Tenses for Beginners
You had wondered a lot about how you will learn tenses easily, well today you are on the right article and I going to show you around with some basic examples that you can apply right away. You can learn easily if you are following me till the end. So, what is tense? — It is formed from work and time. It looks simple but its more to it. We are going toward our end of the article step by step. In the tense, work is categorized into 4 parts — Indefinite, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous. And the Time we already know about it is categorized into 3 parts — past, present, future. Don’t be afraid of any one of these, we will discuss it in few minutes.
Present tense
So, the first one is, 1)Present Indefinite-
In present continuous, the formulae are like –
Affirmative: Subject + Mv(1st form)/e,es + Object
And the following examples are:
Rahul plays football. (In this sentence, we don’t know about work, like when it will happen or played earlier.
*Now how are going to know when to use e/es in the examples –
He plays football. (like when we are talking about the subject who is 3rd person then only use.)
Negative sentences-
The formulae — Subject + do/does + not + Mv(1st form) + Object
Now example:
He does not swim at all.
We do not play alone.
*one thing to be noted down “I” is only used with “do”.
Now I think you make your own sentences by yourself. (Formulae should be kept in mind to learn tenses, everything revolves around the formulae)
Interrogative sentences-
The formulae is — Do/Does +Subject + Mv(1st form) + Object
Double Interrogative sentences- (WH questions are used in this type of sentences)
The formulae is — WH(question) + Do/Does + Subject+ Mv(1st form) + object
Example: why do we play with him? (simple isn’t it.)
You can make more examples by yourself.
2)Present continuous-(work is happening right now continuously)
In present continuous, the formulae are like –
Affirmative:
Subject + Is/Am/Are + Mv1+ing + Object
Example: Rahul is playing with his friends.
Negative:
Subject + Is/Am/Are + not + Mv1+ing + Object
Example: He is not swimming In the pool.
Interrogative:
Is/Am/Are + Subject +Mv1+ing + Object
Example:
Is it raining in your village?
Double Interrogative:
WH (questions) + Is/Am/Are + Subject +Mv1+ing + Object
Example: Why is he calling?
Who is teaching in the class now?
3)Present Perfect — (work is already happened)
Affirmative:
Subject +has/have +Mv(3rd form) + Object (has is used with singular, and have is used with a plural)
She has gone to the market.
Negative:
Subject + has/have + not+ Mv(3rd form) + Object
Example: I have not done my assignment.
Interrogative:
Has/have + Subject + Mv3 + Object
Example: Have you ever seen the Taj Mahal?
Double Interrogative:
Example: Why have you been so late?
4) Present Perfect Continous — (work is being continuous from some reference point or date)
Affirmative:
Subject + has/have + been + Mv+ing+ O + since/for (* since is only used when definite timing is there like morning, evening; otherwise for)
Example: I have been going to the market since morning.
Negative:
Subject + has/have + not + been+ Mv+ing+ O + since/for
Example: He has not been sitting in market for 2hrs.
Interrogative:
Has/have +Subject+ been + Mv+ing+ O + since/for
Example: Have the teacher been teaching the students for half an hour.
Double Interrogative:
WH (questions)+Has/have +Subject+ been + Mv+ing+ O + since/for
Past tense
1)Past indefinite — (we don’t know about work but had happened in past)
Affirmative: Subject + Mv2 + Object
Example: She went to the market.
Negative:
Subject +Did+ not+ Mv1+ Object (*careful here we used Mv1 because we already mentioned “did” which is being used as past.
Example: she did not go to market.
Interrogative:
Did + Subject + Mv1 +Object?
Example: did you notice something?
Double Interrogative:
WH (questions) + Did + Subject + Mv1 +Object?
2)Past continuous — (work is being continued in the past)
Affirmative:
Subject+ was/were + Mv1+ing + Object
Example: she was going to the market.
Negative:
Subject +was/were + not+ Mv1+ing +Object
Example: We were not camping in the afternoon.
Interrogative:
Was/were+ Subject+ Mv1+ing+ Object
Example: Was she arriving on Thursday?
Double Interrogative:
Wh (questions) +Was/were+ Subject+ Mv1+ing+ Object
3)Past perfect — (work is already done in past)
Affirmative:
Subject + had + Mv3 + O
Example: She had done her homework.
Negative:
Subject + had +not +Mv3+ Object
Example: She had not gone through her lessons.
Interrogative:
Had + Subject + Mv3 + Object
Example: had she done her work.
Double Interrogative:
WH (questions) + Had + Subject + Mv3 + Object
4)Past Perfect Continuous –
Affirmative:
Subject + had been+ Mv1 +ing+ Object +Since/for
Example: we had been working in a company since January.
Negative:
Subject + had + not +been+ Mv1 +ing+ Object +Since/for
Example: They had not been going to the market for 2hrs.
Interrogative:
Had + Subject + been +Mv1+ ing + since/for
Example: Had they been working since morning.
Double Interrogative:
WH(questions) + Had + Subject + been +Mv1+ ing + since/for
Future Tense
1)Future Indefinite –
Affirmative:
Subject + will/shall + Mv1 + Object
Example: I will go to the market.
Negative:
Subject + will/shall+ not+ Mv1+ Object
Example: They will not wake up early in the morning.
Interrogative:
Will/shall + Subject+ Mv1 + Object
Example: Will They put documents on the table?
Double Interrogative:
WH (questions) + Will/shall + Subject+ Mv1 + Object
2)Future Continuous –
Affirmative:
Subject + will/shall +be + Mv1+ing+ Object
Example: I shall be doing this work alone.
Negative:
Subject + will/shall + not +be + Mv1+ing +Object
Example: They will not be doing their work.
Interrogative:
Shall/will + Subject + be + Mv1+ing + Object
Example: Will they be spending their money on the share market.
Double Interrogative:
WH(questions) + Shall/will + Subject + be + Mv1+ing + Object
3)Future perfect –
Affirmative:
Subject + will/shall+ have+ Mv3+ Object
Example: I will have bought apples for you.
Negative:
Subject + will/shall+ not +have+ Mv3 + Object
Example: we will not have gone to the jungle.
Interrogative:
Will/shall +Subject + Have+ Mv3+ Object
Example: will they have done their work for the internship.
Double Interrogative:
WH(questions) + Will/shall +Subject + Have+ Mv3+ Object
4)Future perfect continuous –
Affirmative:
Subject + will/shall + have been +Mv1+ing + Object +since/for
Example: we will have been committing a crime for the last decade.
Negative:
Subject + will/shall + not +have been + Mv1+ing+ Object +since/for.
Example: They will not have been coming to the school for next month.
Interrogative:
Will/shall + subject + have been + Mv1+ing + Object+ Since/for
Example: Shall we have been going to the jungle since the next morning.
Double Interrogative:
WH(questions)+ Will/shall + subject + have been + Mv1+ing + Object+ Since/for
NOTE: For future continuous tense: shall is used only with (“I” and “we”) and will is used with (Rest all). But we can use “will” with “we” in case of commitment, Threat, etc. Consider an example like: we will kill him in his house.
That’s all about tense, I only gave the basic idea of a tense and now you can build your own sentences by yourself.