Unit 12 (Final) PDF

Unit 12 Uses of Tenses II
UNIT 12 : USES OF TENSES II
UNIT STRUCTURE
12.1 Learning Objectives
12.2 Present Perfect Continuous
12.3 Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous
12.4 Future Time Expressions
12.5 Let us Sum up
12.6 Further Reading
12.7 Answers to Check Your Progress
12.8 Model Questions
12.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit, you will be able to:

 use the different tense forms to perform different language
functions
 learn the different ways of expressing future time
12.2 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Form : have/has + (be + en)+( V+ ing)

have been reading
has been playing
1. We use the present perfect continuous tense to describe or to
relate a situation or activity that started in the past and has been in progress
for a period til now. Sometimes we use this tense with expressions that
indicate the time period e.g. with since and for
e.g. (a) I have been working in this office for two years.
(b) She has been learning French for six months.
148 General English (Block 2)

Uses of Tenses II Unit 12
2. We often use the present perfect continuous tense when we ask

question with “How long......? We also use this tense when we say how
long - something has been in progress. e.g.
(a) How long have you been watching television?
(b) I have been watching television since 7 o’clock in the evening.
3. We use both the present perfect continuous tense and the present
perfect tense to refer to something that had started in the past and which
affects the situation that exists now. Look at these examples.
(a) I’ve been reading his column with great interest.
(b) I’ve read his column with great interest.
While the first sentence focuses on the activity (i.e. reading) which
may not have been finished, the second sentence focuses on the activity
(i.e. reading) which has been finished.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Q.1. Fill in the blanks with the right forms (present

perfect or present perfect continuous tense) of
the verb given in brackets.
(a) Meena .................... (do) very well in her music classes. She
hopes to keep it up.
(b) He .................... (take) away the novel. I .................... (read) it
since morning.
(c) She .................... (paint) for three years now.
(d) She .................... (learn) a lot about painting from the teacher.
(e) The children .................... (watch) the cricket match since
morning, they .................... (not come) home for lunch.
(f) It .................... (rain) heavily since morning.
General English (Block 2) 149

12.3 PAST PERFECT AND PAST PERFECT

CONTINUOUS
Past Perfect :
Forms : had + V + ed for regular verbs.
had + change of vowels as in past tense form for some irregular
verbs while for a few others there is no change of form.
e.g. (i) had played
(ii) had begun, had cut
Past Perfect Continuous Tense :
Forms : had + been + V + ing
e.g. had been doing
1. We use the past perfect to talk about a past situation or an activity that
took place before another past situation or activity or before a particular
time in the past.
e.g. (a) When I reached the station, the train had left.
(b) I had gone to bed when the phone rang.
Note that the past situation that took place before another past situation
takes the past perfect tense while the one that followed takes the simple
past tense.
2. We use the past perfect when we say what we wanted or hoped to do.
e.g. (a) I had wanted to see him but I couldn’t make time.
(b) He had hoped to buy a flat in the city but he settled for a
house instead.
3. We use the past perfect tense to refer to certain actions that took
place at certain points of time in the past.
e.g. (a) By ten o’clock the business establishments had opened
nearly all their shops.
(b) At twelve years of age he had written his first poem.
4. We use the past perfect continuous tense to refer to actions or
happenings which lasted for a period of time in the past and were completed
at a point of time in the past, e.g.

e.g. (a) I had been ringing the bell for two minutes, but no one opened
the door.
(b) The boy had been studying in a village school until his twelfth
year.
Note that in the first sentence ‘for two minutes’ indicates a point of time
when the action of ringing the bell was completed. The action lasted for a
period of time, notably two minutes.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Q.2. Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of

the verbs in brackets (use simple past, past
perfect or past perfect continuous tense)
(a) We .................... (wait) for the bus for an hour when we
.................... (decide) to take a taxi.
(b) Mr. Goswami .................... (act) in films for thirty years when
he decided to join Awahan Theatre.
(c) I .................... (read) for half an hour when the lights suddenly
.................... (go off)
(d) The employees .................... (demand) bonus at revised rates,
but the company .................... (not pay) any attention to the demand.
(e) Until last year, our college team .................... (win) the Inter
College Football Tournament.
12.4 FUTURE TIME EXPRESSIONS
Forms:
1. (a) First person : shall + V
(b) Second and third persons : will + V
2. Simple present form
3. Present continuous tense form
4. be + going to + V

5. be + about to + V
6. am + to + V
7. will + be + V-ing
1. Generally shall and will are used with the bare forms of verbs to make
predictions about the future.
(a) I shall play chess tomorrow.
(b) He will receive the prize on Teachers’ Day
Note that shall is used only with the First Person (I / We). In second
and third persons we use will. However, when shall is used with second or
third person, it does not express ‘pure’ future. It expresses various other
meanings, e.g.
(i) He shall be rewarded. (promise)
(ii) He shall be punished. (warning)
(iii) You shall carry out my instructions. (order)
Like wise, will in the first person expresses other meaning e.g.
(iv) I will return your money on Monday. (promise)
(v) From Jorhat we’ll go to Dibrugarh. (intention)
(vi) I will not resign. (determination)
2. We can use the simple present tense form of the verb to express
future time.
(a) Our classes begin next Monday.
(b) The meeting starts at 2 O’clock.
Two things should be noted about the use of this tense:
(i) a word or a phrase indicating future time is almost invariably used
e.g. next Monday in sentence (a) above.
(ii) the action or events are pre-planned e.g. the date when classes
will begin.
3. We can use the present continuous tense form of the verb to express
future time.
(a) The boys are going for a picnic tomorrow.
(b) She is making a speech at the conference next week. In these
sentences we find that

(i) a word or a phrase indicating future time is invariably used e.g.

tomorrow in sentence (a) above.
(ii) the phrase indicating future may however be omitted if the context
makes the time reference clear.
4. We can use the be + going to + verb form to express future time as in
(a) I am going to buy a car
(b) It is going to rain today
In these sentences, the future is expressed by the phrase am/is/are +
going to + bare form of the verb. This form is used to express intention; for
example, the first sentence above or some action that is most likely to
occur as in the second sentence.
5. We can use the be + about to + verb form to express future time as–
(a) The film is about to begin
(b) I am about to leave
This form expresses an action or event which is on the point of taking
place, that is, which is likely to happen almost immediately.
6. We can use the be + to + verb form to express future time as in
(a) I am to leave for Delhi on Monday
(b) You are to come again tomorrow
In these sentences the phrase be (am / is / are) + to + verb is used to
express an action or an event in future time which has been fixed or arranged
for by someone other than the subject of the sentence or an action which is
required to be done.
7. Future Progressive is used:
(i) to say about actions that will continue for a period of time in future.
E.g. I will be wearing a blue jacket.
(ii) to ask someone about their plans or intentions.
E.g. How long will you be staying here?

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Q.3. Fill in the blanks with suitable verb phrases

that express future time. The main verbs to be used in the phrases
are given in brackets.
(a) He .................... (come) again tomorrow.
(b) The school .................... (close) for the summer holiday
on 1st July.
(c) John .................... (meet) us at the station.
(d) It was so hot, I thought I .................... (faint)
(e) I think it .................... (rain) tonight
(f) Let me knew if he .................... (say) anything
(g) She .................... (help) us to organise the party.
(h) I .................... (speak) more on this topic.
12.5 LET US SUM UP
After having read through the unit, you will be able to gain a detailed
idea on the use of the various tense forms that perform different language
functions. Also, you will gain a better idea on the various ways of expressing
future time. Therefore, the two units on the ‘Uses of Tenses’ will provide the
learner a thorough idea on the function of time, tense and aspect in English
grammar.
12.6 FURTHER READING
1) Dowerah, Sawpon. A Students’ Grammar of English. Guwahati :

Students’ Stores
2) Eastwood, John. (1994). Oxford Guide to English Grammar. Oxford
University Press.

3) Eckersley & Ekersley. (ed). A Comprehensive English Guide. Harlow :

Person Education Limited.
4) Palmer, R. F. (1988). The English Verb. Longman. Linguistics Library.
12.7 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR

PROGRESS
Ans to Q No 1: (a) has been doing, (b) has taken, have been reading, (c)
has been painting, (d) had learnt, (e) have been waiting, have not come, (f)
has been raining
Ans to Q No 2: (a) had been waiting, decided, (b) had been acting, (c) had
been reading, went off, (d) had been demanding, has not paid, (e) had been
winning
Ans to Q No 3: (a) will come/is coming, (b) will close/closes, (c) will meet,
(d) was going to faint, (e) is going to, (f) says, (g) is going to help, (f) am
going to speak
12.8 MODEL QUESTIONS
Q1. Explain with an example each of how Present Perfect Continuous,

Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous Tenses are formed.
Q2. Discuss future time expressions with relevant examples.
*****

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Unit 12 Uses of Tenses II

UNIT 12 : USES OF TENSES II

12.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

12.2 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Form : have/has + (be + en)+( V+ ing)

148 General English (Block 2)

2. We often use the present perfect continuous tense when we ask

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q.1. Fill in the blanks with the right forms (present

General English (Block 2) 149

12.3 PAST PERFECT AND PAST PERFECT

150 General English (Block 2)

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q.2. Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of

12.4 FUTURE TIME EXPRESSIONS

General English (Block 2) 151

152 General English (Block 2)

(i) a word or a phrase indicating future time is invariably used e.g.

General English (Block 2) 153

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q.3. Fill in the blanks with suitable verb phrases

12.5 LET US SUM UP

12.6 FURTHER READING

1) Dowerah, Sawpon. A Students’ Grammar of English. Guwahati :

154 General English (Block 2)

3) Eckersley & Ekersley. (ed). A Comprehensive English Guide. Harlow :

12.7 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR

12.8 MODEL QUESTIONS

Q1. Explain with an example each of how Present Perfect Continuous,

General English (Block 2) 155

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