TENSES Prithviraj Thakur, Department of English, G.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Khamgaon....

TENSESPrithviraj Thakur, Department of English, G.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Khamgaon.

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Tense expresses the time of an event or

action.

Time and how it is expressed in writing is

very important to English readers.

The English language has twelve different

tenses.

In this lesson, we will review the meaning of

each verb tense.

The Importance of Time

Prithviraj Thakur, Department of English, G.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Khamgaon.

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The Simple Present Tense

She goes to work everyday.

They always eat lunch together.

Expresses a habit or often repeated action.

Adverbs of frequency such as, often, seldom,

sometimes, never, etc. are used with this tense.

May be used to describe routines/habits etc.


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Also expresses universal truths /general facts…

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.Snow falls in the December in Kashmir.


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Is also used to describe objects, people and places.

For example:

This is my car. It is a Maruti ALTO car. Its colour is white. It is a diesel car. It costs around 4 lakh rupee.


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Describe this scene using Simple Present Tense


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Can also be used to describe an action or activity that is in progress (‘going on’) at the present time.

For example:

Shoaib Akhtar bowls a full toss delivery. Tendulkar hits it for four.

Note:

You will find this kind of usage mostly in running commentaries.


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And finally,

Simple Present Tense is also used to make in newspaper headlines to make them more catchy and dramatic.

For example:

India beats South Africa by 10 wickets.

Prime Minister inaugurates the new airport.

Minister visits relief camp.


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Remember…

In simple present tense, always put ‘s’ or ‘es’ at the end of the verb if the subject, i.e., the doer is a third person (like he, she, it) and singular in number.

e.g. He goes to school. / Hari loves ice-cream.But – We play guitar. (not plays). I watch action movies. (not watches).


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The Present Progressive

She is typing a paper for her class.

He can’t talk. He is fixing the sink right now.

This tense is used to describe an action that is occurring right now (at this moment, today, this year, etc.). The action has begun and is still in progress.


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The Present Progressive

The present progressive can also be used to describe an action that is occurring in the present, but is temporary.

Ganesh is living in Delhi, but he might move soon.


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The Present Perfect The present perfect is used -To talk about an event that was completed in the past, but the specific

time of the event is not important. However, it is suggested that the completed action has some relevance to the present.

I have seen that movie before. (and want to see it again.)He has already visited Pakistan.

(Now he is going to visit another country)(Specific dates and times are not mentioned. However, the relevance to the

present is obvious.)Prithviraj Thakur, Department of English, G.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Khamgaon.

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Present Perfect Progressive

This tense is used to describe/ emphasize the duration of an action that began in the past and continues into the present.

He has been studying grammar for an hour.She has been cooking all day.

(He is still studying and she is still cooking.)


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Present Perfect Progressive

This tense is also used to describe events that have been in progress recently and are rather temporary.

She has been living in Pune for the last two months, but she plans to move soon.


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We use the simple past to indicate exactly when an action or event took place in the past.

I visited my sister yesterday.We went out to dinner last night.

The Simple Past


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The Simple Past The simple past can also be used to describe actions and/or

events that happened regularly in the past. Used to and Would can also be used to denote past

habits/routines.

I played cricket regularly when I was in college. (I no longer play cricket regularly.)

I used to see a movie every weekend when I was a teenager. (I don’t see movies very much anymore.)

I would go to the library everyday when I was a student.(I am not a student now.)


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The Past Progressive The past progressive is used to talk about an activity

that was in progress at a specific point of time in the past. The emphasis is on the duration of the activity in the past.

I was studying for an exam while my mother was cooking dinner.We were walking in the park around 7 p.m. last night.


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The Past Progressive

The past progressive is often used with the simple past to show that one action was in progress when another action occurred.

I was taking a bath when the doorbell rang.They were eating dinner when the neighbors stopped by for a visit.


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The Past Perfect This tense describes completed events that took

place in the past before another past event.

The Titanic had received many warnings before it hit the iceberg.I had already eaten when my friend stopped by to visit.

had received

had eaten

it hit

my friend stopped by


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Past Perfect Progressive This tense is used to emphasize the duration of an

action that was completed before another action or event in the past.

She had been driving around the city for three hours before she finally found the right office.

had been driving

she found the right office


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The Future

Will and be + going + to are often used to describe future actions.

My brother will graduate in June.Indira is going to buy a new house next year.


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The Future

The simple present and present progressive are also used to express future time. These are often used in connection with schedules.

She is meeting a new client at eleven o’clock.The train leaves at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.


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The Future Progressive This tense is used to describe an event or action that

will occur over a period of time at a specific point in the future.

The teacher will be teaching Maths at 10 a.m. tomorrow.They will be moving their furniture out of the house by the time

you arrive tomorrow.

at 10 a.m. tomorrow

by the time you arrive


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The Future Perfect This tense is used to describe an event or action that will be

completed before another event or time in the future.

We will have finished the exam by the time class ends tomorrow.

will have finished the exam class ends


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Future Perfect Progressive

This tense describes an action that has been in progress for a duration of time before another event or time in the future.

By the time he finishes law school, we will have been living in the U.S. for eight years.

finishes law school

will have been living in the U.S. for eight years


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Remember...

Most non-native users of English make mistakes with

tenses in spoken as well as written English.

The best way to avoid these mistakes is to READ and

LISTEN TO correct usage of English and practice it as

often as you can.

REMEMBER…

LANGUAGE LEARNING IS HABIT

FORMATION.


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Exercise

1. I …… (go) to the city library everyday.

2. I…..(go) there since my childhood.

3. I…..(go) there even when my exams were going on.

4. Since last two months I….. (read) only English novels.

5. But I…..(read) quite a few Marathi novels also.

6. Yesterday I ….. (read) Chetan Bhagat’s novel when my friend came.

7. But before that, I….. (complete) my homework.

8. Previously….. (visiting) another library before I….. (find) this one.

9. I….. (visit) the library at 6 p.m. tomorrow.

10. I ….. (come) to the library even after 20 years. Prithviraj Thakur, Department of English, G.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Khamgaon.

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Answers1. I go to the city library everyday.

2. I have been going there since my childhood.

3. I used to go/ would go/ went there even when my exams were going on.

4. Since last two months I have been reading only English novels.

5. But I have read quite a few Marathi novels also.

6. Yesterday I was reading Chetan Bhagat’s novel when my friend came.

7. But before that I had completed my homework.

8. Previously I had been visiting another library before I found this one.

9. I will visit the library at 6 p.m. tomorrow.

10. I will be coming to the library even after 20 years.


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TENSES Prithviraj Thakur, Department of English, G.S. Arts, Commerce and Science College, Khamgaon....

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