English Unit 7

Unit 7 Tenses
Structure:
7.1 Introduction
Objectives
7.2 Tenses
Present tense
Past tense
Future tense
7.3 Degree of Comparison
7.4 Summary
7.5 Terminal Questions
7.6 Answers

7.1 Introduction
In the previous unit, you studied about conjunctions, articles and
interjections. Things can happen now, in the future or in the past. The
tenses show the time of a verb's action or being. The verb ending is
changed (conjugated) to show roughly what time it is referring to.
Time can be split into three periods the present (what you are doing), the
past (what you did) and the future (what you are going to do).

Objectives:
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
 explain and use of various tenses
 discuss and be proficient in using various degrees of comparison

7.2 Tenses
We use the tenses to show what time we are talking about. Tenses are split
into the simple, continuous and perfect. These can be understood briefly by
Table 7.1.

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Table 7.1

Present Past Future

INDEFINITE Verb + s/ es Verb + ed or an Auxiliary verb +
irregular form first form of verb
 He goes to  He/They went to  He will go to
school. school. school.
 They go to  He did his work  I shall go to
school. well. school.
 He does his  He spent his  He will do his
work well. holidays well. work well.
 They do their  They will do their
work well work well
CONTINUOUS Auxiliary verb Auxiliary verb Auxiliary verb (will
(is/am/are) + verb + (was/were) + verb + be/shall be) + verb
ing ing + ing
 He is going to  He was going to  He will be going
school. school. to school.
 They are going  They were going  They will be
to school. to school. going to school.
 I am going to  I was going to  I shall be going
school. school. to school.
PERFECT Auxiliary verb Auxiliary verb (had) Auxiliary verb (will
(has/have) + past + past participle have/ shall have) +
participle past participle
 He has gone to  He had gone to  He will have
school. school. gone to school.
 They have gone  They had gone to  They will have
to school. school. gone to school.
 I have done my  I had done my  I shall have done
work well. work well. my work well.
PERFECT Auxiliary verb (has Auxiliary verb (had Auxiliary verb (will
CONTINUOUS been / have been) been) + verb+ ing have been / shall
+ verb+ ing have been) + verb+
ing
 He has been  He had been  He will have
going to school going to school been going to

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since he was since he was school for 3

three. three. years by the time
 They have been  They had been he will be 6.
going to school going to school  I shall have been
for past 8 years. for past 8 years. doing my work
 I have been  I had been doing well all along till
doing my work my work well all next few years.
well all along. along.

Let us understand them one by one.

7.2.1 Present tense
As the name suggests, present tense specifies those activities that are
related to the current time or action.
1. Simple Present Tense: This is without doubt the most important tense
in the English language and we use it in a number of situations in our
lives.
It is used for the following cases:
 Facts and generalization. For example:
(a) The earth is round.
(b) I go to the market.
 Habits and routines. For example:
(a) I brush my teeth everyday
(b) I wash my clothes with Surf.
 Permanent situations. For example:
My daughter goes to school by bus.
 State verbs (e.g. be, have, think, know) more. For example:
(a) I think I know him.
(b) I know I am going to die soon.
 Fixed / official arrangement that we can't change. For example:
I meet the chief minister at 11:00 am today.
Form: These sentences take first form of verb in agreement with the
subject of the sentence. Here, it becomes important for us to note that
apart from all the above uses, this tense is also used in:
 Zero Conditional: If it rains, I will go to play football.

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 First Conditional: We won't get our pocket money, if we don't pass

this exam.
In sentences after “when”, “before”, “till”, “after”, “as soon as”
("Before you leave, please take the keys").
Source: www.englishtensewithcartoon.com

2. Present continuous tense: Present Continuous tense is used while

talking about actions that are:
 Happening at the moment (present or temporary activity). For
example:
I am going to the market
They are dancing on the floor.
 Which will be done in the future (future arrangement). For example:
I am meeting you tomorrow.
I am going to Singapore next month.
Form: These sentences take auxiliary verb (am/is/are) + first form of
verb(+ing)
3. Present perfect tense:
1. Actions which happened at an indefinite (unknown) time before now
For example:
(a) I have told him to come.
(b) You have read the book.
2. Actions in the past which have an effect on the present moment
For example:
I have told this to you earlier also.
3. Actions which began in the past and continue in the present
For example:
I have lived here for 20 years.
I have lived here since 1970.
Form: These sentences are written in the verb form - have/had + past
participle
4. Present perfect continuous tense: This tense is used in the following
cases:
 Actions that started in the past and continue in the present. For
example:
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(a) I have been explaining this to you for last two hours.
(b) I have been singing since 11:00 am.
 Actions that have recently stopped. For example:
It has been raining till last hour.
Let us note here that since and for are very common time expressions
used with the Perfect Continuous. We use for
 With a period of time. For example:
for 20 years.
 When talking about a starting point, we use since with a point in
time. For example:
since 1960.
Form:
Positive Sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary + Verb + ing
verb
I/a/boy etc. has/have been swimming
etc.

Questions (interrogative sentences):

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary + Verb + ing
verb
has/have I/a boy/ a man been swimming
etc. etc.

Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary + Verb + ing
+ not verb
I/a boy/ a hasn't / haven't been swimming, going
woman etc. etc.

7.2.2 Past tense

Past tense stands for the time that has gone. The sentences used in this
tense show the actions that happened in past.
1. Simple past tense
Simple past tense is used in:
 Events in the past that are now finished. For example:
I went to market.
 Situation in the past. For example:
They lived a normal life until they won a lottery.

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 A series of actions in the past. It might be referred to as both, short

actions in the past or long action in the past. For example:
He entered a room and smiled at the guests.
He didn’t get any good grades when he attended school.
Form:
Positive sentences:
Subject + Verb + ed or an irregular form
I/a boy, etc. worked/went/saw

Questions (interrogative sentences):

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb
Did I/a boy etc go/take

Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb
I/a boy etc. didn't go/take

2. Past continuous tense

 Actions in progress in past. For example:
Were you painting your house yesterday at 4 p.m.?
 Interrupted actions in progress. This is also referred to as events that
were in progress when another event happened. For example:
What were you doing when Rakesh stopped you?
 Actions in progress at the same time in the past. For example:
While Rakesh was cleaning the dining space, Shikha was washing
the dishes.
 Irritation. For example:
Were you taking a sun bath when everybody was looking for you?
 Timid /polite question For example:
I was wondering if I could ask a question.
I was thinking you might help me to sort it out.
Form:
Positive sentences
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing
I/a dog etc. was/were going/taking

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Questions (interrogative sentences)

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb + ing
was/were I/a dog etc. going/taking

Negative sentences
Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb + ing
I/a dog etc. wasn't/weren't going/taking

Note that you can also use the Past Continuous to show your irritation
over something or somebody in the past. For example: She was always
asking me stupid questions.
3. Past perfect tense
It is used in situations like
 A completed action before another activity in the past. For example:
When we arrived, the concert had already finished.
It had got/gotten worse before it got better.
 Third conditional sentences (a) and reported speech (b) For
example:
(a) If I hadn’t taken my keys from the drawer, I would have been
unable to get into my house.
(b) My mother asked me whether I had visited her friend the
previous day.
 Dissatisfaction with the past. For example:
I wish I hadn't gone there.
Form:
Positive sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Past participle
I/a boy etc. had eaten/given/gone

Caution: Typical mistakes committed are as follows:

1. As soon as I went inside, my daughter hid behind the curtain.
(The past participle of the verb "to hide" is "hid", not "hided")
2. By the time I got to the party most of the guests HAD left.
("By the time" indicates that the guests had left before the speaker
got to the party, not the other way around!)

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Questions (interrogative sentences):

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Past participle
had I/a boy etc. eaten/given/gone

Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Past participle
I/a boy etc. hadn't/ had not eaten/given/gone

4. Past perfect continuous tense

These sentences are used in situations such as
 Duration of a past action up to a certain point in the past. For
example:
(a) I had been running for an hour when it started raining.
(b) Eti put on weight because she had been eating too much of fried
food.
 Third conditional sentences (a) and reported speech (b). For
example:
(a) He said he wasn't tired because he hadn’t been washing his
car.
(b) Mariam said she had never been dancing so much in one day.
Form:
Positive sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing
I/a boy had been eating/swimming, etc.
etc.
Questions (interrogative sentences):
Auxiliary + Subject + Auxiliary + Verb + ing
verb verb
Had I/a boy etc. been eating/swimming, etc.

Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing
verb + not
I/a boy hadn't been going/swimming,
etc. etc.

7.2.3 Future tense

As the name suggests, future tense is used to present the actions that are
going to happen in future.

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1. Simple future tense

 Promises. For example:
You will study harder.
Will you study harder?
 Unplanned actions (spontaneous decisions). For example:
I won’t take any heavy equipment with me.
I'm sorry I won’t be able to help you with your English today.
 Predictions based on experience or intuition. For example:
Will he be surprised when he sees me?
I think he will regret his choice.
 Habits (obstinate, usually habitual). For example:
John will keep dropping his towel on the floor after a bath.
If you will keep your watch half an hour slow it is hardly surprising
that you are late for your appointments.
Form:
Positive sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb
I/a boy etc. Will go/take etc.
Remember, you should never use will to say what somebody has
already arranged or decided to do in the future. For example,
Ramanand is moving to New Delhi next month. (not "Ramanand will
move")
Questions (interrogative sentences):
Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb
will I/a boy etc. go/take etc.

Note that we often use will with:

Probably, most I'll probably drop in on uncle.
likely
I think This gift is great. I think we'll love it.
I'm sure It's not going to be boring there. I'm sure there will
be a lot of boys of your age.
I wonder (if, It's a bit late. I wonder if he'll come.
what, when, etc.)
I expect I haven't seen Matthew today. I expect he'll call
today.

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Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb
I/a boy etc. will not/won't go/take etc.
2. Future continuous tense: This tense is used in situations such as
 Future actions in progress. For example:
This time next week, I will be throwing a party.
I will take your class tomorrow.
 Guesses about the present or the future. For example:
They will be getting home just about now.
Jayesh won’t be sleeping now (= I think Jayesh isn't sleeping
now.)
 Polite questions about somebody's intentions. For example:
Will you be using the screwdriver?
Note that if you want to learn about somebody's intentions, you should
never use the Future Simple. Using the Future Simple implies that you
want to influence somebody's decision. Questions become much more
objective if formed in the Future Continuous. For example:
 Will you come home?
(= I want you to come home)
 Will you be coming home?

Form: In future tense there are some contracted forms which are
absolutely correct when it comes to meaning and grammar.
Contracted forms
WILL = 'LL
Example: She'll have been = she will have been
WILL + NOT = WON'T
Example: She won't have been = she will not have been
Positive sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary + Auxiliary + Verb + ing
verb verb
I/you/we will be sleeping/taking
etc.
Like any of the Future Tenses, Future Continuous cannot be used in
sentences beginning with: while, when, before, by the time, if, etc.

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Questions (interrogative sentences):

Auxiliary + Subject + Auxiliary + Verb + ing ?
verb verb
Will I/you/we be dancing/taking
etc.
Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing
I/you/we won't be trying/taking
etc.

3. Future perfect tense: We use this tense to express an action that will
be finished before some point in the future. For Example:
He will have retired by the end of the year.
Will he have retired by the end of the year?
He wouldn’t have retired by the end of the year.
Form:
Positive sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary + Auxiliary verb + Past participle
verb
I/a dog will have gone, seen, etc.
etc.
Questions (interrogative sentences):
Auxiliary + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Past participle ?
verb
Will I/a boy etc. have gone, seen, etc.
Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Past participle
I/a boy etc. won't have gone, seen, etc.
4. Future perfect continuous tense: We use this tense to express
actions that will be happening at a definite moment in the future. For
Example:
We will have been driving for 3 hours by the time we get to our office
today.
She will not have been cooking for three months by the end of October.

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Form:
Positive sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary + Auxiliary + Auxiliary + Present participle
verb verb verb
I/a boy will have been going, doing (verb
etc. + ing)
Negative sentences:
Subject + Auxiliary + Auxiliary + Auxiliary + Present
verb verb verb participle
I/a boy won't have been going, doing
etc. (verb + ing)
Questions (interrogative sentences):
Auxiliary + Subject + Auxiliary + Auxiliary + Present ?
verb verb verb participle
Will I/a boy have been going, doing
etc. (verb + ing)

Activity 1:
Recognise the type of tense and write in front of the sentences given.
1. Is he sitting or standing?
2. Are you working on any special projects at work?
3. She won't have been writing the book for four months by the end
of October
4. She loves this chocolate ice cream.
5. Right now, the letter is being written by Tom.
6. I knew that she had visited Madrid before, so I asked her to
recommend a good hotel.
7. He said that they had known each other for many years.
8. My younger daughter learned in class yesterday that the Earth
revolves around the Sun.
9. They had been shouting for a few hours before their parents
arrived.
10. We will have been driving for 6 hours by the time we get home.

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Activity 2:
Choose the right word to be filled in the blank.
1. Every year, the members of the school council ……………. new
members. (elects/elect)
2. By the time the troops arrive, the combat group …………… spent
several weeks waiting. (will have/would have)
3. Before the budget cuts, the students ………………… in many
extracurricular activities. (had been participating/had participated)
4. The children were soaking wet. I knew they ……………… in the
lake. (had swam/had been swimming)
5. If I …………… working on that project, we would have been
successful. (were/had been)
6. The dogs …………… have been playing for 3 hours in 10 minutes.
(will/would)
7. He ……………. have completed the task by six o'clock tomorrow.
(will/would)
8. What ………….. doing when the war broke out. (had you been/were
you)
9. She ……………. ready for the test if she had been preparing
diligently. (would have been/had been)
10. Many people are starving while others ………….. fighting
overweight. (had been/are)

Self Asessment Questions

1. ____________ tense is used to present dissatisfaction of the past.
2. Permanent situations are shown by ____________ tense.
3. A completed action before another activity in the past is shown by
____________ tense.

7.3 Degree of Comparison

Adjectives and adverbs can be commonly distinguished in three degrees:
the positive (the basic form), the comparative (expressing a higher degree
than is present in something else) and the superlative (expressing a
maximal degree). For example,
 Rimjhim is tall.
 Rimjhim is taller than Payal.
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 Rimjhim is the tallest girl in her group.

 Irfan drives carefully.
 Irfan drives more carefully than Abid.
 Irfan drives the most carefully of anybody I know.
1. Adjectives of one syllable: Adjectives of one syllable add -er and -est.
Adjectives ending on 'e' just add -r and -st. Some adjectives double the
final consonant.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

small smaller smallest
warm warmer warmest
old older oldest
nice nicer nicest
big bigger biggest

2. Adjectives of two syllables

Some adjectives of two syllables add -er and -est.
Adjectives ending in 'y' use -ier and -iest.
Adjectives ending in -ful, -less, -ing, -ed use more and most.
Some other adjectives of two syllables use more and most (modern,
famous, normal, correct, ...).
Adjective Comparative Superlative
narrow narrower narrowest
happy happier happiest
useful more useful most useful
boring more boring most boring
modern more modern most modern

3. Adjectives of three or more syllables: Adjectives of three or more

syllables use more and most.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
dangerous more dangerous most dangerous
exciting more exciting most exciting

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4. Irregular adjectives: You will have to learn these by heart.

Adjective Comparative Superlative
good (well) better best
bad worse worst
little less least
much, many more most
far farther, further farthest
late later last, latest
old older, elder older, oldest

Activity 3
Fill in a suitable degree of comparison of the words given in brackets.
1. The road becomes ……………… after three or four miles. (narrow).
2. It's the ………………. film I've ever seen. (bad)
3. The weather here is ……………….. than at home. (cold)
4. He's the ……………. of all his classmates. (young)
5. That song is ……………. Than this one. (slow)
6. She is ……………. than Ramya. (beautiful)

Self Assessment Questions

4. ____________ degree expresses a higher degree.
5. ____________ expresses a maximal degree.

7.4 Summary
In English, there are three basic tenses: present, past, and future. Present
tense shows the actions at current time. Past tense shows actions related to
the time that has passed. Future tense shows the actions related to future.
Each tense has an indefinite form, indicating simple form.
Each tense has a perfect form, indicating completed action. Each has a
continuous form, indicating ongoing action. Each has a perfect continuous
form, indicating ongoing action that will be completed at some definite time.
Degrees of comparison are inflections of adjectives or adverbs to express
degrees of the original quality, usually divided into positive, comparative,
and superlative such as strong, stronger, strongest, glorious, more glorious,
most glorious.

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Glossary
Continuous: That form of tenses that indicates an ongoing action.
Indefinite: The simplest form of any tense.
Perfect: The form of tenses that indicates a completed action.

7.5 Terminal Questions

1. Discuss rules related to various forms of tenses.
2. What are the various degrees of comparison? Discuss with examples.

7.6 Answers
Self Assessment Questions
1. Past perfect
2. Simple present
3. Past perfect
4. Comparative
5. Superlative

Terminal Questions
1. Refer to 7.2 – Tenses are split into the simple, continuous and perfect.
2. Refer to 7.3 – Adjectives can be commonly distinguished in three
degrees.

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