TENSES

TANVEER ADNAN
  T E N S E S : I N T RO D U C T I O N 

• Read the following sentences:

1. I write this letter to please you. (the verb write refers to present time.)
2. I wrote the letter in his very presence. (the verb wrote refers to past time.)
3. I shall write another letter tomorrow. (the verb shall write refers to future time.)

• The word tense comes from the Latin tempus, time.

• The Tense of a Verb shows the time of an action or event.

• Note: Sometimes a past tense may refer to present time, and a present tense may
express future time, as:

I wish I knew the answer. (= I'm sorry I don't know the answer.)
(Past tense – Present time)
Let's wait till he comes. (Present tense – future time)
T E N S E S : I N T RO D U C T I O N
• Read these sentences:

1. I love. (Simple Present) 2. I am loving. (Present Continuous)

3. I have loved. (Present Perfect) 4. I have been loving. (Present Perfect Cont. )

• In sentence 1, the Verb shows that the action is mentioned simply, without
anything being said about the completeness or incompleteness of the action.
In sentence 2, the Verb shows that the action is mentioned as incomplete or
continuous, that is, as still going on.
In sentence 3, the Verb shows that the action is mentioned as finished, complete,
or perfect, at the time of speaking.
The tense of the Verb in sentence 4 is said to be Present Perfect Continuous,
because the verb shows that the action is going on continuously, and not
completed at this present moment.
= Thus we see that the Tense of a verb shows not only the time of an action or
event, but also the state of an action referred to.
T E N S E S : I N T RO D U C T I O N

Present Simple Present Continuous Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous

I speak I am speaking I have spoken I have been speaking

Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect Past Perfect Continuous

You spoke You were speaking You had spoken You had been speaking

F uture Simple F uture Continuous F uture Perfect F uture Perfect Continuous

They will speak They will be speaking They will have spoken They will have been
speaking
USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

• The Simple Present is used:

(1) In exclamatory sentences beginning with here and there to express

what is actually taking place in the present; as,

Here comes the bus! There she goes!

(2) To express a future event that is part of a fixed timetable or fixed

programme

When does the coffee house reopen? The match starts at 9 o'clock.

(3) It is used, instead of the Simple Future Tense, in clauses of time and of
condition; as,

I shall wait till you finish your lunch. If it rains, we shall get wet.
USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

• The Present Continuous is used:

(1) For a temporary action which may not be actually happening at the
time of speaking; as,

I am reading ‘David Copperfield’

(but I am not reading at this moment).

(2) For an action that has already been arranged to take place in the near
future; as,

I am going to the cinema tonight. My uncle is arriving tomorrow.

USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

• The following verbs, on account of their meaning, are NOT normally used in
the continuous form:

(1) Verbs of perception – see, hear, smell, notice, recognize.

(2) Verbs of appearing – appear, look, seem.

(3) Verbs of emotion – want, wish, desire, feel, like, love, hate, hope, refuse, prefer.

(4) Verbs of thinking – think, suppose, believe, agree, consider, trust, remember,
forget, know, understand, imagine, mean, mind.

(5) have (= possess), own, possess, belong to, contain, consist of, be (except when
used in the passive.
USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

These grapes taste sour. (not These grapes are tasting sour)
I think you are wrong. (not I am thinking you are wrong)
She seems sad. (not She is seeming sad)
He has a cellular phone. (not He is having a cellular phone)

• However, the verbs listed above can be used in the continuous tenses with a
change of meaning:

She is tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt. (taste = test the flavour of)
I am thinking of going to Malaysia. (think of = consider the idea of)
They are having lunch. (have = eat)
USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

The Present Perfect is used:

(1) To indicate completed activities in the immediate past (with just): as;

He has just gone out. It has just struck ten.

(2) To express past actions whose time is not given and NOT definite; as,

Have you read ‘Gulliver's Travels’? Mr. Inan has been to Japan.

(3) To describe past events when we think more of their effect in the
present than of the action itself; as,

Jean has eaten all the biscuits (i.e., there aren't any left for you).
I have cut my finger (and it is bleeding now).
I have finished my work (= now I am free).
USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE

(4) To denote an action beginning at some time in the past and continuing
up to the present moment (often with since- and for-phrases); as,

I have known him for a long time. He has been ill since last week.
We have lived here for ten years. We haven' t seen Rekha for several months.

[Note that the Present Perfect is never used with adverbs of past time. We should NOT say,
for example, ' He has gone to Kolkata yesterday' . In such cases, the Simple Past should be
used (' He went to Kolkata yesterday’ ).

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

This tense is also sometimes used for an action already finished. In such cases the
continuity of the activity is emphasized as an explanation of something.

' Why are your clothes so wet?' - ' I have been watering the garden' .
U S E S O F T H E PA S T T E N S E

• The Simple Past is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often
occurs with adverbs or adverb phrases of past time.

The steamer sailed yesterday. I received his letter a week ago.

She left school last year.

• Sometimes this tense is used without an adverb of time. In such cases the time
may be either implied or indicated by the context.

I learnt Spanish in Granada. I didn' t sleep well (i.e., last night).

• The Simple Past is also used for past habits; as,

He studied many hours every day. She always carried an umbrella.

U S E S O F T H E PA S T T E N S E

• Past Continuous Tense

The Past Continuous is used to denote an action going on at some time in the
past. The time of the action may or may not be indicated.

We were watching TV all evening. It was getting darker.

• Past Perfect Tense

If two actions happened in the past, it may be necessary to show which action
happened earlier than the other. The Past Perfect is mainly used in such
situations. The Simple Past is used in one clause and the Past Perfect in the
other; as,

When I reached the station the train had started (so I couldn't get into the train).
I had done my exercise when Bill came to see me.
I had written the letter before he arrived.
U S E S O F T H E PA S T T E N S E

• Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The Past Perfect Continuous is used for an action that began before a certain
point in the past and continued up to that time; as,

At that time he had been writing a novel for two months.

When Mr. Scott came to the school in 2012, Mr. Kumar had already been teaching
there for five years.
E X E RC I S E

Choose the correct alternative from those given in brackets:

1. I meant to repair the radio, but haven’t had time to do it today. (am not
having / haven’t had / hadn’t)
2. She jumped off the bus while it was moving. (moved / had moved / was
moving)
3. He used to visit us every week, but he rarely comes now. (rarely comes /
is rarely coming / has rarely come)
4. I smell something burning. (smell / am smelling / have been smelling)

5. I have sent him only one letter up to now. (sent / have sent / send)
THE FUTURE

• There are several ways of talking about the future in English:

The Simple Future Tense, the going to form, the Simple Present Tense, etc.

Simple future tense

• We use this tense to talk about what we think or believe will happen in the
future.

I think Bangladesh will win the match. I'm sure Helen will get a first class.

• As in the above sentences, we often use this tense with I think, and I' m sure. We
also say I expect ---, I believe ---, Probably ---, etc.

• We can use this tense when we decide to do something at the time of speaking

It is raining. I will take an umbrella.

THE FUTURE

• Going to

We use the going to form (be going to + base of the verb) when we have decided
to do something before talking about it.

“Have you decided what to do?” – “Yes. I am going to resign the job.”
“Why do you want to sell your motorbike?” – “I'm going to buy a car.”

• We also use the going to form to talk about what seems likely or certain, when
there is something in the present which tells us about the future.

It is going to rain; look at those clouds. She is going to have a baby.

• The going to form may also express an action which is on the point of
happening.

Let's get into the train. It's going to leave. Look! The cracker is going to explode.
THE FUTURE

• Future Continuous Tense

We use this tense to talk about actions in the future which are already planned or
which are expected to happen in the normal course of things.

I will be staying here till Sunday. He will be meeting us next week.

• Be to

We use be to + base form to talk about official plans and arrangements.

The Prime Minister is to visit America next month.

The conference is to discuss “Nuclear Tests”.

Be to is used in a formal style, often in news reports. Be is usually left out in

headlines, e.g., “Prime Minister to visit America”.
THE FUTURE

• Future Perfect Tense

The Future Perfect Tense is used to talk about actions that will be completed by
a certain future time.

I shall have written my exercise by then.

He will have left before you go to see him.
By the end of this month, I will have worked here for five years.

• Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous tense is used for actions which will be in
progress over a period of time that will end in the future.
*This tense is not very common.

By next March, we shall have been living here for four years.
I’ll have been teaching for twenty years next July.
E X E RC I S E

Choose the correct or more suitable forms of the verbs to fill in

the blanks:
1. When I get home, my dog will be sitting at the gate waiting for me. (sits /
will be sitting)
2. The train will have arrived before we reach the station. (arrives / will
have arrived)
3. Unless we start now, we can't be on time. (start / will start)

4. I will be seeing you one of these days, I expect. (see / will be seeing)

5. Hurry up! The programme is about to start. (will start / is about to start)