Definition: Tenses mean; facet of verb expressing time: the facet of a verb that expresses the different times at which action takes place relative to the speaker or writer, for example, the present, past, or future tense.
There are three kinds of tense;
Further each tense is divided into three kinds;
Kinds
Kinds
Kinds
The simple Present tense shows any incomplete action at the present time when the speaker is saying. It just reveals the speaker’s intention to do it but when to do it is not told in this tense.
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + the first form of verb
Example: I go. We eat, They sleep. You work.
Negative Sentence
Formula: I, we, you, they + do not +the first form of verb
Example: I do not go. We do not eat. You do not work. They do not sleep.
Note:
In this tense we add (s, es or ies) with the third person singular…he, she, it, or any singular name.
Formula: he/she/it + the first form of verb
Example: He goes. She eats. He walks. He writes
Negative Sentence
Formula: he/she/it + does not + first form of verb
Example: She does not eat. He does not walk. He does not write.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: do/does + noun/pronoun + the first form of verb
Example: Does he go? Does she eat?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: do/does + noun/pronoun +not+ the first form of verb?
Example: Does she not eat? Does he not work?
Example: I kiss. He kisses. I rush. He rushes. I go. He goes. I watch. He watches. I box. He boxes.
Example: I carry. He carries. I copy. He copies.
Example: I obey. He obeys. I say. He says.
Use of the Simple Present Tense at the Advanced Level
There are ten major important uses of the simple present tense at the advanced level.
The main use of the simple present tense is to express habitual action in our daily life.
Example: He smokes. Dogs bark. Cats drinks milk. The child weeps.
Note:
This tense does not tell us whether or not the action is being performed at the moment of speaking, and if we want to make this clear we must add a verb in the present continuous tense.
Example: He is working. She is sleeping. They are eating.
As always, never, often, sometimes, usually, every week, on Mondays…
Example: I say prayer on Friday. Often he goes there. Every week he comes here.
Example: Whenever it rain the roof leaks. Whenever the dogs bark the children frighten.
Example: What does this notice say? It says, “No smoking.” What does the book say? It says, ”Always speak the truth.” Shakespeare says, “Frailty thy name is woman.” I see a letter from Ali. When is he coming Multan?
Example: Pakistan beats India. Peace talk fails. Murderer escapes from the jail.
When the curtain rises, Saima is dancing n the stage. Suddenly the window opens a dacoit appears on the stage.
I leave hostel at 5.15 p and arrive at 6, 15 at my room. I spent one hour in the room and leave again at 7, 15 for Lahore.
Example: I love you. I hate him. I see you. I believe in you.
Example: If I see Saima I shall ask her. You cannot pass unless you work hard.
Example: As soon as I see her I upset. When the exam comes near she gets headache.
The Present Continuous Tense shows any action that is continuous at the time of speaking. In this tense neither we do not know the beginning of the action nor do we know its end.
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + is/are/am +present participle
Example: I am going. We are eating, They are sleeping. You are working.
Negative Sentence
In all negative sentences we add (not) before the participle.
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + is/are/am +not+ present participle
Example: I am not going. We are not sleeping. They are not working.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: is/are/am + noun/pronoun + the participle?
Example: Is he writing? Are they working? Is she reading?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: is/are/am + noun/pronoun + not+ the participle?
Example: Is he not writing? Are they not working? Is she not reading?
Example: argue, arguing, hate, hating, love, loving.
Note. age, dye and singe, these words are exceptional from this rule.
Example: hit, hitting, run, running, stop, stopping
Example: admit, admitting, begin, beginning, prefer, preferring
Note: but, budget and enter, these words are exceptional from this rule because the
stress is not on the last syllable, but on the first syllable, except in US English
Example: budget, budgeting enter, entering
Example: signal, signaling, travel, travelling
Use of the Simple Present Continuous Tense at the Advanced Level
Example: It is raining. What is the baby doing?
Example: What are you doing these days? I am teaching English and learning French.
Example: I am meeting the PM tonight. I am going to see a movie.
The Present perfect tense is used for the action that is completed when the speaker says about the action.
Formation of the Present Perfect Tense
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + have/has + the past participle (third form of verb)
Example: I have written. We have eaten. He has slept. You have worked.
Negative Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + have/has + not + the past participle (third form of verb)
Example: I have done work. We have not eaten. You have not written.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: have/has + noun/pronoun + the past participle (third form of verb)?
Example: Has he gone? Have you written? Have we deceived?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: have/has + noun/pronoun + not + the past participle (third form of verb)?
Example: Has he not gone? Have you not written? Have we not deceived?
Use of the Present perfect Tense at the Advanced Level
It is also used in the conversations, letters, newspapers, and television and radio reports.
Example: He has just gone out of home. (It is equal to) He went out a few minutes ago.
Example: Have you had lunch? No, I have not had it yet.
Example: I have seen him in the city. (he may be seen again in the city)
The Present perfect continuous tense is used for the action that is continued from the specific time when the speaker says about the action.
Formation of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + have been/has been + the present participle
Example: I have been writing since morning. We have been eating for two hours. He has been sleeping for 2 O, clocks.
Negative Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + have not been/has not been + the present participle
Example: I have not been working. We have not been eating.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: have/have +noun/pronoun + been/has been + the present participle?
Example: Has he been working? Have you been writing? Have we been deceiving?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: have/have +noun/pronoun + have not been/has not been + the present participle?
Example: Has he not been working? Have you not been writing? Have we not been deceiving?
The past tense is used for the action that was occurred in the past.
Formation of the Past Tense
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + the second form of verb
Example: I went. We walked. He slept. You dreamed
Negative Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + did not + the first form of verb
Example: I did not see her. We did not write. You did not wash your hands.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Did + noun/pronoun + the first form of verb?
Example: Did he walk? Did you write? Did we sing?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Did + noun/pronoun + not + the first form of verb?
Example: Did he not walk? Did you not write? Did we not sing?
The past continuous tense is used for the action that was continued in the past when the speaker was saying.
Formation of the Past Continuous Tense
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + was/were + present participle
Example: I was sleeping. He was eating. We were working. He is writing.
Negative Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + was not/were not + present participle
Example: I was not walking. We were not writing. You were not reading. She was not eating.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Was/were + noun/pronoun + present participle?
Example: Was she walking? Were they writing? Were you singing?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Was/were + noun/pronoun + not + present participle?
Example: Was she not doing work? Were they not going? Were you not singing?
The past perfect tense is used for the action that was completed in the past when the
speaker was saying.
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + had + past participle.
Example: I had slept. He had worked. We had written. He had gone.
Negative Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + had not + past participle
Example: I had not slept. He had not worked. We had not written. He had not gone
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: had + noun/pronoun + past participle?
Example: Had I not slept? Had he worked? Had we not written? Had you gone?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: had + noun/pronoun + not + past participle?
Example: Had she not done work? Had they not gone? Had you not sung?
The Past perfect continuous tense is used for the action that was continued from the specific time when the speaker says about the action.
Positive Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + had been + present participle.
Example: I had been sleeping. He had been working. We had been writing. He had been going.
Negative Sentence
Formula: Noun/Pronoun + had not been + present participle.
Example: I had not been sleeping. He had not been working. We had not been writing. He had not been going.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: had + noun/pronoun +not been + present participle?
Example: Had I been sleeping? Had he been working? Had we been writing? Had
you been going?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: had + noun/pronoun + not been+ present participle?
Example: Had she not been working? Had they not been going? Had you not been singing?
The future tense is used for the speaker’s intention of doing something but in which the speaker does not mention time of doing work at the time speaking.
Positive Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall/you/ he/she + will + first form of verb
Example: I shall go. We shall work. He will write. She will go.
Negative Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall not/you/ he/she + will not + first form of verb
Example: I shall not go. We shall not work. He will not write. She will not go
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Shall + I/we / Will + you/ he/she + first form of verb?
Example: Shall I go? Shell we work? Will he write? Will she not go?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Shall + I/we not/ Will + you/ he/she + not + first form of verb?
Example: Shall I not go? Shall we not work? Will he not write? Will she not go?
The future continuous tense is used for the speaker’s guess for something/someone’s work in the coming time.
Positive Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall be/you/ he/she + will be+ present participle
Example: I shall be going. We shall be working. He will be writing. She will be going.
Negative Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall not be/you/ he/she + will not be+ present participle
Example: I shall not be going. We shall not be working. He will not be writing. She will not be going.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Shall + I/we be / Will + you/ he/she be+ present participle?
Example: Shall I be going? Shell we be working? Will he be writing? Will she be going?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: Shall + I/we not be/ Will + you/ he/she + not be+ first form of verb?
Example: Shall I not be going? Shall we not be working? Will he not be writing? Will she not be going?
The future continuous tense is used for the speaker’s confirming guess for something/someone’s work in the coming time but the guess may be wrong or right.
Positive Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall have/you/ he/she + will have+ past participle
Example: You shall have written. We shall have taken tea. He will have gone. She will have read.
Negative Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall have not/you/ he/she + will have not+ past participle
Example: You shall have not written. We shall have not taken tea. He will have not gone. She will have not read.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: shall +I /we + have /Will +you/ he/she + have + past participle?
Example: Shall I have eaten? Shall we have worked? Will he have written? Will she have combed?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: shall +I /we + not have /Will +you/ he/she + not have + past participle?
Example: Shall I not have eaten? Shall we not have worked? Will he not have written? Will she not have combed?
The future continuous tense is used for the speaker’s confirming guess for something/someone’s work in the coming time but the guess may be wrong or right.
Positive Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall have been /you/ he/she + will have been + present participle
Example: You shall have been writing. We shall have been working. He will have been taking tea. She will have been reading.
Negative Sentence
Formula: I/we + shall not have been /you/ he/she + will not have been + present participle
Example: You shall not have been writing. We shall not have been working. He will not have been taking tea. She will not have been reading.
Interrogative Sentence
Formula: shall +I /we + have been /Will +you/ he/she + have been + present participle?
Example: Shall/I have been writing? Shall I have been working? Will you have been taking tea? Will she have been reading?
Negative Interrogative Sentence
Formula: shall +I /we + not have been /Will +you/ he/she + not have been + present participle?
Example: Shall I not have been writing? Shall I not have been working? Will you not have been taking tea? Will she not have been reading?
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