Tenses
The English Tense System
The text below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic English tenses. In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:
- Structure: How do we make the tense?
- Use: When and why do we use the tense?
GPSC Prelims and Mains Notes, GPSC Test Series
The English Tense System
The text below are to lessons for each of the 12 basic English tenses. In each lesson we look at two aspects of the tense:
Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, future. The past is used to describe things that have already happened (e.g. earlier in the day, yesterday, last week, three years ago). The present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are continuous. The future tense describes things that have yet to happen (e.g. later, tomorrow, next week, next year, three years from now).
The Present Tenses
The Past Tenses
The Future Tenses
Types of Tenses
tense | Affirmative/Negative/Question | Use | Signal Words |
Simple Present | A: He speaks. |
| always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually |
Present Progressive | A: He is speaking. |
| at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now |
Simple Past | A: He spoke. |
| yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday |
Past Progressive | A: He was speaking. |
| when, while, as long as |
Present Perfect Simple | A: He has spoken. |
| already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now |
Present Perfect Progressive | A: He has been speaking. |
| all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week |
Past Perfect Simple | A: He had spoken. |
| already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day |
Past Perfect Progressive | A: He had been speaking. |
| for, since, the whole day, all day |
Future I Simple | A: He will speak. |
| in a year, next …, tomorrow |
Future I Simple (going to) | A: He is going to speak. |
| in one year, next week, tomorrow |
Future I Progressive | A: He will be speaking. |
| in one year, next week, tomorrow |
Future II Simple | A: He will have spoken. |
| by Monday, in a week |
Future II Progressive | A: He will have been speaking. |
| for …, the last couple of hours, all day long |
Conditional I Simple | A: He would speak. |
| if sentences type II |
Conditional I Progressive | A: He would be speaking. |
|
|
Conditional II Simple | A: He would have spoken. |
| if sentences type III |
Conditional II Progressive | A: He would have been speaking. |
|
|
Level-I
A.) likes | B.) liked |
C.) have been liking | D.) like |
|
|
A.) forgets | B.) forget |
C.) forgot | D.) will forget |
|
|
A.) goes | B.) go |
C.) will go | D.) gone |
|
|
A.) works | B.) work |
C.) is working | D.) worked |
|
|
A.) have, completed | B.) has, completed |
C.) had, completed | D.) will, complete |
|
|
A.) have been waiting | B.) had been waiting |
C.) has been waiting | D.) is waiting |
|
|
A.) meets | B.) met |
C.) meeting | D.) meet |
|
|
A.) preparing | B.) was preparing |
C.) is preparing | D.) has been preparing |
|
|
A.) have left | B.) has left |
C.) left | D.) had left |
Show Answer |
|
A.) has been speaking | B.) have been speaking |
C.) had been speaking | D.) was speaking |
Level-II
A.) will arrive | B.) arrive |
C.) is arriving | D.) arrives |
|
|
A.) shall write | B.) will writew |
C.) writing | D.) shall be writing |
|
|
A.) will complete | B.) complete |
C.) will have completed | D.) shall complete |
|
|
A.) will have been waiting | B.) will has been waiting |
C.) will had been waiting | D.) will be waiting |
|
|
A.) has known | B.) had known |
C.) have known | D.) knew |
|
|
A.) has come | B.) have come |
C.) had come | D.) will have come |
|
|
A.) are discouraged | B.) have been discouraged |
C.) had been discouraged | D.) is discouraged |
|
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A.) will has been working | B.) will be working |
C.) will had been working | D.) will have been working |
|
|
A.) hasn’t seen | B.) haven’t seen |
C.) wasn’t seen | D.) hadn’t seen |
|
|
A.) am writing | B.) writing |
C.) writes | D.) wrote |
Answers:
Level-I
1. D
2. B
3. A
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. B
8. B
9. D
10. C
Level-II
1. A
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. C
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. A