TABLE OF TENSES Types of Tense 1. Present • Indefinite (simple) • Continuous • Perfect • Perfect continuous 2.
Past • Indefinite (simple) • Continuous • Perfect • Perfect continuous
3.
Future • Indefinite (simple) • Continuous • Perfect • Perfect continuous
Structure of a Tense Subject +Helping Verb+ (not) + verb + Object
Tense
Simple (Indefinite) Present
Type Of Sentence (+) ve Statement
(-) ve Statement
Yes/No Question
‘Wh’ Question
Sentence Structure Sub + V1 + ….
Sub + does/do + not + V1 + ….
Does/Do + Sub + V1 +….
‘Wh’ word + does/do + Sub + V1 + ….
Examples 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He speaks. She speaks. I speak. You speak. We speak. They speak.
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He does not speak. She doesn’t speak. I don’t speak. You don’t speak. We don’t speak. They don’t speak.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Does he speak? Does she speak? Do you speak? Do they speak?
1) 2) 3) 4)
What does he speak? How does she speak? When do you speak? Why do they speak?
Uses
To speak about Daily/Regular Actions Frequent Actions, Habits Universal/General Truths Customs/Traditions Scheduled Activities
SIGNAL WORDS Always, every day, every month, every week, daily, never, normally, often, seldom, generally, sometimes, usually, frequently, occasionally, rarely, once a week, twice a month, once in two days, etc.
Examples
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12)
She teaches Mathematics.
13) 14) 15)
Ali doesn’t smoke.
I drink milk daily. The sun rises in the east. They speak English fluently. People celebrate Eid grandly. He visits his parents once a month. They often meet at the café. I usually take rotis at night. Our boss rarely smiles. Barking dogs seldom bite. He never tells the truth.
The football match starts at 10 am tomorrow. These children don’t go to school. Does she sing well?
Tense
Present Continuous
Type Of Sentence
(+) ve Statement
(-) ve Statement
Yes/No Question
‘Wh’ Question
Sentence Structure
Sub + is/am/are + Ving + ….
Sub + is/am/are + not + Ving + ….
Is/Are + Sub + Ving + …?
‘Wh’ word + is/are + Sub + Ving + …?
Examples
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He is speaking. She is speaking. I am speaking. You are speaking. We are speaking. They are speaking.
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He is not speaking. She is not speaking. I am not speaking. You are not speaking. We are not speaking. They are not speaking.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Is he speaking? Is she speaking? Are you speaking? Are they speaking?
1) What is he speaking? 2) Where is she speaking? 3) When are you speaking? 4) How are they speaking?
Uses
To speak about actions going on now. To speak about temporary actions going on these days. To speak about pre-planned future actions.
Examples
16) 17) 18) 19) 20)
Do you like old movies?
1)
He is speaking at the conference
How much does this cost? Who sends you money?
2) 3)
Sana is cooking in the kitchen.
4)
Don’t disturb me. I am studying
Jameel is always complaining about petty things. now.
At the moment, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now, these days, nowadays, etc.
stairs.
Agree, believe, doubt, forget, know, mean, recognize, recollect, remember, suppose, think, understand, want, wish, desire, need, see, smell, hear, taste, notice, like, dislike, love, hate, prefer, feel, forgive, appear, seem, deserve, depend, possess, contain, belong to, consist of, own, have (=own), etc. The above verbs are usually used in the Simple or Perfect tenses.
Why do you waste your time?
now.
SIGNAL WORDS
VERBS NOT USED IN THE CONTINUOUS TENSE
What does he want?
5) 6)
Listen! Someone is climbing up the Look! All are beating up the small
boy.
7) 8) 9) 10)
We are planning to go abroad. They are visiting holy places. I’m learning English these days.
Nowadays, people are opting for overseas jobs.
11)
They are holding an exhibition here next week.
12)
He is not paying attention to the lecture.
13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24)
I am not working there now. She is not doing anything right now. They are not willing to come here. Is Suresh writing the exam? Are you going there now? What is the boy doing in the room? Where are you working? How far are they going? When are you meeting her? Why is the girl crying? Who is seeing you this evening? What is happening there?
Tense
Type Of Sentence
Present Perfect
(+) ve Statement
(-) ve Statement
Yes/No Question
‘Wh’ Question
Sentence Structure Sub + has/have + V3 + …..
Examples 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He has spoken. She has spoken. I have spoken. You have spoken. We have spoken. They have spoken.
Sub + has/have 1) He has not spoken. + not + V3 + …. 2) She hasn’t spoken. 3) I have not spoken. 4) You haven’t spoken. 5) We haven’t spoken. 6) They haven’t spoken. Has/Have + Sub + V3 + …?
‘Wh’ word + has/have + Sub + V3 + …..
1) 2) 3) 4)
Has he spoken? Has she spoken? Have you spoken? Have they spoken?
1) What has he spoken? 2) How has she spoken? 3) Why have you spoken? 4) Where have they spoken?
Uses
To speak about actions completed in the immediate past. To speak about actions that completed in the past but have a connection with the present. To speak about actions those have not happened till now (in the negative).
SIGNAL WORDS Already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now, etc. NOTE: When the time of a past action is mentioned, use the Simple Past Tense and not the Present Perfect Tense.
I have completed my degree in 2006. I completed my degree in 2006.
Examples
1) 2) 3)
I have just spoken to your father about it.
4) 5)
These students have already written the test.
6)
I am happy now because I have won the case.
7) 8) 9)
He has not yet finished his work for the day.
He has just gone out. The members have just concluded their meeting. Don’t pay him money. I have already paid him.
I haven’t met him till now. They haven’t informed us so far. So, we are worried.
10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15)
We have never been to the US.
16) 17)
Why have you come late?
Have you finished lunch? Has Ahmad invited you to the party? Has he come? Have you ever been to Delhi?
What have you done with this? It is not working. Where have you been till now? I was waiting for you.
Present Perfect Continuous
(+) ve Statement
(-) ve Statement
Yes/No Question
Sub + has/have + been + Ving + ……
Sub + has/have + not + been + Ving + ……
Has/Have + Sub + been +Ving + …..
1) He has been speaking. 2) She has been speaking. 3) I have been speaking. 4) You have been speaking. 5) We have been speaking. 6) They have been speaking. 1) He has not been speaking. 2) She hasn’t been speaking. 3) I have not been speaking. 4) You haven’t been speaking. 5) We haven’t been speaking.
6)
They haven’t been speaking.
1)
Has he been speaking? Has she been speaking? Have you been speaking? Have they been speaking?
2) 3) 4)
For an action that started in the Past, continued over a period of time into the Present and is still going on. If such an action as stated above has been completed in the Present and does not continue at the time of speaking, we usually use the Present Perfect Tense.
SIGNAL WORDS all day, for 6 years, since 2003, how long?, the whole week
18) Who has told you this? 19) How has your friend written his exam? 1) Ali has been speaking for an hour. 2) She has been working in the garden since morning.
3)
I have been trying to contact my friend for two weeks.
4)
We have been designing the program the whole week.
5)
Our neighbors have been living here since 1996.
6) 7) 8)
They have been calling us all day.
9)
I haven’t been doing anything since morning.
We have been learning English for a month. They have not been answering our calls for two days.
10)
Aisha has not been attending classes regularly.
11)
Have you been using these medicines for long?
12)
Has your brother been coming home
late?
13) 14)
Has the boss been looking for me?
15)
How long have they been living
What have you been doing since morning? here?
Tense
Type Of Sentence ‘Wh’ Question
Sentence Structure ‘Wh’ word + has/have + Sub + been + Ving + …..
Examples
Uses
Examples
16)
Since when has Shaheen been working in this office?
1) What has he been speaking? 2) How has she been speaking? 3) How long have you been speaking? 4) Since when have they been speaking?
17)
How have you been handling this problem?
18)
How long has he been waiting for
her?
19) 20)
Why have you been shouting?
21) 22)
Who has been troubling her?
Where have they been learning animation?
Simple (Indefinite) Past
(+) ve Statement
Sub + V2 + ….
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He spoke. She spoke. I spoke. You spoke. We spoke. They spoke.
(-) ve Statement
Sub + did + not + V1 + ….
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He did not speak.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Did he speak?
1) 2) 3) 4)
What did he speak?
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He was speaking.
She was speaking.
They were speaking.
1) 2) 3) 4)
He was not speaking.
5) 6)
We weren’t speaking.
Yes/No Question
‘Wh’ Question
Past Continuous
(+) ve Statement
(-) ve Statement
Yes/No Question
‘Wh’
Did + Sub + V1 +….
‘Wh’ word + did + Sub + V1 + ….
Sub + was/were + Ving + ….
Sub + was/were + not + Ving + ….
Was/Were + Sub + Ving + …? ‘Wh’ word +
She didn’t speak. I didn’t speak. You didn’t speak. We didn’t speak. They didn’t speak.
Did she speak?
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) NOTE: If such a past habit or daily/ 7) regular action continues even in the 8) present, use the Simple Present 9) Tense and not the Simple Past Tense. 10) 11) NOTE: Usually, when we talk 12) about past habits or daily/regular 13) actions in the past, we use 14) Used to + V1 instead of Simple Past Tense(V2). 15) 16) I used to visit my uncle daily 17) last year. 18) He used to smoke a lot.
For an action that happened at a point of time in the Past. For a past habit. For daily/regular actions in the past.
What has been happening here? She spoke the truth. I met my cousin yesterday. They went out two minutes ago. We saw him at the theatre the other day. Meena did not meet her parents last Friday. These boys didn’t write the exam. They didn’t answer because they didn’t know the answer. Did you ask him for money? Did the students protest against the college authorities? Did Kamala invite you yesterday? Why did you fight with your brother? Where did the children go? How did they perform at the competition? What did you do last week? When did she complete her degree? Who told you the truth? Who organized this function? What happened at the college yesterday.
Did you speak? Did they speak?
SIGNAL WORDS yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday, etc.
How did she speak? When did you speak? Why did they speak?
I was speaking. You were speaking. We were speaking.
She was not speaking. I wasn’t speaking. You were not speaking. They weren’t speaking.
To speak about an action going on at a point of time in the Past. For an action going on when another action happened in the Past. (In such cases, we use the Past Continuous Tense for the action going on and the Simple Past Tense for the other action) I was writing the test when the inspectors came in. When two actions were going on simultaneously at a point of time in the past, we use the Past Continuous Tense for both the actions and combine them using ‘while’. Pradeep was studying while his friends were chatting.
SIGNAL WORDS when, while, then, at 5 o’ clock, etc.
1) We were listening to the radio all evening yesterday. 2) The light went out while I was reading. 3) When I saw him he was playing with some kids. 4) I was thinking about it when he called me. 5) Please don’t take it seriously. I was just kidding. 6) The children were shouting when the teacher entered the class. 7) She was watching TV at 5 o’ clock last evening. 8) They were insulting him while he was serving them. 9) I was not doing anything when he came to my house. 10) Suresh was not practicing his lessons when I met him. 11) We were not copying when the invigilator saw us. 12) The boy wasn’t talking to anyone then. 13) The students weren’t listening to the lecture
Tense
Past Perfect
Type Of Sentence Question
(+) ve Statement
(-) ve Statement
Yes/No Question
‘Wh’ Question
Simple (Indefinite) Future
Sentence Structure was/were + Sub + Ving + …?
Sub + had + V3 + …..
Sub + had + not + V3 + ….
Had + Sub + V3 + …?
‘Wh’ word + had + Sub + V3 + …..
Examples
1) 2) 3) 4)
Was he speaking?
1)
What was he speaking?
2)
Where was she speaking?
3)
Why were you speaking?
4)
How were they speaking?
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He had spoken.
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He had not spoken.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Had he spoken?
1) 2) 3) 4)
What had he spoken? How had she spoken? Why had you spoken? Where had they spoken?
Uses
in the class. 14) Was he working there? 15) Were you speaking to the boss then? 16) Were the brothers quarrelling with each other last night? 17) Was it raining there yesterday? 18) What was she doing when you met her? 19) Why were you laughing while he was talking to you? 20) How were they playing when you saw them? 21) Where were the children going late last night? 22) When were they fighting? 23) Who was talking to you last night? 24) Who were quarrelling on the street at that time? 25) What was happening when you went there?
Was she speaking? Were you speaking? Were they speaking?
She had spoken. I had spoken. You had spoken. We had spoken. They had spoken.
She hadn’t spoken. I had not spoken. You hadn’t spoken. We hadn’t spoken. They hadn’t spoken.
For an action that had taken place before another action in the past. (In such cases, the Past Perfect Tense is used for the earlier action and the Simple Past Tense is used for the later action.) NOTE: If only one past action is stated or understood from the context, the Simple Past Tense should be used for that action and not the Past Perfect Tense. I had completed my work last night. I completed my work last night.
SIGNAL WORDS already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day, etc.
Had she spoken? Had you spoken? Had they spoken?
(+) ve Statement
Sub + will + VI + ….
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He will speak. She willl speak. I will speak. You will speak. We will speak. They will speak.
(-) ve Statement
Sub + will + not + V1 + ….
1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
He will not speak. She won’t speak. I won’t speak. You won’t speak. We won’t speak.
Examples
To express the future as a fact. To say what we think or believe will happen in the future. (With expressions like ‘I think’, ‘I believe’, ‘Probably’, etc.) To speak about an action that we have decided to do at the time of speaking. SIGNAL WORDS in a year, next …, tomorrow, later,
1) She had already finished the work when I met her. 2) We had just completed our dinner when they came in. 3) The train had left when they reached the station. 4) Waleed had informed many people about it before we stopped him. 5) I had been there twice before last summer. 6) I could not meet her because she had gone to her mother’s place. 7) They had dispatched the goods before we sent them a reminder. 8) She had not done anything when we went there. 9) They had not gone far when they met with an accident. 10) I hadn’t finished my work when my friends dropped in. 11) Had she spoken to the boss when you met her? 12) Had they made all the arrangements before the boss came in? 13) Why had he come before his brother came? 14) Where had they spoken before they spoke at the university? 15) Where had she worked before she joined here? 16) Who had informed them about it before you did?
1) He will speak with the manager tomorrow. 2) You will need this money on your return journey. 3) I will call you later. 4) Sunil will be thirty in a week. 5) I’ll wait for him. 6) I think, she’ll go to the party. 7) I believe everything will be fine soon. 8) Probably, they will call us tonight. 9) The board will announce the results next month. 10) I will not go there.
Tense
Type Of Sentence
Sentence Structure
Examples 6) They won’t speak.
Future Continuous
Yes/No Question
Will + Sub + V1 1) Will he speak? +…. 2) Will she speak? 3) Will you speak? 4) Will they speak?
‘Wh’ Question
‘Wh’ word + will + Sub + V1 + ….
1) 2) 3) 4)
What will he speak? How will she speak? When will you speak? Where will they speak?
(+) ve Statement
Sub + will + be + Ving + ….
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
He will be speaking. She will be speaking. I will be speaking. You will be speaking. We will be speaking. They will be speaking.
(-) ve Statement
Future Perfect
Sub + will + not + be + Ving + ….
1) He will not be speaking. 2) She won’t be speaking. 3) I won’t be speaking. 4) You won’t be speaking. 5) We won’t be speaking. 6) They won’t be speaking.
Uses etc.
11) I won’t do it again. 12) She will not write this test. 13) Deepak won’t visit his parents again tis month. 14) Will you attend the meeting? 15) Will he finish the work in time? 16) Will they wait for you? 17) Will your parents be happy with your performance? 18) What will you do now? 19) Where will she go now? 20) How will they come here? 21) How much money will you pay them? 22) Why will they misunderstand us? 23) Who will tell you the right way there? 24) Who will become the next Prime Minister of India? 25) What will happen next? 26) What will happen to your aged parents if you leave them now?
For an action which will be going on at a time in the future. For actions in the future which are already planned but are less definite as they are expected to happen in the normal course of things. (As a routine or casual event.) For an action that the speaker thinks is happening now.
SIGNAL WORDS next week, tomorrow, then, at that time, etc.
Yes/No Question
Will + Sub + be + Ving + …?
‘Wh’ Question
‘Wh’ word + will + Sub + be + Ving + …?
(+) ve Statement
Sub + will + 1) He will have spoken. To speak about actions which have + V3 + ….. 2) She will have spoken. will be completed by a certain 3) I will have spoken. future time. (Usually, with ‘by 4) You will have spoken. + a future time expression’) 5) We will have spoken. 6) They will have SIGNAL WORDS spoken. by Monday, in a week, by the 15th , etc. Sub + will + not 1) He will not have + have + V3 + spoken. …. 2) She won’t have
(-) ve Statement
1) 2) 3) 4)
Examples
Will he be speaking? Will she be speaking? Will you be speaking? Will they be speaking?
1) Don’t come to my house at 11 o’ clock tomorrow morning. I will be watching the serial then. 2) He will be speaking at the conference tomorrow. 3) I must leave now. My brother will be waiting for me. 4) Don’t call him now. He will be talking to the Director. 5) Zarlish will be leaving for Mumbai next week. 6) I will be visiting a doctor at that time. 7) Hamid will not be attending the meeting on Monday. 8) They won’t be coming with us to the party. 9) Don’t worry. They won’t be waiting for us. 10) I won’t be doing anything then. 11) Will they be coming with us? 12) Will she be speaking at the meet? 13) What will you be doing tomorrow morning? 14) Why will they be meeting the officer? 15) Where will Bilal be giving her lecture this Friday? 16) Who will be entertaining the guests?
1) What will he be speaking? 2) Where will she be speaking? 3) When will you be speaking? 4) Why will they be speaking? 1) We will have finished our syllabus by the 20th of this month. 2) The team will have completed the project by next Wednesday. 3) I will have written the test by then. 4) They will have lived here for five years by the end of this month. 5) She will have worked here for 3 months by this week-end. 6) The Directors will have finalized the deal in a week.
Tense
Type Of Sentence
Sentence Structure
Examples spoken. 3) I won’t have spoken. 4) You won’t have spoken. 5) We won’t have spoken. 6) They won’t have spoken.
Yes/No Question
Will + Sub + 1) Will he have spoken? have + V3 + …? 2) Will she have spoken? 3) Will you have spoken? 4) Will they have spoken?
‘Wh’ Question
‘Wh’ word + 1) What will he have will + Sub + spoken? have + V3 + ….. 2) How will she have spoken? 3) Why will you have spoken? Where will they have spoken?
Uses
Examples 7) She will not have done the work by Tuesday. 8) The children won’t have finished their lunch by then. 9) Will they have completed the job by tomorrow morning? 10) Will she have made all the arrangements by the time the guests drop in? 11) How long will you have stayed here by next March? 12) How many projects will the students have done by the end of the course? 13) How many years will you have worked here by this year-end?
