Present Tense
Examples: I read a lot. I have fruits for breakfast. Sun rises in the east. It rains in July. The sky is blue. Water flows downwards.
These sentences are all in present tense. You use present tense when you want to talk about something which happens all the time, happens again and again, which is true everywhere or all the time, which is generally true.
Let’s go over each example to understand what I mean.
* I read a lot — This is in present tense because I read everyday, I read everywhere, it’s my habit. I read most of the days in a year, etc.
* I have fruits for breakfast — This is in present tense. I always have fruits for breakfast. It’s my rule. At any day, you can see me having fruits at breakfast. So, it’s generally true about me.
* Sun rises in the east — This happens everday. Sun has been rising in the east from the beginning.
* It rains in July — It might not rain this July but it generally rains in July, year afer year.
* The sky is blue — It is true always. Not just today, but all the days in the past and in the future.
* Water flows downwards — It is true always. Not just today, but all the days in the past and in the future.
Time scale
← — — — -Past — — — — — →<Present>← — -Future — —— — →
←(Here) — (Here) —— (Here) — (Here) — -><Present>←-(Here) -(Here→
Present Continuous Tense
Examples: I am writing this article. I am listening to music. People are talking on phone. The sun is setting.
These sentences are all in present continuous tense. You use continuous tense when you want to talk about something which is happening now, at the time of talking.
* I am writing this article — I’m obviously writing as I’m explaining to you.
* I am listening to music — I’m listening to music as I’m writing.
* People are talking on phone — I hear people talking over phone as I’m writing.
* The sun is setting — Time is now 6 p.m and sun is setting.
You see, all these things are happening now, at a particular point in time. Not in the past, not in the future, but now. As you speak.
Now, there’s another thing. Sometimes, you don’t have to be doing something at the time of speaking. Anything which you have started, but not yet finished and you’re in the middle of doing it, you can talk about it in present continuous tense.
For ex: I’m reading a book called Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. I’m not reading this book at the time of writing this article but I’ve started it and have been reading it for many days. But I see this activity as something which is continuing for several days so I say, “I’m reading this book.”
Time scale
← — — -Past — — — — — -><Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — start —(Here)— (End) — -><Present>← — — End — — — — — →
Past Tense
Examples: I got up at 9:30 in the morning. I had star fruit for breakfast. I attended a meeting at 11:30 A.M. I saw a movie last week. South Africa won the second test match.
These sentences are all in past tense. You use past tense when you want to say that something happened in the past, at a certain time. There is always a time element in past tense. For instance, 9:30 in the morning, at breakfast, last week, yesterday, etc.
* I got up at 9:30 in the morning — This happened in the past and it happened at 9:30 in the morning.
* I attended a meeting at 11:30 A.M — This event has already passed. Meeting is no longer happening. because it happened at 11:30 A.M and closed.
Time scale
← — — — — Past — — — — — →<Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — — Start — -Ended— — — -><(Here)>
Past Continuous
Examples: I was sleeping at 7:00 in the morning. I was coming to office at 11:00 A.M. I was writing this article on Tuesday at 6:18 in the evening.
These sentences are in past continuous tense. You use past continuos when you talk about something, at some time, which was still happening in the past. It had started but it had not completed.
Time scale
← — Past — — — — — — →<Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — Start — — — -(Here) — — Ended — — — — -><Present>
Present Perfect Tense
Examples: I have lost 5 kgs. He has read 100 books. I have worked for 8 years. Bananas have ripened. It has rained a lot.
These sentences are in present perfect tense. You use perfect tense when you say how much something has completed, how long something has happened, and so on. Something started in the past but it’s still going on and it will end sometime in the future. So, at this point, you want to say something about the completeness of activities. You don’t care when it started, you don’t care when it’ll end but you care about how much or how long.
* I have lost 5 kgs — I started losing weight sometime in the past. I don’t know when. I don’t know when I stop losing weight. I might lose a few more kgs. But I want to say that it’s 5 kgs. So, I have lost 5 kgs. There’s a result, a sense of completion. It doesn’t matter when. What is important is the result or the quantity.
* He has read 100 books — He might have started reading books a long time ago. We don’t care when. But he has completed 100 books and he’s still reading. This continuity is very important.
Time scale
← — — Past — — — — →<Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — — — — — — Start — — — -><(Here)>← — — — End — — — — — ->
Note that the activity has started but not yet completed. We don’t care when it started or when it ends.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Examples: He has been reading for 5 years. I have been working for 8 years. It has been raining for last 2 hours.
These sentences are in present perfect continuous tense. You use perfect continuous tense when you say how long something has continued. You don’t care about completion here as in perfect tense. You just talk about the activity with respect to time. Something started in the past but it’s still going on and it will end sometime in the future. So, at this point, you want to say that activity is going on for certain amount of time. You don’t care when it started, you don’t care when it’ll end but you care only about how long. You see, focus is on activity itself.
* He has been reading for 5 years — Instead of saying how many books he has read, he wants to say about what he did. That is, he has been reading for 5 years. And he’s still reading. The process is still continuing.
* It has been raining for last 2 hours — You can see it’s raining and you know it’s 2 hours since it started raining. So, you draw attention to the fact that it has been raining for 2 hours.
Time scale
← — — — Past — — —— — — →<Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — — — — Start — — — — -><(Here)>← — — — End — — — — — ->
Past Perfect Tense
Examples: At the time of his marriage, he had lost 5 kgs. When he was 20 years old, he had read 100 books. When she quit the job, she had worked in the company for 8 years.
These sentences are in past perfect tense. You use past perfect tense when you say how much something in the past has completed or how long it has gone on with reference to a point in the past. You first mention that something happened in the past. Now, you want to say something else which happened before it (but it was continuing at that point in time and it ended after that point). The examples will make this more clear.
* At the time of his marriage, he had lost 5 kgs — His marriage happened sometime in the past. It acts as the reference point. Now, he started losing weight before his marriage. At the time of his marriage,he had lost 5 kgs. Between the time he started losing weight and the time of his marriage, he lost 5 kgs. Note that everything happened in the past. Away from the present.
* When he was 20 years old, he had read 100 books — Time in past = When he was 20 years old. Even before that he started reading. Between 2 that time and when he was 20 years, he read 100 books.
Time scale
← — — Past — — — →<Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — — -Start — — — — -(Here) —— -End — — -><Present>
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Examples: At the time of his marriage, he had been working out for 2 years. When she got promoted, she had been working in the company for 10 years.
These sentences are in past perfect continuous tense. You use past perfect continuous tense when you say how much something in the past has completed or how long it has gone on with reference to a point in the past. You first mention that something happened in the past. Now, you want to say something else which was happening at that time for some time. The examples will make this more clear.
* At the time of his marriage, he had been working out for 2 years — His marriage is the time we’re talking about. It was in the past. So, what was happening at his marriage? He was working out. How long? 2 years. So, he had been working out for 2 years when he got married.
Time scale
← — — Past — — — →<Present>← — — -Future — — — →
← — — -Start — — — — -(Here) — — -End — — -><Present>
Future Tense
Examples: I will go shopping tomorrow. They will go on strike next week.
These sentences are in future tense. You use future tense to talk about something that’ll happen in the future. It is especially used to to talk about an action which is decided at the time of action. Without any planning. You express an intention of doing something in the future tense.
- I will go shopping tomorrow — I hear that we’re running out of vegetables and I just say “I will go shopping tomorrow”. I didn’t plan it before. I just expressed my intention.
- They will go on strike next week — If it seems logical, if you feel something is bound to happen based on current evidence, etc., you can express it in future tense.
Time scale
← — — Past — — — →<Present>< — — -Future — — — →
← — — — — — — — -><Present>< — — -(Here) — — — ->
Future Continuous Tense
Examples: I will be shopping this time tomorrow. It will be raining next Monday.
These sentences are in future continuous tense. You use future continuous tense to talk about something that’ll be happening in the future at some time.
- I will be shopping this time tomorrow — Here, we’re talking about future and a particular point in time: This time tomorrow.
Time scale
← — — Past — — — →<Present>< — — -Future — — — →
← — — — — — — — -><Present>< — — -(Here) — — — ->
Future Perfect Tense
Examples: I will have completed 9 years at work in March. We will have paid 5 installments next month.
These sentences are in future perfect tense. You first mention/think of some point in future. You use it as reference to talk about something else. As it is the case in perfect tense, you talk about how much or how long.
- I will have completed 9 years at work in March — Here, we’re talking about the month of March in future. And how many years I will have completed at that time.
Time scale
← — — Past — — — →<Present>< — — -Future — — — →
← — — —Start— -><Present>< — — -(Here) — —End — ->
