TENSES

SUMITHA.K
TGT ENGLISH
JNV WAYANAD, KERALA
 INTRODUCTION
The word “Tense” is derived
from the Latin word “tempus”
which means “time”. A verb
indicates the time of an action,
event or condition by changing
its form.
Tenses are the form taken by
a verb to show the time of an
action or the state of an event.
There are three tenses:
The Present Tense
The Past Tense
The Future Tense
Each of the three tenses has four
forms or sub divisions to show the
continuity or completeness of the
action and time. These are:
1. Indefinite
2. Continuous
3. Perfect
4. Perfect Continuous
The Indefinite tense does not indicate
whether the action is complete or not.
The Continuous tense indicates that
the action is still going on.
The Perfect Tense indicates that the
action is just completed, finished or
perfect.
The Perfect continuous Tense indicates
that the action began in the past and is
still continuing.
Tense Indefinite Continuo Perfect Perfect
us continuou
s
Present Play/ plays Is/Am/ Has/ Have Has/ Have
Are played been
Playing playing

Past Played Was/ were Had played Had been

playing Playing

Future Will/ Will/ Will/ shall Will

shall play shall be have /Shall
playing played have been
playing
Present tense
Present Indefinite Tense

Present Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Continuous

Tense
 Simple Present Tense
Subject+ Verb1+ Object
* Expresses a general truth or an
action that is occurring now.
Eg: The sun rises in the east.
* Expresses an action that occurs
regularly or habitually.
Eg: She often goes for a walk in
the morning.
Present continuous tense
Subject +Is/Am/Are+V1+ing+object

The present continuous tense is used

to express an action which is
happening at a particular time in the
present or extending over a period of
present time.
Examples

I am reading a book.
She is playing a violin.
They are watching a movie.
Present Perfect Tense
Subject + has/ have +V3+ object
Has – Singular; Have – Plural

The Present Perfect Tense denotes

an action that was started in the
past and has just been completed.
Eg: I have written a story.
He/ she has written a story.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject+ has/have+ been + V1+ing
+ Object
The present perfect continuous
tense is used to express an action
that had started in the past and is
still going on.
Eg: Sheela has been playing violin.
They have been singing a song.
Past tense
Past Indefinite Tense

Past Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Continuous

Tense
 Simple Past Tense
Subject + V2 + object
The simple past tense is used to
denote an action that had
happened at a particular time in
the past.
Eg: I ate an apple.
Hari washed his clothes
Past Continuous tense
Subject +was/were + V1+ing + object
The past continuous tense is used to
denote an action which was
happening at a particular time in the
past.
Eg: Boys were playing cricket.
She was cleaning the room.
Past Perfect Tense
Subject+ Had+V3+Object

Past perfect tense is used to denote

an action that was completed
before another action started in the
past. It is used with the earlier of
the two actions. The simple past
tense is used with the other action.
Eg: The train had left before I
reached the station.

Students had finished the work

before the teacher arrived.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject +had been +V1+ing + object

Past perfect continuous tense is used

to denote an action that was finished
at some definite time in the past but
which had been going on before it was
finished.
Eg: I had been cleaning the room
when I heard the fire alarm.

We had been watching a movie

when we heard the noise in the
street.
Future tense
Future Indefinite Tense

Future Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Continuous

Tense
Simple Future Tense
Subject +will/shall+ V1 + object

Simple future tense is used to denote

an action that will take place in the
future.

Eg: I shall play cricket in the evening.

They will come home by next week.
Future Continuous Tense
Subject+will/shall+ be+V1+ing+
object
Future continuous tense is used to
express an action that will be going on
at a particular time in the future.
Eg: I will be enjoying the party
tomorrow.
Suman will be attending dance classes
from next month.
Future Perfect Tense
Subject +will/shall + have + V3 +
object
Future perfect tense is used to denote
the completion of an action by a
certain period of time in the future.
Eg:1. I shall have decided the
destination of my holidays by tonight.
2. You will have received your results
by next week.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Subject + will/shall +have been+ V1+ing
+ object
The future perfect continuous tense is
used when an action is to continue up
to a certain point of time in the future.
Eg: 1. You will have been waiting for
three hours in the station before the
train arrives.
2. The sun will have been going down by
the time we are done.
 There are twelve possible verb tenses
Verb
Tenses

Present Past Future

1.Present Indefinite 1.Future Indefinite

1.Past Indefinite
2. Present 2. Future
2. Past Continuous
Continuous Continuous
3. Past Perfect
3. Present Perfect 3. Future Perfect
4. Past Perfect
4. Present Perfect 4. Future Perfect
Continuous
Continuous Continuous