GRAMMAR: TENSES

(CSS-2022)

How should we understand the application of tenses?

 When?
 How?

Basic structure of a sentence

Subject + Verb + Object

Example: Ali wrote an essay.

Basic Sub-Tenses
Tenses
Indefinite Simple continuous Perfect Perfect
continuous
Present Present indefinite Present Simple Present Perfect Present Perfect
Continuous Continuous

Past Past indefinite Past Simple Past Perfect Past Perfect

Continuous Continuous

Future Future indefinite Future Simple Future Perfect Future Perfect

Continuous Continuous

1. Present Simple / Indefinite

When? Used for:
1. The routine / habitual / repeated action of the present time
2. Universal actions / truth with principal verb
3. May be used with Adverbs of time: always, never, usually, sometimes, often,
occasionally, daily, every week etc.
4. Newspaper headlines

How? 1. Subject + verb in 1st form (s/es…singular noun/he, she, it) + object.
Es: s, ss, sh, ch, x, o
2. Interrogative: Do / Does + subject + verb + object +?
3. Negative: Subject + do / does + not + verb + object +.
Note:
1. Does + verb + s/es: incorrect
2. Does + verb without s/es: correct

Examples 1. Ali goes to college.

2. Does Ali go to college?
3. Ali does not go to college
4. Ali and Amjad go to college.
5. The sun rises in the east.
6. He smokes.
7. Dogs bark.
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 2. Present Perfect
When? Used for:
1. A complete action in the present time. The action has results in the
present.
2. The action that occurred in the past, provided the connection with the
present is still maintained, and the action is expected be repeated in the
present.
3. With “just” for a recently completed action
4. May be used with “for/since”

How? 1. Subject + Has / Have + 3rd form + object +.

2. Interrogative: Has / Have + Subject + verb + object +?
3. Negative: Subject + has/have + not + verb + object +.

Examples 1. Ali has gone to college.

2. The PTI government dealt with COVID-19 wisely. (correct /incorrect)
3. The PTI government has dealt with COVID-19 wisely. (correct /incorrect)
4. The PTI government dealt with COVID-19 wisely in the first wave. (correct
/incorrect)
5. The PTI government has dealt with COVID-19 wisely in the first wave. (correct
/incorrect)
6. He has just come here. (correct /incorrect)
7. He has come here. (correct /incorrect)
8. He came here. (correct /incorrect)

3. Past Indefinite
When? Used for:
1. An action in the recent past
2. An action when an adverb (non-comparative) of past is given in the sentence

How? 1. Subject + 2nd form + object.

2. Interrogative: Did + Subject + verb + object +?
3. Negative: Subject + did + not + verb + object +.
Note:
1. Did + 2nd form…incorrect
2. Did + 1st form…correct

Examples 1. Ali went to college.

2. Did Ali went to college?...incorrect

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 4. Past Perfect
When? Used for:
5. An action in the far past in comparison to another action of the past
6. An action that is completed in the past.

How? 1. Subject + had + 3rd form + object +.

2. Interrogative: Had + Subject + verb + object +?
3. Negative: Subject + had + not + verb + object +.

Examples
1. ...

2. ...

Correct 1. In a single sentence…incorrect

use Single sentence: Subject + verb + object
Double sentence: Subject + verb + object + subject + verb + Object

2. In a single sentence with an adverb of comparative time…correct

Already, yet, before, ever before, never before

3. In a double sentence…correct
Ali had gone to college…incorrect
He said that Ali had gone to college……correct
Ali had already gone to college.

Explanation:
For an older action of the past. The older action must be clear in the sentence in any
of the following ways:
1. If there are two verbs in a sentence, the older verb may be given past perfect
tense.
a. He told me that Ali went to college…..correct
b. He told me that Ali had gone to college….correct
c. He had told me that Ali went to college…incorrect

2. If the sentence is single, it must have an adverb of time that indicates the verb
is older than any other verb / there must be sense of comparison.
a. Ali had already gone to college…correct
b. Ali had gone to college yesterday…..incorrect
c. Ali had gone to college one day ago….incorrect
d. Ali had gone to college one day before….correct

3. The context of the paragraph declares a verb older than the other verb /
comparison in context.
a. I went to Islamabad. However, Ali had gone to Peshawar. Therefore, I
returned the same day.
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Note In a double sentence, the verb that is older regarding time may be given past
perfect, not the younger one.
1. He had told me that Ali had gone to college…both past perfect…incorrect
2. He had told me that Ali went to college…younger is past perfect…incorrect
3. He told me that Ali had gone to college…correct
4. He told me that Ali went to college…correct

5. Present Simple Continuous

When? Used for:
1. A continuous action at present time
2. For the execution of future plan when an adverb / a word of future time is used
in the sentence

How? 1. Subject + is / am / are + ing + Object

2. Interrogative: Is / am / are + Subject + verb + object +?
3. Negative: Subject + is / am / are + not + verb + object +.

Examples 1. Ali is going to Lahore.

2. Ali is going to Lahore tomorrow…indicates execution
3. Ali will go to Lahore tomorrow…indicates plan
4. Where is Ali?
a. Ans: Ali is going to Lahore.
b. Ans: Ali will be going to Lahore.

6. Future Simple Continuous

When? Used for:
1. For an unconfirmed continuous action of the present
2. For an action to be continued in future (in this case an adverb of future
time should be written in the sentence.)

How? 1. Subject + will be / shall be + ing + object.

2. Interrogative: Will / shall+ Subject + be + verb + object +?
3. Negative: Subject + will / shall + not + be + verb + object +.

Examples 1. Ali is going to Lahore right now……100% confirmed action of present

2. Ali will be going to Lahore right now….supposed / guess based
action of the present
3. Ali will be going to Lahore tomorrow….future action
4. What is Ali doing?
a. Ali is writing a letter….present
a. Ali will be writing an essay….present

Summary Present simple continuous Vs Future simple continuous

1. Present simple continuous: for a confirmed continuous action of the
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 present
2. Future simple continuous: for an unconfirmed continuous action of the
present

7. Present Perfect Continuous

When? Used for:
1. An action continuous at present but has connection with past.
2. An action that continued in past and still continue at present.
How? 1. Subject + has been / have been + ing + object +. / + since or for + time
2. Interrogative: Has / have+ Subject + been + verb + object …+?
3. Negative: Subject + has / have+ not + been + verb + object …+.
Note: It is not necessary that time is always written in a perfect continuous tense. In
fact, written time may be a part of the sentence or it may be just in concept.

Examples 1. Ali is living in America.

2. Ali has been living in America for three years.
3. Pakistan has been facing a serious level of corruption.
4. Pakistan is facing a serious level of corruption.
5. I have been a teacher.
6. I am a teacher.
7. I was a teacher.
8. I had been a teacher.

8. Future Perfect Continuous

When? Used for:
1. A guess-based action of present perfect continuous
2. An action that will continue for a period in future, but future time should be
given in the sentence.

How? 1. Subject +will have been / shall have been + ing + object +. / since / for + time
+.
2. Interrogative: Will / shall + Subject + have been + verb + object …+?
3. Negative: Subject + will / shall + not + have + been + verb + object …+.

Examples 1. Ali will have been living in America for the last ten years.
2. Ali has been living in America for the last ten years.
3. Ali will have been living in America for the next ten years.
4. Ali had been living in America for the last ten years.

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 9. Future Simple
When? Used for:
Future actions / plans

How? 1. Subject +will / shall + verb in first form + object +.

2. Interrogative: Will / shall + Subject + verb + object …+?
3. Negative: Subject + will / shall + not + verb + object …+.

Examples 1. Ali will go to Lahore.

2. I shall write an essay.

10. Future Perfect

When? Used for:
1. A guess-based action of present perfect
2. The future action when future time is a part of the sentence

How? 1. Subject + will have / Shall have +3rd form + object +.

2. Interrogative: Will / shall + subject + have + verb + object …+?
3. Negative: Subject + will / shall + not + have + verb + object …+.

Examples 1. Ali will have written an essay now.

2. Ali will be writing an essay.
3. Ali will have been writing an essay for three hours.
4. Ali will have written an essay by tomorrow.
5. Ali will be writing an essay tomorrow.
6. Ali will have been writing an essay for three hours by 2pm tomorrow.
7. Ali has written an essay.
8. Ali is writing an essay.
9. Ali has been writing an essay for three hours.

11. Past Simple Continuous

When? Used for:
1. An action continued for some time in past. The exact limits of time are not
known and are not important.
2. A gradual development of an action of the past
3. Description / narration of an event / situation
4. An action continued in past at a time or in comparison to another action
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How? 1. Subject + was / were + ing + object +.
2. Interrogative: Was / were + subject + verb + object …+?
3. Negative: Subject + was / were + not + verb + object …+.

Examples 1. Ali was going to Lahore. He was talking to his friend on his cell phone.
2. Ali was going to Lahore yesterday.
3. Ali was living in Lahore in 2019.
4. Ali was going to Lahore when he called me.
5. They were going to Lahore.

12. Past Perfect Continuous

When? Used for:
An action that remained continued for a period of time in the past.

How? 1. Subject + had been + ing + object +. / + since or for + time +.

2. Interrogative: Had + subject + been + verb + object …+?
3. Negative: Subject + had + not + been + verb + object …+.
4. Note: It is not necessary that time is always written in a perfect continuous
tense. In fact, written time may be a part of the sentence or it may be just in
concept.

Examples
1. Ali had been living in America for ten years.
2. He had been living in Pakistan since 2017.

Agreement between Adverb/word of Time and Tense

Rule If there is any adverb of time or a word that directly / indirectly indicates time of the
verb/action, the tense of the sentence must match with that time / word of time.

Words 1. Now
2. Ago
3. Before
4. Hope
5. Fear
6. Likely
Etc.

Examples 1. Ali wrote an essay.

2. Ali had written an essay one day ago. (incorrect)
3. Ali wrote an essay one day before (incorrect)
4. Ali wrote an essay just now. (incorrect)

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Certain verbs can be followed by “that + subject + should” as an alternative to infinitive (= to +
verb in first form) construction.

Verbs Recommend, Insist, Demand, Advise, Agree, Ask, Decide, Determine, Arrange, Beg,
Command, Urge, Propose, Suggest, Order, Request, Stipulate

Examples 1. She recommended me that I take a few days off from work.
a. She recommended me to take a few days off from work.
b. She recommended that I should take a few days off from work.

2. She insisted that I would go to Lahore.

a. She insisted that I should go to Lahore.
b. She insisted me to go to Lahore.

3. We agreed that we should go to Lahore.

4. They arranged for me to go to Lahore.

Special use of Past Tense

When? The following expressions should always be followed by “Past Tense”. In case of
“was / were” tense, “were” should be used for both singular and plural subjects.
1. Wish that
2. Oh that
3. Would that
4. Would rather
5. As if
6. As though
7. If (= regret / wish)
8. If only (= regret / wish)
9. It is time …… past / infinitive (to + verb in 1st form)
10. It is high time ….past / infinitive (to + verb in 1st form)

Examples 1. She talks to me as if she is my teacher…incorrect

a. She talks to me as if she were my teacher…correct

2. It is high time they mend the road….incorrect

3. It is high time for them to mend the road.
4. It is high time they mended the road.

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