1.Present:What you are currently doing.
2.Past: What you did some time back.
3.Future: What you will do later.
PRESENT TENSES
1.SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing being said about its completeness.
Key words: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, every day, on Sundays, etc.
Example:I eat.
He studies grammar every day.
2.PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action is on-going/ still going on and hence continuous.
Key words: now, right now, this quarter, etc.
Example:I am eating.
I am sleeping.
I can’t talk on the phone. I am eating lunch.
3.PRESENT PERFECT TENSE: Here,the action is complete or has ended and hence Perfect.
Key words: already, yet, just, ever, never, ___ times, since + a particular time, for + a duration of time
Example:I have eaten.
I have eaten Indian food two times.
4.PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action has been taking place for some time and is still ongoing.
Key words: for, since, lately
Example:I have been eating.
I have been eating a lot of vegetables lately.
PAST TENSES
5.SIMPLE PAST TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and understood to have taken place in the past.
Key words: yesterday, last week, last month, this morning (when meaning is past), etc.
Example: I ate dinner yesterday.
6.PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action was ongoing till a certain time in the past.
Key words: while
Example: I was eating when you called.
7.PAST PERFECT TENSE: Express something that happened before another action in the past.
Key words: already, before. by the time
Examples: I had eaten.
I had already eaten when they arrived.
8.PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express something that started in the past and continued until another time in the past.
Key words: for, since
Example: I had been eating for two hours before my friend arrived.
FUTURE TENSES
9.SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE: Used when we plan or make a decision to do something. Nothing is said about the time in the future.
Example:I will eat.
I will sleep.
10. FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express action at a particular moment in the future. However, the action will not have finished at the moment.
Key words: for
Example:I will be eating at 9 a.m.
I’ll be staying with my cousin for several weeks.
11. FUTURE PERFECT TENSE: Express action that will occur in the future before another action in the future.
Key words: when, by the time
Example: I will have finished studying by the time you arrive.
I will have slept before you arrive.
12. FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Used to talk about an on-going action before some point in the future.
Key words: for, by the time
Example:I will have been sleeping for two hours when you arrive.
I will have been studying for two hours by the time my parents come.
QUIZ TIME:)
Complete the sentences by putting the verb in bracket in appropriate form & tense:
1. Please be quiet. I _______________ (try) to read my book.
2. I _______________ (not/use) the computer at the moment so you can use it.
3. I _______________ (not/belong) to this particu1ar government committee.
4. Hurry! The bus _______________ (come). I _______________ (not/want) to miss it
5. She a1ways _______________ (remember) my birthday.
6. Mr Brown _______________ (work) in a supermarket.
7. I _______________ (work) in this factory until I find a better job.
CORRECT ANSWERS:
l. am trying
2. am not using
3. do not belong
4. is coming, do not want
5. remembers
6. works
7. am working
Now test yourself. Practice each of the type with atleast 5 examples and attain mastery in them. Tenses are a notch higher. But there is nothing that a little practice cannot beat. SO KEEP PRACTICING….
Must remember 12 rules for Tenses – Grammar
12 rules for Tenses – Grammar
There will always be certain questions in CAT and other exams based on the concept of tenses(as a part of SC) in grammar section, where one might end up pulling his hair asking – ‘I never studied such Grammar & I have no clue how to get this one right. Many students have problems with verb tenses. But they aren’t really very difficult, I promise. Here you’ll find really clear examples and explanations, so you can easily review all the English tenses – Firstly how to make them (the ‘form’), secondly, how to use them (the ‘use’). This post deals with troublesome tenses and how to handle them in your exams. I have compiled the some frequently asked concepts of tenses and tried to make this easy for you in this post.
VERB TENSE:
It’s all about time. Things can happen now, in the future or in the past. Tenses tells you when the action happens(time of an event or action). The verb ending is changed (conjugated) to show what time it is referring to.
TYPES OF TENSES:
1.Present:What you are currently doing.
2.Past: What you did some time back.
3.Future: What you will do later.
PRESENT TENSES
1.SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing being said about its completeness.
Key words: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, every day, on Sundays, etc.
Example:I eat.
He studies grammar every day.
2.PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action is on-going/ still going on and hence continuous.
Key words: now, right now, this quarter, etc.
Example:I am eating.
I am sleeping.
I can’t talk on the phone. I am eating lunch.
3.PRESENT PERFECT TENSE: Here,the action is complete or has ended and hence Perfect.
Key words: already, yet, just, ever, never, ___ times, since + a particular time, for + a duration of time
Example:I have eaten.
I have eaten Indian food two times.
4.PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action has been taking place for some time and is still ongoing.
Key words: for, since, lately
Example:I have been eating.
I have been eating a lot of vegetables lately.
PAST TENSES
5.SIMPLE PAST TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and understood to have taken place in the past.
Key words: yesterday, last week, last month, this morning (when meaning is past), etc.
Example: I ate dinner yesterday.
6.PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action was ongoing till a certain time in the past.
Key words: while
Example: I was eating when you called.
7.PAST PERFECT TENSE: Express something that happened before another action in the past.
Key words: already, before. by the time
Examples: I had eaten.
I had already eaten when they arrived.
8.PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express something that started in the past and continued until another time in the past.
Key words: for, since
Example: I had been eating for two hours before my friend arrived.
FUTURE TENSES
9.SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE: Used when we plan or make a decision to do something. Nothing is said about the time in the future.
Example:I will eat.
I will sleep.
10. FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express action at a particular moment in the future. However, the action will not have finished at the moment.
Key words: for
Example:I will be eating at 9 a.m.
I’ll be staying with my cousin for several weeks.
11. FUTURE PERFECT TENSE: Express action that will occur in the future before another action in the future.
Key words: when, by the time
Example: I will have finished studying by the time you arrive.
I will have slept before you arrive.
12. FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Used to talk about an on-going action before some point in the future.
Key words: for, by the time
Example:I will have been sleeping for two hours when you arrive.
I will have been studying for two hours by the time my parents come.
QUIZ TIME:)
Complete the sentences by putting the verb in bracket in appropriate form & tense:
1. Please be quiet. I _______________ (try) to read my book.
2. I _______________ (not/use) the computer at the moment so you can use it.
3. I _______________ (not/belong) to this particu1ar government committee.
4. Hurry! The bus _______________ (come). I _______________ (not/want) to miss it
5. She a1ways _______________ (remember) my birthday.
6. Mr Brown _______________ (work) in a supermarket.
7. I _______________ (work) in this factory until I find a better job.
CORRECT ANSWERS:
l. am trying
2. am not using
3. do not belong
4. is coming, do not want
5. remembers
6. works
7. am working
Now test yourself. Practice each of the type with atleast 5 examples and attain mastery in them. Tenses are a notch higher. But there is nothing that a little practice cannot beat. SO KEEP PRACTICING….
Must remember 12 rules for Tenses – Grammar
1.Present:What you are currently doing.
2.Past: What you did some time back.
3.Future: What you will do later.
PRESENT TENSES
1.SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and there is nothing being said about its completeness.
Key words: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, every day, on Sundays, etc.
Example:I eat.
He studies grammar every day.
2.PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action is on-going/ still going on and hence continuous.
Key words: now, right now, this quarter, etc.
Example:I am eating.
I am sleeping.
I can’t talk on the phone. I am eating lunch.
3.PRESENT PERFECT TENSE: Here,the action is complete or has ended and hence Perfect.
Key words: already, yet, just, ever, never, ___ times, since + a particular time, for + a duration of time
Example:I have eaten.
I have eaten Indian food two times.
4.PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action has been taking place for some time and is still ongoing.
Key words: for, since, lately
Example:I have been eating.
I have been eating a lot of vegetables lately.
PAST TENSES
5.SIMPLE PAST TENSE: Here,the action is simply mentioned and understood to have taken place in the past.
Key words: yesterday, last week, last month, this morning (when meaning is past), etc.
Example: I ate dinner yesterday.
6.PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE: Here,the action was ongoing till a certain time in the past.
Key words: while
Example: I was eating when you called.
7.PAST PERFECT TENSE: Express something that happened before another action in the past.
Key words: already, before. by the time
Examples: I had eaten.
I had already eaten when they arrived.
8.PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express something that started in the past and continued until another time in the past.
Key words: for, since
Example: I had been eating for two hours before my friend arrived.
FUTURE TENSES
9.SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE: Used when we plan or make a decision to do something. Nothing is said about the time in the future.
Example:I will eat.
I will sleep.
10. FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE: Express action at a particular moment in the future. However, the action will not have finished at the moment.
Key words: for
Example:I will be eating at 9 a.m.
I’ll be staying with my cousin for several weeks.
11. FUTURE PERFECT TENSE: Express action that will occur in the future before another action in the future.
Key words: when, by the time
Example: I will have finished studying by the time you arrive.
I will have slept before you arrive.
12. FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE: Used to talk about an on-going action before some point in the future.
Key words: for, by the time
Example:I will have been sleeping for two hours when you arrive.
I will have been studying for two hours by the time my parents come.
QUIZ TIME:)
Complete the sentences by putting the verb in bracket in appropriate form & tense:
1. Please be quiet. I _______________ (try) to read my book.
2. I _______________ (not/use) the computer at the moment so you can use it.
3. I _______________ (not/belong) to this particu1ar government committee.
4. Hurry! The bus _______________ (come). I _______________ (not/want) to miss it
5. She a1ways _______________ (remember) my birthday.
6. Mr Brown _______________ (work) in a supermarket.
7. I _______________ (work) in this factory until I find a better job.
CORRECT ANSWERS:
l. am trying
2. am not using
3. do not belong
4. is coming, do not want
5. remembers
6. works
7. am working
Now test yourself. Practice each of the type with atleast 5 examples and attain mastery in them. Tenses are a notch higher. But there is nothing that a little practice cannot beat. SO KEEP PRACTICING….
Must remember 12 rules for Tenses – GrammarJoin us MBA CET 2025
