The Present Perfect Tense
This tense form is derived by combining has/have with the past participle of a verb:
Eg: has written, have written, has gone, have gone
The present perfect is used to express an action that has just been completed.
Eg. She has finished her home work.
The following Adverbs are often seen with the Present Perfect Tense:
now, just, today, still, ever, never, not yet, already, lately, recently
Eg. She has already explained her position.
This tense is not used with Adverbs of past time. It is wrong to say;
I have written a letter to him yesterday. (Incorrect)
He has visited Madras last year. (Incorrect)
They can be corrected by
1. Removing the past time expressions:
I have written a letter to him.
He has visited Madras recently.
2. Or by replacing the present perfect tense by the Simple Past Tense, thus:
I wrote a letter to him yesterday.
He visited Madras last year.
Exercise
Correct the following sentences:
1. We have built this house twenty years ago.
2. She has returned all the books to the library yesterday.
3. The train already left.
4. I never tasted any liquor.
5. I did not see him all these twelve years.
6. I have bought some toys when I went to New Delhi.
(Answers)
1. We built this house twenty years ago.
2. She returned all the books to the library yesterday.
3. The train has already left
4. I have never tasted any liquor.
5. I have not seen him all these twelve years.
6. I bought some toys when I went to New Delhi.
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
This tense form is derived by combining has/have been with the Present Participle (has/have + (verb) ing)
This tense form is used to indicate an action that began in the past, continued up to the present and still continuing.
Eg. He has been working in this office since 2010.
The present perfect continuous implies a relationship between the past and now. If we do not suggest duration from the past, the present continuous must be used.
He is sleeping.
He has been sleeping for two hours.
Since and For
Since is always associated with a perfect tense. It denotes “from some definite point in the past till now”.
Eg. I have been living here since 1980.
For is also used with the perfect tenses when it means a period of time.
I have not seen him for two years.
Exercise
Add since or for:
1. She has beeen acting in films…………1985.
2. He has been living here………….1975.
3. The cow has been standing in the rain………….half an hour.
4. He has been writing a novel………..the last two years.
5. No body has written to me ………..many weeks.
6. I haven’t ridden a bicycle……………my childhood.
7. He has been in business ………1990.
8………..beginning of this year, eggs have become dearer.
9. It hasn’t rained here………….July.
10. I have been waiting here ………..two hours.
Answers
1. since 2.since 3.for 4.for 5.for 6.since 7.since 8.since 9.since 10.for
The past Tense forms
The simple past
This tense form is used to denote an action or event that occurred in the past.
eg. I bought this car last year.
The simple past tense is often found with such adverbs of pat time as these:
Yesterday, last night (week, month), adverbs of past time with ago
Exercise
Put the verbs n brackets into the correct simple tense either Past or Present:
1. I …..(go) to see my grandfather last year.
2. We usually ……..(have) lunch at 1 o’clock.
3. A T.V. set ………(cost) a lot of money.
4. The river ……….(overflow) its banks during the rainy season last year.
5. They ………….(finish) their work half an hour ago.
6. My youngest sister…………(get) a job last month.
7. The accident……..(take place) less than an hour ago.
8. Johny usually………(pass) by the post office on his way to work.
Answers
1.went 2.have 3.costs 4.overflowed 5.finished 6.got 7.took place 8.passes
The past continuous
1. This tense form is used to indicate an action that was going on in the past.
Eg. He was writing letters in the morning
2. To denote an activity that was continuing when another action took place:
Eg. It was raining when the match ended.
3. To indicate two activities continuing at the same time:
She was reading while I was writing.
Exercise
Use the correct tense of the verbs within brackets, the simple past or the past continuous.
1. He………….(take) my photograph while I ………..(have) breakfast.
2. When he ………(cross) the road, a car ………(knock) him down.
3. The ministers………….(wait) at the airport when the President………(arrive)
4. While I………..(read), I ………(hear) a knocking at the gate.
5. The accident………..(occur) when the passengers ………..(sleep).
6. The boy ………….(jump) into the bus when it …………(move)
7. Nero…………….(fiddle) when Rome ………..(burn)
8. He …………….(wound) himself while he ………..(cut) the cake.
Answers
1. took, was having
2. was crossing, knocked
3. were waiting, arrived
4. was reading, heard
5. occured, were sleeping
6. jumped, was moving
7. was fiddling, was burning
8. wounded, was cutting
The Past Perfect Tense
Had+ past participle of the verb
The past perfect tense is used to indicate the earlier of two past actions.
(The later action is indicated by the Simple past Tense itself)
Eg. The train had left by the time I reached the station
Note: The past perfect tense should not be used when there is only one past event or activity referred to. Thus, it is wrong to say
India had become free in 1947. (wrong)
Exercise
Use the simple past or past perfect tense of the verbs given in brackets:
1.He……….(report) that he ………(spend) the vacation in Mysore.
2.By the time the train ………(start), the sun…….(set)
3.The patient……….(die) by the time the doctor………….(arrive)
4.The doctor………..(report) that smoking……….(damage) the patient’s lungs.
5.The show already…………(begin) before we……….(reach) the place.
Answers
1. reported, had spent
2. started, had set
3. had died, arrived
4. reported, had damaged
5. had begun, reached
The past perfect continuous Tense
The past perfect continuous tense is used to indicate an action that began some time in the past and continued without break till a later point of time in the past when something else happened.
Eg.He had been working in Mumbai for five years when I saw him.
The future tense forms
The simple future
This tense form is derived by the addition of shall or will to the verb base.
Eg: shall go/will go shall come/will come
The simple future tense is used to indicate an action that is going to happen in the future.
We shall meet before Christmas.
He will wait here till you come.
The future continuous
The tense form is derived by the combination of shall/will + be + ing.
This tense form represents an action as going on at some time in the future.
Eg. They will be taking rest after the day’s labour.
I shall be visiting my relatives during the vacation.
The Future Perfect Tense
This form is derived by the combination, shall/will + have + Past participle of the verb.
Shall have done/ will have done
The tense tells us that a certain action will be completed by a certain future date.
Eg. He will have left his office before you reach there.
I shall have completed my homework by the time you reach back
The future perfect Continuous Tense
The structure of this tense form is
Shall/will+ have been + (verb) ing
This tense form is used to indicate an action that is going on at a certain time in future.
Eg. By next March I shall have been working in this officer for seven years.
Exercise
Use the suitable future tense forms of the verbs given in brackets:
1.We ………(reach) the station before the train leaves.
2.By 2015 he ………..(work) at this college for 15 years.
3.I …………(take) my breakfast by 9 am
4. she……….(take) rest after she completes her homework.
5. I ……….(take) my bath before you come.
Answers
1. will reach 2.will have worked 3.shall have taken 4.will take 5. shall have taken
Common Errors in the use of Tenses
- Confusion between the Present Perfect and the Simple past:
I have written to her yesterday. (wrong)
I wrote to her yesterday (right)
b. Confusion between the Simple Past and Past Perfect
1. I had called on her yesterday.(w)
I called on her yesterday.
2. Anne had worked hard (w)
Anne worked hard (R )
c. Wrong use of the Present Continuous for the Present Perfect Continuous:
1. She is working as a teacher for five years.(W)
She has been working as a teacher for five years (R )
d. Wrong use of the Future Tense instead of the Simple Present:
1. I shall meet you when I will come there. (W)
I shall meet you when I come there.(R )
e. Wrong use of the Future tense in Imperative sentences:
1. See that the dog will not bite you.(w)
See that the dog does not bite you. (R)
Conditional Sentences
Conditional Sentences are conveniently classified into three groups.
- Possible condition
- Impossible condition
- Improbable condition
Structure of these three is given below:
No | Conditional Clause | Main Clause |
1 | If + present | will/shall/can/may |
2 | If+ past | would/should/could/might |
3. | If+ had | would have + PP |
1. If you call me, I will come.
2. If you called me, I would come.
3. If you had called me, I would have come.
Exercise
Convert the following conditional sentences into the other forms, as shown below.
1. If you help him, he can complete his work. 2. If you helped him, he could complete his work. 3. If you had helped him, he could have completed his work.
|
1. If you take more exercise, you will not get so fat.
2. If you smoke like this, it will spoil your health.
3. Had I known this, I would have kept him at a distance
4. If he got a job, he could support his family.
5. We can celebrate the occasion if it is a holiday.
Answers
1. If you take more exercise, you will not get so fat.
If you took more exercise, you would not get so fat.
If you had taken more exercise, you would not have got so fat.
2. If you smoke like this, it will spoil your health.
If you smoked like this, it would spoil your health.
If you had smoked like this, it would have spoiled your health.
3. Had I known this, I would have kept him at a distance
If I know this, I will keep him at a distance
If I knew this, I would keep him at a distance
4. If he got a job, he could support his family.
If he gets a job, he can support his family.
If he had got a job, he could have supported his family.
5. We can celebrate the occasion if it is a holiday.
We could celebrate the occasion if it was a holiday.
We could have celebrated the occasion if it had been a holiday.
