Tenses

All about
TENSES
TENSES
# What is Tense ?
Tenses are the form taken by a verb to show
the time of an action or the state of an
event
Present Tense
Past Tense
Future Tense
Each of the three tenses has four
forms or sub- divisions to show
continuity or completeness of the
action and time. These are :
 Indefinite
 Continuous
 Perfect
 Perfect Continuous
Tense
s
Present Past Future
Present Indefinite Past Indefinite Future Indefinite

Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
Cont. Cont. Cont.
The Indefi nite Tense does not indicate whether the action
is complete or not.
The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense indicates that the action

is still going on.
The Perfect Tense indicates that the action is

complete , finished or perfect.
The Perfect Continuous Tense indicates that the action

began in the past and is still continuing.
# Auxiliary Verbs / Helping
A verbVerbs
used in forming the tenses, moods, and voices
of other verbs .
Verbs Present Past Future
To be Verbs am/is/are was/were shall be/will be
To have have/ shall have/will

Verbs has
had have
To do
verbs
do/does did Lending Verbs
Verbs Present Past
Should, would,
shall, will, can, could, might, ought
may, must, need to
M.A. Verbs to, dare to
Modal Auxiliary Verbs have to, has to
Modals had to
am to, is to, are
to was to ,were to
NB :
V = Base form of verb
V1 = Present form of verb
Present Indefinite Tense
V2 = Past form of verb
V3 = Past Participle form of
verb
Subject + V1 + Object
Add s/es with Verb base form in case of 3 rd person singular
Present simple tense is used to

express an action which occurs on
regular basis in present. These action
include habitual or repeated
actions, scheduled actions
occuring on regular basis ; and
universal truths
1. Habitual Facts
o Safin recites The Holy Quran.
o He tells a lie.
o I brush my teeth regulary.
2. Daily Routine
o He goes to school .
o I water my plants’
o They play in the field.
3. Universal Truths
o The sun rises from the east.

o Man is mortal.
o Muhammad (pbuh) :.
is the last prophet.
 Affirmative Sentences : They play.
 Negative Sentences : They do not play.
 Interrogative Sentences : Do they

play ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Do

they not play ?
Subject + Is/Am/Are + V1 + ing +Object.
The present continuous tense is

used to express an action which is
happening at a particular time in
the present or extending over a
period of present time.
 Affirmative Sentences : You are playing.
 Negative Sentences : You are not

playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Are you

playing ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Are

you not playing ?
 Subject + has/have + V3 + Object.
 The present perfect tense denotes an

action that was started in the past
and has just been completed.
 Affirmative Sentences : I have played.
 Negative Sentences : I have not played.
 Interrogative Sentences : Have I played ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have I

not played ?
 Subject + has been/have been + V1 +
ing + Object
 The present perfect tense is used

when an action that started in
the past is still continuing.
 Affirmative Sentences : We have been
playing.
 Negative Sentences : We have not been

playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Have we been

playing?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have

we not been playing ?
Subjec+ V2 + Object.
 The simple past tense is used for an

action which happened at a particular
time in the past.
 Affirmative Sentences : I played.
 Negative Sentences : I did not play.
 Interrogative Sentences : Did I play ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Did I

not play?
 Subject + was/were + V1 + ing + Object.
 The past continuous tense is used for an

action which was happening at a
particular time in the past.
 Affirmative Sentences : Boys were
playing.
 Negative Sentences : Boys were not

playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Were boys

playing ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Were

boys not playing ?
 Subject + had + V3 + Object.
 The past perfect tense is used to express

an action that was completed before
another action started in the past. It is
used with the earlier of the two actions.
The simple past tense is used with the
other action.
 Affirmative Sentences : Sheila had played.
 Negative Sentences : Sheila had not

played.
 Interrogative Sentences : Had Sheila

played?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences :Had

Sheila not played
 Subject + had + been + V1 + Object.
 The past perfect continuous tense is

used for an action that began before a
certain point in the past and continued
up to that point.
 Affirmative Sentences : Ria had been playing.
 Negative Sentences : Ria had not been

playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria been

playing?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria

not been playing ?
 Subject + will/shall + V1 + Object.
 The simple future tense is used for an

action that will take place at
particular time in the future.
 Affirmative Sentences : Ravi will play.
 Negative Sentences : Ravi will not play.
 Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi play ?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will

Ravi not play ?
 Subject + will/shall + be +V1 + ing +
Object
 The future continuous tense is used to

express an action which will be in
progress at a particular time in the
future.
 Affirmative sentences : I will be playing.
 Negative sentences : I will not be

playing.
 Interrogative sentences : Shall I be

playing?
 Negative Interrogative Sentences :

Shall I not be playing?
 Subject + shall/will + have + V3 +
Object.
 Future perfect tense is used to indicate

the completion of an action by a
certain period of time in the future.
 Affirmative Sentences : She will have
played.
 Negative Sentences : She will not have

played.
 Interrogative Sentences : Will she have

played?

she not have played?
 Subject + shall/will +have been + V1
+ ing + Object.
 The future perfect tense is used when

an action to continue up to a certain
point of time in the future.
 Affirmative Sentences : Raj will have
been playing.
 Negative Sentences : Raj will not

have been playing.
 Interrogative Sentences : Will Raj have

been playing ?

Raj not have been playing ?

Tenses

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All about

Present Indefinite Past Indefinite Future Indefinite

The Continuous (Imperfect) Tense indicates that the action

The Perfect Tense indicates that the action is

The Perfect Continuous Tense indicates that the action

Verbs Present Past Future

To be Verbs am/is/are was/were shall be/will be

To have have/ shall have/will

Present simple tense is used to

o The sun rises from the east.

 Negative Sentences : They do not play.

 Interrogative Sentences : Do they

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Do

The present continuous tense is

 Negative Sentences : You are not

 Interrogative Sentences : Are you

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Are

 The present perfect tense denotes an

 Negative Sentences : I have not played.

 Interrogative Sentences : Have I played ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have I

 The present perfect tense is used

 Negative Sentences : We have not been

 Interrogative Sentences : Have we been

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Have

 The simple past tense is used for an

 Negative Sentences : I did not play.

 Interrogative Sentences : Did I play ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Did I

 The past continuous tense is used for an

 Negative Sentences : Boys were not

 Interrogative Sentences : Were boys

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Were

 The past perfect tense is used to express

 Negative Sentences : Sheila had not

 Interrogative Sentences : Had Sheila

 Negative Interrogative Sentences :Had

 The past perfect continuous tense is

 Negative Sentences : Ria had not been

 Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria been

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Had Ria

 The simple future tense is used for an

 Negative Sentences : Ravi will not play.

 Interrogative Sentences : Will Ravi play ?

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will

 The future continuous tense is used to

 Negative sentences : I will not be

 Interrogative sentences : Shall I be

 Negative Interrogative Sentences :

 Future perfect tense is used to indicate

 Negative Sentences : She will not have

 Interrogative Sentences : Will she have

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will

 The future perfect tense is used when

 Negative Sentences : Raj will not

 Interrogative Sentences : Will Raj have

 Negative Interrogative Sentences : Will

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