English Tenses.pdf

English language tenses

1. THE TENSES

2. CONTENTS
•Introduction
•Classification based on Time Frame
•Classification based on Aspect
•Block diagram of Tenses
•List of Rules
•Present Tense
•Past Tense
•Future Tense
•List of Examples

3. INTRODUCTION
ThewordTenseisderived
fromlatinword“tempus”
whichmeanstime.Averb
indicatesthetimeofan
action,eventorconditionby
changingitsform.

4. Based on Time frame
Theverbtensesmaybe
categorizedaccordingtothe
timeframe:
•Present Tense
•Past Tense
•Future Tense

5. PresentTense:---
Present tense expresses an
unchanging, repeated,orreoccurring
actionorsituationthatexistsonlynow.It
canalsorepresentawidespreadtruth.
PastTense:---
Pasttenseexpressesanactionor
situationthatwasstartedandfinishedin
thepast.
FutureTense:---
Future tense expresses an action
or situation that will occur in the future.
CONTENTS

6. Based on Aspect
Verbtensesmayalsobe
categorizedaccordingtoaspect.
Aspectreferstothenatureof
theactiondescribedbytheverb.
Therearefouraspects:
•IndefiniteorSimple
•Continuous or Progressive
•Perfect or Complete
•Perfect Continuous

7. IndefiniteTense
Thethreeindefinitetenses,or
simpletenses,describeanactionbutdo
notstatewhethertheactionisfinished.
ContinuousTense
The three continuous tenses,
incomplete tenses,orprogressive
tenses,describeanunfinishedaction.
PerfectTense
Thethreecomplete tenses,or
perfecttenses,describeafinishedaction.
PerfectContinuousTense
Tocombinethecompletetensesand
theincompletetenses,todescribeanaction
whichwasinprogressandthenfinished
CONTENTS

8. There are twelve possible
verb tenses.
Verb Tenses
Present Past Future
Present Indefinite
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
Present Perfect Cont.
Past Indefinite
Past Continuous
Past Perfect
Past Perfect Cont.
Future Indefinite
Future Continuous
Future Perfect
Future Perfect Cont.
CONTENTS

9. Here is a list of rules of
these tenses:
Simple
Forms
Progressive
Forms
Perfect
Forms
Perfect
Progressive
Forms
Present
Ist form +
s / es
am/is/are +
Ist form +
ing
have/ha
s + IIIrd
form
have/has
been + Ist
form + ing
Past IInd form
was/were +
Ist form +
ing
had +
IIIrd
form
had been +
Ist form +
ing
Future
will/shall
+ Ist form
will be + Ist
form + ing
will have
+ IIIrd
form
will have
been + Ist
form + ing
CONTENTS

10. Present Tense
Present
Present IndefiniteTense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Cont.Tense

11. Present IndefiniteTense
Thesimplepresentisused
todescribeanaction,anevent,or
conditionthatisoccurringinthe
present,atthemomentofspeaking
orwriting.
For Example—
I play.
He / She plays.

12. Present Continuous Tense
Thepresent continuous
emphasizesthecontinuingnatureof
anact,event,orcondition.
For Example—
I am playing.
He / She is playing.
They are playing.

13. Present Perfect Tense
Thepresentperfecttenseis
usedtodescribeactionthatbeganin
thepastandcontinuesintothe
presentorhasjustbeencompleted.
For Example—
I have played.
He / She has played.

14. Present Perfect Cont.Tense
The present perfect
continuousisusedtodescribean
action,event,orconditionthathas
beguninthepastandcontinuesinto
thepresent.
For Example—
I / You have been playing.
He / She has been playing.
CONTENTS

15. Past Tense
Past
Past IndefiniteTense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Cont.Tense

16. Past IndefiniteTense
Thesimplepastisusedto
describeanaction,anevent,or
conditionthatoccurredinthepast.
For Example—
I played.
He / She played.

17. Past Continuous Tense
Thepastcontinuous tenseis
usedtodescribedactionsongoinginthe
past.
For Example—
I was playing.
He / She was playing.
You were playing.

18. Past Perfect Tense
Thepastperfecttenseis
usedtorefertoactionsthattook
placeandwerecompletedinthe
past.
For Example—
I had played.
He / She had played.

19. Past Perfect Cont.Tense
The past perfect
continuousisusedtoindicatethat
acontinuingactioninthepastbegan
beforeanotherpastactionbeganor
interruptedthefirstaction.
For Example—
I had been playing.
He / She had been playing.
CONTENTS

20. Future Tense
Future
Future IndefiniteTense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Cont.Tense

21. Future IndefiniteTense
Thesimplefutureisusedto
refertoactionsthatwilltakeplace
aftertheactofspeakingorwriting.
For Example—
I shall play.
He / She will play.

22. Future Continuous Tense
Thefuturecontinuoustense
isusedtodescribeactionsongoingin
thefuture.Thefutureprogressiveis
usedtorefertocontinuingaction
thatwilloccurinthefuture.
For Example—
I shall be playing.
He / She will be playing.

23. Future Perfect Tense
Thefutureperfectisusedto
refertoanactionthatwillbe
completedsometimeinthefuture
beforeanotheractiontakesplace.
For Example—
I shall have played.
He / She will have played.

24. Future Perfect
Continuous Tense
Thefutureperfectcontinuous
tenseisusedtoindicateacontinuing
actionthatwillbecompletedatsome
specifiedtimeinthefuture.
For Example—
I shall have been playing.
He / She will have been playing.
CONTENTS

25. Here is a list of examples of these
tenses and their definitions:
Simple
Forms
Progressive
Forms
Perfect
Forms
Perfect
Progressive
Forms
Present I play I am playing
I have
played
I have been
playing
Past I played
I was
playing
I had
played
I had been
playing
Future
I shall
play
I shall be
playing
I shall
have
played
I shall have
been
playing