Tense

Present Indefinite/ Simple Present

The present indefinite tense, also known as simple present tense, denotes stative thoughts and/ or
habitual or eternally true action.

(opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean, recognise, remember, suspect,
think, understand.

feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer, want, wish.

senses and perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste)

I know Billy Bob.

He understands it.

They love swinging in the park.

Some people do not believe in God.

I usually wake up at 6.00 AM.

He plays cricket, but his brother plays football.

Earth is bigger than Mercury.

The heat of the sun is the least in the polar.

The present continuous (progressive) is used to indicate the ongoing time (now).

I am going to the college field.

He is coming here for some tips.

They are making a basketball ground.

Why are you working in that horrible place?

Four teams are playing at this moment.

This structure is also used to demonstrate future time.

Alex is leaving for Portugal tomorrow.

I am going to complete my task tomorrow.

Our bus is leaving at 6.00 PM.

They are flying to Australia next month.

Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used when one intends to indicate:

An action that occurred at a time which is indefinite and has its effect on the subject

An action that occurred many times and has the possibility to occur in the present/future

An action that began in the past and still going on in the present.

Alex has read the book through. (No time is indicated)

I have read this poem many times. (Not habitual but occurred many times in the past)

He has lived in this apartment for 15 years. (Still going on)

Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

It is the least used form of present tense. Present perfect continuous is used to indicate an action
that began in the past and is still occurring in the present. Both present perfect and present
perfect continuous can be used to indicate this type of action.

Alex has been reading for 3 years.

I have been sleeping since 10.00 AM

Robert has been working in that shop for 6 years.

We have been living together for four years.

Past Indefinite Tense/ Simple Past

The past indefinite tense, also known as simple past tense, is used to indicate a finished or
completed action/task that occurred/happened at a specific point in time in the past. ‘A specific
time’ can be diverse and can cover a long period of time but it cannot be undeterminable.

Alex went to Mexico last year.

I ate a mango a few minutes ago.

He had an exam yesterday.

I used to travel around the world when I was fit. (It can also indicate a habit of the past which is
not a habit in the present.)

Past Progressive (Continuous) Tense

The past progressive tense is used to demonstrate an action that was happening in the past for a
period of time in a particular context. The context can be a specific time or another action.

Alex was sleeping yesterday at 6.30 AM

I was cleaning the dishes at around 5.30-6.30 yesterday.

When I went out, you were shouting from behind.

When Alex came, I was sleeping.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect is used to demonstrate an action that occurred before another action in the past.
There are usually two completed actions in the sentence; one happens before the other.

Alex had completed the task before the teacher asked.

I had bought a phone before you came here.

Before I went to the office, I finished some business with her.

Before she went home, she had taken a test.

Mark ate after I had bought him a bat.

I went to the office after I had finished some business with her.

Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) Tense

The past perfect progressive tense is an extension to the past perfect tense and its structures. Past
perfect progressive is used to demonstrate an action which continued for a specific period of time
but stopped before another action.

Alan had been playing cricket for 18 years before he retired.

Jack had been living in Sydney since 2010 before he moved to Melbourne.

Simple Future (Future Indefinite) Tense

The simple future tense is used when an action is promised/thought to occur in the future.

We shall move to another city.

He will come to New York tomorrow.

They will make a phone which has artificial intelligence.

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous tense is used when an action is promised/thought to be going on at a
specific time/context in the future.

I shall be sleeping at around 6.00 AM tomorrow.

They will be playing at this time tomorrow.

Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense is used to demonstrate an action which is promised to be done by a
certain time in the future.

I shall have completed the assignment by Monday.

She will have cleaned the house before her father comes.

Alex will have submitted the tender by tomorrow.

Before I go to see her, she will have left the place.

They will have finished making the bridge by January.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

In November, I will have been working at my company for three years.

At five o’clock, I will have been waiting for thirty minutes.

When I turn thirty, I will have been playing piano for twenty-one years.

Resource for practice: [Link]

RULES

1. The dog _chases_ a cat.

2. The dogs__chase_____a cat.
3. The dog__chased______ a cat.
4. The dogs chased_____a cat.
5. The dog could chase a cat.
6. He___listens____to music.
7. She__listens_______to music.
8. They__listen______to music.
9. You__listen______to music.
10. I__listen_____to music.

EXCEPTIONS

1. Compound Nouns
a. The ranger and the camper __see___a bear.
b. The rangers and the camper_see_____a bear.
c. The camper and the rangers_see_____a bear.(addition)
d. The ranger or the camper__sees_____a bear.(choice)
e. The rangers or the campers_see_____a bear.
f. The ranger or the campers_see____a bear.
g. The rangers or the camper___sees____a bear.

2. Group Nouns (army, government, jury etc.)

a. The club _is___meeting today.
b. The clubs__are_____meeting today.
c. The family _watches____a movie together.
d. The families_watch___a movie together.

3. The news_is_____good today.

4. Mathematics_is__my favourite subject.
5. Statistics_is___taught in the class.
6. Statistics_show______that the candidate will win.

7. Indefinite Pronoun Always Singular (Each, Everyone, Everybody, No one, No body, Someone,
Somebody, Everything, Anything, Nothing, Another)

a. Everyone __has___done his or her homework.

b. Somebody__has____ left her purse.
c. Everyone_knows______the value of the course.
 d. Nothing___is___right around this house anymore.
e. Another exam_is___ being declared.

8. Indefinite Pronoun Always Plural (Many, Few, Both, Several, Others)

a. Many_have raised their hands to answer the question.
b. A few_are____sitting quietly at the end of the class.
c. Several_declare______that they will be late.
d. None of the students__have____ done their homework. (Same with some, all, most)
e. None of the food_is__fresh.

9. Phrases coming in between subject and the verb (together with, as well as, and along with)
a. The mayor as well as his brothers_is__going to prison.
b. The mayor and his brothers__are___going to jail.
c. The car with many riders_is___speeding along the curve.
d. The boy together with his friends __learns____the guitar lessons regularly.
e. The computer, which is kept in my office, is____becoming very slow.
f. Two of the boys_are__listening to the lecture.
g. One of the boys is_listening to the lecture.

10. Neither and Either

a. Neither of the two traffic lights_is___working.
b. Either of the shirts_is___fine with me.
c. Either my father or my brothers_are____going to sell the house.
d. Neither my brothers nor my father is_____going to sell the house.

11. There and Here

a. There are two reasons for this.
b. There is no reason for this.
c. Here are two apples.

12. A pair of…

a. My glasses were on the bed.
b. My pants were torn.
c. A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.

13. Two and two is four.

14. Four times four divided by two is eight.
15. It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
Exercises for Subject Verb Agreement:
[Link]
ement_exercise.html

[Link]
explanation

[Link]
1. Run-on Sentence or Comma Splice
Incorrect: Rachel is very smart, she began reading when she was three years old.
Correct: Rachel is very smart; she began reading when she was three years old.
Rachel is very smart because she began reading when she was three years old.

2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main
clause.

Correct: While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door.

Correct: Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class.
INCORRECT: The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating.

3. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are
not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Correct: That Tuesday, which happens to be my birthday, is the only day when I am available to
meet.
Correct: This restaurant has an exciting atmosphere. The food, on the other hand, is rather
bland.
Incorrect: The book, that I borrowed from, you is excellent.
The apples, that fell out of the basket, are bruised.
Students, who cheat, only harm themselves.
4. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun.

He was a difficult, stubborn child. (coordinate)

They lived in a white frame house. (non-coordinate)
She often wore a gray wool shawl. (non-coordinate)

5. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series.
a. The candidate promised to lower taxes, protect the environment, reduce crime and end
unemployment.

6. Mistakes in Apostrophe Usage:

Incorrect: “My sisters cabin is next to his’s cabin.”

7. In the case of it's, the apostrophe is used only to indicate a contraction for “it is.”

8. For example:
Incorrect: “Its a cold day for October.”
Correct: “It's a cold day for October.”
9. Misplaced Modifiers:

Incorrect: “At eight years old, my father gave me a pony for Christmas.

Correct: “When I was eight years old, my father gave me a pony for Christmas.”

10. Sentence Fragments:

Incorrect: “Sharon stayed home from school the other day. Because she was sick.”

Correct: “Sharon stayed home from school the other day because she was sick.”

11. Missing Comma in a Compound Sentence:

Incorrect: “Jim went to the store and Ella went with him.”

Correct: “Jim went to the store, and Ella went with him.”

12. No Clear Antecedent:

Incorrect: “The dad found the boy, and he was happy.”

Correct: “The dad was happy when he found the boy.”

13. Ending a Sentence in a Preposition.

Incorrect: “What reason did he come here for?”

Correct: “For what reason did he come here?”

14. Mixing Up Spellings:

“You’re” vs. “your”
“To” vs. “two” vs. “too”
“Weather” vs. “whether”
“There” vs. “their”
a. A list of foreign words commonly used in English Language

b. A list of Idioms and their meanings

c. A list of words with their antonyms

d. A list containing similar sounding words and one word substitution

Foreign words used in English

ballet–an artistic dance form Renaissance- a revival or Moccasin-shoe made of deer
performed to music renewed interest in something, skin or soft leather
(French) rebirth (Algonquian Indian – Native
(French) American)

Babushka-an old lady/ Delicatessen- Supermarket dim sum- dumplings, part of

grandmother counter selling cheese, cold Chinese cuisine
(Russian) meat etc. (German) (Cantonese)

Café- a type of restaurant Fest- a special event where gung ho- enthusiastic or
which typically serves coffee people can enjoy several over-zealous
and tea activities (Chinese)
(French) (German)

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Croissant- a crescent shaped Kindergarten- preschool Kung Fu- Chinese martial
pastry educational approach focussed arts
(French) on imparting education in an (Chinese)
informal manner
(German)

Entrepreneur- a person who Rucksack- a large backpack Tofu-food made by

sets up a business usually used by hikers coagulating soy milk
(French) (German) (Japanese)

faux pas-an embarrasing act in Spiel-elaborate or glib speech Typhoon- a tropical cyclone
a social situation usually used by a salesperson (Cantonese)
(French) (German)

Genre-a category of art, music Schmooze- intimate gossip yin and yang- concept of
or literature (Yiddish) dualism in ancient Chinese
(French) philosophy (Chinese)

hors d’oeuvre- a form of Guerrilla- a member of a small Moped- a small motorcycle

appetizer served before meals group taking part in irregular with bicycle pedals
in Europe fighting (Swedish)
(French) (Spanish)

Lingerie- undergarments Macho-masculine in an Paparazzi-independent

(French) assertive manner photographers who take
(Spanish) photos of celebrities
(Italian)

Rendezvous- a meeting at an Patio- an outdoor space used Sheikh-title usually received

agreed time and place for recreation by an Arab denoting ruler of
(French) (Spanish) a tribe or a respectable man
(Arabic)

Plaza-open urban public space Karate-a Japanese form of Piñata- colourful container
(Spanish) martial art usually star-shaped and filled
(Japanese) with toys and candy (Spanish)

Siesta- an afternoon rest or nap Ninja- Japanese fighter Origami- A Japanese art of
(Spanish) (Japanese) paper folding
(Japanese)

fait accompli- an event that has ipso facto-By that very fact persona non grata-someone,
already happened with no (Latin) usually a foreigner, who is not

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option but to accept it allowed to enter or remain in a
(French) country by the government of
that country
(Latin)
Karaoke- Dining interactive Tsunami- very large and ad nauseam- argument that
entertainment developed in destructive tidal waves has continued to the point of
Japan (Japanese) nausea
(Japanese) (Latin)

babushka caveat emptor- the principle en masse-in a group

that states that the buyer alone (French)
is responsible for checking the
quality of products before
purchasing it
(Latin)
bon voyage- have a nice trip bona fide- genuine or real carte blanche-full
(French) (Latin) discretionary power,
complete freedom to act as
one wishes.
(French)

prima donna- leading lady of an quid pro quo- give and take status quo-existing state of
opera, also interpreted as an policy, also tit for tat affairs
attention seeker in regular (Latin) (Latin)
usage
(Italian)

Idioms:

1. To cut a sorry figure

2. To leave no stone unturned

3. To live from hand to mouth

4. To turn over a new leaf

5. To win laurels

6. Not worth his salt

7. To take French leave

8. To keep abreast of

9. Jack of all trades

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10. A Herculean task

11. All agog

12. Hobson’s choice

13. Open question

14. From pillar to post

15. Cakes and ale

16. At sixes and sevens

17. To take up the cudgels

18. Brown study

19. Hush money

20. Maiden speech

21. To turn a deaf ear

22. Fair and square

23. Wet behind the ears

24. Gift of the gab

25. Penelope’s web

26. Achilles’ feet

27. Between Scylla and Charybdis

28. To smooth somebody’s ruffled feathers-

29. Dot your I’s and cross your t’s…

30. Bedlam let loose

31. A close shave

32. A cog in the machine

33. Star-crossed

34. As the crow flies

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35. To wash your hands of somebody or something

36. To have a bee in the bonnet-

37. To swallow a bitter pill- to accept a fact or an event which is unpleasant

38. An apple of discord

Meanings:

1. To make a poor impression

2. To try one’s level best

3. To have a scarce living

4. To change for the better

5. Distinguish oneself

6. A good-for-nothing fellow

7. To take leave without permission or information

8. To keep in touch

9. One who knows a little about many things

10. A work which needs tremendous efforts [Hercules is a famous Greek mythological character
known for his superhuman powers of strength. He was supposedly the son of the god Zeus, and thus
had abilities that normal humans did not have. At one point, Hercules was given a series of twelve
horribly difficult tasks that he had to perform in order to atone for killing someone - a herculean task is
one that would have been given to Hercules because it is such a huge job].

11. In a state of restless expectation, in a state of excitement

12. Accept or leave the offer [The phrase is said to originate with Thomas Hobson (1544–1631), a
livery stable owner in Cambridge, England. To rotate the use of his horses, he offered customers the
choice of either taking the horse in the stall nearest the door or taking none at all.]

13. A question without any generally agreed answer

14. From one resource to another

15. Merry-making

16. Confused and disordered

17. To defend tenaciously

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18. Deep in thought

19. Bribe paid to secure silence

20. First public speech

21. To disregard

22. Straight forwardly

23. Inexperienced

24. Power of talking

25. A task which is never completed

( Penelope, who is regarded as the symbol of marital faithfulness, was asked by many suitors to marry
one of them when Ulysses, her husband was absent for a long period of time. She used many tricks to
avoid the suitors. One was: she told that she was given an order by gods in her dream that she would
have to weave a shroud for her father-in-law, and then only she could marry. The suitors agreed.
Penelope used to weave the shroud throughout the day, and at night, when everyone was asleep undid
the day’s work. In that way, the work never finished and she deferred her admirers for some time.)

26. One weak point in an otherwise impenetrable system

(Achilles was a famous warrior in Greek mythology. His mother Thetis gave him a bath in the heavenly
river, Styx in order to make him immortal. After the bath it was found that one of his heels had not
touched the water. Thus he remained vulnerable at that portion of his body. And eventually, in the
Trojan War, he was wounded there and died.

27. Between two equally dangerous situations

(In Greek mythology, Scylla was a cursed sea-monster with multiple heads. Using her long necks, she
picked sailors from ships when they passed by her den. And Charybdis was a nearby whirlpool where
ships often sank. So it was difficult for a ship to remained unharmed by either of these two dangers.)

28. to make someone feel less angry/ offended.

29. Take care of all the possible mistakes, be very attentive

30. An utterly chaotic situation (the gate of Bedlam. i.e Bethlehem-a lunatic asylum is opened—the
consequence is understandable.)

31. a situation in which an almost certain accident is avoided by chance

32. A less important small part in a system

33. Not able to be happy because of bad luck

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34. the shortest distance

35. to refuse to be responsible for some act

(The story of Pontius Pilate may be referred to here. Pilate though wanted to stop Jesus’ execution
ultimately gave in against the demand of the blood-thirsty mob. He let Jesus be taken away for
crucifixion but before doing that washed his hands in public indicating that he would not be responsible
for the act or its consequence.)

36. To keep telling about something repeatedly while others do not consider it important

37. To accept a fact or an event which is unpleasant

38. Cause of all fights and quarrels

(Eris, the sea-god threw a golden apple in a party where he was not invited. “To the fairest” was
inscribed on the apple. Three goddesses- Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite got entangled in a quarrel
claiming the possession of this apple. The incident ultimately resulted in the abduction of Helen by Paris,
and the Trojan War, and then the destruction of Troy.)

Modify the words below to form their antonyms:

1 Apposite 13 Professional
2 Happy 14 Regulate
3 Action 15 Competent
4 Adequate 16 Advantage
5 Able 17 Disputable
6 Adroit 18 Decisive
7 Digestion 19 Comfort
8 Symmetrical 20 Flexible
9 Principled 21 Behave
10 Ethical 22 Educated
11 Moral 23 Exceptional
12 Abate 24 Sensitive

This is a representative list.

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Similar Sounding words
1 allay (to make quiet) Alloy ( a metal which
is a combination of
two or more metals)
2 Allusions (makes a Illusions
reference to something (something
directly or indirectly) magical which
deviates from
reality)
3 barrow (hill) Burrow (a hole or
tunnel dug by a
small animal)
4 borrow (receiving Borough (an
something temporarily) administrative unit
in England)
5 capricious (impulsive, Capacious (having a
unpredictable) lot of space inside)
6 Childish (immature) childlike
(innocent)
7 Collision (one moving Collusion (a
object violently striking deceitful argument
against the other) in order to deceive
others)
8 Complimented (getting Complementary
praises) breakfast is (filling in or
complimentary completing)
9 comprehensive (all Comprehensible
aspects of something) (something which
is understandable)
10 contemptuous (scornful) Contemporary (living
or occuring at the
same time)
11 Corporal (military rank) Corporeal (relating
to a person’s
body)
12 cult ( a religious group Culture (the way of
living together and having life)
strange ideas)
13 decent (acceptable Dissent (holding
standard) opinions which are
opposite to the
generally held
opinion)
14 defy (disobey) Deify (to make god of

8
 someone)
15 deprecate (express Depreciate (to lower
disapproval of) the value of)

16 desert (arid land) Dessert (sweet

course at the end
of the dish)
17 diary (notebook) Dairy (harvesting
both animal and milk)
18 disassemble (is to take Dissemble (sneaky)
something apart)

19 Diseased (someone Deceased (dead)

suffering from a
disease)
20 Draught (how much Drought ( a spell
one can drink at one of extremely dry
go) weather)
21 Dual (something having Duel ( a fight
two sides) between two
parties)
22 Elicit (evoke) Illicit (illegal)
23 emigrate (means to Immigrate (come
leave one's country to into another
live in another) country to live
permanently)

24 eminent (famous) Imminent

(something which
is about to
happen)
25 Envious (someone who Enviable (someone
is jealous) worth of envy)
26 equity (value of some Equanimity (calm
business) and composed)
27 exceeded (cross the Acceded (agree to
limit) someone’s
demand)
28 exhaustive (detailed, Exhausting (tiring)
complete)
29 Fare (money spent on Fair (just, correct)
travelling)
30 felicitate (honour, award) Facilitate (to bring
about something)

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31 fiery (consisting of fire, Furore (an outbreak
quick temper, anger) of public anger and
excitement)
32 fury (violent anger) Fairy (magical
creature)
33 Ghastly (causing great Ghostly (as
anger or fear) created by ghost)
34 Graceful (lovely and gracious (kind
elegant) thoughtful aware
of others)
35 Hoard (to accumulate Horde ( a large
something often in mass of gathering)
secrecy)
36 Honorary ( a post or Honourable
degree awarded as a (respectable)
mark of honor without
the usual efforts
needed)
37 Imaginary (fictitious) Imaginative
(creative)
38 Industrious industrial (related
(hardworking) to the industry)
39 Ingenious (clever) Ingenuous
(innocent and
unsuspecting)
40 lived (past tense of live) Livid (furiously angry)
41 lovable lovely
42 mandarin meandering
43 middling maudlin
44 memorable memorial
45 ordinance ordnance
46 peculiar pecuniary
47 persecuted prosecuted
48 pose poise
49 pray prey
50 prescribe proscribe
51 pugilist purist
52 ramp romp
53 refuge Refuse
54 rein reign
55 rooster roster
56 slender slander
57 urban Urbane

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58 zealous Zealots
59 quail quell
60 vocal vocational

Practice:
The little boy surprised everyone with his ingenious/ingenuous
replies.
Mr. Sheldon was persecuted/ prosecuted on the charges of
conspiracy and fraud.
Let’s prescribe/ proscribe peace and prescribe/ proscribe
violence.
Don’t run in pursuit of hoarding/ hording more and more
Pope’s poetic achievements made him envious/enviable in his
close circle.
Let’s work hard to broaden the child’s imaginative / imaginary
faculty.
In the modern industrious/industrial society there is little scope
for spiritualism.
He presented an exhaustive/ exhausting analysis of the situation
The report gives detailed and comprehensive/comprehensible
suggestions.
The little girl had a loveable /lovely face.
Haunted by media, the poet took refuge/refuse in a small village.
Milton’s Paradise Lost is full of literary illusions/allusions
He is a cantankerous man; he is always ready for a duel/dual.
The Kareena-Shahid deo/duo features in Job We Met
The imminent/eminent scholar died of cancer
We don’t see it as a fair/fare deal.
It is difficult to elicit/illicit an honest reply from a crafty man.
Those days, slaves were denied even a drought/draught of water
A floral tribute was offered to the diseased/deceased leader.
James received rich complements/compliments for his recitation.

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ONE WORD SUSBTITUTION

1 A person who believes in God Theist

2 A student who stays away from school without telling his/her Truant
parents
3 The short remaining part of a cigarette Stub
4 Someone’s life history written by another person Biography
5 A tendency to favour one’s relatives Nepotism
6 A series of three novels/works of art produced by a writer/ Trilogy
artist
7 One who takes pleasure in torturing others Sadist
8 A story in which ideas are symbolized as characters Allegory
9 Killing one’s father Patricide
10 A medicine that cures all ailments Panacea
11 A person too proud of his/her race, nation, gender etc. Chauvinist
12 A place where wild animals/bird are kept in a protected area Sanctuary
13 One who totally abstains from drinking Teetotaler
14 One who understands the finer aspects of art, music etc. Connoisseur
15 Someone whose philosophy in life is to eat, drink, and be Epicurean
merry
16 One who eats indiscriminately and in large quantities Glutton
17 Someone with an unprejudiced and accommodating nature Cosmopolitan
18 One who deserts one’s religion Apostate
19 A screen or pen name adopted by an artist or writer Pseudonym
20 Deliberate suffering for one’s sins Expiation
21 Something that is considered redundant and unnecessary Superfluous
22 Saying things in a roundabout way Circumlocution
23 Someone who travels with devotion to a sacred place Pilgrim
24 A person who has beautiful and elegant handwriting Calligrapher
25 A woman who never gets married Spinster
26 Impulsive stealing Kleptomania
27 Easily convinced, cheated and gulled Credulous
28 A person with strange and peculiar habits Eccentric
29 Someone who is interested in the welfare of women Feminist

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30 Someone who compiles a dictionary Lexicographer

Practice:

31 One who dedicates his life to a selfless pursuit of helping others

32 A general official pardon given to many in one go
33 Someone who is made to suffer because of others
34 A remark or work considered disrespectful to God or religion
35 A person who pays too much attention to personal appearance
36 A woman who displays tantrums to attract men’s attention
37 An artist’s most outstanding and memorable artistic creation
38 An animal story with a moral
39 A long narrative poem written in a grand style
40 Someone who loves collecting stamps

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