GRAMMAR for all students including UG and PG

1. UNIT III
TENSES
By
Dr. M. Subitha Jeevanandam
Dept. of English,
E.M.G. Yadava Women’s
college,
Madurai -14

2. Tense is the form of a verb that tell us how an
action relates to the flow of time. There are three main
verb tenses:
o Present Tense
o Past Tense
o Future Tense
 The present, past and future tenses are divided into four
aspects:
- The Simple
- Continuous
- Perfect
- Perfect continuous

3. • And totally there are 12 tenses:
PRESENT TENSE :
1. Simple Present Tense
2. Present Continuous
3. Present Perfect
4. Present Perfect Continuous
PAST TENSE:
1. Simple Past Tense
2. Past Continuous
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Continuous
FUTURE TENSE:
1. Simple Future Tense
2. Future Continuous
3. Future Perfect
4. Future Perfect Continuous

4. 1. Simple Present Tense:
the simple present tense is the most important and useful tense
form.it is called the tense of Science because all the scientific and
universal truths are expressed in the present tense.
General form: Subject + am/is/are + verb/verb+s/verb+es
example: He/She/It/ singular subject ___ is/verb+s/verb+es
- He writes a letter.
- she plays veena
We/You/They/Plural subject ____ are/verb
- we are friends.
- They are dancers.

5. • Uses of the Simple Present Tense
1. The simple present tense is used to express a regular,
habitual or repeated actions or events.
Eg:1. I change my profile everyday.
2. He takes the dog out twice a day.
2. To express a universal truth or scientific principle.
Eg: 1. The planets revolve round the sun.
2. Water contains oxygen and hydrogen.
3. To express a future action (Pre-Planned)
Eg: 1. The Governor arrives here tomorrow morning.
2. The D.E.O. visits our school tomorrow.
3. Our examination begins on next Monday.

6. 4. The present tense is used in Proverbs and Maxims.
Eg: Honesty is the best policy.
Slow and steady wins the race.
5. The simple present tense is used for future after
Conjunctions showing Time.
Eg: Pay your fees tomorrow.
Stay here until he comes.
6. The present tense is used in Imperative sentences.
Eg: Write neatly.
Don’t stand here.
Do well in the next exam.
Keywords: usually, always, daily, every
day/week/month/year, sometimes, normally, etc.,

7. Present Continuous Tense
 It is used to express an action going on at the time of speaking.
• General form: Subject + am/is/are + verb + ing
• Ex: He is working in the garden now.
– The children are playing games at this moment.
– My father is reading newspaper at present.
 The Present Continuous of ‘come’ and ‘go’ is used to express future action.
Ex: My uncle is going to Chennai tomorrow.
My brother is Coming from London next Monday.
Key Words: now, at present, at this moment, still, even now, etc.,

8. Present Perfect Tense
1. It is used to indicate actions completed in the immediate past, the present perfect
tense with the adverb ‘just’ may be used.
General form: Subject + has/have + Past Participle
 He/She/It/Singular subjects ---- Has + Past Participle
 I/We/You/They/Plural subjects ---- Have + Past Participle
Ex: He has just gone out.
It has struck twelve.
We have just started our breakfast; do please join us.
2. It is used to describe an action which began in the past and is still continuing
or extended to the present.
Ex: Kannan has lived in Trichy for two years. (still living)
I have not eaten anything for five hours.
The film has made a lot of profit this year.
My brother has not come to my home since last month.
the owner of the house has been ill for ten days.

9. 3. It is used to refer the experiences for which no
definite time (or date) in the past need be
given.
Ex: I have always spoken the truth.
Have you ever walked into a long tunnel?
I have read only parts of the Mahabaratha.
Key words: just, just now, till now, till, recently,
never, ever, so far, already, yet, etc.,

10. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
We use the present perfect continuous when
the focus is on an action that is not yet finished
or completed.
Form: Subject + has/have + been + verb + ing
– I, You, We, They --- have been + verb + ing
– He, She, It ---- has been + verb + ing
Ex:
• I have been waiting for the car for an hour.
• It has not been raining since last Friday.

11. Simple Past Tense
• It is used to indicate an action which happened in the
past.
General form: subject + past tense verb (2nd form)
• I/He/She/It/singular ---2nd form of verb
• We/you/they/Plural ---2nd form of verb
Ex: 1. Our school celebrated annual day last week.
2. We got Independence on 15th August 1947.
3. Tagore wrote our national anthem.
Keywords: yesterday, ago, once, once upon a time, etc.,

12. Past Continuous Tense
• It is used to express an action going on in the
middle of doing at a particular moment in the
past.
Form: subject + was/were + verb + ing
 Ex: It was raining throughout the night.
 They were playing football all evening yesterday.
 I was reading when he came.
 While I was sleeping, I had a bad dream.

13. Past Perfect Tense
1. It is about the event which happened in past in past. If
two actions happened in the past, the past perfect tense
is used to display the action that took place earlier.
 Form: subject + had + past participle
Ex: when we reached the airport, the plane had already
left.
2. It is also used to describe an action completed before a
certain period/point of time in the past.
Ex: We had taken our breakfast by eight.
By lunch time the batsman had scored sixty runs.

14. Past Perfect Continuous
• It is used to denote an event that started
before a certain point in the past and
continued up to some time in past.
Form: subject + had + been + verb +ing
Ex: 1. He had been living in Mumbai since 1980
but he left it last March.
2. The Pallavas had been ruling till they were
defeated by the Cholas.

15. Simple Future Tense
• It is used to express an action that will take
place in the future time. It is used to express
future events and happenings.
Form: subject + shall/will + root verb
Ex: We shall buy a T.V next week.
They will leave for Delhi next mont.
You will know the result in next week.

16. Future Continuous Tense
It is used to express an action which is going
or continuing in the future. The action will
commence in future and action is assumed to be
continued till sometime in future.
Form: subject + shall/will + verb +ing
Ex: We will be having our internals next week.
I shall be sitting in the train tomorrow at this time.
Keywords: by this time, at this time, during july or --, by
3’O clock tomorrow, etc.,

17. Future Perfect Tense
• It is used to indicate the completion of an
action before a given time in the future.
Form: subject + shall/will + have + past
participle
Ex: 1. By April next year, I shall have completed
the 10th standard.
Keywords: by the end of this year, in another
five months, in two years time, etc.,

18. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
• It is used to talk about actions that will start at a fixed
point of time in future and will go on for some time in
future.
Form: subject + shall/will + have + been + verb + ing
Ex: 1. She will have been living in Delhi for five years by
the end of this month.
2. He will have been serving this school for ten years
when he retires from service.
Keywords: (same as Future Perfect) by the end of this
year, in another five months, in two years time, etc.,