SECTION-E : GRAMMAR
CHAPTER-9
VERB FORMS (TENSES)
Revision Notes
Introduction
A verb expresses an action, the time of action, event or state. Time can be in the Present, Past or Future form. The verb
indicates the time by certain changes in its form. These changes are called ‘Tense’. We all know that, tenses largely fall
under three categories:
1. The Present Tense
2. The Past Tense
3. The Future Tense
These tenses are further subdivided into four categories.
1. Present Tense
(a) Simple Present Tense — The form of the verb is the basic word as used in the dictionary form.
Examples:
(1) I always take tea without sugar.
(2) Tarun steps forward and drives the ball to the cover boundary.
(3) Tasmania lies to the South of Australia.
(b) Present Continuous — am + verb + ing / is + verb + ing / are + verb + ing
(1) I am practicing Yoga these days.
(2) The children are watching television.
(3) He is thinking about the problem in Physics.
(c) Present Perfect — The form of this tense is the auxiliary, has or have, and Past Participle.
(1) Arundhati Roy has written a new novel.
(2) I have known him for ten years. (It implies that, I shall know him.)
(d) Present Perfect Continuous — The form of tense is has / have + been + Present Participle form of the verb.
(1) I have been waiting here since eight o’clock.
(2) He has been ill since last Sunday.
2. Past Tense
(a) Simple Past Tense — The tense used here refers to actions or events completed in the past.
(1) Eva left home a week ago.
(2) Akbar was a great king.
(3) I saw him in the garden. (i.e., when I was there)
(b) Past Continuous Tense — The form of this tense is auxiliary, was / were, and Present Participle (ing) verb.
(1) I was listening to the BBC news in Hindi.
(2) While I was fumbling for money in my purse, my friend paid the bus fare.
(3) Just as they were leaving the house, the phone rang.
(c) Past Perfect Tense — The form of this tense is had + Past Participle.
(1) By the time the Fireman arrived, the fire had spread to several floors of the mall.
(2) By four o’clock, the Board had interviewed thirty candidates.
(3) The patient had died when the doctor arrived.
(d) Past Perfect Continuous — The form of this tense is had been + Present Participle (ing) verb.
(1) They had been preparing for the test for a week.
(2) The mason had been building the wall since morning.
(3) Her eyes were red. It was obvious she had been crying.
3. Future Tense
(a) Simple Future Tense — The tense used here refers to actions or events that are yet to happen.
(1) We shall meet you next year.
(2) The Test match with New Zealand will begin next week.
(3) Our school team will play the Final Table-Tennis Tournament tomorrow.
(b) Future Continuous Tense — The form of this tense is will / shall + be + (ing) verb
(1) She will be singing.
(2) The Minister will be taking great risks on his visit to Kargil.
(3) They shall be coming this evening.
(c) Future Perfect Tense — The form of this tense is will / shall + have + Past Participle form of verb.
(1) By June, we shall have covered fifty per cent of the syllabus.
(2) By this time next year, he will have become an Engineer.
(3) I expect you will have changed your mind by tomorrow.
(d) Future Perfect Continuous Tense — The form of this tense is will / shall + have been + (ing) verb.
(1) By the end of this year, we shall have been living in Bangalore for five years.
(2) I will have retired by the year 2020.
(3) I shall have been writing for half an hour when this lesson ends.