Tenses

Introduction to Tenses

The word ‘tense’ is derived from the Latin word ‘tempus’. It indicates the time of the
occurrence of an action or an event. In any sentence, an action or a state of being is
denoted by the verb. Hence, tenses are directly related to verbs.

The different states of time are: Past, Present and Future. Very simply speaking, past
is what happened yesterday; present is what happens today; and future is what will
happen tomorrow.

Note how at different moments the same event (the test on English tenses) can be
situated in the future (when the teacher informs the students about the test), the present
(when the test is being conducted) and the past (when the students are discussing the
test).

The Twelve Tenses

In English grammar, past, present and future have been further divided as follows:
 PRESENT PAST FUTURE

Simple Simple Simple

Continuous/Progressive Continuous/Progressive Continuous/Progressive

Perfect Simple Perfect Simple Perfect Simple

Perfect Perfect Perfect

Continuous/Perfect Continuous/Perfect Continuous/Perfect
Progressive Progressive Progressive

As mentioned before, tenses are directly related to verbs. In each of the above
tabulated tense forms, a verb is used in its base form, past form, present participle form
or past participle form. The following table lists the different forms of a verb according to
the twelve tenses. The verb ‘do’ has been used for this purpose.

PRESENT PAST FUTURE

do / does did will do

Simple
(Base form) (Past form) (Base form)

was doing / were

am doing / is doing / will be doing
Continuous/ doing
are doing
(Present
Progressive (Present
(Present participle) participle)
participle)
 have done / has done had done will have done
Perfect Simple
(Past participle) (Past participle) (Past participle)

Perfect will have been

have been doing/has had been doing
Continuous/ doing
been doing
(Present
Perfect (Present
(Present participle) participle)
Progressive participle)

Conjugation of the verb 'DO' in the Simple Tense

Simple Present

Singular Plural

First Person I do it everyday We do it everyday

Second Person You do it everyday You do it everyday

Third Person He does it everyday They do it everyday

Simple Past

Singular Plural
 First
I did that yesterday We did that yesterday
Person

Second
You did that yesterday You did that yesterday
Person

Third
He did that yesterday They did that yesterday
Person

Simple Future

Singular Plural

First Person I will do that tomorrow We will do that tomorrow

Second
You will do that tomorrow You will do that tomorrow
Person

Third Person He will do that tomorrow They will do that tomorrow

In simple words:

The simple present tense indicates an action or event that takes place regularly,
without fail.

The simple past tense indicates an action or event that took place at some moment
in the past.

The simple future tense indicates an action or event that will take place at some
moment in the future.
Usage of the Simple Tense

To describe everyday actions or events/habits

Pritam takes the 6:00 P.M. local train everyday on his

way back home.
Simple
Present

Urvasi drinks coffee in the evenings.

To describe facts/general truths

The sun rises in the east.

Simple
Present
I am a total failure.
 The boiling point of water is 100°C.

The tea leaves from my estate are popular all over the
country.

To describe actions or events which follow a routine

The plane takes off at four in the morning.

Simple Present

When do the winter holidays end?

To describe regular occurrences/habits in the past

I used to dislike Trigonometry at school.

She used to stay with her aunt when she was in

(Used to + Base form of
Mumbai.
verb)

Punnoos used to waste a lot of time in front of the

post-office.

To describe regular occurrences/habits in the past

Simple Past He studied under the great professor Topchi.

 He always skipped his swimming lessons.

To describe actions or events in the past

The organisation went bankrupt.

Simple Past I did not see the movie last evening.

Neil left for London yesterday afternoon.

To describe uncertain/likely future actions or events

I think he will win the game hands down.

Simple Future They feel she will confess in court tomorrow.

I will be eighteen this Friday.

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Conjugation of the verb 'DO' in the Continuous Tense

Present Continuous

Singular Plural
 First Person I am doing it right now We are doing it right now

Second Person You are doing it right now You are doing it right now

Third Person He is doing it right now They are doing it right now

Past Continuous

Singular Plural

First Person I was doing it at that time We were doing it at that time

Second You were doing it at that You were doing it at that

Person time time

They were doing it at that

Third Person He was doing it at that time
time

Future Continuous

Singular Plural

We will be doing it at that

First Person I will be doing it at that time
time
 Second You will be doing it at that You will be doing it at that
Person time time

He will be doing it at that They will be doing it at that

Third Person
time time

So what happens in the continuous form? You can say that:

The present continuous tense indicates an action or event that is taking place at the
moment.

The past continuous tense indicates an action or event that was taking place at
some moment in the past.

The future continuous tense indicates an action or event that will be taking place at
some moment in the future.
Usage of the Continuous Tense

To describe everyday actions or events/habits

The tiger is always growling at the tigress.

Present I am always trying to escape the real issue.

Continuous

The boys are always getting into one problem or

the other.

To describe actions or events going on in the present

He is reading the autobiography of his

grandfather.

Present
Continuous I am trying to open the lock.

Shhh! Keep quiet! They are sleeping.

To describe certain future actions or events

It is going to rain in the evening.

(Going to + Base form of
verb)
I am going to eat ice-cream after lunch.
 Raj and Tina are going to be absent from
the meeting.

To describe actions or events going on in the past

The girls were laughing all the way back home.

Past Continuous

I was talking to him about the robbery.

To describe actions or events going on in the future

The maid will be coming tomorrow to collect her

wages.
Future
Continuous
They will be meeting each other after a gap of ten long
years.

Conjugation of the verb 'DO' in the Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Simple

Singular Plural

First Person I have done this recently We have done this recently

Second You have done this

You have done this recently
Person recently
 They have done this
Third Person He has done this recently
recently

Past Perfect Simple

Singular Plural

I had done this before that We had done this before

First Person
happened that happened

Second You had done this before You had done this before
Person that happened that happened

Third He had done this before They had done this before
Person that happened that happened

Future Perfect Simple

Singular Plural

First I will have done this before We will have done this
Person that happens before that happens

Second You will have done this You will have done this
Person before that happens before that happens
 Third He will have done this They will have done this
Person before that happens before that happens

The perfect simple form can be summarised as follows:

The present perfect simple tense indicates an action or event that has taken place in
an indefinite or recent past.

The past perfect simple tense indicates an action or event that had taken place at
some moment in the past, before another action or event.

The future perfect simple tense indicates an action or event that will have taken
place at some moment in the future, before another action or event.

Usage of the Perfect Tense

To describe actions or events completed in the recent past

 I have finished the portrait.

He has made sure that no one would suffer in his

absence.
Present Perfect
Simple
They have been friends since high school.

We have gained a moral victory.

To describe an action or an event completed in the past before another action or

event in the past

They had met last on the 2nd of October, 1987.

Past Perfect
Simple
The boys had left by the time I reached the
playground.

To describe an action or an event in the future preceding another action or event

in the future

I will have left for the airport by the time you come from
the meeting.

Future Perfect
Simple
They will have completed twenty-five years of their
married life by the sixth of this month.

Conjugation of the verb 'DO' in the Perfect Continuous Tense

 Present Perfect Continuous

Singular Plural

I have been doing it for a We have been doing it for a

First Person
long while long while

Second You have been doing it for a You have been doing it for a
Person long while long while

Third He has been doing it for a They have been doing it for a
Person long while long while

Past Perfect Continuous

Singular Plural

I had been doing it till that We had been doing it till that
First Person
time time

Second You had been doing it till that You had been doing it till that
Person time time

He had been doing it till that They had been doing it till
Third Person
time that time

Future Perfect Continuous

 Singular Plural

I will have been doing it by We will have been doing it by

First Person
that time that time

Second You will have been doing it by You will have been doing it by
Person that time that time

He will have been doing it by They will have been doing it

Third Person
that time by that time

The perfect continuous form can be summarised as follows:

The present perfect continuous tense indicates an action or event that began at a
certain moment in the past and is still continuing into the present.

The past perfect continuous tense indicates an action or event that was taking place
at some moment in the past, before another action or event.

The future perfect continuous tense indicates an action or event that will be taking
place at some moment in the future, before another action or event.
Usage of the Perfect Continuous Tense

To describe past actions or events continuing into the present

They have been looking for him all over the place.

Present Perfect
Continuous
She has been living with the Gandhis for over four
months.

To describe an action or an event going on in the past until another action or

event in the past

When the police came, he had been hiding in the closet.

 Past Perfect They had been looking for a house when the news came
Continuous of a recently vacated apartment.

To describe an action or an event going on in the future until another action or

event in the future

I will have been working at this place for ten years by the end
of this year.
Future Perfect
Continuous

(**Rarely used**)
She will have been dancing non-stop for more than six hours
by the time the show gets over.