Tense - 2 - English Grammar Basic - Class 10

The Past Tense

(1) Past Indefinite Tense

The Past Indefinite or Simple Past Tense is used :

(i) To indicate an action completed in the past.

As,
The boy left school an hour ago.
I did this work a week ago.
The ship sailed last week.

(ii) To denote past habits.

As,
He practiced many hours every day.
She always sang a romantic.

(2) Past Continuous Tense

The Past Continuous Tense is used :

(i) To denote an action going on at some time in the past.

As,
The light went out while I was reading.
We were watching the television all evening.

(ii) With always, continually etc. for persistent habits in the past.

As,
He was always refusing.
She was continually neglecting her duty.

(3) Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect Tense is used :

(i) To describe an action completed before a certain moment in the past.

As,
I met him in 1995. I had seen him last five years before.
I called him at 5 am. I had found him got up at 7 am.

(ii) When two actions happened in the past and it may be necessary to show which action happened earlier than the other.

As,
When I reached the station, the train had started.
I had completed my work before the officer came.
I had done my work when Seema came to see me.

(4) Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued upto that time.

As,
He had been serving the institution for the last one year.
At that time he had been writing a short story for three months.

The Future Tense

(1) Future Indefinite Tense

The Future Indefinite or Simple Future Tense is used for an action that has still to take place.
As,
I shall meet him tomorrow.
Day after tomorrow will be Friday.

(2) Future Continuous Tense

The Future Continuous Tense represents an action as going on at some time in Future time.

As,
I shall be writing the letter then.
When I go into the class, the teacher will be teaching.

* The Future Continuous Tense is also used for representing future events that are planned.

As,
I shall be waiting for you till 4 pm.
She will be meeting me next week.

(3) Future Perfect Tense

The Future Perfect Tense is used to indicate the completion of an action by a certain future time.

As,
I shall have done my homework by that time.
Before you go to meet him, he will have left the office.

(4) Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense indicates an action represented as being in progress over a period of time that will end in the future.

As,
By next January, we shall have been living in Delhi for three years.
When he completes his school, he will have been studying at NIIT.

Conjugation of Verb ‘To be’

Present Indefinite Tense

Present Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Past/Indefinite Tense

Past Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Indefinite Tense

Future Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense