þ Tense and Aspects þ
m Simple Present: He walks to school everyday.
m Simple Past: He walked to school yesterday.
m Simple Future: We will know our exam results in May.
m Present Progressive: He is walking to school now.
m Past Progressive: He was walking to school when he saw Jane.
m Future Progressive: I will be staying here till Sunday.
m Present Perfect: He has walked to school several times.
m Past Perfect: He had walked to school before he hurt his foot.
m Future Perfect: He will have left before you go to see him.
m Present Perfect Progressive: He has been sleeping for five hours (and is still sleeping).
m Past Perfect Progressive: At that time he had been writing a novel for two months.
m Future Perfect Progressive: By next March we shall have been living here for two years.
þ Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is used-
i. To express habitual action: He drinks tea every morning. I get up everyday at 6’o clock. My watch keeps good time.
ii. To express general truth: Honey is sweet. The sun rises in the east. Fortune favors the brave. Sahjahan builds the Taj Mahal.
iii. In exclamatory sentence beginning with here and there: Here comes the bus! There she goes! There is the boy!
iv. In vivid narrative, as substitute for the simple past: Sohrab now rushes forward and deals a heavy blow to Rustam.
v. To express future event that is part of a fixed timetable or fixed program: The next flight is at 7.00 tomorrow morning. The match starts at 9o’clock. The train leaves at 5.20.
vi. It is used to introduce quotation: Keats says,’ A thing of beauty is joy for ever.’
vii. It is used instead of simple future, in clause of time and condition: I shall wait till you finish your lunch. If it rains we shall get wet.
viii. It is used with the following adverb or adverb phrase: always, never, after, often, occasionally, Mondays, twice a year, in fall, in summer, whenever, generally etc. As- He goes to mosque on Fridays. He always smokes. Sessions begins twice a year. We often play in the field. Rajib usually plays tennis twice in a week.
ix. It is used instead of present continuous with the type of verbs referred below:
a. Verbs of perception: see, hear, smell, notice, recognize.
b. Verbs of appearing: appear, look, seem.
c. Verbs of emotion: want, wish, desire, feel, like, love, hate, hope, refuse, prefer.
d. Verbs of thinking: think, suppose, believe, agree, consider, trust, remember, forget, know, understand, imagine, mean, mind.
e. Have (=posses), own, posses, belong to, contain, consist of, be (except when used in passive).
Example: Inc: These grapes are tasting sour. Cor: These grapes taste sour.
Inc: I am thinking you are wrong. Cor: I think you are wrong.
Inc: She is seeming sad. Cor: She seems sad.
Inc: He is having a cellular phone. Cor: He has a cellular phone.
However the verbs listed above can be used in the continuous tense with a change of meaning: She is tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt. (taste=test the flavor of). I am thinking of going to Malaysia
| Verb Pattern: Subject 3rd person & singular number = Verb+s/es (Verbs ending with ss, sh, ch, x, z, o takes es and the other takes only s) |
þ Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive tense is used-
i. For an action going on at the time of speaking: She is singing (now). The boys are playing Hockey. I am watching a movie. The secretary is typing the letter now.
ii. For a temporary action which may not be actually not happening at the time of speaking: I am reading, ‘Sherlock Holmes’. (but I am not reading at this moment)
iii. For an action that has already been arranged to take place in the near future: Tom is coming next month. I am going to the cinema tonight. My uncle is arriving tomorrow. We are going to beat them tonight. We are flying to London
iv. It has been pointed out before that the simple present is used for a habitual action. However when the reference is to a particularly obstinate habit-something which persist, for example, in spite of advice or warning-we use the present continuous with an adverb like always, continually, constantly: My dog is very silly; it is always running out into the road. Raj is always going away for weekends
v. Consider (ix) of simple present. These verbs are not normally used in present progressive.
| Verb pattern: Subject + am/is/are + [verb + ing]... |
þ Present Perfect Tense
The present progressive tense is used-
i. To indicate completed activities in the immediate past (with just): He has just gone out. It has just struck ten.
ii. To indicate an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past: John has traveled around the world (we don’t know when). I have never known him to be angry. Mr. Rajib has been to Japan
iii. To describe past events when we think more of their effect in the present than of the action itself: Dipu has eaten all the biscuits (there aren’t any left for you). I have cut my finger (and its bleeding now). I have finished my work (now I am free).
iv. To indicate that happened more than once in the past: John has seen this movie three times. Meena has done this sum ten times.
v. To indicate an action that began in the past and is still occurring in the present: John has lived the same house for twenty years (he still lives there). John has lived the same house since 1990 (he still lives there; if it is 2010).
vi. The following adverbs or adverb phrases can also be used with the present perfect: never, ever (in questions only), so far, till now, yet (in negatives and questions), already, today, this week, this month, lately, just now, recently, often etc. Example: Students have already memorized it. I have never seen this before.
| Verb pattern: Subject + have/has + [verb in p.p]... |
For/Since
Use for + Duration of time: for five hours, for thirty years, for ten minutes.
Use since + beginning time: since 1971, since five o’clock, since January.
Yet/Already
The adverbs yet and already are used to indicate that something has happened (or hasn’t happened) at an unspecified time in the past. The adverbs are often used with the present perfect.
Already ð affirmative sentences
Yet ð negative sentences and questions
Note: Already usually appears between the auxiliary and the main verb; however, it can appear at the beginning or end of the sentence. Yet appears at the end of the sentence.
| Pattern1: Subject + have/has + already + [verb in p.p]... |
| Pattern2: Subject + have/has + not + [verb in p.p]...+ yet |
Examples of yet and already:
We have already written our reports.
We haven’t written our reports yet.
John has already read the entire book.
The president hasn’t decided what to do yet.
Sam has already recorded the results of the experiment.
Mariah hasn’t called her parents yet.
Note: Another option with the use of yet is sometimes possible. In this case, the verb is positive and the adverb yet does not appear at the end of the sentence.
| Pattern: Subject + have/has + yet + [verb in infinitive]... |
John has yet to learn the material. = John hasn’t learned the material yet.
We have yet to decide what to do with the money. = We haven’t decided what to do with the money yet.
Note: This use of yet should not be confused with the coordinating conjunction yet, which means but.
I don’t have the money, yet I really need the computer.
My neighbors never have the time, yet they always want to do something on Saturday nights.
þ Present Perfect Progressive Tense
The present perfect progressive tense is used-
i. With an action which began at sometime in the past and is still continuing: He has been sleeping for five hours (and is still sleeping). They have been constructing the bridge for several months. They have been playing since four o’clock.
ii. This tense is also sometimes used for an action already finished. In such cases the continuity or the activity is emphasized as an explanation of something. As: Why are your clothes so wet? - I have been watering the garden.
| Pattern: Subject + have/has + been + [verb + ing]... |
þ Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense is used-
i. The simple past is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs with the adverbs or adverb phrases of past time as-yesterday, last year, last night, ago, since etc. The ship sailed yesterday. I received his letter a week ago. She left school last year.
ii. Sometimes this tense is used without an adverb of time. In such cases the time may be either implied or indicated by the context. As- I learnt Hindi in Nagpur Argentina defeated Brazil
iii. It is also used for past habits: He studied many hours every day. She always carried an umbrella.
| Verb pattern: subject + Verb in past form |
þ Past Progressive Tense
The past progressive tense is used-
i. It is used to denote an action going on sometime in the past. The time of action may or may not be indicated: We were listening to the radio all evening. It was getting darker. The light went out while I was reading. When I saw them, they were playing chess.
ii. This tense is also used with always, continually etc. for persistent habits in the past: He was always gambling.
iii. An action which was occurring at some specific time in the past: Roni was watching TV at seven o’clock last night. What were you doing at one o’clock this afternoon?
iv. An action which was occurring in the past and was interrupted by another action. In this case, the general rule is:
When + Subject1 + Simple past tense + Subject2 + past progressive…
Or
Subject1 + past progressive + when+ Subject2 + Simple past tense…
Example: When Mark came home, Martha was watching television.
Or, Martha was watching television when Mark came home.
v. Two actions occurring at the same time in the past. In this case, the following rules usually apply:
Subject1 + past progressive + while+ Subject2 + past progressive tense…
Or
While + Subject1 + past progressive + Subject2 + past progressive…
Example: Martha was watching television while John was reading a book.
Or, while John was reading a book, Martha was watching television.
Note: The following construction is also possible, but it is not as common as the preceding two.
While + Subject1 + past progressive + Subject2 + simple past…
Example: While Martha was watching television, John read a book.
| Verb pattern: Subject + was/were + [verb + ing]... |
þ Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense is used-
i. It is used to describe an action completed before a certain moment in the past: I had seen him last five years before.
ii. If two actions happened in the past, it may be necessary to show which action happened earlier than the other. The past perfect is mainly used in such situations. The simple past is used in one clause and past perfect is used in the other: I had done my exercise when he came to see me. I had written the letter before he arrived.
Jack told us yesterday that he had visited England
2nd Action (simple past) 1st Action (Past Perfect)
The Past Perfect is usually used with before, after or when. Study the following formulas
Subject + Past Perfect + Before + Subject + Simple Past
John had gone to the store before he went home
Subject + Simple Past + After + Subject + Past Perfect
John went home after he had gone to the store
Before + Subject + Simple Past + Subject + Past Perfect
Before John went home, he had gone to the store
After + Subject + Past Perfect + Subject + Simple Past
After John had gone to the store, he went home
NOTE: The when can be used in place of before or after in any of these four formulas without change in meaning.
iii. A state which continued for a time in the past, but stopped before now. Note that there is no connection with the present.
John had lived in New York for ten years before he moved to California
| Verb pattern: Subject + had + [verb in past participle]... |
þ Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The past perfect progressive tense is used-
i. It is used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued up to that time: At that time he had been writing a novel for two months. Rajib had been living in New York for ten years before he moved to California
| Verb pattern: Subject + had + been + [verb + ing]... |
þ Simple Future Tense
The simple future tense is used-
i. It is used to talk about things we can not control: I shall be twenty next Saturday. I will be London
ii. It is used to talk about what we think or believe will happen the future: I think Argentina
iii. It is used when we decide to do something at the time of speaking: It is raining. I will take an umbrella. ‘Mr. Rahim is very busy at this moment’- O.K. I’ll wait.
iv. Be going to + base form of verb: “Have decided what to do?”- “Yes. I am going to resign the job.” “Why do you want to sell your bike?”- “I’m going to buy a car.”
v. Use going to form to talk about what seems likely or certain: It is going to rain; look at those clouds. The boat is full of water; it is going to sink. She is going to have a babe. Let’s get into the train; it’s going to leave. Look! The cracker is going to explode.
vi. Be about to + base form of verb: Let’s get into the train; it’s about to leave. Don’t go out now; we are about to have lunch.
| Verb pattern: Subject + shall/will+ Verb in base form |
þ Future Progressive Tense
The future progressive tense is used-
i. It is used to talk about actions which will be in progress at a time in the future: I suppose it will be raining when we start.
ii. It is used to talk about actions in the future which are already planned or expected to happen in the normal course of things: I will be staying here till Sunday. He will be meeting us next week.
| Verb pattern: Subject + shall/will + be + [verb + ing]... |
þ Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used-
i. It is used to talk about actions that will be completed by a certain future time: I shall have written my exercise by then. He will have left before you go to see him.
| Verb pattern: Subject + shall/will + have + [verb in past participle]... |
þ Future Perfect Progressive Tense
The future perfect progressive tense is used-
i. It is used for actions which will be in progress over a period of time that will end in the future: By next May we shall have been living hare for four years.
| Verb pattern: Subject + shall/will + have + been + [verb + ing]... |
