Tense

Present Past Future

Indefinite Indefinite Indefinite
/ Simple / Simple / Simple
Continuous / Continuous / Continuous /
Progressive Progressive Progressive
Perfect Perfect Perfect

Perfect Perfect Perfect

Continuous Continuous Continuous
 Present Tense
 Simple Present Tense :
Subject +V1 + s/es + Obj.
Ex - I play cricket.
 Present Continuous Tense:
Subject + is/am/are+ V1 + ing+ Obj.
Ex - I am playing cricket.
 Present Perfect Tense :
Subject + has/have + V3 + Obj.
Ex - I have played cricket.
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
Subject + has/have + been +
V1 + ing + Obj. + since/for
Ex - I have been playing
cricket since morning.
 Past Tense
 Simple Past Tense :
Subject + V2+ Obj.
I played
cricket.
 Past Continuous Tense:
Subject + was/
were + V1 + ing +
Obj.
I was playing
cricket.
 Past Perfect Tense :
Subject +

had + V3 + Obj.
 Future Tense
 Future Indefinite Tense:
Subject + will/ shall + V1 + Obj.
I will play cricket.
 Future Continuous Tense :
Subject + will / shall + be + V1 + ing+ Obj.
I shall be playing cricket.
 Future Perfect Tense :
Subject + will / shall + have + V3 + Obj.
I will have played cricket.
 Future Perfect Continuous :
Subject + will / shall + have + been + V1 + ing + obj.
I will have been playing cricket.
1. Simple Present / Present Indefinite Tense:
a) It is used to express habitual action.
For eg. He drinks tea every
morning.
b) To express a general or universal
truth .
For eg. The sun rises in the
east.
c) To express what is actually taking
place in the present.
For eg. Here comes the bus.
d) To express in vivid narrative as
substitute for the simple
2. Present Continuous Tense :
a) For an action going on at the time of speaking.
For eg. The boys are playing
hockey.
b) For the action that has already been arranged to take place in
near future. For eg. My uncle is arriving tomorrow.
c) For the action that may not be actually happening at the time
of speaking.
For eg. Now a days I am reading David Copperfield.
3. Present Perfect Tense:
a) To indicate activities completed in the immediate past.
For eg. He has just gone out.
b)To express past action where time is not definite or given.
For eg. Mr. Hari has been to Japan.
c)To denote an action beginning at some time in the past and
continues till the present moment.
For eg. I have known her for a long time.
4. Present Perfect Continuous:
a) For an action which began at sometime in the past and is still continuing
. For eg. He has been sleeping since morning.

5. Simple Past / Past Indefinite Tense :

a) To indicate an action completed in
the past. For eg. She left school last year.
b) Used for past habits . For eg. He studied
many hours everyday.
6. Past Continuous :
a) To denote an action going on at some time in the past.
For eg. It was getting darker.
7. Past Perfect Tense :
a)To describe an action completed by one in a certain moment in the
past. For eg. I had met him in New Delhi in 1972.
8. Past Perfect Continuous :
a)For an action that began before a certain point in the past and
continue up to that time. For eg. He had been writing a letter .
1. Simple future / Future Indefinite :
a) To talk about things that express future facts.
For eg. I shall be twenty years on Saturday.
b) To talk about what we think or believe that will happen in
future. For eg. I think India will win the match.
2. Future Continuous :
a)To talk about an action which will be in progress at the particular time in
future. For eg. It will be raining when we start.
b) To talk about an action in future which is already planned.
For eg. The postman will be coming soon.
3. Future Perfect Tense:
a) To talk about an action that will be completed by a certain time in future.
For eg. By the end of this month I shall have worked here for five years.
4. Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
a) For the action which will be in progress by the time that will end in future.
For eg. I will have been teaching for twenty years next July.