Tenses

Topic 1

TENSES

INTRODUCTION

The word ‘tense' refers to the different forms of a verb that tell us when the action referred to happens – before, at the time of or after the moment of speech. There are two main tenses in English: the present tense and the past tense, as in He lives here and He lived here. It is important to note that English has no future tense. Thus, while the form of a verb tells us whether something happens in the present or in the past, there is no separate form of the verb, or tense, we can use to talk about an action that is expected to take place in the future. Instead, we say, for example He will live here. In fact, there are many ways, which are described later, of indicating future action in English.

PRESENT TENSE

We use four tense forms in English to talk about the present time.

a. The simple present (e.g., walk / walks) 

b. The present progressive or continuous tense (e.g., am / is / are walking) 

c. The present perfect tense (e.g., have / has walked)

d. The present perfect progressive or continuous tense (e.g., has/ have been walking) 

PAST TENSE

We use four different forms of the verb to talk about past events, actions and activities.

a. The simple past (e.g., walked / slept / ate) 

b. The past progressive or continuous tense (e.g., was /were + walking) 

c. The past perfect tense (e.g., had + walked)

d. The past perfect progressive or continuous tense (e.g., had been walking) 

REFERENCE TO FUTURE TIME

There are different ways of referring to future time in English.

a. The simple future (e.g., will walk / is going to walk / is walking / walks)

b. The future progressive or continuous (e.g., will be walking)

c. The future perfect (e.g., will have walked) 

d. The future perfect progressive or continuous (e.g., will have been walking)

TENSES AND ITS USAGE

TENSES AT A GLANCE

Practice Exercises

I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the verb given in the brackets.

1. I am ------ a letter. (write) 

2. Ulysses was ------ by the music of the sirens. (enchant) 

3. I shall have ------ my job by evening. (finish) 

4. He has been ------ through a bleak period. (pass)

5. We ------ resuming the match on Monday. (be)

6. No sooner did he arrive than he started ------ orders to everyone around. (issue)

7. They went to Japan ____ they? (do) 

8. The president proposed that the meeting ____ to an earlier date. (advance)

9. You may ____ if you wish to. (go)

10. The director might have _____ home already. (go)

11. He dare not _______ this office again. (enter)

12. We need not have _______ to Mumbai at all. (go)

13. You ought to _________ the dentist very soon. (see)

14. Jim had for London before I ________(leave) (arrive) 

15. If only you had told me the truth, I would not ________there. (go) 

16. If I am not mistaken, you _______ that book a year ago. (borrow)

17. What do you _______ in the evening. (do)

18. Gopal _______ in this office for the last two years. Everyone here _______ him. (work) (like)

19. We have to get up early tomorrow; our train _______ at 6 o'clock. (leave)

20. When I _______ the station, the train _______ (reach) (leave)

21. Many people _______ but no one has succeeded so far. (try) 

22. That programme is so boring that it's like ________ paint dry. (watch) 

23. By the end of this year, I realize, I _________ tests for three years now. (write) 

24. Do you mind _______ the door as I find it very hot in here? (open)

25. I honestly think that the time _______ when we should celebrate our success. (come)

26. How anyone _______ to live in those conditions in the 18th century is difficult to imagine. (manage) 

27. Have you ever _______ of this write before? (hear) 

28. That stupid dog _______ (be) always _______ all day long. (bark) 

29. They were eating dinner when the lights _______ out. (go)

30. No one _______ your story when you tell them. (believe)

II. Fill in the verbs in the correct tenses into the gaps. 

1. Everybody _______ by the terrible news yesterday. 

a. shocked

b. was shocked

2. Dr.Sharma _______ at the university since 1989.

a. has been teaching 

b. has been taught

3. Not much _______ about the accident since that time.

a. has said

b. has been said

4. A new book _______ by that company next year.

a. will publish

b. will be published

5. He _______ the girls name now. 

a. remembers

b. is remembered

6. The secretary _______ to her new boss yesterday.

a. introduced

b.was introduced

7. Our plan _______ by the members of the committee.

a. is being considered

b. is considered

8. He _______ responsible for the accident. 

a. was holding 

b. was held

9. A prize _______ to whoever solves this equation.

a. will be giving

b. will be given

10. When the manager arrived, the problem _______

a. had already been solved 

b. had already solved

III. Fill in the verbs in the correct tenses into the gaps. 

1. She failed most of her exams, and now she wishes she _______ harder.

a. works 

b. worked

c. would work

d. had worked

2. I have to get the bus to work every day. I wish I _________ a car. 

a. have got 

b. had

c. would have 

d. had had 

3. The weather's terrible today. I wish it _______ a bit warmer. 

a. have got 

b. had been 

c. would have 

d. had had 

4. It really annoys me that you never do anything around the house! I wish you _______ from time to time.

a. wash up 

b. washed up 

c. would wash up 

d. had washed up 

5. I missed my English class yesterday because I went to the doctor's. I wish I _______ it. 

a. don't miss 

b. didn't miss 

c. wouldn't miss 

d. hadn't missed

6. The last bus always seems to leave early. I wish the driver _______ until the right time before leaving. 

a. waits 

b. waited

c. would wait

d. had wait

7. My sister will have to cancel her party next week. She wishes she _______ cancel it, but she's broken her leg. 

a. does not have to 

b. would not have to 

c. did not have to

d. would not have had to

8. We went to a new restaurant for lunch and I've been feeling sick all afternoon. I wish we _______ there. 

a. go 

b. did not go 

c. would not go 

d. had not gone

9. The two brothers are always fighting. Their mother wishes they _______.

a. don't 

b. won't

c. would not 

d. had not 

10. I gave that man in the pub my phone number. I wish I _______. 

a. won't 

b. didn't

c. wouldn't 

d. hadn't

IV. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets. (Use past tense) 

1. We _______  (have) the car for five years when we sold it.

2. I _______  (need) to know what ________(happen) to my car.

3. By the time we got there, he _________(leave).

4. He _______ (not write) in his diary.

5. I quickly _______ (take) my lunch and _______ (go) out.

6. My mother _______ (sleep) while I _______ (listen) to music.

7. He _______ (make) necessary corrections in his answers before he _______ (hand over) the answer scripts to the invigilator.

8. After I _________ (do) my homework I watched the television.

9. When I came round in the hospital I realized I ________(crush) the car.

10. While they _______ (dance) we _______ (sing).

11. At 10 a.m. all the members _______ (arrive).

12. We went for a walk after the rain __________(stop).

13. Did you _______ (buy) this book yesterday?

14. They _______ (rehearse) the play since 1:30 p.m. when I _________ (join) them.

15. Last summer we _______ (travel) a lot.

V. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets (use future tense) 

1. They ________(board) the train by this time tomorrow.

2. If you work hard you will ________(succeed)

3. My cousin (to exercise) _______ for 2 years next week in preparation for a role in a movie.

4. Where _______ you _______ so many dolls? (keep)

5. This time tomorrow, I _______ (take) my last examination.

6. By 2020, I _______ (teach) for thirty years.

7. I ________(meet) the President tomorrow.

8. I wonder what I ________(do) this time next year.

9. We _______ not ________(go) for picnic in case of rain.

10. He ________ (miss) the train unless he hurries.

11. At the end of his career, Kabir (to entertain) _______ audiences for many years.

12. She _______ (sleep) since evening.

13. By the time you return we _______ (work) for four hours.

14. When _______ your vacation ________? (begin)

15. Akhil _______ (be) here soon.

16. ________(be) we ________(wait) for you since morning?

17. You _______hockey then. (play)

18. If I lose my job now I _______ (take) a long holiday and apply for a new job later.

19. By the time the movie will stop, it __________ (rain) outside for 4 hours at least.

20. If the demand increases prices ________(rise)