English Grammar 24: TENSES: INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 24: TENSES - AN INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the study of Tenses! If you have ever been confused about whether to say "I play," "I am playing," or "I have played," you are in the right place. In this chapter, we will learn how verbs change their form to tell us when an action happens and what state it is in.

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1. The Concept of Time and Tense

Let's look at three simple sentences:

1. I write this letter to please you.
2. I wrote the letter in his very presence.
3. I shall write another letter tomorrow.

Notice the verb in each sentence:

• In sentence 1, the verb write refers to the Present time (happening now or regularly).
• In sentence 2, the verb wrote refers to the Past time (already happened).
• In sentence 3, the verb shall write refers to the Future time (will happen later).

What is Tense?

The word "tense" comes from the Latin word tempus, which means time. Simply put, the tense of a verb shows the time of an action or event.

Based on time, there are three main Tenses:

• The Present Tense: A verb that refers to present time (e.g., I write, I love).
• The Past Tense: A verb that refers to past time (e.g., I wrote, I loved).
• The Future Tense: A verb that refers to future time (e.g., I shall write, I shall love).

Important Exceptions (Rules of Time vs. Tense)

Sometimes, the grammatical tense does not perfectly match the time it describes. This is a very common trick in English!

• Past Tense for Present Time:
  Example: "I wish I knew the answer."
  (Here, "knew" is a past tense verb, but it means "I am sorry I don't know the answer right now." It talks about a present wish.)
• Present Tense for Future Time:
  Example: "Let's wait till he comes."
  (Here, "comes" is present tense, but we are talking about an action that will happen in the future.)

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Saying "I will wait until he will come."
• Tip: Never use "will" immediately after time words like until, till, when, before, after. Use the Simple Present tense instead (e.g., "until he comes").

Quick Summary: Topic 1

There are three main times (Present, Past, Future). Tense is the form the verb takes to show this time. However, be careful, because sometimes a past form expresses a present wish, and a present form expresses a future condition!

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2. The Four States of an Action

Time alone is not enough. We also need to know if the action is finished, ongoing, or a regular habit. Read these sentences:

1. I love. (Simple Present)
2. I am loving. (Present Continuous)
3. I have loved. (Present Perfect)
4. I have been loving. (Present Perfect Continuous)

All four verbs refer to the Present time, but they describe the action differently:

• Sentence 1 (Simple): The action is mentioned simply as a fact or habit. It doesn't tell us if it is complete or incomplete.
• Sentence 2 (Continuous): The action is incomplete, continuous, or still going on right now.
• Sentence 3 (Perfect): The action is finished, complete, or "perfect" at the time of speaking.
• Sentence 4 (Perfect Continuous): The action started in the past, has been going on continuously, and is still not completed at this very moment.

Because the Present Tense has four forms, the Past and Future tenses also have four forms:

Past Tense Forms

1. I loved. (Simple Past)
2. I was loving. (Past Continuous)
3. I had loved. (Past Perfect)
4. I had been loving. (Past Perfect Continuous)

Future Tense Forms

1. I shall/will love. (Simple Future)
2. I shall/will be loving. (Future Continuous)
3. I shall/will have loved. (Future Perfect)
4. I shall/will have been loving. (Future Perfect Continuous)

New Definition of Tense: Tense is that form of a verb which shows the time AND the state of an action or event.

Quick Summary: Topic 2

Each of the three main times (Present, Past, Future) is divided into four states (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous), giving us a total of 12 main tense forms in English.

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3. Subject-Verb Agreement and Tense Conjugations

A verb must agree with its subject in Number (Singular or Plural) and Person (1st, 2nd, or 3rd Person).

Conjugation of "To Love" (Active Voice, Indicative Mood)

Tense	Person	Singular Number	Plural Number
Present	1st Person	I love	We love
	2nd Person	You love	You love
	3rd Person	He/She loves	They love
Past	1st Person	I loved	We loved
	2nd Person	You loved	You loved
	3rd Person	He/She loved	They loved
Future	1st Person	I shall/will love	We shall/will love
	2nd Person	You will love	You will love
	3rd Person	He/She will love	They will love

Detailed Study: All 12 Forms of the Verb "To Speak"

Let's look at how the verb speak changes across all 12 tenses.

Simple Tenses (Facts, Habits, General Truths)

• Simple Present: I speak, You speak, He speaks, We speak, They speak.
• Simple Past: I spoke, You spoke, He spoke, We spoke, They spoke.
• Simple Future: I shall/will speak, You will speak, He will speak, We shall/will speak, They will speak.

Continuous Tenses (Ongoing Actions)

• Present Continuous: I am speaking, You are speaking, He is speaking, We are speaking, They are speaking.
• Past Continuous: I was speaking, You were speaking, He was speaking, We were speaking, They were speaking.
• Future Continuous: I shall/will be speaking, You will be speaking, He will be speaking, We shall/will be speaking, They will be speaking.

Perfect Tenses (Completed Actions)

• Present Perfect: I have spoken, You have spoken, He has spoken, We have spoken, They have spoken.
• Past Perfect: I had spoken, You had spoken, He had spoken, We had spoken, They had spoken.
• Future Perfect: I shall/will have spoken, You will have spoken, He will have spoken, We shall/will have spoken, They will have spoken.

Perfect Continuous Tenses (Actions started in the past and continuing)

• Present Perfect Continuous: I have been speaking, You have been speaking, He has been speaking, We have been speaking, They have been speaking.
• Past Perfect Continuous: I had been speaking, You had been speaking, He had been speaking, We had been speaking, They had been speaking.
• Future Perfect Continuous: I shall/will have been speaking, You will have been speaking, He will have been speaking, We shall/will have been speaking, They will have been speaking.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: "He speak English very well."
• Tip: Remember the 's' for 3rd Person Singular in the Simple Present! It must be "He speaks."
• Mistake: "I have speak to him."
• Tip: Always use the Past Participle (3rd form of the verb) with Perfect tenses (has/have/had + V3). It should be "I have spoken."

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4. Solutions to Exercise 45

Note: The exercise asks for Moods and Tenses. English has three main moods: Indicative (stating facts or asking questions), Imperative (giving commands or requests), and Subjunctive (expressing wishes, hypotheticals, or conditions).

Instruction: Point out the Verbs in the following sentences and name their Moods and Tenses.

1. The river flows under the bridge.
   Verb: flows | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Simple Present
2. I shall answer the letter to-night.
   Verb: shall answer | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Simple Future
3. I knew he was there, for I had seen him come.
   Verbs: knew (Indicative, Simple Past), was (Indicative, Simple Past), had seen (Indicative, Past Perfect), come (Infinitive, without 'to')
4. It has been raining all night.
   Verb: has been raining | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Present Perfect Continuous
5. I hear he has passed all right.
   Verbs: hear (Indicative, Simple Present), has passed (Indicative, Present Perfect)
6. I had finished when he came.
   Verbs: had finished (Indicative, Past Perfect), came (Indicative, Simple Past)
7. He takes but little pride in his work.
   Verb: takes | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Simple Present
8. I have been living here for months.
   Verb: have been living | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Present Perfect Continuous
9. Be good, sweet maid.
   Verb: Be | Mood: Imperative | Tense: Simple Present
10. By this time to-morrow I shall have reached my home.
    Verb: shall have reached | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Future Perfect
11. It is time we left.
    Verbs: is (Indicative, Simple Present), left (Subjunctive, Simple Past - expressing a present/future requirement)
12. He told me that he had finished.
    Verbs: told (Indicative, Simple Past), had finished (Indicative, Past Perfect)
13. God forgive you!
    Verb: forgive | Mood: Subjunctive (wish/prayer) | Tense: Simple Present
14. He is waiting for you in the compound.
    Verb: is waiting | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Present Continuous
15. Piper, pipe that song again.
    Verb: pipe | Mood: Imperative | Tense: Simple Present
16. I am hoping to get a holiday soon.
    Verb: am hoping | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Present Continuous
17. Perhaps it were better to obey him.
    Verb: were | Mood: Subjunctive | Tense: Simple Past
18. Do noble deeds, not dream them all the day.
    Verbs: Do (Imperative, Simple Present), dream (Imperative, Simple Present)
19. I shall have plenty of time tomorrow.
    Verb: shall have | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Simple Future
20. Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.
    Verbs: be (Subjunctive, Simple Present), is (Indicative, Simple Present)
21. The king had never before led his troops in battle.
    Verb: had led | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Past Perfect
22. If he was guilty, his punishment was too light.
    Verbs: was (Indicative, Simple Past), was (Indicative, Simple Past)
23. We have heard a strange story.
    Verb: have heard | Mood: Indicative | Tense: Present Perfect
24. The travellers, all of whom had seen the chameleon, could not agree about its colour.
    Verbs: had seen (Indicative, Past Perfect), could agree (Indicative, Simple Past)
25. Beware lest something worse should happen to you.
    Verbs: Beware (Imperative, Simple Present), should happen (Subjunctive, Future/Past form expressing possibility)
26. The farmer is cutting the corn which has ripened.
    Verbs: is cutting (Indicative, Present Continuous), has ripened (Indicative, Present Perfect)
27. I wish my brother were here.
    Verbs: wish (Indicative, Simple Present), were (Subjunctive, Simple Past - expressing unfulfilled present wish)
28. She would rather we stayed till tomorrow.
    Verbs: would (Indicative, Simple Past), stayed (Subjunctive, Simple Past - expressing preference for future)

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5. Additional Practice Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct tense of the verb given in the brackets.

1. She generally ________ (sing) in Hindi, but today she ________ (sing) in English.
2. The train ________ (leave) before we reached the station.
3. I ________ (read) this book since morning.
4. By next year, I ________ (finish) my degree.
5. Water ________ (boil) at 100 degrees Celsius.

Solutions to Additional Practice:

1. sings / is singing (Simple Present for habit; Present Continuous for a temporary action today).
2. had left (Past Perfect because it happened before another past action "reached").
3. have been reading (Present Perfect Continuous because it started in the past and is still continuing).
4. shall have finished / will have finished (Future Perfect because it will be completed before a certain time in the future).
5. boils (Simple Present for a universal scientific truth).

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6. Final Chapter Quiz (20 MCQs)

Test your knowledge of the chapter!

1. The word 'tense' is derived from the Latin word 'tempus' which means:
A) Action
B) Verb
C) Time
D) State
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: Tempus translates directly to time.

2. Which tense shows an action that is mentioned simply, without stating if it is complete or incomplete?
A) Continuous
B) Simple
C) Perfect
D) Perfect Continuous
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: Simple tenses state an action merely as a fact or habit.

3. "I shall write another letter tomorrow." Which tense is used here?
A) Simple Present
B) Simple Past
C) Simple Future
D) Future Continuous
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: 'Shall write' refers to a basic action in the future.

4. "I wish I knew the answer." What time does the verb 'knew' refer to here?
A) Past
B) Present
C) Future
D) None of the above
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: Although 'knew' is a past tense form, it expresses a present wish/regret.

5. Which sentence is in the Present Perfect Continuous tense?
A) I am loving.
B) I have loved.
C) I have been loving.
D) I had been loving.
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: 'Have' (present) + 'been' (perfect) + 'loving' (continuous).

6. A verb must agree with its subject in:
A) Number and Person
B) Mood and Voice
C) Tense and Time
D) Adverb and Adjective
Correct Answer: A. Explanation: A singular subject needs a singular verb, matching 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person.

7. Choose the correct form for 3rd Person Singular in Simple Present:
A) He speak
B) He is speaking
C) He speaks
D) He speaking
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: In simple present, 3rd person singular takes an 's' or 'es' (speaks).

8. What is the Past Perfect form of "I speak"?
A) I had spoke
B) I have spoken
C) I had been speaking
D) I had spoken
Correct Answer: D. Explanation: Past perfect requires 'had' + V3 (past participle 'spoken').

9. "Let's wait till he comes." The verb 'comes' is in the Present tense but refers to:
A) Present time
B) Past time
C) Future time
D) Continuous time
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: We are waiting for an event that will happen later.

10. "The king had never before led his troops in battle." Identify the tense.
A) Past Perfect
B) Simple Past
C) Past Continuous
D) Present Perfect
Correct Answer: A. Explanation: 'Had' + 'led' signifies an action completed before a certain point in the past.

11. How many main tenses are there based on time?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 12
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: There are three main times/tenses: Present, Past, and Future.

12. Including all states (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous), how many total tense forms exist?
A) 3
B) 8
C) 12
D) 16
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: 3 times × 4 states = 12 total forms.

13. "I have heard a strange story." The verb 'have heard' is in which tense?
A) Simple Present
B) Present Perfect
C) Past Perfect
D) Present Continuous
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: 'Have' + V3 indicates an action recently completed in the present.

14. Which tense indicates an action that is mentioned as finished or complete at the time of speaking?
A) Simple Tense
B) Continuous Tense
C) Perfect Tense
D) Perfect Continuous Tense
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: "Perfect" means completed.

15. "By this time to-morrow I shall have reached my home." What is the tense?
A) Future Continuous
B) Future Perfect Continuous
C) Simple Future
D) Future Perfect
Correct Answer: D. Explanation: 'Shall have reached' shows completion by a specific time in the future.

16. The state of an action that is "incomplete, or still going on" is called:
A) Perfect
B) Simple
C) Continuous
D) Future
Correct Answer: C. Explanation: Continuous (or progressive) tenses deal with ongoing actions.

17. Identify the tense: "We shall be speaking."
A) Simple Future
B) Future Continuous
C) Future Perfect
D) Present Continuous
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: 'Shall be' + 'speaking' indicates an ongoing action in the future.

18. "It is time we left." The verb 'left' is grammatically in the Past tense. What time does it refer to?
A) Past
B) Present or Future
C) Perfect Past
D) None of the above
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: "It is time we left" is a subjunctive expression meaning we need to leave right now or very soon.

19. "The farmer is cutting the corn which has ripened." Which two tenses are used?
A) Simple Present and Past Perfect
B) Present Continuous and Present Perfect
C) Past Continuous and Present Perfect
D) Present Continuous and Simple Past
Correct Answer: B. Explanation: 'Is cutting' (Present Continuous) and 'has ripened' (Present Perfect).

20. "I had been speaking." This is an example of:
A) Past Perfect Continuous
B) Present Perfect Continuous
C) Past Perfect
D) Past Continuous
Correct Answer: A. Explanation: 'Had' (past) + 'been' + 'speaking' (perfect continuous state).