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The Tense

The tense of a verb is that form of verb, that indicates the time of an action and whether that action is complete or not. 
There are three main tenses:
1) Present Tense
2) Past Tense
3) Future Tense

Each of these has four forms:
1) Simple
2) Continuous
3) Perfect
4) Perfect Continuous

Thus, the twelve English tenses are as follows:
1) Present Tense
Simple Present Tense
Present Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Continuous Tense

2) Past Tense
Simple Past Tense
Past Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Continuous Tense

3) Future Tense
Simple Future Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Rules for tenses:-









Let's understand these rules with few examples:
Simple Present Tense -  
subject + V1 + Object
I eat an apple. 
Sita eats an apple. 

Present Continuous Tense - 
subject + am/is/are + V1 + ing + object
I am eating an apple. 
Sita is eating an apple. 

Present Perfect Tense - 
subject + have/has + V3 + Object
I have eaten an apple. 
Sita has eaten an apple. 

Present Perfect Continuous Tense - 
subject + have/has + been + V1 + ing + object
I have been eating an apple. 
Sita has been eating an apple. 

Simple Past Tense
subject + V2 + Object
I ate an apple. 
Sita ate an apple. 

Past Continuous Tense
subject + was/were + V1 + ing + object
I was eating an apple. 
Sita was eating an apple. 

Past Perfect Tense
subject + had + V3 + object
I had eaten an apple. 
Sita had eaten an apple. 

Past Perfect Continuous Tense
subject + had + been + V1 + ing + object. 
I had been eating an apple. 
Sita had been eating an apple. 

Simple Future Tense
subject + will + V1 + object
I shall eat an apple.
Sita will eat an apple. 

Future Continuous Tense
subject + will be + V1 + ing + object.
I shall be eating an apple. 
Sita will be eating an apple. 

Future Perfect Tense
subject + will have + V3 + object
I shall have eaten an apple. 
Sita will have eaten an apple. 

Future Perfect Continuous Tense
subject + will have + been + V1 + ing + object
I shall have been eating an apple. 
Sita will have been eating an apple. 

Rules to be remembered:

Present Continuous
I - use "am"
He/she/it/singular name - use "is"
you/we/they/plural name - use "are"

Past continuous
I/he/she/it/singular name - use "was"
You/we/they/plural name - use "were"

Present Perfect
I/you/we/they - use "have"
He/she/it/singular name - use "has"

Simple Future
I and we - use "shall"
He/she/it/they/name/you - use "will"

Observe the given sentences and identify the types of tenses. 

1. I shall move to Mumbai soon
Ans. Simple future tense

2. He had been driving a car. 
Ans. Past perfect continuous tense. 

3. She went to the temple everyday. 
Ans. Simple past tense

4. They were bringing the luggage from the airport. 
And. Past continuous tense

5. I shall have finished this embroidery by evening. 
Ans. Future perfect tense

6. The girl is speaking the truth. 
Ans. Present continuous tense

7. Ravi was going to school. 
Ans. Past continuous tense. 

8. He eats chocolate. 
Ans. Simple present tense. 

9. You will be playing cricket. 
Ans. Future continuous tense. 

10. I have eaten Mango. 
Ans. Present perfect tense. 

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