Tenses

  

We express our ideas mostly in terms of time. Tenses come to the aid of communicator in this regard.

There are three type of Tenses:

I) Present Tense

II) Past Tense

III) Future Tense

Each Tense has four sub categories. They are:

I) Present Tense

a) Simple Present

b) Present Continuous

c) Present Perfect

d) Present Perfect Continuous

II) Past Tense

a) Simple Past

b) Past Continuous

c) Past Perfect

d) Past Perfect Continuous

III) Future Tense

a) Simple Future

b) Future Continuous

c) Future Perfect

d) Future Perfect Continuous

English grammar has classified human beings, animals and things into 7 categories.

I, We, You, He, She, It and They.

‘I’ is called First Person Singular.

‘We’ is called First Person Plural. 

‘You’ is called Second Person Singular / Plural. 

‘He’ is called Third Person Singular. 

‘She’ is called Third Person Singular.

‘It’ is called Third Person Singular.

‘They’ is called Third Person Plural.

One should be extremely careful in the use of third person singular especially in Simple Present and Present Perfect Tenses.

Present Tense

(a) Simple Present:

This Tense is used to express the habits, daily routine and universal truths. In this tense the first form of the verb is used.

Taking the verb ‘eat’ we can make sentences in the following manner :

The formula for simple present is

                                                  Subject + V1

I eat an apple everyday. 

We eat apples everyday. 

You eat apples everyday. 

He eats an apple everyday. 

She eats an apple everyday. 

It eats an apple everyday. 

They eat apples everyday.

(b) Present Continuous:

This Tense is used to express an action which is continuing or taking place now. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for present continuous is

                                         Subject + Aux +V4 (ing form)

I am eating an apple now. 

We are eating apples now. 

You are eating an apple now. 

He is eating an apple now. 

She is eating an apple now. 

It is eating an apple now. 

They are eating apples now.

(c) Present Perfect:

 This Tense is used to express an action which is over just now or completed today. In this tense the third form of the verb is used.

The formula for present perfect is

                   Subject +Auxiliary Verb + V3 (Past Participle Form)

I have eaten an apple today. 

We have eaten apples today. 

You have eaten an apple today.

He has eaten an apple today.

She has eaten an apple today.

It has eaten an apple today.

They have eaten apples today.

(d) Present Perfect Continuous:

This Tense is used to express an action which began at some point of time in the past and is still continuing. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for present perfect continuous is:

                           Subject+Aux+Aux+V4(ing form)

I have been eating apples for the last three months. 

We have been eating apples for the last three months. 

You have been eating apples for the last three months. 

He has been eating apples for the last three months. 

She has been eating apples for the last three months.

It has been eating apples for the last three months. 

They have been eating apples for the last three months.

Past Tense

(a)  Simple Past :

This Tense is used to express an action which is over or completed at some point of time in the past. In this tense the second form of the verb is used.

The formula for simple past is

Subject + V2

I ate an apple yesterday.

We ate apples yesterday.

You ate an apple yesterday.

He ate an apple yesterday.

She ate an apple yesterday.

It ate an apple yesterday.

They ate apples yesterday.

(b)  Past Continuous:

This Tense is used to express an action which was continuing at some point of time in the past. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for past continuous is

Subject +Aux + V4(ing form)

I was eating an apple yesterday.

We were eating apples yesterday.

You were eating an apple yesterday.

He was eating an apple yesterday.

She was eating an apple yesterday.

It was eating an apple yesterday.

They were eating apples yesterday.

(c)  Past Perfect:

This Tense is used to express an action which was over long ago. In this tense the third form of the verb is used.

The formula for past perfect is

Subject +Aux + V3

I had eaten an apple six years ago.

We had eaten apples six years ago.

You had eaten an apple six years ago.

He had eaten an apple six years ago.

She had eaten an apple six years ago.

It had eaten an apple six years ago.

They had eaten apples six years ago.

(d)  Past Perfect Continuous:

This Tense is used to express an action which began at some point of time in the past, continued for some time and was subsequently discontinued. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for past perfect continuous is

Subject +Aux +Aux + V4(ing form)

I had been eating apples until last year.

We had been eating apples until last year.

You had been eating apples until last year.

He had been eating apples until last year.

She had been eating apples until last year.

It had been eating apples until last year.

They had been eating apples until last year.

Future Tense

(a)  Simple Future:

This Tense is used to express intention. In this tense the first form of the verb is used.

The formula for simple future is Subject + Aux + V1

I will eat an apple tomorrow. 

We will eat apples tomorrow. 

You will eat an apple tomorrow. 

He will eat an apple tomorrow. 

She will eat an apple tomorrow. 

It will eat an apple tomorrow. 

They will eat apples tomorrow.

Here it may be mentioned that strict grammar rules prefer the use of ‘shall’ for ‘I’ and ‘We’ – First person singular and plural. However, in interrogative sentences ‘shall’ has to be used with ‘I & We’ instead of ‘will’.

(b)  Future Continuous:

This Tense is used to express an action which is imagined to be continuing at some point of time in future. In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for future continuous is

Subject +Aux+Aux+ V4(ing form)

I will be eating an apple tomorrow in the evening.

We will be eating apples tomorrow in the evening.

You will be eating an apple tomorrow in the evening.

He will be eating an apple tomorrow in the evening.

She will be eating an apple tomorrow in the evening.

It will be eating an apple tomorrow in the evening.

They will be eating apples tomorrow in the evening.

 (c)  Future Perfect:

This Tense is used to express an action which is imagined to have been completed at some point of time in future. It may be noted that this tense is basically theoretical and rarely used. 

The formula for future perfect is

Subject+Aux+Aux+V3

I will have eaten an apple by this time tomorrow.

We will have eaten apples by this time tomorrow.

You will have eaten an apple by this time tomorrow.

He will have eaten an apple by this time tomorrow.

She will have eaten an apple by this time tomorrow.

It will have eaten an apple by this time tomorrow.

They will have eaten apples by this time tomorrow.

(d)  Future Perfect Continuous:

This Tense is used to express an action which is imagined to began at some point of time in future and continue for sometime. It may be noted that this tense is basically theoretical and rarely used.  In this tense the ‘ing’ form of the verb is used.

The formula for future perfect is

Subject+Aux+Aux+Aux +V4

I will have been eating apples from next year. 

We will have been eating apples from next year. 

You will have been eating apples from next year. 

He will have been eating apples from next year. 

She will have been eating apples from next year. 

It will have been eating apples from next year. 

They will have been eating apples from next year.