Understanding Tense

Centre For Corporate

& Career
Advancement
SISTER NIVEDITA UNIVERSITY (SNU)
Table of contents
0
1 Introduction
What & Why
0
2 Rules
Learn the Rules before you break them.
0
3 Examples
Lots of them.
0
4 Exercises
Get Set Go!
0
5 Tips For Further Practice
The Cool Stuff!
01
Introduction
There are three primary tenses: past, present,
and future, each of which can be further divided
into simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect
continuous aspects.
 Tense: What is
it?
A tense is a form of the verb that allows you
to express time. The tense of the verb tells us
when an event or something existed or when
a person did something. Past, present, and
future are the three main types of tenses.
 Why do I need to learn
Tense?
Understanding and correctly Mastery of tenses allows speakers
using tenses is crucial for and writers to convey precise
meanings and relationships
effective communication as
between events in time.
they clarify the timing of
events.
02 Rules

Past Present future

Describes actions or Describes actions or Describes actions or
states that happened states that are states that will happen
and were completed in currently happening or in the future.
the past. are general truths.
 Present Tense
Indefinite/
simple Continuous
Sub+ main verb (s/es) + other words Sub+ am/is/are + main verb (ing) + o.w.
 He walks slowly.  He is walking slowly.
(add s/es when the subject is 3 rd person singular number)

Perfect
Perfect Continuous
Sub + have/has + been + m.v. (ing) + for/ since + o.w.
Sub + have/has + main verb (3rd form) + o.w
 He has been dancing for two hours.
 I have finished my speech.
 Past Tense
Indefinite/
simple Continuous
Sub+ main verb (past) + other words Sub+ was/were+ main verb (ing) + o.w.
 He walked slowly.  He was walking slowly.

Perfect
Perfect Continuous
Sub + had+ been + m.v. (ing) + for/ since + o.w.
Sub + had+ main verb (3rd form) + o.w
 He had been dancing for two hours.
 I had finished my speech before she came.
 Future Tense
Indefinite/
simple Continuous
Sub+ shall/will + main verb +o.w. Sub+ shall/will+ be + main verb (ing) + o.w.
 I shall go to Puri next summer.  He will be doing it.

Perfect
Perfect Continuous
Sub + shall/will+ have + main verb (3rd form) + o.w Sub + Shall/will + have + been + m.v. (ing) + for/ since + o.w.
 By the end of this year, he will have graduated from  By next July, I will have been working at this company for
university. ten years.
03 Examples
•She reads a book every day. (Simple Present)
•He plays the guitar beautifully. (Simple Present)
•They eat lunch at noon. (Simple Present)
•She is reading a book right now. (Present Continuous)
•He is playing the guitar at the moment. (Present Continuous)
•They are eating lunch together. (Present Continuous)
•She has read the book already. (Present Perfect)
•He has played the guitar for years. (Present Perfect)
•They have eaten lunch already. (Present Perfect)
•She has been reading the book for two hours. (Present Perfect Continuous)
•He has been playing the guitar since morning. (Present Perfect Continuous)
•They have been eating lunch for half an hour. (Present Perfect Continuous)
•She read the book yesterday. (Simple Past)
•He played the guitar last night. (Simple Past)
•They ate lunch at the new restaurant. (Simple Past)
•She was reading a book when I called her. (Past Continuous)
•He was playing the guitar when the lights went out. (Past Continuous)
•They were eating lunch when it started raining. (Past Continuous)
•She had read the book before the class started. (Past Perfect)
•He had played the guitar before the concert began. (Past Perfect)
•They had eaten lunch before the meeting. (Past Perfect)
•She had been reading the book for two hours when I arrived. (Past Perfect Continuous)
•He had been playing the guitar for an hour when his friend joined him. (Past Perfect Continuous)
•They had been eating lunch for twenty minutes when the phone rang. (Past Perfect Continuous)
•She will read the book tomorrow. (Simple Future)
•He will play the guitar at the party. (Simple Future)
•They will eat lunch at the new cafe. (Simple Future)
•She will be reading the book at 5 PM tomorrow. (Future Continuous)
•He will be playing the guitar at 6 PM. (Future Continuous)
•They will be eating lunch together at noon. (Future Continuous)
Negative &
Question
•She does not read a book every day. (Simple Present Negative)
•Does she read a book every day? (Simple Present Question)
•He does not play the guitar beautifully. (Simple Present Negative)
•They do not eat lunch at noon. (Simple Present Negative)
•Do they eat lunch at noon? (Simple Present Question)
•She is not reading a book. (Present Continuous Negative)
•Is she reading a book right now? (Present Continuous Question)
•They are not eating lunch together. (Present Continuous Negative)
•Are they eating lunch together? (Present Continuous Question)
•She has not read the book already. (Present Perfect Negative)
•Has she read the book already? (Present Perfect Question)
•They have not eaten lunch already. (Present Perfect Negative)
•Have they eaten lunch already? (Present Perfect Question)
•She has not been going to therapy for a month.(Present Perfect Continuous Negative)
•Has she been reading the book for two hours? (Present Perfect Continuous Question)
•They have not been eating lunch for half an hour. (Present Perfect Continuous Negative)
•She did not read the book yesterday. (Simple Past Negative)
•Did she read the book yesterday? (Simple Past Question)
•They did not eat lunch at the new restaurant. (Simple Past Negative)
•Did they eat lunch at the new restaurant? (Simple Past Question)
•She was not reading a book when I called her. (Past Continuous Negative)
•Was she reading a book when I called her? (Past Continuous Question)
•He was not playing the guitar when the lights went out. (Past Continuous Negative)
•Was he playing the guitar when the lights went out? (Past Continuous Question)
•They were not eating lunch when it started raining. (Past Continuous Negative)
•Were they eating lunch when it started raining? (Past Continuous Question)
•She had not read the book before the class started. (Past Perfect Negative)
•Had she read the book before the class started? (Past Perfect Question)
•He had not been doing anything for an hour when his friend joined him. (Past Perfect Continuous Negative)
•Had he been playing the guitar? (Past Perfect Continuous Question)
•She will not read the book tomorrow. (Simple Future Negative)
•Will she read the book tomorrow? (Simple Future Question)
•She will not be reading the book. (Future Continuous Negative)
•Will she be reading the book? (Future Continuous Question)
•Will they be eating lunch together at noon? (Future Continuous Question)
04 Exercises :
verbal/classwork
Tense Relay Race Tense Detective Story Circle
Practice different Identify and correct Create a story
tenses quickly and tense errors in collaboratively using
accurately. paragraphs. different tenses.

Transformation
Interviews Role Play Game
Practice forming Use tenses in a real-life Transform sentences
questions and answers context. from one tense to
in different tenses. another.
0 Ways to learn tense
5 faster
•Daily Journaling: Write daily entries summarizing past, present, and future activities.
•Flashcards: Use flashcards with verbs in different tenses for quick practice.
•Watch TV Shows: Note down sentences and identify their tenses while watching.
•Language Apps: Use apps like Duolingo or Babbel focused on tense exercises.
•Tense Charts: Create and regularly review tense charts for visual reinforcement.
•Interactive Quizzes: Take online quizzes specifically targeting tense usage.
•Teach Others: Explain tenses to a peer or friend to reinforce your understanding.
•Reading: Read books and underline different tenses, then rewrite sentences.
•Speak Out Loud: Practice speaking about your day using different tenses aloud.
“That is what learning is. You suddenly
understand something you’ve
understood all your life, but in a new
way.”
—Doris Lessing
Thank
you!
Keep on Learning