TENSES

Tense can be defined as a word form used to indicate the time of occurrence of an

incident with reference to the moment of speaking. It indicates the completion or

continuance of an activity.

Types of Tenses

● Past

● present

● Future

These tenses can further be categorized into 4 types:

● Simple Tense

● Continuous Tense

● Perfect Tense

● Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Tense Rules

Past tense is used to describe a past activity or action. It is a form of the verb that defines the

events that have already occurred. Examples

● Reema attended the wedding functions.

● He left before I reached.

● Priya wrote a letter to her friends from camp.

Present Tense Rules

The present tense is used to describe the current or present being, situation, or event. It is a

form of the verb that defines the events that are currently happening. Examples

● I am going to the office

● She has been part of this group for 4 years now.

● The concert is amazing.

Future Tense Rules

The future tense is used to describe the future events that haven’t occurred but possibly will

occur in the future. It is a form of the verb that will occur in the future & not exist currently.

Examples

● She will be dancing to classical music.

● We will be shifting to the house upstate tomorrow morning.

● The train will leave in 10 minutes.

Tenses

Tenses Rule

Past simple tense

Subject + V2 + Object

Past Perfect tense

Subject + had + V3 + Object

Past Continuous tense

Subject + was + V1 + ing +

Object (Singular)

Subject + were + V1 + ing +

Object (Plural)

Past perfect continuous

Subject + had been + V1 +

tense

ing + Object

Present Simple tense

Subject + V1 + s/es + Object

(Singular) Subject +

V1 + Object (Plural)

Present Perfect tense

Subject + has + V3 + Object

(Singular) Subject +

have + V3 + Object

(Plural)

Present Continuous tense

Subject + is/am/are + V1 +

ing + object

Present perfect continuous

Subject + has been + V1 +

tense

ing + Object

(Singular)Subject +

have been + V1 + ing +

Object (Plural)

Future Simple tense

Subject + will/shall + V1 +

Object

Future Perfect tense

Subject + will have/shall

have + V3 + Object

Future Continuous tense

Subject + will be/shall be +

ing + V1 + Object

Future Perfect Continuous

Subject + will have been +

tense

V1 + ing + Object

V1 = first form of the verb

V2 = second form of the verb

V3 = third form of the verb

Solved Examples

1) Air pollution caused by industrial effluents has been studied (A)/ for years, but only

recently has (B)/ the harmful effects of noise pollution become known.(C)/No error(D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: use have instead of has as harmful effects of noise pollution is plural.

2) The ministry was considered several proposals (A)/ for the development of small

and medium enterprises (B)/during Budget discussions.(C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: Use simple past tense. (The ministry considered several proposals)

3) Having work(A)/ in both public and private sector banks(B)/she is the most suitable

person to take over the post of the chairman.(C)/No error(D)

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: Replace work by worked as the sentence is of past tense.

4) Rohit started a very small business two years ago (A)/ but it grew very fast (B)/as

the country is experiencing a boom at that time.(C)/No error(D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: The sentence is in the past tense, so use was experiencing.

5) Keeping in mind the current market conditions (A)/ it has better for us (B)/ to invest

in the infrastructure structure. (C)/No error(D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Replace it has better for us with ‘it is better for us’. The sentence is in

the present tense.

Practice Problems

1) Our equipment gets (A)/ damage very often in summer (B)/ because there are too

many power cuts. (C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Use damaged instead of damage as the sentence is in passive voice. The

third form of the verb is used in passive voice.

2) Most children liked to rest in the afternoon (A)/ after they returned from school

(B)/but my son seems to have an inexhaustible source of energy. (C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: replace seems by seemed as the sentence is in the past tense.

3) The cutting down on costs (A)/was the main reason for the firm to survive (B)/even

during a very difficult period. (C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: D

Explanation: No error

4) I will go (A)/ for the dance classes tomorrow (B)/ if I have recovered from fever.

(C)/No error. (D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: If I have recovered is to be replaced by if I recover. Sentences of future

beginning with if should be in simple present.

5) The principal announced (A)/ in the school assembly that the school fees (B)/ will

be hiked from the beginning of the next academic session. (C)/No error(D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: Replace will with would. (The sentence is in indirect speech)

6) The terrorist did not (A)/ confessed his crime even till the very end (B)/of his trail

and said that he was innocent.(C) /No error (D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Replace confessed with confess. (We use the first form of the verb with

did).

7) If the industrial sector continues to grow(A)/ at the same rate for the next few

months(B)/ I think it has a high growth rate this year.(C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: Replace I think it has with it will have as it is of the future tense.

8) Results find that girls (A)/ played not only more than boys(B)/ but also performed

better in many fields.(C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: Replace find with found as the sentence is of past tense.

9) Celebrating her fifteen long years in the film industry (A)/the actor announce that he

would be doing a new show (B)/on television which would be done completely free of

cost.(C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Replace announce with announced as the sentence is of past tense.

10) Had I known (A)/ the weather forecast earlier (B)/I would not make plans to go

out. (C)/ No error (D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: replace ‘would not make’ with would not have made. (for imaginary

sentences of the past tense would have and the third form of the verb

is used). It’s a conditional sentence.

11) If you to talk to him on this sensitive matter(A)/ it is probable(B)/ that he will not

listen to you at all.(C)/ No error (D)

Correct Answer: D

Explanation: No error

12) On many occasions (A)/we did helped the poor (B)/ people by way of giving them

food to eat and clothes to put on. (C)/ No error (D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Omit did

13) The farewell party continued (A)/till midnight as more and more(B)/ guests join in

the fun and frolic.(C)/ No error (D)

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: replace join with joined as the sentence is of past tense.

14) The market continues to be positive (A)/ and we expected the trend (B)/ to

continue in the next quarter also. (C)/No error (D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Replace expect with expect as the latter part of the sentence is of future

tense.

15) Big zamindars in the villages(A)/ who were till now paid for electricity(B)/ at

subsidized rates will soon have to pay the government at full rates.(C)/ No error(D)

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Replace paid with paying as the sentence is of past continuous tense.

Tenses [ Notes + Solved Examples + Practice Problem ]

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Tenses [ Notes + Solved Examples + Practice Problem ]

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