THE SIMPLE TENSE

Let’s Recall

➢ Identify the verbs in the following

sentences.

1) The boys play.

2) The teachers teach us.

➢ Define Verbs.
 Verbs

1) The boys play.

2) The teachers teach us.

In each of the two sentences, an action (play, teach)
is being performed. Both these words ‘play’ and
‘teach’ are verbs.
A verb is the most important word in any sentence.

A verb is a doing word or a word that denotes

‘action’.
 Verbs
Recognising the verb

It is often the most important step in understanding the meaning of a sentence.

E.g. The dog bit the E.g. The man is sitting on E.g. She is a smart
man. the chair. girl.

Verb Verb Verb

It shows the action of The action doesn’t show No action, but a state
the sentence. much of activity. of being expressed.
 Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary Verbs:
➢ An auxiliary is a verb used to form the tenses of
other words.

➢ It is also called a ‘being verb’ or a ‘helping verb’ as

these verbs don’t indicate action.

➢ The main auxiliary verbs are be, am, is, are, was,
were, do ,did, has, have, had.

(These don’t have meaning)

Tense

What is a tense?
➢ A tense is that form of a verb, which tells us
about the time of an ‘action’, and whether the
action is complete or not.
Kinds of Tenses

The Three
Tenses

Past Present Future

Simple Past Tense
➢ The simple past tense is used to indicate an
action completed in the past.
❑ For e.g. : She came from Agra yesterday.

➢ The simple past tense is used to talk about a

completed action in a time before now.
❑ For e.g. : She went to the temple daily.

➢ The time of the action can be in the

recent past or the distant past and action
duration is not important.
❑ For e.g. :
❑ John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
❑ My dog was born last year.
 Auxiliary Verbs – Past Tense

WAS
I It She He
Singular

WERE We You They

Plural

You
ARE Always uses a plural verb though it is a WERE
singular form.
 Rules

1) The past tense is formed by adding a ‘d’ or an ‘ed’ to

the present form of the verb.
E.g. bended, mended

2) When the verb ends in vowel followed by a

consonant (e.g. drop), you have to double the
last consonant and then add "ed" to make the Past
Simple (e.g. dropped).

Present Tense Past Tense

tap + ed tapped
hop +ed hopped
fill +ed filled
 Rules

3) The verbs that end with a ‘y’ is replaced with ‘ied’ and finally
changed into the past tense.
Remember:
Verbs ending with ‘y’
Change y i + ed

Base Form Present Tense Past Tense

try try + ies = tries try + ied = tried
fry fry + ies = fries fry + ied = fried
dry dry + ies = dries dry + ied = dried
carry carry + ies = carries carry + ied = carried
study study + ies = studies study + ied = studied
 Rules

4) By changing the vowel in the base form.

E.g. : shine – shone, write – wrote

5) There are many irregular verbs in past tense-

Irregular verbs are the ones, which do not add
“–ed" to change to past form.
E.g. : make - made
 Examples of Irregular Verbs
Present Tense Past Tense (Irregular Form)
bring brought
buy bought
know knew
teach taught
cut cut
put put
eat ate
wear wore
do did
leave left
feel felt
Simple Present Tense

➢ The simple present tense is used to describe routine

action, permanent or long-lasting situations, facts,
feelings, opinions and states of mind and timetables
or schedules.

Examples:
❑ He drinks tea everyday.
❑ She wakes up everyday at five in the morning.
❑ The sun rises in the east.
Usage
timetables
and
schedules
permanent
facts or long-
lasting
situations
Simple
Present
Tense
a routine
feelings
action
opinions
and state
of mind
 Simple Present Tense
Usage Examples
Permanent or long-lasting
situations The store opens at 9 o'clock.
Regular habits and daily routines
She often goes to the cinema.
Facts The Earth revolves around the
Sun.
Feelings I love India.
Opinions and states of mind
He is a wonderful student.
Timetables and schedules The train arrives by 10.35 pm.
Recurring action Every year, the school council
elects new members.
 Auxiliary Verbs – Present Tense

IS
Singular It she he

ARE we you they

Plural

Only AM Only
I Singular I
Simple Present Tense

REMEMBER:
• We, they - all plural subjects ----
root form of the verb.

• He, she, it - all singular subjects ----

root form of the verb + s (es)

• ‘You’ is a singular subject but takes

the plural form of the verb.

• I takes the verb ‘am’.

 Simple Future Tense

➢ The Simple Future Tense denotes future time as a fact.

➢ Simple Future Tense is used to express an action that will
occur or happen in the future.
➢ The Simple Future Tense refers to a time later than now, and
expresses facts or certainty.
➢ The Simple Future Tense is formed by combining the
auxiliary ‘shall’ or ‘will’ with the present tense of the verb

Examples:
•I shall meet him later.
•It will rain tomorrow.
•He will help us later in the evening.
•They will come on Wednesday.
 Auxiliary Verbs – Future Tense

WILL you she he it they

SHALL I we
Change the tense of the following verb into all the three forms
and then frame a sentence using that form:

Walk
Walk Tense Rule Examples
Simple Past Tense Simple form of She walked in dark
the and slippery
verb + ed or the places.
irregular form.
Simple Present Simple form of She walks in dark
Tense the verb + s for and slippery
third person. places.
Simple Future will, shall + Simple She will walk on
Tense present form of the road
the verb. tomorrow.
I shall walk on the
road tomorrow.
 Read the sentences and tell which simple tense are they in.
1) We shall go to see a movie tomorrow.

2) I bought a new book last Sunday.

3) They ate dinner together last night.

4) My friend always helps me.

5) He finished his homework two days ago.

6) The Prime Minister will meet the ministers before flying back home.

7) He goes to the beach every weekend.

8) Daniel will sleep early today.

 Answers
1) We shall go to see a movie tomorrow. Simple Future

2) I bought a new book last Sunday. Simple Past

3) They ate dinner together last night. Simple Past

4) My friend always helps me. Simple Present

5) He finished his homework two days ago. Simple Past

6) The Prime Minister will meet the ministers before flying back home. Simple Future

7) He goes to the beach every weekend. Simple Present

8) Daniel will sleep early today. Simple Future

 Fill in the blanks with the correct form of simple tense.
1) I ________ ( went, shall go) for swimming in the evening today.

2) My father _______ (will take, takes) me to school every day.

3) My Grandfather _______ (drinks, drank) coffee in the morning.

4) Mother ________ (wake, woke) up early yesterday.

5) My uncle _________ (works, worked) at a bank.

6) My brother and I _________ (shall live, lived) with our grandparents when we
were small.

7) The girls __________ (want, wanted) to go to the museum day before.

 Answers
1) I shall go ( went, shall go) for swimming in the evening today.

2) My father takes (will take, takes) me to school every day.

3) My Grandfather drinks (drinks, drank) coffee in the morning.

4) Mother woke (wake, woke) up early yesterday.

5) My uncle works (works, worked) at a bank.

6) My brother and I lived (shall live, lived) with our grandparents when we were
small.

7) The girls wanted (want, wanted) to go to the museum day before.