English Grammar for Employability

Week-3.1
Tenses: Part-1
(Current Patterns & Correct Usages)

Dr. Vipin Kumar Tyagi

Department of Humanities & Social Sciences,
KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad
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Tenses

Present Tense Past Tense Future Tense

Indefinite Indefinite Indefinite

Continuous Continuous Continuous

Perfect Perfect Perfect

Perfect Continuous Perfect Continuous Perfect Continuous

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Time & Indefinite Continuous Perfect Perfect
Tense
Continuous
(do/does) Verb I + s/es (is/am/are) Verb+ ing (has/have) Verb III (have been) Verb ing+
since/for

Present I play Chess. I am playing Chess. I have played Chess. I have been playing
Chess since morning.

(did) Verb II (was/were) Verb+ ing (had) Verb III (had been) Verb ing+
since/for

Past I Played Chess. I am playing Chess. I had played Chess. I had been playing
Chess since morning.

(will/ shall) Verb I (will/shall + be) Verb+ ing (will/shall + have) Verb III (will/shall have been)
Verb ing+ since/for
Future I have been playing
I Shall play Chess. I am playing Chess. I shall have played Chess. Chess since morning.
 A view of all Tenses
Time & Tense Indefinite Continuous Perfect Perfect Continuous

(do/does) Verb I + s/es (is/am/are) Verb+ ing (has/have) Verb III (Have been) Verb ing+ since/for

Present I play Chess. I am playing Chess. I have played Chess. I have been playing Chess since morning.

(did) Verb II (was/were) Verb+ ing (had) Verb III (Had been) Verb ing+ since/for

Past I Played Chess. I am playing Chess. I had played Chess. I had been playing Chess since morning.

(will/ shall) Verb I (will/shall + be) Verb+ ing (will/shall + have) Verb III (will/shall have been) Verb ing+ since/for

Future I Shall play Chess. I am playing Chess. I shall have played Chess. I have been playing Chess since morning.
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1. Present Indefinite indicates a general truth or a usual statement, a habitual

action, an action continuing at the moment, a scheduled action, and a citation: For
example

∙ The earth revolves round the sun (General truth)

∙ I get up early in the morning and go to school. (habitual action)

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∙ I play cricket everyday. (habitual action)

∙ The seller sells his edibles and closes the shop in evening. (action at the
moment)
∙ The Prime Minister leaves for the USA on Sunday (scheduled action)
∙ Alexander Pope says, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." (a
citation)
 …

2. Present continuous also known as Progressive, indicates a

continuous action at the time of speaking, an incomplete activity or
state, and a scheduled program in immediate future For example:

∙ Martin is reading a novel. (continuous action)

∙ Alex is working hard to score good marks in the examination.

(incomplete activity)

∙ I am returning from Delhi by tomorrow evening. (programmed action)

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3. Present Perfect is used to denote a complete action or any action

that is already completed. For example:

∙ I have done all that is assigned to me. (complete action)

• The earthquake has damaged the whole building. (complete action)

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4. Present Perfect Continuous is used to denote an action still

continuing though that action is partially complete and has its bearing
on the present moment. For example

∙ I have been writing a book for two months (action yet to end, though
practically complete)

∙ She has been ill since Monday (action yet to end, though partially
complete).
5. Past Indefinite denotes a complete action having no bearing on the
present, a habitual action in the past, and also an imaginative action in
the past. For example:

∙ He submitted all his documents in the office. (complete action)

∙ I met Sohan last night. (complete action)

∙ When I was a child, I played marbles whole day. (habitual action)

∙ I would contribute to this right cause, if I were you, (imaginative past)

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Rule: The words like- Ago, back, past, a few years ago, last,
yesterday, etc. are always used in Past Indefinite and not in Past
Perfect Tense:

I had gone to Delhi yesterday. (wrong, because yesterday is used in past

indefinite only)

see the Correct sentence - I went to Delhi yesterday.

The movie ended five minutes ago. (Correct)

My parents traveled to London last month. (Correct)

• Columbus had discovered America many years ago (wrong)

Columbus discovered America many years ago (Correct)

Sometimes Voice is changed: see the example:

∙ The rioters had been arrested on charges of violence and force last month
(wrong)

The rioters were arrested on charges of violence and force last month. (Correct)
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6. Past Continuous Tense indicates a continuous action at the time of

speaking or referring to the activity, and an incomplete action in past:
For example:

∙ I was studying mathematics at the time of his arrival. (continuous

action)

∙ We were watching movie, when he came. (continuous action)

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7. Past Perfect Tense refers to a complete action at the given moment: it

also refers to an action the part of which is over and some is yet to over
For example

∙ The examination had finished peacefully. (complete action)

∙ The patient had expired before the doctor reached there. (an action
complete before another commenced)

∙ The meeting had been over before the rioters came. (do)
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8. Past Perfect Continuous denotes an action or activity in progress for
some time and was yet incomplete at the time of making a reference to
it. For example:

∙ The students had been studying since 5 o'clock. (action in progress for
some time)

∙ My neighbors had been residing here for six years.

9. Future Tense-
.
Future Indefinite Tense refers to a future activity:

Future continuous refers to an uncertain future action;

Future Perfect refers to action already complete but with a tinge of

uncertainty: whereas

Future Perfect continuous refers to an action still in progress for some

time now. For example:
 .

∙ I shall read a good book tomorrow (Future Indefinite)

∙ He will be helping his friend (Future Continuous)

∙ She will have finished her work by this time. (Future perfect)

∙ They will have been working for three days. (Future Perfect
continuous)
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Remember that Shall is used with First Person, will with Second and
Third Person, but this order is reversed in cases of command,
determination, purpose. promise, threat, and willingness:

• I shall read book. (First Person)

∙ You will go home tomorrow. (Second Person)

∙ She will lend me some money. (Third Person)

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Present perfect Tense and Past Indefinite may be used together
because of differing but unifying senses.

For ex- I have written to my friend many letters since he visited me last.

(Here an action is complete but since gives some idea to be thought of

only in present tense)

I have completed my work since he instructed me. (the same rule is

applicable on this sentence)
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∙ But it is wrong to say: The feudal system has given way to socialism
in our country after independence.

• An Adverb cannot qualify a Present Perfect Tense. For example.

∙ I have formerly informed him of these developments. (wrong)

∙ I formerly informed him of these developments. (correct)
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• Reporting Verb affects the tenses of the Reported Speech, and the tense of
the Reported Speech is, therefore, changed accordingly, for example-
Present Indefinite to Past Indefinite; Present continuous to Past
continuous; Present Perfect to Past Perfect; Present Perfect Continuous to
Past Perfect Continuous; and Past Indefinite to Past Perfect Continuous.
For example:
∙ Dinesh said, "Sohan is a nice fellow.”
Dinesh told that Sohan was a nice fellow,
 .

∙ The expert said, "The prices are rising now."

The expert told that the prices were rising then.
• He told me, "I have been to Spain“.
He told me that he had been to Spain.
• He said, "I will be in Geneva on Monday",
He said that he would be in Geneva on Monday.
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• A universal truth is used in the Reported Speech or clause, the above rule
does not apply at all. For example:

∙ My teacher said, "The sun rises in the east and sets in the west"

∙ My teacher told that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
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Present Tense and Future Tense in the Principal Clause may be followed
by any tense in the subordinate clause:

∙ Ramesh has said that he will obey his teacher.

∙ He knows why he had come to me.

∙ You know what my intentions were.

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Any tense is permissible in comparative facts indicated through
clauses, notwithstanding the fact of the variety of intentions
and purposes. For example:

∙ She liked Ram better than you.

∙ Ramesh liked Shyam as well as he likes his relatives.

1. My friend worked with TATA MOTORS (a)/ for two years (b)/before he joined
(c)/MAHENDRA Automobiles last year (d) /No error (e)

2. My Maternal Uncle had lived in London (a)/ for the last six months (b)/ and these
days (c)/ he is in America (d)/No error (e).

3. Oh! God, It is raining since morning (a) / and it does not seem (b) / to stop for the next
(c) / two or three hours (d)/ No error (e).

4. The work on Rapid Metro is going on (a)/since last January and (b)/ it is expected to
be (c) / completed within the next few months (d)/No error (e).

5. I know, He have been in this (a) party, waiting for an opportunity (b) / to highlight his
(c) / leader like qualities (d)/No error (e).
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6. She is waiting (a)/ for the right (b)/ moment to say all this (c) / since 2000, but she has
not got any yet (d)/No error (e).

7. I am feeling like having (a)/ some drink, (b)/so I I think we should move (c)/ to some
near by pub. (d)/No error (e)

8. We are in this city for (a)/ the last ten years, (b) /but we never know that (c)/ it was
established by the English (d)/No error (e).

9. My friend used to work (a) / till 10 pm and (b) / then (c)/ He goes to bed. (d) /No error
(e)

10. Mike was knowing everything (a) / about the Director, (b)/but he pretend to be (c)/ all
ignorant about him (d)/No error (e).
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11. It is the best thing about (a) / your brother is that he (b) / is always taking (c) / life
with a positive attitude (d)/ No error (e)

12. My mother goes out for a morning (a) / walk every day because (b) the doctor has
advised her (c) / to do so if she really wants to get well soon (d)/No error (e).
13. I go to the office only (a) / twice a week these days (b) / because these days I have got
to supervise (c) / the on-going construction work at the different sites (d)/No error (e).

14. You are coming so late (a) / sometimes that it becomes (b)/ very difficult for me (c)/
to manage such a huge number of students (d)/No error (e)

15. . People know that (a)/India can be a superpower (b)/only when they (c)/ will work
honestly and sincerely (d)/No error (e).
.16. You always come (a) / late and now (b)/I am not going to (c) / tolerate it
anymore (d)/No error (e).

17. Unless they come up (a)/ and do not take up the responsibility (b) / of taking
care of these pets, (c) / I cannot think of going away for any sort of pilgrimage
(d)/No error (e).

18. Most of the newspapers (a) / today are saying that (b)/ the commonwealth
game, 2010 has proved highly advantageous for the politicians (c)/ and the
bureaucrats who have been aspiring to be millionaires (d)/No error (e).

19. Now-a-days, film makers (a) / do not make that kind (b)/ of movie which (c)/
they made earlier (d)/No error (e).

20. I always admire (a)/ the great man (b)/ who said hat (c)/one is wiser after an
event (d)/No error (e).
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Thank You

Dr. Vipin Kumar Tyagi

Assistant Professor of English
KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad