Tense
Tense
Tense
‘Tense’ refers to the time of an action meant by a verb. Mind the following expressions:
I eat rice everyday.
I ate rice yesterday.
I shall eat rice tomorrow.
In the above sentences, we see the three different forms of the verb ‘eat’. The verb ‘eat’ in the first sentence refers to an action in the Present time; the verb ‘ate’ in the second sentence refers to an action in the Past time and the verb ‘shall eat’ refers to an action in the future time. Thus Tense denotes the time of an action meant by a verb. In other words to say, Tense is the change of form in a verb to express the time of action of the verb. It also denotes the nature of the action: whether it is habitual, continuous or completed.
There are three principal tenses in English corresponding to the principal divisions of time to which actions belong: 1. Present Tense 2. Past Tense and 3. Future Tense.
Mind the following expressions:
I drink tea.
I am drinking tea.
I have drunk tea.
I have been drinking tea.
Each of the above sentences has expressed an action in the present time with some difference. The first sentence refers to an action in the ordinary (indefinite) present time, the second sentence refers to the action which is running on in the present time, the third sentence refers to the action which has already been completed in the present time and the fourth sentence refers to the action which has begun sometime ago but in progress to be completed in the present time.
Thus to indicate the different degrees of completeness of an action or the nature of an action, every three principal tenses are sub-divided into four forms, as:
1. The Present Tense:
(i) The Present Indefinite Tense.
(ii)The Present Continuous Tense.
(iii) The Present Perfect Tense.
(iv) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
2. The Past Tense:
(i) The Past Indefinite Tense.
(ii) The Past Continuous Tense.
(iii) The Past Perfect Tense.
(iv) The Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
3. The Future Tense:
(i) The Future Indefinite Tense.
(ii) The Future Continuous Tense.
(iii) The Future Perfect Tense.
(iv) The Future Perfect Continuous Tense.
Let us discuss these different Tenses with their uses in detail:
The Present Indefinite Tense
Mind the following sentences:
I learn English.
We play ball
They sing song
He reads a book.
Each of the above sentences refers to an action in the present time. Now mind well that the verbs in those sentences are in their present forms. Each sentence begins with a Subject (an agent who operates an action) and the subject is followed by a verb and then comes the Object (name of the action). All those sentences are called to be in the Present Indefinite Tense or Simple Present Tense.
The Formation of a sentence of Present Indefinite Tense is:
Subject + Principal Verb (present form) + Object (Extension).
The Present Indefinite Tense is used:
1. To express an action that takes place ordinarily without indicating any degree of its completeness:
I drink tea in the morning.
He goes to school everyday.
We play cricket in the evening.
They watch T. V. at noon.
We like a banana.
He finds it difficult.
Birds fly in the sky.
2. To express habitual actions:
Ram gets up early in the morning.
He usually writes in black ink.
I go to school on foot.
His sister bites nail.
3. To express a universal truth or what is always true in the nature of things:
Birds fly in the sky.
The Sun rises in the East.
Milk is white.
Coal is black.
Butter is made from milk.
Honey is sweet.
The Sun shines during the day.
The moon is a satellite.
Man is mortal.
Death comes to all.
Ice floats on water.
4. To describe a past event vividly as if it were present before our very eyes:
King Puras stands against the Greeks.
Hitler begins a barbarous massacre in Germany.
Napoleon marches to Russia.
Siraj-ud-daulla now turns his eyes to Bengal.
Sukafa crosses Patkai.
5. To express an action that has been decided to be operated in the near future:
She leaves London this evening.
He starts for Vienna the next morning.
Our school closes for the Winter Vacation on 29th December.
The new master comes tomorrow.
The Prime Minister of India comes to Guwahati on Monday next.
6. To introduce a Quotation:
Virgil says, “Love conquers all.”
Shakespeare says, “Love is not love if alters when alteration finds.”
Ibsen says, ‘’The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.”
7. To write an exclamatory sentence beginning with ‘here’ or ‘there’:
There he goes!
Here Ram comes!
There the Pyramids stand!
8. To express an activity of perception (through senses) with some definite verbs as: think, see, feel, seem, appear, taste etc.
Quinine tastes bitter.
I feel it hot.
He seems better.
9. To write literary criticism:
Hamlet is not only the best tragedy of Shakespeare but also the most complex one ever written.
10. To give running commentary of Games and other events:
Rana kicks the ball. It runs… Dillip holds it between his toes…..
11. The Present Indefinite Tense is used often with Adverbs of Times as: daily, often, generally, every month, every year, once a week etc.
He comes here once a week.
I go there daily.
He often quarrels with his colleagues.
She pays his servant every month.
Note: The Present Indefinite Tense is formed by the Present form of the Mian Verb. If the Subject of the Verb is a Third Person Singular Number then ‘s’ or ‘es’ is added to the Present form of the Main Verb. For Example:
Ram reads the Ramayana.
Sita goes there.
He learns English.
She plays cricket.
The moon gives us silver-light.
The baby cries.
The cuckoo sings in April.
While adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ to the Main Verb used with the Subject in the Third Person Singular Number the following Rules should be maintained:
Rule -1: ‘es’ is added to the verbs ending in ‘ss, sh, ch, x, or o while used with the Subject in Third Person Singular Number in Present Indefinite Tense:
Kiss ………… kisses
miss ………… misses
pass ………… passes
watch ……… watches
do ……………. does
brush ……….. brushes
go……………. goes
rush …………. rushes
match ………… matches etc.
Rule -2. If a verb ends in ‘y’ preceded by a consonant, then it changes ‘y’ to ‘i’ and then ‘es’ is added to the verb while used with the Subject in the Third Person Singular Number in the Present Indefinite Tense:
carry …………. carries
fly …………….. flies
dry ……………. dries
cry ……………… cries.
Rule 3. If a verb ends in ‘y’ preceded by a vowel, then only ‘s’ is added to the verb while used with a Subject in the Third Person Singular Number in the Present Indefinite Tense:
play ………………. plays
say …………………. says
pay …………………. pays
obey ………………… obeys
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Present Indefinite Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st Prsn. I write a letter. We write a letter.
2nd Prsn. You write a letter. You write a letter.
3rd Prsn. He writes a letter. They write a letter.
The Present Continuous Tense
Mind the following sentences:
I am learning English.
He is drinking tea.
She is playing cricket.
They are reading a book.
Each of the above sentences expresses an action that is continuing in the present time. Now mind that a Be Verb (am, is, are) is used after the Subject and before the Main verb in each of those sentences and ‘ing’ is added to each Main Verb which is followed by an Object. All those sentences are called to be in the Present Continuous Tense.
The Formation of a sentence of Present Continuous Tense is:
Subject + Be Verb (am/ is/ are) + Main Verb-ing (Present Participle) + Object (Extension).
The Present Continuous Tense is used:
(i) To express an action that is taking place at the time of speaking and not yet completed:
I am making a kite.
He is playing ball.
She is drinking milk.
They are cooking food.
The cows are grazing in the field.
The train is running along its way.
The baby is crying.
(ii) To express an arranged action (action decided to be undertaken) in near future:
Mr. Sen is leaving Dubai tomorrow morning.
They are starting for Bangladesh next Sunday.
Mr. Bhadra is flying to Tokyo to-night.
The boy is arriving the next morning.
(iii) To express an eager wish of the agent in persuing of some action in near future, or to mean likelihood (probability) of happening something in near future the ‘going to +verb’ form is used:
I am going to meet my parents in the evening.
We are going to win the match.
It is going to rain at night.
Note: There are some verbs of Perception as: see, smell, hear, notice, taste, recognise, love, hate, wish, want, feel, desire, like, forgive, believe, understand, think, realise, know, expect, suppose, recollect, care, refuse, gather, matter, mean, resemble, contain, belong, possess, consist, remember, observe, wonder etc. are not generally used in the Present Continuous Tense. These verbs are used in the Present Indefinite Tense instead of the Present Continuous Tense. Notice the following sentences:
I see a bird on the mango tree. (not, I am seeing a bird on the mango tree.)
The rose smells sweet. (not, ‘smelling sweet’)
Milk contains water.
The picture resembles that.
It seems it will rain.
I see them well.
I wonder to see the baby.
He wants a pen.
I think your idea is better.
Note -1: Though The Present Indefinite Tense and the Present Continuous Tense express the action of the Present time yet there are some differences between the two, as:
The Present Continuous Tense describes the actual moment of action. It denotes an action in progress.
Shila is painting a picture.
On the other hand, the Present Indefinite Tense does not really describe a present action. It is used for a general statement and to describe those actions that are habitual or natural or generally done without mentioning definite time.
Note-2: Mind that in a sentence of Present Continuous Tense the Present participle form of the main verb is used. The Present Participle is formed by adding -ing to the present form (root form/ first form) of a verb, as:
play +ing = playing
write + ing = writing
live + ing = living
draw + ing =drawing.
Notice that when ‘-ing’ is added (at the end) to a verb there occurs some spelling change to the verb as shown under:
(i) When ‘ing is added to a verb ending in ‘e, the last ‘e’ is omitted:
take + ing = takingsave +ing = saving
make+ ing = makinggive + ing = giving.
(ii) if a verb ends in ‘ee’ then they (ee) are not omitted:
see + ing = seeing
flee + ing =fleeing
agree + ing =agreeing
(iii) If a verb is made of one syllable having only one vowel and if its last letter is a consonant then the consonant becomes double while ‘ing is added to it:
dig + ing= digging
get + ing =getting
hit + ing = hitting
spin + ing = spinning
put + ing =putting
sit + ing = sitting
stop + ing = stopping
run + ing = running.
(iv) If a verb is made of two or more syllables having only one vowel in the last syllable and if its last letter is a consonant then the consonant becomes double while ‘ing’ is added to it:
confer + ing = conferring
prefer + ing = preferring
admit + ing = admitting
begin + ing = beginning
(v) If a verb ends in ‘l’ preceded by a vowel, then the ‘l’ becomes double while ‘ing is added to it:
travel + ing = travelling
signal + ing = signalling
control + ing = controlling
(vi) If a verb ends in ‘ie’, it changes to ‘y’ while ‘-ing is added to it:
lie + ing = lying die + ing = dying.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Present Continuous Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I am writing. We are writing.
2nd You are writing. You are writing.
3rd He is writing. They are writing.
The Present Perfect Tense
Mind the following sentences:
Mina has drunk the cup of tea.
The students have attended the seminar.
You have done the sum.
She has gone there.
Each of the above sentences expresses an action that has already been completed. Notice that each of those sentences is composed of a Subject followed by an Auxiliary Verb (have/ has), then the Main verb (past participle form) and then Object. All these sentences are said to be in the Present Perfect Tense. The Present Perfect Tense denotes an action that took place within a given period that extends to and includes the present moment; It does not tell us when the completed action took place. It simply refers to the present result of an activity or experience in the past.
The Formation of a sentence of Present Perfect Tense may be shown as:
Subject + have/ has (Auxiliary Verb)+ Main Verb (Past Participle) + Object (Extension).
The Present Perfect Tense is used:
(i) To Express an action that has just been completed
The boy has drunk the cup of milk.
She has posted the letter.
I have done my homework.
He has learnt the lesson.
(ii) To indicate an action that has been continuing from the past up to the present moment. This is called the Continuative use of the Present Perfect Tense. In such a sentence, the time of the referred action is expressed.
He has listened to the radio for two hours.
She has lived in Chennai for five years.
He has been in this post since 2011.
(iii) To indicate a past action whose time is not given (not definite):
I have visited the Qutub Minar.
They have seen the Tajmahal.
Have you found your pen?
She has done her homework.
(iv) To express the sense of Future Perfect Tense when preceded by ‘after’, ‘when’ etc.
We will visit Rangpur of Assam after we have completed our visit to Tehran.
I shall see your kite when I have finished my study.
(v) The Present Perfect Tense is used with the Adverbials like already, just now, lately, yet, ever, never etc.
I have arrived just now.
The boys have already submitted their assignments.
Gurudas has returned from Beijing lately.
He has not performed his duty yet.
I have never seen the Great Wall of China.
(vi) It is used with ‘since’ and ‘for’ in a Negative sentence:
I have not met Rajesh for the last two years.
He has not learnt the Greek Alphabet since November.
Note: The Adverbs ‘since’ and ‘for’ is used with the Present Perfect Tense and Present Perfect Continuous Tense to indicate time.
‘For’ is used to indicate a period of time as: for a week, for a month, for a year, for eight hours, for a long time.
I have not seen my friend for a week.
They have been here for a month.
He has read the lesson for eight hours at a stretch.
They have lived there for a long time.
‘Since’ implies a point of time. It refers to ‘from that point to the time of speaking’, as: since 8. am since Monday last.
We have known each other since our student life.
He has felt a headache since yesterday.
Sometimes the sense of the Present Perfect Tense is meant by Intransitive Verbs like come, arrive, rise, go etc.
He is come = He has come.
He is gone = He has gone.
The Sun is risen = The Sun has risen.
I am come = I have come.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Present Perfect Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I have written. We have written.
2nd You have written. You have written.
3rd He/She has written. They have written.
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Mind the following sentences:
I have been drawing a picture for three hours.
He has been suffering from fever since Sunday last.
It has been raining for two hours.
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to indicate that an action has been going on for some time and is not completed yet. It may denote that an action (i) began sometime ago in the past, (ii) is continuing in the present and (iii) may extend to the future.
The formation of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense is:
Subject + have been/ has been + Main Verb-ing + Object (Extension).
Note: ‘Since’ or ‘for’ is generally used with the Present Perfect Continuous Tense as Adverbs of Time.
The Earth has been revolving round the Sun since the beginning of Creation.
We have been living in London since 1971.
I have been learning English throughout my life.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I have been writing. We have been writing
2nd You have been writing. You have been writing.
3rd He has been writing. They have been writing.
The Past Indefinite Tense
Mind the following sentences:
I ate rice.
You drank tea.
He made a kite.
They learnt Sanskrit.
He did the work.
Each of the above sentences indicates an action of the past. Notice that the verbs used in those sentences are in past forms. The Past Indefinite Tense is used for the relation of past events. It is used to indicate an action completed in the past. There is often an Adverb of Time denoting past tense in the sentence.
The formation of the Past Indefinite Tense is:
Subject + Main Verb (past form) + Object (Extension).
The Past Indefinite Tense is generally used:
(i) To express an event that occurred or done or completed in the past:
Cholera came out last year.
He came here an hour ago.
He drank tea in the morning.
(ii) To indicate a series of activities, each one separately, in case the context is clear:
I came, I saw, I conquered.
Rajesh went to market, purchased a Sports Magazine, sat under a banyan tree by the street, read thoroughly and returned home.
(iii) To express a habitual action in the past:
He worked hard. = He used to work hard.
Socrates held his class in the open street. (Socrates used to hold his class in the open street.
(iv) To express a polite request:
Could you please lend me your umbrella?
Would you please despatch the package soon?
Would you please show me the way?
(v) To denote an action actually going on in the past:
Nero fiddled while Rome burnt.
The girls danced while the boys sang.
I worked while he ran.
(vi) It is used with ‘as if’, ‘as though’, ‘I wish’ and similar expressions to express an unreal past, an improbable wish or a mere supposition:
I wish I were on the Moon.
I wish I were the President of India.
He behaved as if he knew everything.
I wish I knew your whereabouts.
He talked as if he was the leader of the team.
(vii) It is used after the expression, ‘It is time’:
It is time we played.
It is time we started for home.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Past Indefinite Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I wrote. We wrote.
2nd You wrote. You wrote.
3rd He wrote. They wrote.
The Past Continuous Tense
Mind the following sentences:
He was eating rice.
Ram was going to school.
It was raining when we were in the field.
She was reading a newspaper.
Each of the above sentences expresses that action was going on for sometime in the past. Each of them is said to be in the Past Continuous Tense.
The Formation of the Past Continuous Tense is:
Subject + Be Verb (‘was’ or ‘were’ according to the Subject, number and person) + Main Verb -ing + Object/Extension.
The Past Continuous Tense is used:
(i) To express an action going on for sometime in the past:
He was playing ball.
I was making a doll.
He was sewing a shirt.
She was singing a song.
(ii) To express an action going on for sometime during which something took place:
The phone rang while we were talking.
It was raining heavily while we were in the market.
The bus knocked down the dog while it was crossing the road.
(iii) To describe two actions going on simultaneously in the past:
My friends were playing carom while I was reading a novel.
While I was bathing, my sister was singing.
While Jenni was knitting a sweater, John was fiddling.
(iii) If two actions were going on in the past and one got completed before the other then the Past Indefinite Tense is used for the completed action and the Past Continuous Tense is used to express the remaining one:
It was raining when we went out of home.
I saw a snake while I was walking in the garden.
(iv) The Past Continuous Tense is used to denote some planning done in the past time:
He read hard for he was appearing in the test last year.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Past Continuous Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I was writing. We were writing.
2nd You were writing. You were writing.
3rd He was writing. They were writing.
The Past Perfect Tense
Mind the following expressions:
Ram had eaten rice before they began to work.
Hari had left the place before Rabi came.
She did the sum after Tapan had drunk tea.
Each of the above sentences has expressed two actions (expressed in two clauses) one of which is completed before the other in order of time. The action that happened earlier is expressed in the Past Perfect Tense.
The Past Perfect Tense is used to express an action already completed at some time in the past before another past action. It denotes that (i) two actions took place in the past, (ii) one of them took place before the other and (iii) the earlier action is expressed by the Past Perfect Tense and the later action by the Past Indefinite Tense. Generally ‘before’ or ‘after’ is used between the clauses if one is in the Past Indefinite Tense and the other is in the Past Perfect Tense. Mind well that Past Perfect Tense is used in the clause preceding ‘before’ and following ‘after’.
The Formation of the Past Perfect Tense is:
Subject + had + Past Participle form of the Main Verb + Object/Extension.
The Past Perfect Tense is used:
(i) To indicate that one action took place before another in the past:
The bus had started before we reached the station.
We reached the station after the train had left.
The patient had died before the physician came.
The physician came after the patient had died.
(ii) The Past Perfect Tense is used after ‘if’ or ‘I wish’ if relates to a past activity that is unreal or a mere supposition:
I wish I had invited my colleagues.
If you had eaten the cup of liquid, you would have died.
She wishes she had helped the boy with her books.
(iii) The Past Perfect Tense replaces the Past Indefinite Tense and the Present Perfect Tense in Indirect Narration if the Reporting verb is in the Past Tense.
Peter said to Charles “I have visited the Pyramids.”
Peter said to Charles that he had visited the Pyramids.
Rahman said to Rekha, “I did the work.”
Rahman said to Rekha that he had done the work.
(iv)The Past Perfect Tense is used before the conjunction ‘before’ and after the conjunction ‘after’ in a sentence made up of two clauses:
He had come before I came.
Hari went after I had come.
Note: The conjunctions used to join two actions: one Past Perfect and the other Past Indefinite are when, before, after, until, no sooner ………….. than etc. For example:
When he had come to the place, he hid the purse there.
No sooner had he seen the tiger than he ran off.
He had waited here until I came back.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Past Perfect Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I had written. We had written.
2nd You had written. You had written.
3rd He had written. They had written.
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Mind the following expressions:
He had been working in the industry before he fell ill.
I had been writing a letter for two hours yesterday.
The child had been playing for three hours last night.
Marry had been driving the car for eight hours that day.
Each of the above sentences has expressed an action that began in the past and was still going on to a given moment in the past. These sentences are called to be in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense.
The Formation of the Past Perfect Continuous Tense is:
Subject + had been + Main Verb-ing (Present Participle) + Object/Extension.
Notice the following more examples:
Ankana had been reading in the school before she left for Dubai.
We had been playing cricket before it rained.
Mr. Sen had been serving as a lecturer in Cambridge University before he became a Fellow of Oxford University.
My friend had been suffering from fever for three months before he died.
The train had been running in full swing before it met with the accident.
They had been playing hockey when the quarrel began.
He had been doing nothing before he got this job.
I had been writing a poem since 7 a.m.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I had been writing. We had been writing.
2nd You had been writing. You had been writing.
3rd He had been writing. They had been writing.
The Future Indefinite Tense
Mind the following expressions:
I shall eat rice.
He will come here tomorrow.
They will play tennis in the evening.
I shall go home next week.
Mira will not dance in the programme.
Each of the above sentences denotes an event or action that will be performed or happened in some future time. These expressions are said to be in the Future Indefinite Tense.
The Formation of Future Indefinite Tense is:
Subject + shall/ will + Main Verb (present form) + Object/Extension.
The Future Indefinite Tense is used:
(i) To denote speeches, ideas, actions to be done in future time. The time of action may or may not be mentioned:
He will do the sum.
The bus will arrive on time.
You will do it before they come.
I shall do it by noon.
The baby will play with his brother in the evening.
Note: In case of making sentences in Future Tense the Auxiliary Verb ‘shall’ or ‘will’ is used after the Subject and before the Main Verb. ‘Shall’ is generally used after first person in both numbers and ‘will is used in second and Third person in both numbers.
(ii) Sometimes Future Indefinite Tense is used to express usual happenings or universal truths:
Death will continue to follow them who are living.
The Tributaries of the mighty Brahmaputra will swell when Summer comes.
Spring will come after winter.
(iii) Sometimes, especially in expressing some premeditated intention the ‘Be + going to + verb’ form is used instead of using ‘shall’ or ‘will’:
I am going to appear in the UPSC examination.
He is going to make an Orphan House.
I am going to purchase a new car next month.
He is going to America as an opportunity comes.
(iv) Future Indefinite Tense is used after Conditional Clause introduced by ‘if’ or ‘when’:
The cuckoo will appear in nature when spring comes.
If you do not learn well, you will fail.
Seeds will sprout when it is summer.
Unless he comes I will not go.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Future Indefinite Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I shall write. We shall write.
2nd You will write. You will write.
3rd He/She will write. They will write.
The Future Continuous Tense
Mind the following expressions:
I shall be eating rice.
He will be coming home from the market.
They will be playing badminton.
I shall be going there with my brother.
Mira will be dancing.
Each of the above sentences denotes an event or action that will be going on or that is likely to be going on in future time.
The Formation of Future Continuous Tense is:
Subject + shall be/ will be + Main Verb-ing (present participle) + Object/Extension.
The Future Continuous Tense is used:
(i) To denote some action to be going on at any time in future:
I shall be studying Greek literature.
He will be roaming there.
(ii) To denote some action to be done at any fixed time in future:
I shall be taking bath at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
We will be singing a song the whole next evening.
He will be fiddling all day long since January next.
The main use of Future Continuous Tense is to express a future action without intention. It differs from the Present Continuous Tense in the following points:
(a)The Present Continuous Tense implies a deliberate present action that is going on to some indefinite or expected future time.
(b) The Future Continuous Tense is less definite and more causal than the Present Continuous Tense.
(c) The Present Continuous Tense is used only with a definite time and for near future. But the Future Continuous Tense is used with or without a definite time and for the near or far future.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Future Indefinite Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I shall be writing. We shall be writing.
2nd You will be writing. You will be writing.
3rd He will be writing. They will be writing.
The Future Perfect Tense
Mind the following expressions:
I shall have eaten rice before he comes.
He will have gone there while Rajen leaves us.
They will have played badminton by this time the next day.
I shall have done this tomorrow.
Mira will have danced before she begins to sing.
I shall have read John Keat’s poems by the end of the year.
The match will have started before you reach the station.
The ticket counter will have closed by 10. a.m.
Each of the above sentences denotes an event or action that is supposed to have been completed in the future before (or by the time) something happens. These expressions are said to be in the Future Perfect Tense.
The Future Perfect Tense is used in the expression in which some action of future time is supposed to have been finished or over a certain point of time in the future.
The Formation of Future Perfect Tense is:
Subject + shall have/ will have + Main Verb (past participle) + Object/Extension.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Future Perfect Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I shall have written. We shall have written.
2nd You will have written. You will have written.
3rd He will have written. They will have written.
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Mind the following expressions:
I shall have been doing the work for a week next month.
The bus will be running for three days before it reaches Westminster.
Nero will have been practising the guitar for three months next year.
If I had money enough, I shall have been helping the needy.
Had it not rained, we shall have been playing in the field.
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express an action that will be continuing or going on for sometime in the future until another action begins in future.
The Formation of Future Perfect Continuous Tense is:
Subject + shall have been/ will have been+ Main Verb-ing (present participle) + Object/Extension.
Now mind the Conjugation of the Verb ‘Write’ in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
Persons …… Singular …… Plural
1st I shall have been writing. We shall have been writing.
2nd You will have been writing. You will have been writing.
3rd He will have been writing. They will have been writing.
Note: The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is very rarely used except in some conditional actions.
EXERCISE
1. The Present Indefinite Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) The cat (like) milk. (ii) Hot air (rise) above. (iii) Rain (fall) from the clouds. (iv) An illustration (make) a book more comprehensive. (v) A vegetarian is a person who (do) not eat meat. (vi)The Hindustan Times (appear) everyday. (vii)Look ! here (come) the tiger. (viii) Fire (burn) everything. (ix) You (go) to school on foot. (x) Sita (like) horse riding. (xi) Sushanta (drink) a glass of water when he (go) to sleep. (xii) I (see) a brid on the tree.
2. The Present Continuous Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) The baby (cry) because its mother is away. (ii) He (feel) that he is wrong. (iii) Father (take) us to the zoo next Monday. (iv) Nabina often talk in the class, now she (talk). (v) She (have) a cold now. (vi) The boys (play) now in the field. (vii) Look! that man is (carry) a hare on his head. (viii) My mother (knit) a sweater for my sister. (ix) Where are you (go) now. (x) He (go) to market.
3. The Present Perfect Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) Madhu and Lewis (come) here just now. (ii) I not (see) him since last year. (iii) He (do) the work and is now taking rest. (iv) Hiren knows this place, he (be) here before. (v) I (forget) to bring my Identity Card. (vi) He (tell) me a comic story just now. (vii) I already (finish) the work. (viii) I not (meet) him for a month. (ix) I (see) the Tajmahal. (x) I (know) how wonderful the Taj is! (xi) You (work) for a long time. (xii) They (arrive). (xiii) The sun (set). (xiv) He (come). (xv) She (go).
4. The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) Mr. Babar (teach) in this college for the last ten years. (ii) He (play) on the violin for two hours. (iii) He (swim) in the river for an hour. (iv) Harsha (work) hard for the coming examination. (v) The girl (sing) for three hours. (vi) We (wait) for your arrival since noon. (vii) The old man (sleep) for seven hours. (viii)I (read) the newspaper for an hour. (ix) Haren (practise) the violin for the last three years. (x) I (do) this for the last five years.
2. Fill in the blanks with ‘for’ or ‘since’:
(i) What have you been doing ……………… morning? (ii) He has been staying in this house …………. the last five years. (iii) We have been sitting here ……………… two hours. (iv) I have known him ………………. his boyhood. (v) He has been reading this book ………… Tuesday last. (vi) He has been suffering from fever …………. a week. (vii) It has been raining heavily …………………. morning. (viii) We have been living here …………..many years. (ix) We have been playing cricket ……………7 o’clock. (x) Anupam has been studying French ………..the last five years.
5. The Past Indefinite Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) It is time we (go) home. (ii) During my student life, I (read) ten housr a day. (iii) It is time we (receive) our tuition. (iv) If I (be) there, I should haved helped you. (v) I wish I (be) the President of India. (vi) We (visit) Pakisthan two ears ago. (vii) I wish I (know) your address. (viii) He talked as if he (be) my boss. (ix) He (study) hard. (x)While the boy danced, the girls (sing).
6. The Past Continuous Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) When we started our journey this morning, the sun (shine). (ii)I got this photograph while I (search) my old box. (iii)When I met her first, she (work) in a hotel. (iv) When I met him in the street, he (go) to the cinema. (v) I (see) you that you (be) reading a novel. (vi) The cat (mew) all the night. (vii) He (work) all the evening. (viii)As he (cross) the road, a car knocked him down. (ix) The bus started while he (get) on. (x) The girl (jump) off the bus while it (move).
7. The Past Perfect Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i)The student (leave) the class after the teacher (go) out. (ii) I (go) to sleep after my cousin (leave). (iii) Lesson (start) after the teacher (enter) the class. (iv) We (go) home after we (complete) the work. (v) No sooner she (hear) the news than she fainted. (vi) Hardly he (go) out when a dog bit him. (vii)The bird (fly) away before the hunter shot it. (viii)No sooner I (start) than it began to rain. (ix)We did not know when he (leave) the place. (x) If you (go) there, you would have met him.
2. Rewrite the following sentences using ‘after’ in place of ‘before’:
(i) He had gone to the field before the match started. (ii) The sun had set before we started for the fair. (iii) The doctor had done it before I went there.
8. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense form:
(i) Anupam (play) on the guitar before his father came. (ii)She (recite) poems for more than two hours before it became dark. (iii)He (draw) a picture for three hours before my sister came in. (iv) The girls (play) before the sun set. (v)He (do) nothing before he took the job of a masonry. (vi) He (read) in the village school before he came to Delhi.
9. The Future Indefinite Tense
1. Put ‘shall’ or ‘will’ (which is suitable) in the blanks and fill in the blanks:
(i) Mr. Babar ………. teach us English. (ii)We ………. go to cinema this evening. (iii) They ………. visit the temple. (iv) We ………. play football. (v) We ………. read the novel. (vi) Ram and Shaym ………… do the work to-night. (vii) He …………. build a house. (viii) Tomorrow ……….. be Monday. (ix) They …………… come day after tomorrow. (x) I ……….. finish the work on Tuesday next.
10. The Future Continuous Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense forms:
(i) We (play) for our team even next year. (ii) I (work) till 12 p.m. to-night. (iii) I (write) to my friend shortly. (iv)They (play) a match with our team at this time tomorrow. (v)I (meet) Rahim at this time tomorrow. (vi) He (leave) for Calcutta in half an hour. (vii)He (learn) French till next January. (viii) I (read) a poem for the whole evening. (ix) He (write) a letter.
11. The Future Perfect Tense
1. Put the verbs in brackets into their correct tense forms:
(i) We (reach) home by now. (ii)The boy (take) her supper by 8.a.m. (iii)We (get) to Kanpur by this time tomorrow. (iv) We (leave) the place before sunset. (v)You (arrive) in Port Blair before 21st March.
12. The Future Perfect Continuous Tense
1. Rewrite the following sentences into Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
(i) I (like) this for all my life. (ii) He (do) the work till his end. (iii) He (be) working as long as he is living. (iv) He will have been reading this book till Ram (return). (v) I (learn) the lesson till I (get) proficiency in it.
13. Miscellaneous
1. Put the verbs in the brackets in correct Tense forms:
(i) He (come) tomorrow morning. (ii) Look at the sky, it (go) to rain. (iii) Mahatma Gandhi (be)a great man of India. (iv) He (go) to Chennai next month. (v) He (come) here four years ago. (vi) She (go) to school on foot. (vii) Don’t disturb the baby, he (be) sleeping. (viii) We (know) each other for many years. (ix) The train (leave) before we (reach) the station.
0 0 0
N.B. The article ‘Tense’ originally belongs to the book ‘School English Grammar Part- I‘ by Menonim Menonimus.
Books of Composition by M. Menonimus:
- Advertisement Writing
- Amplification Writing
- Note Making
- Paragraph Writing
- Notice Writing
- Passage Comprehension
- The Art of Poster Writing
- The Art of Letter Writing
- Report Writing
- Story Writing
- Substance Writing
- School Essays Part-I
- School Essays Part-II
- School English Grammar Part-I
- School English Grammar Part-II..
Books of S. Story by M. Menonimus:
Books of Biography by M. Menonimus:
- The World Writers-Brief Biographies
- Introduction to World Writers
- Introduction to World Personalities
- Love of Reputed Persons ..
Books on Linguistics by M. Menonimus:
- A Brief History of the English Language
- Essays on Linguistics
- My Imageries
- Felicitous Expression: Some Examples
- Learners’ English Dictionary
Related Search:
- Home English Grammar
- Learn English
- Grammar-English for Students
- Easy English Grammar
- Basic English Grammar Lessons
- A Beginner’s Guide to Basic English Grammar …
- Classification of Verbs
- Comprehensive List of Verbs
- List of Verbs
- Auxiliary Verbs
- Auxiliary Verbs-Explore Definition
- Verbs -The Definite Guide
- Auxiliary Verbs Explained
- Special Verbs
- Finite and Non-finite Verbs
- Finite Verb Definition and Examples
- Non-finite Verbs
- Tag Questions
- Question Words and Question Tags
- Adverbs and Adverbials
- Adverb
- Adverbials
[…] Tense […]