ARTICLES

SIMPLE PRESENT
For Singular:
→ Sub + V1 + s/es + Obj. (Affirmative)
For Ex – She writes a letter
→ Sub + does not + V1 + Obj. (Negative)
For Ex – She does not write a letter.
→ Does + Sub + V1 + Obj. + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Does she write a letter?
→ Does + Sub + not + V1 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative - Negative)
For Ex – Does she not write a letter?
For Plural:
→ Sub + V1 + Obj (Affirmative)
For Ex – They play cricket.
→ Sub + do not + V1 + Obj (Negative)
For Ex – They do not play cricket.
→Do + Sub + V1 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Do they play cricket?
→ Do + Sub + not + V1 + obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative - Negative)
For Ex – Do they not play cricket?
Uses: (b) There rings the bell!
1. To show Habitual Actions 5. In newspaper headlines and commentary of
For Ex – (a) He goes out for a walk every day. sports.
(b) My father visits temple thrice a week. For Ex – (a) India launches a satellite.
2. To show General truth/Universal truth/ (b) Sachin hits a boundary.
permanent truth etc.
For Ex – (a) The sun rises in the east. 6. To describe the events that occurred in past in
(b) Wate r boils at 100°C. a dramatic way.
3. To show imperative sentences. For Ex – (a) India uproots the British Empire.
For Ex – (a) Always obey your parents. (b) Alexander defeats Paurus.
(b) Do not play on the road. 7. This Tense is also used to express professional
4. In exclamatory sentences which start with activities.
‘Here’ and ‘There’ For Ex – (a) A barber cuts hair.
For Ex – (a) Here comes the train! (b) A confectioner sells sweets.
 PRESENT CONTINUOUS
For Singular:
→ Sub + is + V1 ing + Obj (Affirmative)
For Ex – She is singing a song.
→ Sub + is not + V1 ing + Obj (Negative)
For Ex – She is not singing a song
→ Is + Sub + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Is she singing a song?
→ Is + Sub + not + V1 ing + Obj + (Interrogative – Negative)
For Ex – Is she not singing a song?
For Plural:
→ Sub + are + V1 ing + Obj. (Affirmative)
For Ex – They are playing cricket.
→ Sub + are not + V1 ing + Obj. (Negative)
For Ex – They are not playing cricket.
→ Are + Sub + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Are they playing cricket?
→ Are + Sub + not + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative)
For Ex – Are they not playing cricket?
Note: ‘Am’ is used as helping verb with I.
For Ex – I am reading a novel.
Uses:
1. To show a continuous action.
For Ex – (a) She is playing chess.
(b) They are not driving a car.
2. To show those actions which have following words
“Now, these days, now-a-days, still, at this time, at this moment, at present.”
For Ex – (a) Is she still reading?
(b) My mother is reading the Mahabharata now.
3. To denote a change of present state/situation into another.
For Ex – (a) Cars are becoming costlier day by day.
(b) She is getting more and more complicated.
4. To show those events/ actions that will take place in near future.
For Ex – (a) I am going on vacations tomorrow.
(b) She is getting married next week.
 PRESENT PERFECT

• This Tense is used to express those actions that have been finished
recently.
• Structure
• For singular:
• → Sub + has + V3 + Obj (Affirmative)
• For Ex – She has bought a house.
• → Sub + has not + V3 + Obj (Negative)
• For Ex – She has not bought a house.
• → Has + Sub + V3 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
• For Ex – Has she bought a house?
 Exercise
→ Has + Sub + not + V3 + Obj + ? (Interrogative – Negative)
For Ex – Has she not bought a house?
For Plural:
→ Sub + have + V3 + Obj (Affirmative)
For Ex – They have completed their work.
→ Sub + have not + V3 + Obj (Negative)
For Ex – They have not completed their work.
→ Have + Sub + V3 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Have they completed their work?
→ Have + Sub + not + V3 + Obj + ? (Interrogative – Negative)
For Ex – Have they not completed their work?
Note: I is used as ‘Plural’ in this type of Tense
For Ex – I have submitted my assignment
Uses:
1. To show the action that has just ended
For Ex – (a) I have written a letter
(b) Ishan has gone to Mumbai.
2. In sentences which consist the following:
“This/That/It is the first/second/third/best/worst”.
For Ex – (a) This is the worst novel, I have ever read.
(b) It is the best book, I have ever read.
3. To show those sentences which have the following words.
“Already, so far, as yet, yet, upto now, just, just now, recently, ever, lately”
For Ex – (a) I have already taken my lunch.
(b) Have you ever been to London?
Note: Generally, Present Perfect Tense does not take an adverb of Past time.
For Ex – ‘I have seen Amit yesterday’ is wrong.
⇒ Simple past is used when an adverb of past is mentioned.
Therefore, the correct usage of sentence given above should be as follows:
‘I saw Amit yesterday.’
 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

• Present perfect Continuous

• This type of Tense is used to express those actions that had begun in the
past and are still in progress.
• Structure:
• For Singular:
• → Sub + has been + V1 ing + Obj. + since/for + Time being. (Affirmative)
• For Ex – (a) Ram has been living here since 1993
• (b) Ram has been living here for last ten years.
• → Sub + has not been + V1 ing + Obj. + since/for + Time being. (Negative)
• For Ex – (a) Ram has not been living here since 1993.
• (b) Ram has not been living here for last ten years.
• → Has + Sub + been + V1 ing + Obj + since/for + Time being + ‘?’
(Interrogative)
• For Ex – (a) Has Ram been living here since 1993?
• (b) Has Ram been living here for last ten years.
• → Has + Sub + not + been + V1 ing + Obj + since/for + Time being +
‘?’ (Interrogative -
• Negative)
• For Ex – (a) Has Ram not been living here since 1993?
• (b) Has Ram not been living here for last ten years.
For Plural: morning?
→ Sub + have been + V1 ing + Obj. + since/for + (b) Have they been singing for two hours?
Time being. (Affirmative)
→ Have + Sub + not + been + V1 ing + Obj. +
For Ex – (a) They have been singing since since/for + Time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative -
morning. Negative)
(b) They have been singing for two hours. For Ex – Have they not been singing for two
→ Sub + have not been + V1 ing + Obj. + hours?
since/for + Time being. (Negative)
Note: ‘I’ is used as plural in this tense
For Ex – (a) They have not been singing since For Ex – I have been cleaning the room since
morning. morning.
(b) They have not been singing for two hours. Note: (a) ‘since’ is used to represent ‘Point of
→ Have + Sub + been + V1 ing + Obj. + since/for time’
+ Time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
(b) ‘for’ is used to represent ‘Period of time’
For Ex – (a) Have they been singing since
• Uses:
• 1. To show those actions that had begun in the past and are still in
progress.
• For Ex – The baby has been sleeping since morning.
• 2. It can be used with time phrases like
• “for, since, long, how long, all the time, all week, etc.
• For Ex – (a) For how long have you been eating?
• (b) She has been crying all the time.
PAST SIMPLE
Uses: 3. This Tense is used in conditional
1. To Show a past action. sentences to indicate a condition which
is unlikely to occur.
For Ex – (a) I wrote a letter yesterday.
For Ex – (a) I wish I knew singing.
(b) She came last week.
(b) If Ravi came we would congratulate
Note: Following words are used in Past him.
Indefinite Tense.
4. With the phrase
“Yesterday, ago, last, the other day, the
day before, etc.” “It is time, It is high time, It is about
time”
2. To show a past habit.
For Ex – (a) It is time you repaired the
For Ex – (a) I played cricket in my A/c.
childhood.
(b) It is about time you got a haircut.
(b) She always prayed to God.
 PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

This Tense is used to express an action which was in progress for some
time in the past.
Structure:
For singular:
→ Sub + was + V1 ing + Obj (Affirmative)
For Ex – She was calling me.
→ Sub + was not + V1 ing + Obj (Negative)
For Ex – She was not calling me.
→ Was + Sub + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Was she calling me?
→ Was + Sub + not + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative - Negative)
For Ex – Was she not calling me?
For Plural:
→ Sub + were + V1 ing + Obj (Affirmative)
For Ex – They were watching a movie.
→ Sub + were not + V1 ing + Obj (Negative)
For Ex – They were not watching a movie.
→ Were + Sub + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Were they watching a movie?
→ Were + Sub + not + V1 ing + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative)
For Ex – Were they not watching a movie?
Note: ‘I’ is used as singular Subject in this Tense.
For Ex – I was writing a letter
• Uses:
• 1. This Tense is used when two actions were simultaneously in
progress in the past.
• For Ex – (a) While she was preparing lunch, I was taking shower.
• (b) While I was reading, my wife was watching T.V.
• 2. This Tense is also used in combination with Simple past
• For Ex – (a) While I was walking in the fields, I found a mobile phone.
• (b) When I was going to school, a dog bit me.
 PAST PERFECT

This Tense expresses an action which has been For Ex – He had not left for USA.
completed (a long time ago) in the Past. → Had + Sub + V3 + Obj. + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
Structure:
For Ex – Had he left for USA?
The structure of sentences with singular/Plural → Had + Sub + not + V3 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative
Subject remains same in Past Perfect Tense. – Negative)
→ For Singular ( ) For Ex – Had he not left for USA?
Sub had V3 Obj. Affirmative For Plural
+++

For Ex – He had left for USA.

→ Sub + had not + V3 + Obj. (Negative)
• Uses:
• 1. When two actions occur in the past, one after the other, then, the first
action is expressed in Past
• perfect Tense and the second action is expressed in Simple Past Tense.
• For Ex – (a) The patient had died before the doctor came.
• (b) He came after she had gone.
• 2. To express some unfulfilled wish in the Past.
• For Ex – (a) I had hoped that he would pass.
• (b) She had expected his arrival, but he did not come.
 PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Structure: (b) She had not been watching T.V. since 2.00 PM.
The structure of sentences with singular/Plural → Had + Sub + been + V1 ing + since/for + Time
subject remains same in Past Perfect Continuous being + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
Tense. For Ex – (a) Had she been watching T.V. for two
→ For Singular hours?
For Plural}Sub + had been + ing + obj + Since/for + (b) Had she been watching T.V. since 2:00 PM?
time V being. (Affirmative) 1 → Had + Sub + not + been + V1 ing + Obj +
Since/for + Time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative –
For Ex – (a) She had been watching T.V. for two
hours. Negative)
(b) She had been watching T.V. since 2 p.m. For Ex – (a) Had she not been watching TV for two
→ Sub + had not been + V1 ing +Obj + Since/for hours?
+ Time being (Negative) (b) Had she not been watching T.V. since 2:00 PM.
For Ex – (a) She had not been watching T.V. for
Two hours.
• Uses:
• 1. It is used to express a repeated action in the past.
• For Ex – (a) I had been trying to contact you.
• (b) He had been trying to get a good job.
• 2. It is used to express an action that had happened in the past and its
effects were still visible in the
• past.
• For Ex – (a) She had been playing tennis when the news of her selection
came in.
• (b) I had been reading novel for 2 hours, when she asked me about its plot.
 FUTURE SIMPLE

• This Tense expresses an action that is expected to be finished in near future.

• Structure:
• Note: The structure of sentences with singular/plural subject remains same in future Indefinite
• Tense.
• → For Singular
• For Plural}Sub + will + V + obj. (Affirmative) 1
• For Ex – (a) She will call you.
• (b) They will call you.
• → Sub + will not + V1 + Obj. (Negative)
• For Ex – She will not call you.
• → Will + Sub + V1 + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
• For Ex – Will she call you?
For Ex – Will she not call you?
Note: Now a days, only ‘will’ is used as helping verb in future Tense
because the usage of ‘Shall’ has
gone out of style in modern English. Though ‘Shall is still used sometimes.
Note: Use of Shall/will is explained in modals.
Uses:
To show conditional actions that have adverb clause, Present
Indefinite Tense along with ‘unless, until,
when, if’
For Ex – (a) Unless she works hard, she will not pass.
(b) If you run fast, you will win the race.
 FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
This Tense used to express an action that will be in progression in Future.
Structure:
The structure of sentences with singular/Plural subject remains same in future continuous
Tense.
For Singular
For Plural
→ Sub + will be + V1 ing + Obj. (Affirmative)
For Ex – She will be cooking food at this time tomorrow.
→ Sub + will not be + v1 ing + Obj. (Negative)
For Ex – She will not be cooking food at this time tomorrow.
→ Will + Sub + be + V1 ing + ‘?’ (Interrogative)
For Ex – Will she be cooking food at this time tomorrow?
→ Will + Sub + not + be + V1 ing + Obj + ‘?’ (Interrogative – Negative)
For Ex – Will she not be cooking food at this time tomorrow?
 FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

This Tense expresses those actions that will For Ex – Will she not have submitted her project
certainly be finished at a point in future. by Monday?
Structure: Note: In future perfect Tense, when an action is
expected to be completed in near future, till/by
→ Sub + will have + V3 + Obj (Affirmative)
are
For Ex – She will have submitted her project by
Monday. used before the adverb of future.

→ Sub + will not have + V3 + Obj (Negative) For Ex – “by tomorrow, till next week, by
Monday”
For Ex – She will not have submitted her project
Uses:
by Monday.
→ Will + Sub + have V3 + Obj + ‘?’ To show an action in which ‘when’ or ‘before’ is
(Interrogative) followed by present Tense.

For Ex – Will she have submitted her project by For Ex – (a) I will have completed this task before
Monday? she comes.
(b) He will have reached school before the bell
→ Will + Sub + not + have + V3 + Obj + ‘?’
rings.
(Interrogative – Negative)
 FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

This Tense is used to express an action that → Will + Sub + not + have been + V1 ing + Obj +
continues upto some point of time in future. since/for + time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative
Structure: – Negative)
→ Sub + will have been + V1 ing + Obj. + For Ex – Will she not have been washing clothes
Since/for + Time being (Affirmative) for 3 hrs?
For Ex – She will have been washing clothes for 3 Note: Future perfect progressive denotes
hours. continuous action while future perfect denotes
→ Sub + will not have been + V1 ing + Obj + completed
since/for + Time being (Negative) action.
For Ex – Will not have been washing clothes for 3 For Ex – (a) By the end of this month, I will have
hrs. been travelling for 6 months (Continuous
→ Will + Sub + have been + V1 ing + Obj + action)
Since/for + time being + ‘?’ (Interrogative) (b) By the end of this month, I will have travelled
For Ex – Will she have been washing clothes for 3 for 6 months (Completed Action)
hours?
1. That two and two (1)/ always made four cannot (2)/ be doubted. (3)/ No error (4)
2. Dipu hopes to become (1)/ an officer after he will complete (2)/ his higher education.
(3)/ No error (4)
3. Meenu along with her parents (1)/ is going to Mumbai tonight (2)/ because her eldest
brother is ill there. (3)/ No error (4)
4. He would not have (1)/ done all this if he had not been (2)/ instigated by his wife.(3)/
No error (4)
5. The teacher said to us that we (1)/ should stay at home (2)/ if it rains. (3)/ No error (4)
6. We observed that (1)/ the policeman chased a (2)/ thief at that moment. (3)/ No error
(4)
7. The police think that (1)/Luna may be there yesterday (2)/at the time of murder. (3)/
No error (4)
1. How much money (1)/ did you waste since the (2)/ death of your uncle? (3)/ No error
(4)
2. The labourers tired after a (1)/day’s work and (2)/ enjoying sound sleep. (3)/ No error
(4)
3. The boss satisfied to see (1)/ the neat work of (2)/ the secretary yesterday. (3)/ No
error (4)
4. While you were young, (1)/ you ought (2)/ to learn good habits. (3)/ No error (4)
5. When I visited (1)/ my friend he (2)/ had been sweeping the floor. (3)/ No error (4)
6. I was to catch (1)/ the first train, but had (2)/ to cancel the programme. (3)/ No error
(4)
7. When I met her (1)/ last year she was married (2)/ for three years. (3)/ No error (4)
8. On next Diwali they (1)/ will live together (2)/ for ten years. (3)/ No error (4)