7.1 Tenses
7.1 Tenses
Embedded Files
Use the appropriate simple and continuous forms of present, past & future tenses
Have you ever talked about something you did yesterday, what you are doing right now, or what you plan to do tomorrow? We all use time words every day without even thinking about it! In this lesson, we are going to explore how verbs change based on time. This is called tense. Understanding tenses helps us talk clearly about the past, the present, and the future. In any kind of writing, using the right tense when crafting sentences is important.
The tense of a verb tells us the time (when) an action takes place. There are three primary tenses:
Present Tense: We use the present tense if the action is happening now.
Past Tense: We use the past tense to show an action that was completed in the past.
Future Tense: We use the future tense to show an action that will be completed in the future1.
These three primary tenses are further divided into a total of twelve forms2.
In this lesson, we will focus on learning six forms of tenses: Simple Present, Simple Past, Simple Future, Present Continuous, Past Continuous, and Future Continuous.
1. The Present Tense
a. Simple Present Tense
We can use Simple Present Tense:
To express a daily/habitual routine or a universal truth3
For instance: He exercises at the gym every evening after work.
To describe future events that are organised or scheduled3
For instance: The bus departs for the city every morning at 7 a.m.
b. Present Continuous Tense
We can use Present Continuous Tense:
To express an action going on at the time of speaking4
For instance: They are singing a song in the living room.
To describe an action that is planned or arranged to happen in the near future4
For instance: We are meeting at the cafe for brunch tomorrow.
2. The Past Tense
a. Simple Past Tense
We can use Simple Past Tense:
To show an action that was completed in the past5
For example: He visited the historic museum last week.
b. Past Continuous Tense
We can use Past Continuous Tense:
To indicate an action going on at a specific time in the past5
For example: She was working as a cashier in April.
To describe an action that was ongoing in the past but was interrupted by another past action
For example: They were studying when the power went out.
3. The Future Tense
a. Simple Future Tense
We can use Simple Future Tense:
To show an action that is yet to take place
For instance: We will attend the concert on Saturday.
b. Future Continuous Tense
We can use Future Continuous Tense:
To represent an action as going on at some point in the future2
For instance: He will be cooking dinner for us tonight.
Watch the video given below to recapitulate your understanding on Simple Past, Present and Future Tenses.
Vid 7.1: Simple Tenses: Present, Past and Future
Watch the video given below to recap your learning on Past, Present and Future Continuous Tenses.
Vid: 7.2. Continuous Tenses: Present, Past and Future
Summary:
Summary:
The tense of a verb tells us the time (when) an action takes place. There are three primary tenses - present, past, and future.
Types of Tenses:
Simple Present Tense: It is used to express a daily or habitual routine, or a universal truth.
Present Continuous Tense: It is used to express an action happening at the time of speaking.
Simple Past Tense: It is used to describe an action completed in the past.
Past Continuous Tense: It is used to describe an action that was ongoing at a specific time in the past.
Simple Future Tense: It is used to describe an action that is yet to take place.
Future Continuous Tense: It is used to describe an action that will be ongoing at a particular time in the future.
Extension/Further Reading:
Click here to access the practice worksheet on the Simple Past Tense. Check your answers, once done!
Click here to access the practice worksheet on Simple and Continuous Present Tense. Check your answers, once done!
Click here to access the practice worksheet on Past Continuous Tense with answers.
Page updated
Report abuse