2. There are The Present
three The Past
Main tenses The Future
EACH TENSE HAS FOUR FORMS
SIMPLE: Present, Past, Future
CONTINUOUS: Present, Past, Future
PERFECT: Present, Past, Future
PERFECT CONTINUOUS: Present, Past, Future
3. USES
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE Repeated Actions
Present Form Of verb
Habitual Actions
OR
Present Form Of Verb
+ Universal Truth
‘s’ or ‘ es' ’
A Future Action
Examples: 6. Our school re-opens in July.
7. Ram doesn’t go to school .
1.I drink tea daily. 8. I don’t like to read sad
2. She drinks tea daily. stories.
3. I sing well. 9. Does he know the way?
4. She sings well. 10. Doesn’t he play rugby?
5. Honesty is the best policy.
4. Simple Present Present Continuous Present Perfect Present Perfect
I have played.
I am playing. Continuous
I play. I have been
playing
for two hours.
Simple Past Past Continuous Past Perfect Past Perfect
I played. I had played.
I was playing. Continuous
I had been playing
when you came.
Simple Future Future Continuous Future Perfect Future Perfect
I will have
I will play. I will be playing. Continuous
played. I will have been
playing
for two hours at
2 o’clock.
5. • PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
• Is, am, are + Present Participle
• Uses:
• To describe an action that :
Is happening at the moment of speaking.
Going on over a period of time.
• Examples:
• 1. It is raining.
• 2. She is watching her brother
play.
6. • PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
• has/ have +Past Participle
Uses:
• To describe an action:
Which has been completed
or done just now, near the present time.
An action that has taken place
• In the past, but the action has
• Its effect In the present.
An action that began in the past,
• and is continuing in the present.
• Examples:
1. He has eaten all the biscuits.
2. He has lived here for ten years.
7. • PRESENT PERFECT
• CONTINUOUS
# Has been/ have been +
• Present Participle
Use:
• To describe an action
• Which began in the past but
• Is still continuing in the
• present.
• Examples:
1. He has been sleeping for five hours.
2. They have been working
• since 9a.m.
8. PRESENT TENSE
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
SIMPLE PRESENT
I AM READING.
I/WE/THEY/YOU READ. YOU/WE/THEY ARE READING.
SHE/HE/IT READS. SHE/HE/IT IS READING.
PRESENT PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
I/ WE/ THEY/YOU HAVE BEEN
I/WE/THEY/YOU HAVE READ. READING +TIME.
SHE/HE /IT HAS READ. SHE/HE/IT HAS BEEN READING
+TIME.
9. COMMON MISTAKES IN TENSES
1.It is raining since yesterday. X
It has been raining since yesterday.
2. I reached the station before the train had arrived. X
I had reached the station before the train arrived.
3. Yesterday we had seen the movie. X
Yesterday we saw the movie.
4. I had been playing a match.
I had been playing a match yesterday, so
couldn’t go out with my friends.