NCERT Solutions: Tenses

A.1 Indicate the tense and time of each of the highlighted verbs in the table below. 

B.1 Meaning
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the present progressive form of the given verbs.

i. "You've put on weight, Cheryl."
"Yes. I......(eat) a lot these days."
ii. "Hurry up! We ...(get) late for school."
"Just a second, please! I ...(come)."
iii. Temperatures... (rise) all over the world.
iv. "You....not...(wear) this dirty shirt to office. Wait, I'll give you another."
v. "I...not...(do) your homework-forget it. I still haven't forgotten how you fought with me in the morning."
vi. The Prime Minister ...(leave) for Russia tomorrow on a 5 day state visit.
vii. "You ...(be) very rude, Abhi."
viii. She ...always (make) excuses for coming late.
ix. Aabha... (write) a novel these days.

Answer:

1. I am eating a lot these days.
2. We are getting late for school.
   I am coming.
3. Temperatures are rising all over the world.
4. You are not wearing this dirty shirt to the office.
5. I am not doing your homework - forget it.
6. The Prime Minister is leaving for Russia tomorrow on a five-day state visit.
7. You are being very rude, Abhi.
8. She is always making excuses for coming late.
9. Aabha is writing a novel these days.

B 2. Verbs that are normally NOT used in the progressive form. 
Which sentence in each of the following pairs is acceptable and why?

1.
a. I am respecting you.
b. I respect you.

2.
a. My son loves to draw and paint.
b. My son is loving to draw and paint.

3.
a. We are having two cars.
b. We have two cars.

4.
a. I am thinking you are new to this place.
b. I think you are new to this place.

5.
a. The cake smells good.
b. The cake is smelling good.

Answer:

1. Sentence (b) I respect you. is acceptable.
Explanation: Respect is a stative verb (it describes a state or feeling) and is normally used in the simple form rather than the progressive.

2. Sentence (a) My son loves to draw and paint. is acceptable.
Explanation: Love here expresses a permanent preference or habit, so the simple present is correct. The progressive form would be unusual unless you mean a temporary experience (e.g., "He is loving this new course." is informal and rare).

3. Sentence (b) We have two cars. is acceptable.
Explanation: Have (to possess) is stative and is normally used in the simple form. "We are having two cars" is not standard unless it refers to a temporary arrangement (rare).

4. Sentence (b) I think you are new to this place. is acceptable.
Explanation: Think when used to express opinion takes the simple present. The progressive would be used for the act of thinking (considering) rather than stating an opinion.

5. Sentence (a) The cake smells good. is acceptable.
Explanation: Smell as a stative verb (describing a sensory state) takes the simple form. The progressive ("is smelling") is used only when someone is actively testing the smell by sniffing.

ii. Can you explain the difference between?
1.
 a. I just can't imagine how you got into such a mess. 
Explanation: This uses a stative sense of imagine. It means the speaker cannot form a mental picture or cannot believe how the situation happened.

b. You're imagining things; nothing will happen.
 Explanation: This uses the progressive are imagining to say that someone is presently imagining things (acting or thinking now), implying the imagined danger or event is not real.

2.
 a. The coffee tastes bitter
 Explanation: This is the simple present describing the coffee's usual or current taste.

b. Mother is tasting coffee to check if it is too bitter.
 Explanation: The progressive is tasting shows a temporary, active action - mother is actively sampling the coffee now.

3.
 a. My teacher admires my art work
 Explanation: This simple present means the teacher generally holds a favourable opinion of the student's work.

b. She is admiring the latest painting I have made.
     Explanation: The progressive shows a present, temporary action - the teacher is right now looking at and praising the latest painting.

4.
 a. The doctor is feeling the patient's pulse.
 Explanation: This progressive describes a current action - the doctor is now checking the pulse by touch.

b. The patient is feeling better.
 Explanation: The verb feel here is stative, describing the patient's general condition. It uses the simple present form to show a state (improved health).

B. 3 Complete the following sentences with the appropriate forms of the given verbs.

1. Every day I(go) to school in a bus but today I (go) by car because the bus operators are on strike.
 Ans. Every day I go to school by bus, but today I am going/ shall go by car because the bus operators are on strike.

2. \"Baichung Bhutia (pass) the ball to Bannerjee; Bannerjee (take) a shot at the goal but it (be) way above the goal post. The Indians (attack) much more now...\"
Ans. Baichung Bhutia passes the ball to Bannerjee; Bannerjee takes a shot at the goal but it is way above the goal-post. The Indians are attacking much more now.

3. I (think) you (make) a mistake by signing this contract.
Ans. I think you made/have made a mistake by signing this contract.

4. The doctor (say) mother (respond) to the treatment well.
Ans. The doctor says mother is responding to the treatment well.

5. Farzana (be) not well. She (not come) to school today.
Ans.  Farzana is not well. She has not come to school today / She will not come to school today. (Either present result or future intention is possible depending on context.)

B.6. As Susie, write a reply to Nikita's letter. Do take care to answer all the questions Nikita has asked you. What verb forms would you like to use?

Answer: 
Milan
25th October, 2011

Dear Nikita,

Got your letter yesterday. I am doing fine here. It is good to know that all of you are hale and hearty.

My novel is almost ready. Last month was hectic because I was giving the novel its last-minute finishes. I am planning its launch next month and I will send you a signed copy.

Sharon is absolutely right - there is a little India in Italy. It is amazing that they teach Indian classical dance in the traditional Indian way. My teacher, though an Italian by origin, learned Bharatnatyam from the famous Yamini Krishnamurti. I must say, performing gives me immense happiness. Despite this, I spend my days doing the usual household chores just as you do.

I am planning to visit India this winter. Yes, I will stay at your home for a full week and we will cherish the moments we spent in our childhood. I miss the winters of Delhi, especially its chai and garam pakodas.

Mother is fine and recovering well. She is still receiving physiotherapy every alternate day.

There is a lot more to tell but it is already midnight. I will write again soon. Give my love to the children.

Bye
Yours
Susie

C.2 Complete the following sentences by using the present perfect form of the given verbs.

a) The kids (work) really hard for the show. Now, don't cancel it, please.
b) Yippy! I (select) for the interschool dance competition!
c) I ...(contest) five elections so far.
d) John? O, he is a delightful boy. I (know) him since his childhood.
e) ...you ever (be) to the Taj Mahal?

Answer: 

a) The kids have worked really hard for the show; please do not cancel it.
b) Yippy! I have been selected for the interschool dance competition!
c) I have contested five elections so far.
d) John? Oh, he is a delightful boy. I have known him since his childhood.
e) Have you ever been to the Taj Mahal?

C.4 Look at the incomplete sentences below. Using the information provided, complete each sentence using a suitable tense. 

1. 1947 until now India There _______________ (be) many wars.
2. 1991 There ________________(be) a war in the Persian Gulf.
3. 1953 Edmund Hilary and Tensing first ___________________ (climb) Everest.
4. 1953 until now India Many people ___________________ (climb) Everest.
5. 1983 India ____________ (win) the Prudential Cricket World Cup in England.
6. 1983 until now India ___________ (win) many limited-overs cricket trophies.

Answer: 

1. There have been many wars since 1947.
2. In 1991, there was a war in the Persian Gulf.
3. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing first climbed Everest in 1953.
4. Many people have climbed Everest since 1953.
5. India won the Prudential Cricket World Cup in England in 1983.
6. India has won many limited-overs cricket trophies since 1983.

C.5 The present perfect is often used with the following time expressions 

Choose five of these time expressions and make sentences about interesting items of news concerning yourself.

Answer:

1. I have not been contacted until now.
2. So far I have not received any calls from her.
3. I met her this morning, but I haven't seen her since then.
4. We have been to a new shopping mall recently.
5. Over the last few years, petrol prices have risen sharply.

D. Simple Past Tense-Past Perfect Tense
 D.1 Underline the main verbs in the sentences below. Then rewrite the sentences in the correct order of events. 

1) The people began to starve.
2) In 1925 a disease destroyed the crops in one village.
3) Later, the village people came to retrieve their children
4) The chief decided to send the children of the village to live in a settlement in the next valley.
5) However, they had married outside the village.
6) This caused a war between the two villages.

Answer:

1. In 1925 a disease destroyed the crops in one village.
2. The people began to starve.
3. The chief decided to send the children of the village to live in a settlement in the next valley.
4. Later, the village people came to retrieve their children.
5. However, they had married outside the village.
6. This caused a war between the two villages.

D.2 Study the following sentences. 

1) I didn't know Jim had migrated to the United States.
2) When we arrived at the theatre, the show had already begun.
3) The patient had died before the ambulance reached the hospital.
4) He had got married by the time he started working.
5) I couldn't open the locker because I had mislaid the keys.
6) Byom Bakshi felt that he had seen the man somewhere before.

As you can see, each of the above sentences describes two different actions, events or situations. Work with a partner and list them as shown in the example.

Answer:

Q:What verb forms have been used in (A) and (B) respectively?
Answer:
A. Past perfect in (A).
B. Simple past in (B).
Q: What conclusion can you draw from your analysis?
Answer: The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past action. The simple past is used for the later past action.

D.3 Complete the following sentences correctly by using the simple past or past perfect forms of the given verbs.

1) We ___________already ___________(reach) home when Irfan ______(say) that he _________(forget) his books at school.
 Ans. We had already reached home when Irfan said that he had forgotten his books at school.

2) Wendy __________(wake up) late, then she ___________(miss) her school bus, so by the time she (reach) school, it ___________already________(start).
Ans. Wendy had woken up late; then she missed her school bus, so by the time she reached school, it had already started.

3) I _______(visit) my town again ten years after I ___________ (leave) it and ________ (find) that it______ completely _______ (change).
Ans. I visited my town again ten years after I had left it and found that it had completely changed.

4) When Feroze and Mehr___________ (meet) for the first time, they__________ (not like) each other but now they are married.
Ans. When Feroze and Mehr met for the first time, they had not liked each other, but now they are married.

D.4 Find the incorrect sentences and then rewrite them correctly. Put a tick mark (✔) against the sentences that you think are correct.

1. By 2005, the singer recorded ten albums. ✗
Correction: By 2005, the singer had recorded ten albums.

2. When I got to the bank, it had closed ✔

3.Timothy, the tiger, had killed five calves yesterday. ✗
Correction:  Timothy, the tiger, killed five calves yesterday.

4. When Rehman met Mini ten years later, she grew up into a young girl. ✗
Correction:  When Rehman met Mini ten years later, she had grown up into a young girl.

5. By the time we reached the airport, the flight had left. ✔

6. We hardly went a kilometre or so when the car broke down. ✗
Correction: We had hardly gone a kilometre or so when the car broke down.

D.5 Carefully study each of the following events or situations described in a set of three sentences/phrases. Then write a short paragraph to describe each event/situation as shown in the example. Your paragraph should begin with the description of the second event in each case. Use the verb form had + past participle to describe the earliest of the past events. 

Answer:

• I tried to phone Mayank this morning but the servant answered the phone. He told me that Mayank had gone out with his family.
• Jayanti met Rohit, who had returned from holiday. They both went to see a film.
• The participants arrived in Gangtok. They found that all the arrangements had been finalised for the seminar. They met the professors from the UK the same evening.

G. Tenses - Summary
 Read the biodata of Sangeeta Rani Puri, India's swimming sensation. Then, complete the interview in the spaces provided. Do NOT add any extra information. Use appropriate tenses.

Answer:
Interviewer : Sangeeta, since you were in India for only a short while before you flew to Atlanta, would you tell us a little about yourself?
Sangeeta : Well, I'm an Indian and I'm proud to be one.

I: Please tell us about your parents.
S: My father, _Mr. Raj Krishna Puri, is a famous immigration lawyer and my mother, Mrs. Moyna Margaret Puri, is_  from Trinidad. 

I: Have you taken part in any of the National Championships?
S: (Very excited) Yes, I have set six new national records in five days at the Junior Nationals at Vijayawada.

I: How did you perform at the Senior Nationals?
S: I won seven events and set five new national records at the Senior Nationals in Kolkata in October 1995.

I: How do you rate your performance in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996?
S: I am proud to have represented India in the 50 m freestyle. It's true that I did not win any medal in Atlanta. But I had the best time of my life - 29.02 seconds.

I: Have you made any plans for the future?
S: I do have plans. I am trying to get a swimming scholarship and training in the USA. Also I will represent India for as long as possible. I hope that I will win a medal in the Olympics.

I: Thank you, Sangeeta. I wish you all the best.
S: Thank you very much.