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AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH TENSES
ENGLISH TENSES
Tenses highlight the state of action.
There are three types of tenses in English that are:
1. PRESENT TENSE
2. PAST TENSE
3. FUTURE TENSE
1. PRESENT TENSE:
I/WE/YOU/THEY= EAT, PLAY, WRITE, WATCH, DO, OBSERVE, TRAVEL, ATTEND, CLEAN, TEACH (etc etc).
I AM EATING. THEY ARE EATING. WE ARE EATING. YOU ARE EATING. I AM PLAYING. THEY ARE PLAYING.
YOU ARE PLAYING. WE ARE PLAYING.
I PLAY. THEY PLAY. WE PLAY. YOU PLAY. I EAT. WE EAT. THEY EAT. YOU EAT.
HE/SHE/IT/NAME (addition of S and ES) = EATS, PLAYS, WRITES, WATCHES, DOES, OBSERVES, TRAVELS,
ATTENDS, CLEANS, TEACHES (etc etc).
SHE IS EATING. HE IS EATING. JOHN IS EATING.
SHE EATS. HE EATS. JOHN EATS. SHE PLAYS. HE PLAYS. JOHN PLAYS.
I/WE/YOU/THEY: DO AND DO NOT
HE/SHE/IT/NAME: DOES AND DOES NOT
HE/SHE/IT/NAME: (no addition of S and ES with does and does not in sentences).
YOU ALWAYS DO YOUR WORK ON TIME. SHE DOES HER WORK ON TIME.
I DO MY HOUSE CHORES DAILY. HE DOES HIS WORK ON TIME.
I ALWAYS DO MY WORK ON TIME. HE DOES COOKING ON WEEKENDS.
WE ALWAYS DO OUR WORK ON TIME. SHE DOES COOKING AFTER WORK.
THEY ALWAYS DO THEIR WORK ON TIME. HE DOES A PART TIME JOB.
THEY DO A PART TIME JOB. JOHN DOES HIS WORK ON TIME.
WE DO A PART TIME JOB. JOHN DOES A PART TIME JOB.
NEGATIVE SENTENCE:
I/WE/YOU/THEY: DO AND DO NOT
 I DO NOT EAT. I DON’T EAT
 THEY DO NOT PLAY. THEY DON’T PLAY.
 WE DO NOT WRITE. WE DON’T WRITE.
 YOU DO NOT WATCH. YOU DON’T WATCH.
 THEY DO NOT OBSERVE. THEY DON’T OBSERVE.
 THEY DO NOT TRAVEL. THEY DON’T TRAVEL.
 I DO NOT DRIVE. I DON’T DRIVE.
 WE DO NOT COOK. WE DON’T COOK.
 I DO NOT/DON’T TEACH. I DON’T TEACH.
HE/SHE/IT/NAME (no addition of S and ES in negative sentences): DOES AND DOES NOT.
 SHE DOES NOT EAT. SHE DOESN’T EAT. SHE DOES HER WORK ON TIME.
 HE DOES NOT PLAY. HE DOESN’T PLAY. SHE DOES DRIVING AFTER WORK.

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 JOHN DOES NOT WRITE. JOHN DOESN’T WRITE. HE DOES COOKING ON WEEKENDS.
 SHE DOES NOT WATCH. SHE DOESN’T WATCH. JOHN DOES HIS WORK ON TIME.
 HE DOES NOT OBSERVE. HE DOESN’T OBSERVE.
 JOHN DOES NOT TRAVEL. JOHN DOESN’T TRAVEL.
 JOHN DOES NOT COOK. JOHN DOESN’T COOK.
 SHE DOES NOT DRIVE SHE DOESN’T DRIVE.
 HE DOES NOT TEACH. HE DOESN’T TEACH.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE:
I/WE/YOU/THEY:
 DO YOU TEACH?
 DO YOU PLAY?
 DO YOU DRIVE?
 DO YOU WRITE?
 DO YOU DRIVE?
 DO THEY TEACH?
 DO THEY PLAY?
 DO THEY DRIVE?
 DO THEY TRAVEL?
HE/SHE/IT/NAME:
 DOES HE TEACH?
 DOES SHE TEACH?
 DOES SHE WRITE?
 DOES HE WRITE?
 DOES SAMANTHA DRIVE?
 DOES JOHN COOK?
INTERROGATIVE NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
I/WE/YOU/THEY:
 DO YOU NOT/DO NOT YOU TEACH? DON’T YOU TEACH?
 DO YOU NOT/DO NOT YOU PLAY? DON’T YOU PLAY?
 DO YOU NOT/DO NOT YOU DRIVE? DON’T YOU DRIVE?
HE/SHE/IT/NAME:
 DOES HE NOT /DOES NOT HE TEACH? DOESN’T HE TEACH?
 DOES SHE TEACH/DOES NOT SHE TEACH? DOESN’T SHE TEACH?
 DOES SHE NOT/DOES NOT SHE WRITE? DOESN’T SHE DRIVE?
 DOES HE NOT/DOES NOT HE WRITE? DOESN’T HE WRITE?
 DOES SAMANTHA NOT/DOES NOT SAMANTHA DRIVE? DOESN’T SAMANTHA DRIVE?
 DOES JOHN NOT/DOES NOT JOHN COOK? DOESN’T JOHN COOK?
HAS AND HAS NOT; HAVE AND HAVE NOT:
I/WE/YOU/THEY= HAVE AND HAVE NOT.
HE/SHE/IT/NAME= HAS AND HAS NOT.
I/WE/YOU/THEY= I HAVE WRITTEN THE LETTER. THEY HAVE WRITTEN THE LETTER. WE HAVE WRITTEN
THE LETTER. JOHN HAS WRITTEN THE LETTER. I HAVE EATEN MY LUNCH. THEY HAVE EATEN THEIR
LUNCH. WE HAVE EATEN OUR LUNCH.
HE/SHE/IT/NAME= JOHN HAS EATEN HIS LUNCH. SHE HAS DONE HER HOMEWORK. HE HAS DONE HIS
HOMEWORK. HE HAS WRITTEN THE LETTER. SHE HAS WRITTEN THE LETTER.

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NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
I/WE/YOU/THEY= HAVE AND HAVE NOT
HE/SHE/IT/NAME= HAS AND HAS NOT
I/WE/YOU/THEY= I HAVE NOT WRITTEN THE LETTER. THEY HAVE NOT WRITTEN THE LETTER. WE HAVE
NOT WRITTEN THE LETTER.
HE/SHE/IT/NAME= SHE HAS NOT WRITTEN THE LETTER. HE HAS NOT WRITTEN THE LETTER. JOHN HAS
NOT WRITTEN THE LETTER.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
I/WE/YOU/THEY= HAVE THEY EATEN THEIR LUNCH? HAVE YOU DONE YOUR LUNCH? HAVE YOU DONE
YOUR HOMEWORK? HAVE THEY DONE THIER HOMEWORK? HAVE YOU DONE YOUR HOMEWORK?
HE/SHE/IT/NAME= HAS HE EATEN HIS LUNCH? HAS SHE EATEN HER LUNCH? HAS HE DONE HIS
HOMEWORK? HAS SHE DONE HER HOMEWORK? HAS JOHN DONE HIS HOMEWORK? HAS JOHN EATEN HIS
LUNCH?
INTERROGATIVE NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
I/WE/YOU/THEY:
 HAVE THEY NOT EATEN THEIR LUNCH? HAVEN’T THEY EATEN THEIR LUNCH?
 HAVE YOU NOT DONE YOUR HOMEWORK? HAVEN’T YOU DONE YOUR HOMEWORK?
HE/SHE/IT/NAME:
 HAS HE NOT EATEN HIS LUNCH? HASN’T HE EATEN HIS LUNCH?
 HAS SHE NOT EATEN HER LUNCH? HASN’T SHE EATEN HER LUNCH?
 HAS HE NOT DONE HIS HOMEWORK? HASN’T HE DONE HIS HOMEWORK?
 HAS SHE NOT DONE HER HOMEWORK? HASN’T SHE DONE HER HOMEWORK?
 HAS JOHN NOT DONE HIS HOMEWORK? HASN’T JOHN DONE HIS HOMEWORK?
 HAS JOHN NOT EATEN HIS LUNCH? HASN’T JOHN EATEN HIS LUNCH?
2. PAST TENSE
PAST TENSE INVOLVES THE USE OF SECOND FORM OF VERB.
SECOND FORM OF VERB= ATE, PLAYED, WROTE, WATCHED, TAUGHT, MADE, ARRANGED,
ATTENDED (etc, etc).
PAST TENSE INVOLVE THE FIRST FORM OF VERB WITH DID AND DID NOT.
I/WE/YOU/THEY/HE/SHE/IT/NAME: I PLAYED. SHE PLAYED. WE PLAYED. JOHN PLAYED. YOU PLAYED.
THEY PLAYED.
SHE ARRANGED THE WHOLE FUNCTION. I ARRANGED THE WHOLE FUNCTION. THEY ARRANGED THE
WHOLE FUNCTION. JOHN ARRANGED THE WHOLE FUNCTION.
NEGATIVE SENTENCE:
I/WE/YOU/THEY/HE/SHE/IT/NAME (USE OF DID NOT+ FIRST FORM OF VERB): I DID NOT PLAY. WE DID
NOT PLAY. JOHN DID NOT PLAY. THEY DID NOT PLAY. YOU DID NOT PLAY. HE DID NOT PLAY. SHE DID
NOT PLAY.
USE OF DID AND DID NOT+ FIRST FORM OF VERB:
 SHE DID THE WORK ON TIME.
 SHE DID NOT DO THE WORK ON TIME.
 THEY DID THE WORK ON TIME.
 THEY DID NOT DO THE WORK ON TIME.
 WE DID OUR WORK ON TIME.

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 I DID MY WORK ON TIME.
 I DID NOT DO THE WORK ON TIME.
 JOHN DID THE WORK ON TIME.
 JOHN DID NOT DO THE WORK ON TIME.
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
 SHE DID NOT DO HER WORK ON TIME.
 THEY DID NOT DO THEIR WORK ON TIME.
 WE DID NOT DO OUR TIME.
 I DID NOT DO MY WORK ON TIME.
 JOHN DID NOT DO HIS WORK ON TIME.
 SHE DID NOT ARRANGE THE WHOLE FUNCTION.
 THEY DID NOT ARRANGE THE WHOLE FUNCTION.
 JOHN DID NOT ARRANGE THE WHOLE FUNCTION.
 HE DID NOT ARRANGE THE WHOLE FUNCTION.
 I DID NOT ARRANGE THE WHOLE FUNCTION.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
 DID SHE DO HER WORK ON TIME.?
 DID THEY DO THEIR WORK ON TIME?
 DID HE DO HIS WORK ON TIME?
 DID JOHN DO HIS WORK ON TIME?
INTERROGATIVE NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
 DID NOT SHE DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME? DID’NT SHE DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME?
 DID NOT JOHN DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME? DIDN’T JOHN DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME?
 DID NOT HE DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME? DIDN’T HE DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME?
 DID NOT THEY DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME? DIDN’T THEY DO THE HOMEWORK ON TIME?
3. FUTURE TENSE
FUTURE TENSE IS ALL ABOUT: WILL+ FIRST FORM OF VERB.
WILL+BE +FIRST FORM OF VERB + ING.
I/WE/YOU/THEY/HE/SHE/IT/NAME/THEY: I WILL WRITE A LETTER. SHE WILL WRITE A LETTER. THEY
WILL WRITE A LETTER. JOHN WILL WRITE A LETTER. HE WILL WRITE A LETTER. YOU WILL WRITE A
LETTER.
 THE MOVIE WILL START AT 5.00 PM.
 THE MOVIE WILL NOT START AT 5.00 PM.
 THE MOVIE WILL BE STARTING AT 5.00 PM.
 WE WILL HAVE A TEST IN THE NEXT CLASS.
 WE WILL BE HAVING A TEST IN THE NEXT CLASS.
 THE BUS WILL ARRIVE AT 5.00 PM AT THE BUS STATION.
 THE BUS WILL NOT ARRIVE AT 500 PM AT THE BUS STATION.
 THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE COOKING COMPETITION.
 THEY WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE COOKING COMPETITION.
 SHE WILL WRITE A LETTER.
 SHE WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER.
 SHE WILL BE WRITING A LETTER.
 SHE WILL NOT BE WRITING A LETTER.
NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
SHE WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER. THEY WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER. JOHN WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER. HE
WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER. YOU WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER. I WILL NOT WRITE A LETTER.

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INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES:
 WILL SHE WRITE A LETTER?
 WILL HE WRITE A LETTER?
 WILL THEY WRITE A LETTER?
 WILL JOHN WRITE A LETTER?
 WILL YOU WRITE A LETTER?
 WILL WE WRITE A LETTER?
 WILL IT RAIN ON NEXT THURSDAY?
INTERROGATIVE NEGATIVE SENTENCES:
 WILL SHE NOT WRITE A LETTER? WILL SHE NOT BE WRITING A LETTER?
 WILL HE NOT WRITE A LETTER? WILL HE NOT BE WRITING A LETTER?
 WILL THEY NOT WRITE A LETTER? WILL THEY NOT BE WRITING A LETTER?
 WILL JOHN NOT WRITE A LETTER? WILL JOHN NOT BE WRITING A LETTER?
 WILL YOU NOT WRITE A LETTER? WILL YOU NOT BE WRITING A LETTER?
 WILL IT NOT RAIN NEXT THURSDAY? WILL IT NOT BE RAINING NEXT THRSDAY?
VOWELS:
WHAT ARE VOWELS?
The letters A, E, I, O, and U are called vowels.
WHAT IS THE RULE IN ENGLISH FOR THE WORDS THAT START WITH VOWELS?
The rule is to use ‘an’ before a vowel, use ‘an’ if the next word starts with a vowel.
 This is an apple.
 It is an ambiguous situation.
 This is an umbrella.
 It is an international brand.
 This is an edited version of the novel.
(The End)