Using Tenses in English: Past, Present, Future

Manik Joshi

Oct 2014 · English Daily Use Book 15 · Manik Joshi

About this ebook

This Book Covers The Following Topics: 

What are “Tenses”?

AGREEMENT between SUBJECT and VERB

TWENTY-FOUR Auxiliary Verbs

REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS

PRESENT TENSE

Present Indefinite Tense

Present Continuous/Progressive Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense

PAST TENSE

Past Indefinite Tense

Past Continuous/Progressive Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense

FUTURE TENSE

Future Indefinite Tense

Future Continuous/Progressive Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense

Useful Notes

Exercises

Sample This:

Tenses could be defined as “any of the form of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or an event or state expressed by the verb”.

THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF TENSES:

The Past Tense – The form of a verb that usually expresses an action that happened in the past

[Action happened before present]

The Present Tense – The form of a verb that usually expresses an action that happens at this time

[Action happens in present]

The Future Tense – The form of a verb that usually expresses an action that will happen in future

[Action will happen after present]

EACH OF THESE THREE KINDS OF SENTENCES HAS FOUR TYPES OF FORMS:

Indefinite or Simple Form

Continuous or Progressive Form

Perfect Form

Perfect Continuous or Perfect Progressive Form

EACH OF THESE FOUR TYPES OF FORMS HAS FOUR KINDS OF STATEMENTS:

Affirmative Statement --

Used to Show ‘Agreement’

Negative Statement --

Used to Show ‘Disagreement’

Interrogative Statement --

Used to Ask ‘Question’

Interrogative-Negative Statement --

Used to Ask ‘Question’ and Show ‘Disagreement’

Present Indefinite Tense

Expresses –

Permanent situation [in the past, present and future]

Example: Our family lives in Seattle.

General truth (fact or statement)

Example: Clean water is fundamental to public health.

Example: Many barrages have no utility and cause floods.

Habitual action [actions that occur regularly]

Example: She listens to music every day.

‘Future meaning’ (timetable, planned event, etc.)

Example: My shop closes at 9 pm.

Example: The train arrives at 7:30 pm.

Traditions, rituals, customs

Example: Indians celebrate the festival of light in the month of Oct-Nov.

Commands and Instructions [Imperative Sentences]

[Note: In imperatives, subject ‘you’ remains hidden]

Example: Condemn perpetrators of terrorism.

Example: Promote values of humanity and tolerance.

Example: Tell us about the exact nature of your work.

Used in if-clause of present and future real conditional sentences

Example: If I go there, I meet him.

Example: If things don't work out, we won't be panicked.

Headlines in news reporting [Use of simple present tense instead of the simple past tense is common in news headlines]

Example: Flight skids on landing at the airport.

Example: Thunderstorm brings relief to residents.

(A). AFFIRMATIVE PATTERN –

subject + first form of main verb + other words

Singular Verb is used with the subject ‘He and She’ + All Singular Subjects.

Plural Verb is used with the subject ‘I, We, You and They’ + All Plural Subjects.

Examples:

He/She talks. I/We/You/They talk.

We seek opportunities to chart out our own course.

The lean margin of victory or defeat gives an impression of a tough contest.

Nowadays, voters value development over other issues.

They want civic amenities and employment opportunities.

(B). NEGATIVE PATTERN –

subject + auxiliary verb ‘do/does’ + not + first form of main verb + other words

Auxiliary Verb ‘Does’ is used with the subject ‘He and She’ + All Singular Subjects.

Auxiliary Verb ‘Do’ is used with the subject ‘I, We, You and They’ + All Plural Subjects.

Examples:

He/She does not talk. I/We/You/They do not talk.

Most buses do not cater to interior parts of the villages.

He does not know what to say.

Ratings and reviews

Payment options are worst.

Very good , easy undrstandable app

veri naic books

About the author

Manik Joshi was born on January 26, 1979, at Ranikhet, a picturesque town in the Kumaon region of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He is a permanent resident of the Sheeshmahal area of Kathgodam located in the city of Haldwani in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in India. He completed his schooling in four different schools. He is a science graduate in the ZBC – zoology, botany, and chemistry – subjects. He is also an MBA with a specialization in marketing. Additionally, he holds diplomas in “computer applications”, “multimedia and web-designing”, and “computer hardware and networking”. During his schooldays, he wanted to enter the field of medical science; however, after graduation, he shifted his focus to the field of management. After obtaining his MBA, he enrolled in a computer education center; he became so fascinated with working on the computer that he decided to develop his career in this field. Over the following years, he worked at some computer-related full-time jobs. Following that, he became interested in Internet Marketing, particularly in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web design (creating websites), and various other online jobs. However, later he shifted his focus solely to self-publishing. Manik is a nature-lover. He has always been fascinated by overcast skies. He is passionate about traveling and enjoys solo travel most of the time rather than traveling in groups. He is actually quite a loner who prefers to do his own thing. He likes to listen to music, particularly when he is working on the computer. Reading and writing are definitely his favorite pastimes, but he has no interest in sports. Manik has always dreamed of a prosperous life and prefers to live a life of luxury. He has a keen interest in politics because he believes it is politics that decides everything else. He feels a sense of gratification sharing his experiences and knowledge with the outside world. However, he is an introvert by nature and thus gives prominence to only a few people in his personal life. He is not a spiritual man, yet he actively seeks knowledge about the metaphysical world; he is particularly interested in learning about life beyond death. In addition to writing academic/informational text and fictional content, he also maintains a personal diary. He has always had a desire to stand out from the crowd. He does not believe in treading the beaten path and avoids copying someone else’s path to success. Two things he always refrains from are smoking and drinking; he is a teetotaler and very health-conscious. He usually wakes up before the sun rises. He starts his morning with meditation and exercise. Fitness is an integral and indispensable part of his life. He gets energized by solving complex problems. He loves himself the way he is and he loves the way he looks. He doesn’t believe in following fashion trends. He dresses according to what suits him & what he is comfortable in. He believes in taking calculated risks. His philosophy is to expect the best but prepare for the worst. According to him, you can’t succeed if you are unwilling to fail. For Manik, life is about learning from mistakes and figuring out how to move forward.