VERB TENSES AND THEIR USES

PRESENT TENSE D] Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Sentence Structure:
A] Simple Present Tense: subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb
Sentence Structure: (have) (has been) (base + ing)
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
(do) (base) Usage:
This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense.
Exceptions:
There is usually a connection with the present or now.
1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the
auxiliary.
There are basically two uses for the present perfect
2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add -s to the
continuous tense:
main verb OR -es to the auxiliary. NOT BOTH.
1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped. We
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for
use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about
questions and negatives.
an action that started in the past and stopped recently.
Usage: There is usually a result now.
We use the simple present tense when: 2. An action continuing up to now. We use the present
1. the action is general perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that
2. the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the started in the past and is continuing now. This is often
used with for or since.
past, present and future
3. the action is not only happening now
PAST TENSE
4. the statement is always true
A] Simple Past Tense
B] Present Continuous Tense: Sentence Structure:
Sentence Structure: +ve Sentences : subject + main verb
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past)
(be) (base + ing) -ve Sentences : subject + auxiliary verb + not +main verb
(did) (base)
Usage: Questions : auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (Did)
We use the present continuous tense to talk about: (base)
1. Action happening now
a. right now Usage:
b. around now (E.g.: Meera is learning to drive) We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a
2. Action in the future - We only use the present situation—an event—in the past. The event can be short or
continuous tense to talk about the future when we long. It does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be
have planned to do something before we speak. We a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in
have already made a decision and a plan before the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can
be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years
speaking.
(Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when:
C] Present Perfect Tense: 1. The event is in the past.
Sentence Structure: 2. The event is completely finished.
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb 3. We say (or understand) the time and/or place of the
(have) (past participle) event.

Usage: B] Past Continuous Tense

There is always a connection with the past and with the Sentence Structure:
present. There are basically three uses for the present subject + auxiliary verb (to be) + main verb
perfect tense: (was/were) (base + ing)
Usage:
1. Experience - We are not interested in when you did 1. The past continuous tense expresses action at a
something. We only want to know if you did it. particular moment in the past. The action started
2. Change or new information. before that moment but has not finished at that
3. Continuing situation - This is a state that started in the moment.
past and continues in the present (and will probably 2. We often use the past continuous tense to "set the
continue into the future). This is a state (not an action). scene" in stories. We use it to describe the background
We usually use for or since with this structure. situation at the moment when the action begins. Often,
the story starts with the past continuous tense and
We use “for” to talk about a period of time—5 minutes, 2 then moves into the simple past tense.
weeks, 6 years.
We use “since” to talk about a point in past time—9 o'clock,
1st January, Monday.
 VERB TENSES AND THEIR USES

3. We often use the past continuous tense with the simple For question sentences, we exchange the subject and
past tense. We use the past continuous tense to auxiliary verb.
express a long action. And we use the simple past tense
to express a short action that happens in the middle of Usage:
the long action. We can join the two ideas with when 1. We use the simple future tense when there is no plan
or while. or decision to do something before we speak. We make
E.g.: I was watching TV when you telephoned. the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking.
2. We often use the simple future tense with the verb to
We use: think before it. E.g.: I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
when + short action (simple past tense) 3. Prediction - We often use the simple future tense to
I was watching TV when you telephoned. make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no
(long action) (short action) firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen.
4. When the main verb is be, we can use the simple future
while + long action (past continuous tense) tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before
You telephoned me while I was watching TV. speaking.
(short action) (long action)
B] Future Continuous Tense
C] Past Perfect Tense Sentence Structure
Sentence Structure: subject + will + be + main verb
subject + auxiliary verb (to have) + main verb (base+ing)
(had) (past participle) For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we
For negative sentences in the past perfect tense, we insert insert not between will and be.
not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will.
sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb.
Usage:
Usage: The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular
The past perfect tense expresses action in the past before moment in the future. The action will start before that
another action in the past. This is the past in the past. moment but it will not have finished at that moment.
E.g.: When we arrived, the train had left.
You can sometimes think of the past perfect tense like the C] Future Perfect Tense
present perfect tense, but instead of the time being now the Sentence Structure
time is past. We often use the past perfect tense in reported subject + will + have + main verb
speech after verbs like said, told, asked, thought, wondered. (past participle)

D] Past Perfect Continuous Usage:

Sentence Structure: The future perfect tense expresses action in the future
subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb before another action in the future. This is the past in the
(had) (been) (base + ing) future. You can sometimes think of the future perfect tense
For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, like the present perfect tense, but instead of your viewpoint
we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. being in the present, it is in the future.
For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first
auxiliary verb. D] Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Sentence Structure:
Usage: subject + will + have + been + main verb
The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect (base + ing)
tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before
another action in the past. You can sometimes think of the Usage:
past perfect continuous tense like the present perfect We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a
continuous tense, but instead of the time being now the time long action before some point in the future.
is past.

FUTURE TENSE

A] Simple Future Tense

Sentence Structure:
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
(will) (base)
For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert
not between the auxiliary verb and main verb.