Communication skills

Topic : 2 Tenses

The word tenses comes from the Latin word TEPUS it means time. We describe the
tenses from duration of time if it is a past time, present time, or future time. A verb
that refers to present time is said to be in the past tense. A verb that refers to past
time is said to be in the past tense. And a verb that refers to future time is said to be in
the future tense.

FURTHER DIVISION OF TENSES:

1. Present tense.
 Simple present tense
 present continuous tense
 present perfect tense
 present perfect continuous tense

2. Past tense.
 Simple past tense
 Past continuous tense
 Past perfect tense
 Past perfect continuous tense

3. Future tense.
 Simple future tense
 Future continuous tense
 Future perfect tense
 Future perfect continuous tense

Thus we have in all, twelve tenses to indicate various dimensions of time of

an action in language .Let us study each in detail.

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THE PRESENT TENSES

(a) The simple present tense:-

The simple present tense is generally used to express actions taking place in the
present time.
Eg. Rahul plays excellent cricket.
My mother cooks delicious food.
The verbs underlined in the above examples are in the simple present tense.

KEYWORDS
Subjects + root form of the verb + object + other words

Where to use the simple present tense?

The simple present tense is used to express:

 Habits or actions done repeatedly.
 Scientific facts, permanent truths and proverbs.
 Natural qualities and professional activities.

Forms of the simple present tense:

1. Affirmative (positive)

Person Singular Plural

st
1 per. I do We do
2nd per. You do You do
3rd per. He /she/it does They do

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2. Negative
Person Singular Plural
st
1 per. I do not We do not
2nd per. You do not You do not
3rd per. He/she/it does They do not
not

3. Interrogative (question)

Person Singular Plural

st
1 per. Do I ? Do we?
2nd per. Do you ? Do you ?
3rd per. Does he/she/it Do they ?
?

4. Negative –interrogative
Person Singular Plural
st
1 per. Do I not? Do we not?
2nd per. Do you not? Do you not?
3rd per. Does he/she/it Do they not?
not?

Some special forms:

FORMS SINGULAR PLURAL

To be Am , is Are
To have Has Have
To do Does do

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(b) The present continuous tense:

The present continuous tense expresses an action that is going on at the time of
speaking.

I am writing a letter.
Sita is sleeping in her room.
The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the present continuous tense. Thus,
the present continuous tense expresses actions in progress at the time of speaking.

KEYWORD:

Subjects + to be + verb+ing + object + other words

(am,is,are)
Note: it must be remembered that we cannot form the present continuous tense without
the use of “ing” form of the verb.

Where to use the present continuous tense?

The present continuous tense is used to express actions:

1. That is continuing at the time of speaking.
 She is sleeping now.
 I am reading a book at present.

2. Which may or may not be happening at the time of specking

 She is working on her book these days.
 Ravi is not preparing for his exams nowadays.

3. about to take place in the near future.

 Rita is coming back tomorrow.
 They are leaving for Mumbai next week.

Verbs not normally used in the present continuous tense:

The present continuous tense is not used with:
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 Verbs expressing senses:hear,see,smell,taste.
 Verbs expressing feelings and emotions.
 Verbs expressing possession.
 Verbs expressing mental states
 Non-action verbs.

(c) The present perfect tense

The present perfect tense is used to express actions that have just or already been
completed.
Eg:-
 I have read this book.
 Sita has already done her work
 The guests have just left.
The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the present perfect tense. thus, the
present perfect tense expresses actions that have already been completed and yet linked
with the present.

KEYWORDS
Subject + to have + V3 + object + other words
( has,have)

It must be remembered that we cannot form the present perfect tense without the past
participle form of the verb.

WHERE TO USE THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

The present perfect tense is used to express an action
 That has been recently completed.
 Which has already been completed in the past but whose effect can be felt at the
time of speaking or that which is linked with the present
 Thus the present perfect tense expresses a completed action connected with the
present.

(d) The present perfect continuous tense:

The present perfect continuous tense expresses an action that began in the past and has
gone on till the time of speaking or may be is in progress at the time of speaking.

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Eg.
 They have been studying for two hours.
 Sota has been sleeping since 8 p.m.

The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the present perfect continuous tense.

KEYWORDS:
Subjects + to have + been + verb +ing + object + other words
(has,have)

where to use the present perfect continuous tense?

The present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action:
 That began in the past and is continuing till or at the time of speaking.
 To denote actions that have just finished.

THE PAST TENSE

(a) The simple past tense

The simple past tense expresses actions taking place at some time in the past and is
over now.
eg
 I received your letter yesterday.
 She left for Mumbai last week.
 They went to a garden for a walk.
The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the simple past tense. Thus, the
simple past tense expresses actions of the past that are over and are not linked with
the present in any way.
NOTE:- „d‟ or‟ ed‟ is generally added to the root form of the verb to form its past
tense. Thus,
Simple past tense = root form of the verb + d/ed

KEYWORDS:

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Subject + past form of the verb + object + other words

Where to use the simple past tense:

1) The simple past tense expresses a completed action not connected with the
present.
 I brought these books yesterday.
(Past and present not linked)

2) To express some past habit:

When we express some past habits, we often use words like usually, generally,
always, sometimes, frequently, never, often with simple past tense
 I usually studied at night.
 We always played together.

(b) the past continuous tense:

The past continuous tense expresses an action that was going on at some time in the past.
Eg.
 I was writing a letter when Meera came.
 They were going towards the school.
 It was raining heavily.

The underlined words in the above sentences are in the past continuous tense. Thus, the
past continuous tense is used to express an action which was in progress at some point of
time in the past.

KEYWORDS:-

Subject + to be + verb + ing + object + other words

(was, were)

Where to use the past continuous tense:

The past continuous tense is used to express an action:

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1) That was going on at some time in the past.
2) That was continuing at some point of time in the past but whose time limits are not
mentioned.
3) Often, the simple past and the past continuous tense are used together to express
that one action was going on when another happened.

(C) The past perfect tense:

The past perfect tense is used to express an action completed before a given moment in
the past.

Eg.
 The train had left when I reached the station.
 The movie had started when we reached the theatre.
 She had hoped that she would pass in the exam.

The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the past perfect tense. Thus, the past
perfect tense denotes an action already completed at some point of time in the past
before another action took place.

NOTE:- It should be noted that we cannot form the past perfect tense without the past
participle form of the verb.

KEYWORDS:-
Subject + to have + V3 + object + other words
(Had)

Where to use past perfect tense:-

The past perfect tense is used to express an action:
1. Already completed before a given moment in the past.

2. when two actions are expressed together, the action that took place first in reality,
should be expressed in the past perfect tense whereas that which took place next,
should be expressed in the simple past tense.

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It had started raining before we left the house.
(Past perfect tense) (Simple past tense)

3. The past perfect tense may be used with verbs like hope, expert want mean, suppose
etc. to indicate that a past hope, desire etc. was not realized.

I had hoped that she would pass.

(d) The past perfect continuous tense:

The past perfect continuous tense is used to express an action which began before a
definite moment in the past, had continued up to that moment and was still in progress at
that moment or had very recently finished.
Eg.
 He had been studying since 9 o‟clock.
 They had been playing for two hours.
 We had been workingon this project for six days.

The underline verbs in the above sentences are in the past perfect continuous tense.

KEYWORDS
Subject + to have + been + verb + ing + object + other words
(Had)

Where to use perfect continuous tense:-

The past perfect continuous tense is used to express an action that continued in the past
for a given period of time or upto that point of time.
Eg.
 It had been raining heavily for two hours.
 I had been waiting for my friend since evening.

THE FUTURE TENSE

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(a) the simple future tense:
The simple future tense expresses an action that will take place at some time in the
future.
Eg.
 I shall complete my work tomorrow.
 They will complete their work tomorrow.
The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the simple future tense. Thus the
simple future tense is used to talk about things that will take place in the future.

KEYWORDS:
Subject + shall/will + root form of the verb + object + other words

Expressions like tomorrow, next week, next month etc. may be used to suggest the future
tense.

Where to use the simple future tense:

The simple future tense is used to express an action:
1) That will take place in the future time.
2) As a general rule, we use shall with the first person pronouns I & We and will with
the second and third person pronouns –you, he, she, it, they, to express the future
tense. However, the use of will has now become common with all persons.
3) To express an action over which the speaker has no control.
4) Some special uses of „will‟
 When you offer to do something or when you are willing to do something.
 When you agree to do something or when you are ready to do something.
 When you promise to do something.
 When you ask somebody to do something.
 When you think you will, when you don‟t think you will.

(b) future continuous tense:

the future continuous tense expresses an action that will be going on at a given time in
the future.
Eg.
 We shall be studying at 6.00 p.m. in the evening.
 They will be studying at 6.00 p.m in the evening.

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KEYWORDS:-
Subject + shall be/will be + verb + ing + object + other words

Note :- we can not form the future continuous tense without using the ‘ing’
form of the verb.

Where to use the future continuous tense:-

The future continuous tense is used to express an action:
1) that will be in progress at a given time in the future.
2) That is quite sure to happen in the future.

(c) Future perfect tense:-

The future perfect tense is used to express an action completed before a given time
in the future.
Eg.
 I shall have finished my work by 9.00 p.m.
 She will have finished her work by 9.00 p.m.

The underlined verbs in the above sentences in the future perfect tense.
KEYWORDS:-
Subject + shall/will + have + V3 + object + other words

Note: we cannot form the future perfect tense without the past participle form of
the verb (V3)
The future perfect tense is generally used with a time expression beginning with the
preposition „by‟ like by that time, by next week, by next month, by the end of this month
etc.
Where to use the future perfect tense:
The future perfect tense is used to express an action already over before a give moment
in the future.
Eg.
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I shall have got my result by the end of this month.
He will have got his result by the end of this month.

(d) future perfect continuous tense:

The future perfect continuous tense is used to express an action which will begin
before a definite moment in the future, will continue upto that moment an will be going
on even at that moment.
Eg.
 By 6:00 p.m. , I shall have been studying for three hours.
 By 6:00 p.m., she will have been studying for three hours.

The underlined verbs in the above sentences are in the future perfect continuous
tense.
KEYWORDS:
Subject + shall/will + have + been verb + ing + object + other words.
Where to use the future perfect continuous tense:
The future perfect continuous tense is used when a definite moment in the future is
specified and the action will begin before that moment, it will continue upto that
moment and will begin before that moment, it will continue upto that moment and will
be in progress even at that moment.

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