There 12 tenses as followSIMPLE Simple Present Tense. Simple Past Tense. Simple Future Tense.

1. Simple Present Tense

lmost all sentences that make use of one of the following words or phrases take this tense: usually, generally, regularly, often, daily, everyday, (morning, evening), now-a-day, seldom, rarely, always, nearly, frequently, hardly ever, scarcely ever, once a week etc.

Do not use Future Tense after the following adverbs of time and some expressions, but Simple Present Tense can be used to express the Future action: if, unless, until, till, as, as soon as, when, shile, after, before, as long as etc.  When he arrives, the band will play the National

Anthem. What shall I do if it rains? Until you learn to obey you will not know how to

command. Unless you work hard, you will not succeed. 

It is used to describe Universal Truth and Proverbs. The Sun rises in the East. Health is wealth. Salt dissolves in water. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2. Simple Past Tense

I watch television every evening. (Present Simple)

I wathed television yesterday evening. (Past Simple)

Watched is the past simple.

Noun / Subject Past Tense Verb

I / We / You / They / He / She / It / Antony watched

The following are the adverbs of time showing simple past: yesterday, last year, a few minutes ago, in 1982, once etc. Last week I bought a pen. Yesterday my father came. Idris met his friend a few days ago. Anna died in 1969.

Simple Past Tense is used in Conditional Sentences: If I met your father, I would tell the

news. If he had money, he would help me. If she worked hard, she would come off

with flying colours.

Past Tense can be used after the following expressions: as if, as through, it is time, wish, would rather, would sooner etc. Zain talks as if he knew all things. John behaved as though he owned the

house. I wish I knew. (I‘m sorry that I do not

know) I would rather he went.

Simple Future Tense

The words showing the future tense are: tomorrow, next week (year, month), later, soon, shortly, in a little time, in this years to come etc.

Subject Auxiliary Verb Present Verb

I / We shall go

You / He / She / It/ They will go

• I shall arrive tomorrow.• Go on now and I shall follow you later.• She will probably send her application next week.

CONTINUOUS Present Continuous Tense. Past Continuous Tense. Future Continuous Tense.

Present Continuous tense This tense can be used to describe

the actions that are incomplete, still going on at the moment of speaking or writing.Subject Auxiliary

VerbPresent Verb + ing Person

I am going First Person Singular

He / She / It is going Third Person Singular

We / You / They are going Plural

The following are the important adverbs of time showing Present Continuous Tense: now, always, at present, at this moment, all the time, continuously, continually etc. She is always talking in the class. I’m reading a novel at present. They are going to church now.

Past Continuous tense

Now it is 7 O’clock Kapil is at home.He is watching television.At 4 O’clock he wasn’t at home.He was at the sports club.He was playing tennis.He wasn’t watching television.

3.00 3.30 4.00 4.15 4.30

He began playing He was playing He stopped

playing

This tense is used to express an action that was going on when another action happened.Adverbs of time while, whenSubject Auxiliary

VerbPresent Verb + ing Person

I was going First Person Singular

He / She / It was going Third Person Singular

We / You / They were going Plural

While she was writing, the phone rang.

While she was crossing the bridge, she met with an accident.

When he was sleeping, his friend came.

Future Continuous Tense

This tense is used to indicate a future activity that will begin before a point of time in future and continue after it.Subject Auxiliary

VerbPresent

Verb + ing Person

I / We shall be going First Person

You / He / She / It / They will be going Second / Third

Person

She will be singing songs then. They will be holding a meeting at 5

p.m. tomorrow. When will you be putting on another

performance?

This tense can be used when an action starts before the time mentioned and will probably continue after it. He’ll be finishing his work tomorrow by

this time. She’ll be travelling to England by the

end of next week

PERFECT Present Perfect Tense. Past Perfect Tense Future Prefect Tense.

Present Perfect Tense

This tense is used to describe a past event the effect of which is not in the past but in the present.

Subject Auxiliary Verb Past Participle Verb

I / We / You / They / any Plural have gone

He / She / It / any Singular has gone

* His shoes are dirty

* He is cleaning his shoes

He has cleaned his shoes

It is used to describe an action which was completed in the very recent past just a while ago. George has just gone out. I have finished my supper.

PERFECT CONTINUE Present Perfect Continuous Tense Past Perfect Continuous Tense Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The following adverbs of time take the Present Perfect Tense: already, just now, ever, never, today, recently, so far, up to now, upto the moment, yet, lately, during the last week, during the last few days, this morning year, month, for a long time since Monday, since 1947 etc.

I have never seen anyone like her. He hasn’t eaten anything since

Monday. I have posted a letter this morning. Sheela has been ill since last Friday.

Past Perfect Tense

Sarah went to a party last week. Paul went to the party too but they didn’t see each other. Paul went home at 10:30 and Sarah arrived at 11 O’clock So:

When Sarah arrived at the party. Paul wasn’t there. He had gone home.Had gone is the past perfect. (Simple)

This tense is used whenever we wish to say that some action had been completed before another was commenced. That is, when there are two past actions, we use the Past Perfect to refer to the earlier action.

Adverbs of time: when, after before, as soon asSubject Auxiliary Verb Past Participle

VerbI / We / You / They / any Plural / He / She / It / any Singular

had gone

I had reached the station before the train left.When I met him, John had lived in England for two years.He went home after he had finished his work.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense This tense is used to refer to an

action which began indefinitely in the Past and is still continuing at the present moment.Subject Auxiliary

VerbPresent Participle Verb

I / We / You / They / any Plural

have been finishing

He / She / It / any Singular has been finishing

It has been raining for two hours

The following adverbs of time taken this tense: since then, since 1947, all the years, since two years, for two years, since early in the morning etc. My uncle has been living in England since 1990. We have been learning English for three years. It has been raining since early in the morning.

Note:“for” refers to a period of time.“Since” refers to a definite point of time.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense: This tense is used in the reported

speech or indirect speech.Subject Auxiliary Verb Present

Participle Verb

I / We / You / They / any Plural / He / She / It / any Singular

had been working

He had been working hard since early in the morning.He said that he had been studying his lessons for three hours.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense: This tense indicates an action

represented as being in progress over a period of time that will end in the future.

Subject Auxiliary Verb

Present Participle Verb

Person

I / We shall have been going First

PersonYou / He / She / It / They

will have been going

Second / Third Person

By next December we shall have been living here for five years.When she gets her degree, she will have been studying at London.

Wrap up/ Summary on tenses rules Present Simple Every day - When do

you get up? / Tom usually eats lunch at home.

Present Continuous Now - She's watching TV at the moment. / I'm not working, I'm reading a newspaper.

Past Simple Yesterday - They went on vacation last July. / Where did you meet Tim?

Wrap up/ Summary on tenses rules Past Continuous Yesterday, at X

o'clock They were watching TV at 5 o'clock yesterday. / What were you doing when he came home?

Present Perfect Since / For - I've lived here a long time. / Have you ever seen that film? 

Past Simple vs. Present Perfect I've lived here for many years. vs. I lived there before I moved to New York.

Wrap up/ Summary on tenses rules Present Perfect Continuous Since / For +

Time - We've been working since 8 this morning. / What has she been doing recently?

Past Perfect Already - They had already eaten when she arrived. / Had you finished the report by the time he asked for it?

Future with Will Tomorrow, Next week - We'll get together next week. / Will you be able to come tomorrow?

Wrap up/ Summary on tenses rules Future with Going to Tomorrow, Next year,

semester, etc. - They're going to study Russian next semester. / Where are you going to stay?

Future Perfect By, By the time - I'll have finished by the time he arrives. / Will you have done the work by six?

Future Continuous At X o'clock, This time next year, month, week / What will you be doing this time next year? - She'll be working tomorrow at 10 o'clock.

Wrap up/ Summary on tenses rules Conditional Forms If questions - What

would you do if you had enough time? / If she is in town, she'll come to the meeting.

Alternate Conditional FormsModal Forms Asking Permission, Giving Advice, etc. - May I help you? / He should see a doctor.

Modal Verbs of Probability Stating guesses - He must have stayed at home today. / She might be downstairs.