THE TWELVE ENGLISH TENSES WITH ITS EXAMPLES AND FORMULA
PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Is used to express an action that is happening at the moment of speaking.
It is formed by: Subject+verb+ing+object. Or be+present participle (infinitive+ing)
Examples
AFFIRMATIVE
1. I am going to school.
2. They are working in the market.
3. He is teaching English.
NEGATIVE
1.I am not going to school.
2.They are not working in the market.
3. He is not teaching English.
INTERROGATIVE
1. Am I going to school?
2. Are they working in the market?
3.Is he teaching English?
It is used
(a) to express real present. It denotes action taking place at the time of speaking.
* I am sitting on a bench.
* the child is sleeping soundly.
(b) denote action taking place over a longer period of time.
* I am learning English these days.
* I am running shop.
* They are working in a bank.
(c) to refer to plan for near and immediate future.
- she is going to sing us a song now.
- they are going to meet him tomorrow.
- he is leaving for Germany tonight.
- we are going on a picnic this Friday.
(d) habitually or frequently repeated actions which the speaker does not like.
* he is always shouting at his servants.
* he is always asking me for money.
* you are always making trouble.
(e) Some verbs are not usually found in continuous tense.
These are verbs of perception, cognition, emotion, possession.
(¡) See, hear, smell, taste, feel( that) recognize.
(¡¡) love, hate, like, dislike, desires forgive,want, wish.
(¡¡¡)have, own, keep, belong, possess, contain, consist, appear, seem, signify, think, (that) realise, understand, know, remember, forget, recollect, prefer, guess, doubt, believe, mind.
Example:
1. I hear noise. ( Not_ I am hearing noise ) 2. He wants to help you. ( not _he is wanting to help you)
3. She has some pretty dress ( not _ she is having some pretty dresss)
4. I think that he is quite honest ( not _I am thinking that he is quite honest)
5. She does not know the answer ( not_she is not knowing the answer)
6. Do you understand me? ( not_ are you understanding me)
7. Do you see those lights ( not*_are you seeing those lights)
But the following uses are acceptable:
* we are having a party tomorrow ( having means giving )
* Am thinking about the problem ( thinking means considering)
* I am seeing her tomorrow ( seeing means meeting)
It is formed:
Subject+was/were+verb+ing+object
Examples
Affirmative
1. You were sleeping when I was passing you
2. They were tilling their farm when the rain was starting.
3. He was writing lesson note when the teacher was teaching in class.
Negative
1. I was not sleeping when you were passing me.
2. They were not tilling their farm when the rain was starting.
3. He was not writing lessons note when the teacher was teaching in class.
Interrogative
1. Were you sleeping when I was passing you?
2. were they tilling their farm when the rain was starting?
3. was he writin lesson note when the teacher was teaching in class?
USES
(a) is used to express an action that was taking place at some point in the past. The point of time can be specified by a time adverbial or clause or a sentence.
Examples
1. I was writing letters this morning .
2. At nine o'clock she was cooking.
3. The dogs were barking all the night.
4. Jama fell down while he was running yesterday.
5. He listened for sometime, they were talking about him.
6. She burnt her finger when she was lighting the stove.
7. I was crossing the road when someone called by my name.
(b) this tense is also used to refer to two activities going on at the same time in the past.
Eg:
* While I was doing my homework, my sister was reading a novel.
* While country was starving, its rulers were making merry-go-round.
(c) it is also used for an activity repeated over period of time.
1. Last year the prisoners were complaining about cold.
2. During his his younger days he was always coming to me for help.
Note/ as in case of the present continuous tense, verbs of perception etc cannot be used.
Examples of verbs of perception are:
• Sound • Love • Need • Know • Disagree
• Cost • Own • Hear • Like • Desire
• Believe • Deny • Measure • Possess
• Dislike • Wish • Doubt • Promise
• Weigh • Pack • See • Hate • Hope
• Think • Satisfy • Owe • Consist
• Look • Adore • Value • Suppose
• Realise • Seem • Involve • Understand
• Taste • Prefer • Recognise • Appear
• Fit • Include • Touch • Care • Smell
• Forget • Astonish • Depend • Contain
• Feel. • Mind • Remember • Mean • Have
• Please. • Matter • Want. • Imagine • Impress
• Appreciate •Surprise • Agree • Concern
Is used to express an action that happens daily.
It is formed by:
Subject+verb+object
Examples
Affirmative
1. I go to school.
2. They read Quran.
3. She drives car.
Negative
1. I don't go to school.
2. They don't read Quran.
3. She does not drive car.
Interrogative
1. Do I go to school?
2. Do they read Quran?
3. Does she drive car?
(1) IT IS USED (a) to express what is always true
* The moon moves around the earth.
* Clouds bring rain.
* fish live in water.
* fire burns.
(b) to express habitual action
*He works in an office.
* the shop opens at seven in the morning.
* we go to the mosque every day.
Adverbs or adverb phrases like always, usually, often, sometimes, never, every month etc are always used with this tense.
(c) to express actual present. Verbs of perception like see, hear, understand, know, believe etc are used in this manner. They are not used in the present continuous tense which is normally used express real present.
Examples
* do you see those lights?
* I understand the problem.
* I believe he is telling the truth.
(d) to describe the action of a play, to give commentaries on sports events, important functions, funerals and also to describe experiments in a laboratory. It is also used to in discussing characters in plays, novels etc.
As the curtain rises, the audience sees an empty stage in half light. Soon the stage manager ,with pipe in the mouth, enters and places a table and three chairs on the left. He then turns to the audience and speaks.
George receives the ball. Then passes to Smith.
Smith shoots the ball into the goal.
(e) to refer to plans in the future.
* I leave tomorrow evening.
* the examination begins next week.
* the parade starts tomorrow morning at seven.
(f) to quote from a book, an author, rules etc.
- Kent says, " A thing of beauty is joy forever.
- "coward die many times before their death" says Shakespear
- the rule says the boxers shall not hit each other below the belt.
(g) in subordinate clauses of condition and time
- he will pass if he works hard (condition).
- we will talk about this when you come back (time).
SIMPLE PAST TENSE
Is used to express an action that happened in the past.
It is formed by:
Subject+verb past+object ( verb+-ed ).
Examples
Affirmative
1. I went to school.
2. She cooked food.
3. They left for home.
Negative
1. I did not go to school.
2. She did not cook food.
3. They did not left for home.
Interrogative
1. did I go to school?
2. did she cook food?
3. did they left for home?
USES
This tense is used:
(a) for action completed in the past or for state of being in the past, the time of action or state of being / may or may not be specified.
E.g.
I met her this morning.
He did not come to school yesterday.
We went to a hill station last year.
He wrote his book ten years ago.
When did you go there?
Why did you kick him?
(b) for a past habit. An adverb of frequency is used in this case.
He never spoke an unkind words.
The siblings always lived together.
He daily went to mosque.
(c) for habitual action in the past with the help of the auxiliary "used to".
We used to swim every evening.
The doctor used to visit them regularly.
Did you use to go for fishing?
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
Is used to express an action that has just fished.
It is formed by: subject+has/have+verb+past participle+object. Or have+past participle
Examples
Affirmative
1. I have gone to school.
2. They have visited their farm.
3. He has gone his home.
Negative
1. I have not gone to school.
2. They have not visited their farm.
3. He has not gone his home.
Interrogative
1. have I gone to school?
2. They have not visited their farm?
3. has he gone his home?
ITS USES
The present perfect tense is to denote an action which began sometime in the past and which has been completed but which in some way is connected with the present.
We are not interested in when the action took place but in the effect of the completed action now. As such this tense should never be used with a word or phrase suggesting definite time in the past.
Examples
* the train has left ( we cannot say " the train has left at 3 o'clock).
* my brother has just just in.
* have you read the lesson.
* we have seen the film.
(a) the present perfect tense is used to express an action which has been recently completed
- he has just come back.
- the lights have just gone out.
- the sun has just raised.
(b) It is used to express an action completed in the past but whose time of completion is not definitely stated.
- I haven't seen him lately.
- we have never known her to be angry.
- he has been to UK.
- man has reached the moon.
(c) it is used to express completed actions whose effect continues
* I have had my dinner, (so there4 no need to eat now)
* we have finished our work( so we are free now)
* he has cut his finger (so it is bleeding now)
* the war have ended ( so there is peace)
(d) it is used to express an action that began in the past and continues up to the present moment. We must use a time expression here.
- I have known him all my life.
- haveyou ever seen a lion?
- she has been here since morning.
NOTE
■ For is used with a period of time: for week, for year,for two hours.
■ since is used with a point of time in the past: since Monday, since last week, since morning etc.
PAST PERFECT TENSE
Is used to expressed an action in the past before another action in the past.
It is formed by: subject+had+past participle.
Examples
Affirmative
1. I had collected my papers before the wind blew the floor.
2. She had left the class before the bell rang.
3. They had prayed Asr prayer before the rain started.
Negative
1. I had not collected my papers before the wind blew.
2. She had not left the class before the bell rang.
3. They had not prayed Asr prayer before the rain started.
Interrogative
1. Had I collected my papers before the wind blew.
2. Had she left the class before the bell rang.
3. Had they prayed Asr prayer before the rain started.
USE : the past perfect tense is used:
(a) to show the consequences of two events in the past. We use the past perfect for the event completed earlier and simple past for latter event.
Look at this sentences.
1. My friends left.
2. I went to sleep.
Let's say the friends left at 11:00pm. I went to sleep afterwards.
When we combine the two sentences, we will have to use past perfect for the event that happened first and past tense for the that followed the first. Eg
I went to sleep when my friends had left.
Simple past past perfect
Other examples
1. He returned the book when he had read.
2. He had posted the letter before I could stop him.
3. He told me truth only when his father had left.
NB/ when a sentence describes two actions, one consequence of the other, we don't use past perfect tense for the earlier action.
Eg:
* When I showed my ticket , the gatekeeper let me in.
* When it grew dark, we switched on the light.
(b) to look back from specified point of time in the past to earlier events.
Eg:
1. I saw ten commandments yesterday, I had seen it earlier also.
3. Last week we went to the art gallery, we had not seen earlier.
3. By seven o'clock all shops had closed.
4. By the age of fifteen he has already become famous painter.
5. By forty-five he had made a fortune for himself.
6. By fifty he had lost his honest.
(c) to express unfulfilled wished in the past.
Examples
* I wish I had married her.
* I wish I had listened to your advice.
(d) in reported speech
Direct speech: he said " I met them yesterday " (simple past).
Reported speech: he said he had met them the day before.
Direct speech : they said that "we had finished our work"
Reported speech : they said that they had finished their work.
(e) in unfulfilled conditions
1. If you had worked hard, you would have past.
2. If he had applied, he would have got the job.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Is used to express an action that began in the past and still continue.
It is formed by: subject+has been/have been+present participle
Examples
Affirmative
1. I have been tilling my farm since morning.
2. She has been praying to God for the last two hours.
3. They have been working here for the last fifteen years.
Negative
1. I have not been tilling my farm since morning.
2. She has not been praying to God for the last two hours.
3. They have not been working here for the last fifteen years.
Interrogative
1. have I been tilling my farm since morning.
2. has she been praying to God for the last two hours.
3. have they been working here for the last fifteen years.
It is used:
Is used to express an action that began in the past.
(a) And still continue
Eg:
1. I have been reading this book for the last two hours.
2. She has been decorating this wall since noon.
3. They have been living in this town for the last century.
4. The child has been sleeping since morning.
5. They have been wrestling since yesterday.
(b) or has just finished
Eg:
1. How long have you been sleeping?
> I have been sleeping since breakfast.
2. Where have you been all the morning?
> I have been waiting for you.
3. Have I been in the bathroom for a long time?
Exceptions
Verbs of perception like
Sound • Love • Need • Know • Disagree
• Cost • Own • Hear • Like • Desire
• Believe • Deny • Measure • Possess
• Dislike • Wish • Doubt • Promise
• Weigh • Pack • See • Hate • Hope
• Think • Satisfy • Owe • Consist
• Look • Adore • Value • Suppose
• Realise • Seem • Involve • Understand
• Taste • Prefer • Recognise • Appear
• Fit • Include • Touch • Care • Smell
• Forget • Astonish • Depend • Contain
• Feel. • Mind • Remember • Mean • Have
• Please. • Matter • Want. • Imagine • Impress
• Appreciate •Surprise • Agree • Concern
Cannot be used in this tense.
Examples
We cannot say
1. I have been knowing him for past five years.
Similarly
1. I have had this dogs for a long time > Not/ I have been having
these dogs for a long time .
2. I loved her all my life > not/I have been loving her all my life.
■ The difference between present perfect tense and present perfect continuous tense
Look at the following sentences
1. We have always eaten rice.
2. We have always been eating rice.
Both these sentences mean the same thing.
But while present perfect continuous tense can be used with out the time adverbial, the present perfect can only be used to express the same kind of action with the addition of the phrase like always for ( five years) etc.
Without such a time phrase, the present perfect will refer to a single completed action.
We have eaten rice,
Similarly:
1. I have taken this medicine for a long time.
2. I have been taking this medicine for a long.
The two are identical in meaning, but the meaning changes when we drop the time phrase ( for a long time) from the present perfect tense.
I have taken this medicine ( i.e taken once).
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Is used to express an action started and finished in the past.
It is formed by:
Subject+had+been+present participle+object.
Examples
Affirmative
I had been studying English for too long time.
He had been complaining about mild fever.
They had been reciting Quran.
Negative
I had not been studying English for too long.
He had not been complaining about mild fever.
They had not been reciting Quran.
Interrogative
had I been studying English for too long time?
had he been complaining about mild fever?
had they been reciting Quran?
Other examples include
1. The patient had been crying in pain all the night but no one come to help.
2. He had been working all day and so he was tired in the evening.
3. He had been thinking of marrying her since long, but he could not ask her.
4. Before he came to films, he had been acting on the stage for fifteen years.
FUTURE TENSES
It is formed by:
Examples
Affirmative
I will play football.
The will teach us English.
She will write the lesson.
Negative
I will not play football.
They will not teach us English.
She will not not write the lesson.
Interrogative
will I play football?
will they teach us English?
will she write the lesson?
USES
(a) shall/will is used for the first person and will is used with other perso to express simple future.
I will/shall meet him tomorrow.
He will go by bus.
shall we begin our work?
You will get your exam results on Saturday.
In modern English shall is used with the first person in Interrogative sentences only.
E.g.
shall I do it now?
shall we go there?
But not
Will I do it now?
Will we go there?
(b) the future tense is used to express habitual actions in the future.
Plants will grow into tress.
Men will die and the world will go on.
Mad fogs will bite and scorpions will Sting.
(c) It is also used in conditional sentences with clauses of condition or time.
If there are rains, there will be a good crop.
He will come if you invite him.
The train will start when the signal turns green.
I will talk to you when I am free.
OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESSING THE FUTURE
(a) By using going to+verb
This form is used to express certainty or planned intention about an action in the future.
E.g.
She is going to sing a song now.
He is going to be married soon.
The teacher is not going to give you another chance.
(b) By using present continuous tense.
The school is opening on Monday.
We are leaving for Nairobi tomorrow.
The board of directors is meeting today.
I am taking her to a film this afternoon.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
Is used to express an action which is in progress at some time in the future.
It is formed by:
Subject +will/shall+be+present participle
Examples
Affirmative
I will be teaching you English.
She will be leaving in a few days.
will you be coming soon?
Negative
I will not be teaching you English.
She will not be leaving in a few days.
will you not be coming soon?
Interrogative
will I be teaching you English?
will she be leaving in a few days?
will you be coming soon?
Other examples
He will be taking his high school examination this year.
I will be seeing Muhammad tomorrow.
She will be nursing patient in the hospital this week.
FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
Is used to express an action which is expected to be completed by a certain point of time in the future.
It is formed by: subject +shall have/ will have +verb+object.
Examples
Affirmative
1. By December they will have written another book.
2. He will have read a poem before you come.
3. I will have written the note before he comes here.
Negative
1. By December they will not have written another book.
2. He will not have read a poem before you come.
3. I will not have written the note before he comes here.
Interrogative
1. will they have written another book by December?
2. will he have read a poem before you come?
3. will I have written the note before he comes here.
More examples
4. We will have cleaned our room by tomorrow
5. They will have gone to the market before their mother come.
6. She will have done all the work at noon.
7. He will have reached Kismayo by tomorrow.
8. I shall have finished my work by the time you come to me.
9.He will have caught the lion at 9 o'clock.
10. The school will have closed by Monday.
11. I shall have reached home before it gets dark.
12. In will have reached Kismayo by tomorrow.
13. My brother will have bought 100 camels in three months.
14. They will have passed the interview by the end of this lunchtime.
Is used to express an action that is in progress at some point in the future.
It is formed by:
will/ shall + have + been + present participle
Keep in mind that the future perfect tense is used to express an action that is not done yet but will be done by a certain point in the future.
Examples
1. By next winter, I will have accumulated enough money to tour the world.
3. By the time they reach the seaport, the ship will have already gone.
In the future perfect continuous, the future perfect activity will be
We use the preposition "by" to express a point in the future, Always the by phrase comes first, followed by a comma.
Examples
By 7:00, they will have been working for four hours.
By the end of the winder, I will have earned money for five months.
By the time we finish the work, we will have walked for two hours.
By the time he steps , we will have been here for 5 years.
In some cases, the future point expressed with by marks the end of the progressive activity:
Sometimes future point expresses with 'by' does not necessarily show that the progressive activity will end at the indicated point. It may just be a appropriate point to measure how much time will have been needed:
1. By next winter, I will have accumulated enough money to tour the world.
2. By the time they reach the seaport, the ship will have already gone.
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