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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 continuity or completeness of
the action and time. These are :
1. Indefinite
2. Continuous or Imperfect
3. Perfect
4. Perfect Continuous

Tense Indefinite Continuo
us
Perfect Perfect
Continuo
us
Present Play (s) Is / Am / Are
Playing
Has /
Have
Played
Has / Have
been Playing
Past Played Was / Were
Playing
Had
Played
Had been
Playing
Future Will / Shall
Play
Will / Shall
be Playing
Will /
Shall
Have
Played
Will / Shall
have been
Playing
Table Of English
Tenses

o The Indefinite Tense does not indicate whether the
action is complete or not.
o The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense that the action is
still going on.
o The Perfect Tense indicates that the action is
complete , finished or perfect.
o The Perfect Continuous Tense indicates that the
action began in the past and is still continuing.

Subject + Verb1 + Object
Expresses a general truth or an action that is
occurring now
Eg : The sun rises from the east.
Expresses an action that occurs regularly or
habitually
Eg : She goes to the school regularly.

 Affirmative Sentences : They play.
 Negative Sentences : They do not play.
 Interrogative Sentences : Do they play ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Do they not
play ?

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.

 Affirmative Sentences : You are playing.
 Negative Sentences : You are not playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Are you playing ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Are you not
playing ?

 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.

 Affirmative Sentences : I have played.
 Negative Sentences : I have not played.
 Interrogative Sentences : Have I played ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have I not
played ?

 Subject + has/have + been + V1 + ing + Object
 The present perfect tense is used when an
action that started in the past is still
continuing.

 Affirmative Sentences : We have been playing.
 Negative Sentences : We have not been playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Have we been playing
?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have we not
been playing ?

 Subject + V2 + Object.
 The simple past tense is used for an action
which happened at a particular time in the past.

 Affirmative Sentences : I played.
 Negative Sentences : I did not play.
 Interrogative Sentences : Did I play ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Did I not
played ?

 Subject + was/were + V1 + ing + Object.
 The past continuous tense is used for an action
which was happening at a particular time in the
past.

 Affirmative Sentences : Boys were playing.
 Negative Sentences : Boys were not playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Were boys playing ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Were boys
not playing ?

 Subject + had + V3 + Object.
 The past perfect tense is used to express 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.

 Affirmative Sentences : Sheila had played.
 Negative Sentences : Sheila had not played.
 Interrogative Sentences : Had Sheila played?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Had Sheila
not played ?

 Subject + had + been + V1 + Object.
 The past perfect continuous tense is used for an
action that began before a certain point in the
past and continued up to that point.

 Affirmative Sentences : Ria had been playing.
 Negative Sentences : Ria had not been playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria been playing?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria not been
playing ?

 Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object.
 The simple future tense is used for an action
that will take place at particular time in the
future.

 Affirmative Sentences : Ravi will play.
 Negative Sentences : Ravi will not play.
 Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi play ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi not
play ?

 Subject + will/shall + be +V1 + ing + Object
 The future continuous tense is used to express
an action which will be in progress at a
particular time in the future.

 Affirmative sentences : I will be playing.
 Negative sentences : I will not be playing.
 Interrogative sentences : Shall I be playing?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Shall I not
be playing?

 Subject + shall/will + have + V3 + Object.
 Future perfect tense is used to indicate the
completion of an action by a certain period of
time in the future.

 Affirmative Sentences : She will have played.
 Negative Sentences : She will not have played.
 Interrogative Sentences : Will she have played?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will she not
have played?

 Subject + shall/will +have been + V1 + ing +
Object.
 The future perfect tense is used when an action
is to continue up to a certain point of time in
the future.

 Affirmative Sentences : Raj will have been
playing.
 Negative Sentences : Raj will not have been
playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Will Raj have been
playing ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will Raj not
have been playing ?

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English Tenses

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