Tense Structure Example Signal Words

Subject + V1 (s/es for always, every day,

Present Simple I eat rice. / She eats rice.
he/she/it) usually

Subject + am/is/are + V- I am eating. / They are now, right now, at

Present Continuous
ing playing. present

I have eaten. / She has already, just, yet, since,

Present Perfect Subject + has/have + V3
gone. for

Present Perfect Subject + has/have +

I have been eating. since, for, all day
Continuous been + V-ing

I ate rice. / She went yesterday, last week,

Past Simple Subject + V2
home. ago

Subject + was/were + V- I was eating. / They were while, at that time,

Past Continuous
ing playing. when

I had eaten before he before, by the time,

Past Perfect Subject + had + V3
came. already

Past Perfect Subject + had + been + V- I had been eating for 2

for, since, by the time
Continuous ing hours.

tomorrow, next week,

Future Simple Subject + will + V1 I will eat rice. / She will go.
soon

I will be eating. / They will at this time tomorrow,

Future Continuous Subject + will be + V-ing
be playing. by then

by, by then, by the

Future Perfect Subject + will have + V3 I will have eaten by 8 PM.
time

Future Perfect Subject + will have been I will have been studying
for, by, by then
Continuous + V-ing for 2 hours.
Modal Use Example Notes / Keywords

Ability / Permission / I can swim. / Can I borrow your

Can Present ability
Possibility pen?

Past ability / Polite request / I could run fast when I was

Could Past / Polite
Possibility young. / Could you help me?

It may rain today. / You may Formal permission

May Possibility / Permission
leave now. / Likely

Less certain
Might Possibility (less certain) It might snow tomorrow.
possibility

Obligation / Strong You must study. / She must be Strong necessity /

Must
deduction tired. deduction

Shall we go? / I shall return by 5

Shall Suggestion / Future (formal) Formal / polite
PM.

Should / Ought You should eat more. / You ought Mild obligation /
Advice / Recommendation
to to apologize. advice

Will Future / Willingness I will help you. Future action

Polite request / Would you like tea? / I would go

Would Polite / conditional
Hypothetical if I had time.

Need not / You need not worry. / You don’t

Lack of necessity No obligation
Don’t have to have to come.

Had better Strong advice You had better leave now. Urgent advice
SUBJECT-VERB CONCORD – Quick CBSE Guide

1. Basic Rule

• Singular subject → singular verb

• Plural subject → plural verb

Subject Example

Singular The boy plays football.

Plural The boys play football.

I I am happy.

He/She/It She is happy.

They/We/You They are happy.

Case Rule Example

Collective nouns Usually singular The team wins every match.

Indefinite pronouns Singular Everyone is ready.

Verb agrees with nearest

Either…or / Neither…nor Neither he nor his friends are ready.
subject

With “and” Usually plural Ramesh and Suresh are friends.

With “as well as / along with / Verb agrees with first The captain, along with the players,
together with” subject is arriving.
Aspect Direct Speech Indirect Speech

Tense Present → Indirect → Past “I am happy” → She said she was happy

Pronouns Change as per the subject “I like apples” → He said he liked apples

Change according to today → that day, tomorrow → the next day,

Time/Place words
context here → there

Direct → Indirect

Present Simple → Past Simple

Present Continuous → Past

Continuous

Present Perfect → Past Perfect

Past Simple → Past Perfect

Past Continuous → Past Perfect

Continuous

Future Simple → Conditional

Commands / Requests

• Use tell/ask + object + to + verb

Example:

• Direct: “Close the door.”

• Indirect: He told me to close the door.

• Direct: “Please help me.”

• Indirect: She asked me to help her.

Quick Keywords

• today → that day

• tomorrow → the next day / following day

• yesterday → the previous day / day before

• here → there

• now → then
Direct Tense Indirect Tense Example

Present Simple Past Simple “I eat rice.” → He said he ate rice.

Present Continuous Past Continuous “I am eating.” → He said he was eating.

Present Perfect Past Perfect “I have eaten.” → He said he had eaten.

Past Simple Past Perfect “I ate rice.” → He said he had eaten rice.

Past Continuous Past Perfect Continuous “I was eating.” → He said he had been eating.

Future Simple Would + V1 “I will go.” → He said he would go.

1. Statements

• Direct: “I am happy.”

• Indirect: She said (that) she was happy.

• Tense change: Present → Past, Past → Past Perfect, Future → Would + V1

Example Table:

Direct Indirect

I eat rice. He said he ate rice.

I am eating. He said he was eating.

I have eaten. He said he had eaten.

I will go. He said he would go.

Interjection Meaning / Expression Reported Speech Substitute

Alas! Sadness, regret He exclaimed with sorrow / He said sadly

Oops! Mistake, accident He exclaimed in surprise / He said in surprise

Bravo! Praise He exclaimed with joy / He said happily

Hurray! Happiness, victory He shouted with joy / He said joyfully

Oh no! Shock, worry He exclaimed in dismay / He said in shock

Wow! Admiration, amazement He exclaimed in amazement / He said admiringly

Oh! Surprise He exclaimed in surprise / She said in wonder

Type Examples Usage / Notes

a/an → indefinite (any one), the → definite

Articles a, an, the
(specific)

Demonstratives this, that, these, those Point out something / near or far

Possessives my, your, his, her, its, our, their Show ownership

some, any, much, many, few, a lot of,

Quantifiers Show quantity / amount
several

Numbers one, two, first, second Countable nouns / order

Distributives each, every, either, neither Talk about individual items or choices

Interrogatives which, what, whose Ask questions about nouns

Exclamatives what, such Show surprise or emphasis

Basic Rule

• Verb must agree with subject in number (singular/plural) and person.

• Third person singular → add “s” in present tense (he/she/it).

o Example: He runs, She walks, The cat *eats.

1. Subjects joined by “and” → plural

• Jan and Bob walk to the store.

2. “Each” / “Every” → singular

• Each boy walks to school.

3. Subjects joined by “or”, “nor”, “but” → verb agrees with nearest subject

• Either Bob or his brother walks.

• Neither Bob nor his brothers walk.

4. Indefinite pronouns → usually singular

• Everyone walks.

• Everything comes back.

Singular Indefinite Pronouns: anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, everyone, everything,
nobody, no one, nothing, somebody, someone, something

5. Ignore prepositional phrases

• The mother duck (with her ducklings) walks.

6. Some indefinite pronouns / nouns → singular or plural depending on object

• Some of the students are gone.

• Some of the cake is gone.

Words: all, most, some, none, half, part

7. Collective nouns → singular

• My family walks to the store.

(family, group, committee, class)

8. Singular nouns ending in “s”

• Economics is her favorite subject.

(Economics, news, mumps, measles)
9. Units of measurement → singular

• Ten pounds of chocolate is too much.

• Thirteen feet of kite string tangles easily.

10. Questions / sentences starting with there / here

• Verb comes before subject

• Where is my sweater?

• There are my sweaters.

11. Verb agrees only with the subject

• The biggest problem is all the squirrels.

12. Gerunds as subjects follow normal rules

• Running with ducks is fun.

• Running and jumping are fun.

13. Relative pronouns (who, that, which) → verb agrees with antecedent

• The girl who eats cake is happy.

• The girls who eat cake are happy