Tenses - Very Important Notes

Dear Learners, 

In this blog post i am sharing some important notes on Tenses. Kindly go through the study notes.

PRESENT TENSE

Present Indefinite Tense is used to express an all time true event; as-

The Earth moves round the sun.

*With adverbs or adverb phrases such as: always, never, often, sometimes, usually, every week, on Mondays, twice a year etc

I go to church on Sundays.

* To express habitual action: as-

Dogs bark. Cats drink milk.

*In conditional sentences with ‘unless/If’, and time clauses; as-

If I see Preeti, I’ll ask her.

As soon as he earns any money, he spends it.

*With the verbs ‘love, see, hear, feel, smell, taste, believe etc’ which cannot be used in continuous; as-

I love you.

I want to see you.

Present Continuous Tense denotes an action happening now, but not necessarily at the moment of speaking.

It is raining.

I am reading a play by Shaw.

For a definite plan in the near future; as-

I am meeting Peeku tonight.

*To indicate an action which begins before this point and probably continues after it:

At six I am reading newspaper.

*The verbs ‘feel, look, smell, taste, hear’ are also used in continuous forms, but with a different connotation; as-

The doctor is feeling her pulse.

She is tasting the pudding to see if it is sweet enough.

The court is hearing the case.

I am seeing my solicitor tomorrow.

Present Perfect Tense is used with ‘just’ for recently completed action.

He has just gone out.

Used for recent actions when the time is not mentioned; as-

I have read the instructions, but I don’t understand them.

*For actions which occur back in the past, provided the connection with the present is still maintained.

I have see wolves in that forest. (It is still possible to see them)

*With time expressions ‘for, since, all day/night/week, always, lately, recently, never etc for an action which lasts throughout an incomplete period; as-

He has lived here all his life.

He has been in the army for two years.

I have been here since last week.

since + clause’

I’ve worked here since I left school.

I’ve not told a lie since my father scolded.

It is three years since I (last) saw Neha.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used for an action which began in the past and is still continuing (or has only just finished): as-

Anya has been waiting for an hour and her father still hasn’t turned up.

It is used with time phrase ‘since and for’:

He has been taking photos since morning.

Present Perfect refers to a discounted action, but Present Perfect Continuous expresses a continuous action:

I’ve written six letters since breakfast.

I’ve been writing letters since breakfast.

‘Since’ refers to point of time (definite time). It is used before – 2 o’ clock, morning, evening, last day/week/month, January, Monday etc

‘For’ refers to period of time. It is used before –two hours, two days, two week, three years etc.

PAST TENSE

Past Indefinite Tense is used for actions completed in the past at a definite time; as-

I met him yesterday.

Shakespeare died in 1616.

For a terminated action whose time is not given;

I taught in Inter College for three years.

I lived in Varanasi for a long time.

For a past that is no more now; as-

He always carried an umbrella.

It is used in conditional sentences for unreal past after ‘as if, as though, it is time, if only, wish, would sooner/rather, etc

He behaves as if he owned the place.

It is time we went.

Past Continuous tense is used for actions which continued for some time, but whose exact limits are not known:

They were working.

*To indicate gradual development:

It was getting darker.

*It is used with a point of time to express an action which began before that time and probably continued after it.

At eight he was having breakfast.

When I arrived, Arsh was talking on the phone.

*With a combination of two simple past tenses, which indicate successive actions:

When Arsh saw me, he put the receiver down.

Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) refers to an action that completed before a certain moment in the past. It is used with till, until, before and after to emphasize the completion of an action

Present Indefinite + till/until/after + Past Perfect

Past Perfect + before + Past Indefinite

He refused to go till he had seen all the pictures.

There were angry exclamations after the will had been read.

He complained of sore feet before we had walked ten miles.

*Past Perfect is also used with time clause.

When I had learnt the work of one department, I was moved.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense (had been + present participle) is used to refer to an action that began before the time of speaking and continued for some time. Prepositions ‘since’ and ‘for’ can also be used.

He had been trying to get her on the phone since morning.

She had been painting the door since 2 o’ clock.

FUTURE TENSE

Future Indefinite Tense (shall/will + infinitive) is used to express the speaker’s opinions, assumptions, speculations about the future. ‘Shall’ is generally used with ‘I, and ‘We’. ‘Will’ is used with all the other nouns and pronouns.

I shall go to school today.

He will return my book by next week.

He’ll be here at six.

*For future habitual actions which we assume will take place:

Spring will come soon.

Birds will repair nests after rainy season.

*In conditional clauses:

If I drop this glass, it will break.

Future Continuous Tense (shall/will + be + present participle) is used to talk about an action which will be in progress at a time in the future; as – (will not = won’t). It is also called Future Progressive or Future Imperfect Tense.

I shall be helping Megha tomorrow.

He will be taking his exam next week.

Future Perfect Tense (shall/will + have + past participle) 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.

Future Perfect Continuous ((Shall/will + have been + present participle) is used for actions which will be in progress over a period of time that will end in the future.

By next April, we shall have been living in Lucknow for two years.

I’ll have been teaching in Govt. College for five years next July.

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