not been Had he been going?

going.

They had been going. They had not been Had they been going?
going.

It had going. It had not been Had it been going?

going.

THE FUTURE TENSE

(I) THE FUTURE INDEFINITE

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I shall go. I shall not go. Shall I go?

We shall go. We shall not go. Shall we go?

You will go. You will go. Will you go?

He will go. He will not go. Will he go?

They will go. They will not go. Will they go?

It will go. It will not go. Will it go?

(II) THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS

(Active voice)
AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I shall be going. I shall not be going. Shall I be going?

We shall be going. We shall not be Shall we be going?

going.

You will be going. You will be going. Will you be going?

He will be going. He will not be going. Will he be going?

They will be going. They will not be Will they be going?

going.

It will be going. It will not be going. Will it be going?

(III) THE FUTURE PERFECT

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I shall have gone. I shall not have gone. Had I gone?

We shall have gone. We shall not have Shall we have gone?

gone.

You will have gone. You will not have Will you have gone?
gone.

He will have gone. He will not have Will he have gone?

gone.

They will have gone. They will not have Will they have gone?
gone.

It will have gone. It will not have gone. Will it have gone?
 (IV) THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

(Active voice)

AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

I shall have been I shall not have been Shall I have been
going. going. going?

We shall have been We shall not have Shall we have been

going. been going. going?

You will have going. You will not have Will you have been
been going. going?

He will have been He will not have Will he have been

going. been going. going?

They will have been They will not have Will they have been
going. been going. going?

It will have been It will not have been Will it have been
going. going. going?

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