PAST TENSE

Past indefinite/simple:

We use the past indefinite for an action or situation in the past.

Examples:

Single or repeated Actions:

We went to London thrice last year.

The children always played in the garden

I visited America last week.
Ana watched TV yesterday.

·        Series of actions completed in the past:

First I got up, and then I had breakfast.

·        Habit or State:

1.   People used to come here in the evening for a walk.

2.   I used to have a bicycle but I sold it.

3.   They were playing in the garden when the telephone rang.

4.   They were determined to work hard.

5.   Why were you absent from the class?

·        Story telling:

Once upon a time a Princess went into a wood and sat down by a stream.

·        Time expressions:

Time expressions with the past indefinite are: yesterday, this morning/evening, last week/year, a week/month ago, that day/afternoon, the other day/week, at eleven o’clock, on Tuesday, in 1950, just, recently, once, earlier, then, next, after that.

AFFIRMATIVE:

Subject +Verb 2^nd form +Object.

NEGATIVE:

Subject +DID NOT +Verb 1^st form +Object.

INTERROGATIVE:

DID +Subject+ Verb 1^st form+ Object.

A: She saw your brother.

N: She did not see your brother.

I: Did she see your brother?

A: I borrowed money from my friend.

N: I did not borrow money from my friend.

I: Did I borrow money from my friend?

Past Continuous/ Progressive

We use past progressive tense to say that something was happening or going on.

Examples:

·        Action was in progress at special time in the past:

1.   Monty was reading a book yesterday evening.

2.   She was listening to the music.

We use this tense when two actions were happening at the same time:

John was writing a letter while Anne was reading the London Daily News.

We use past continuous tense for Repeated actions that irritate the speaker (e.g. with constantly, always, forever)

Andy was always coming in late. (I don't like it.)

Form: 

Subject + was/were + verb1st form + ing +object.

Affirmatives:

I/he/she/it/Ali +was + verb1st form + ing +object.

You/we/they +were + verb1st form + ing +object.

Negatives:

I/he/she/it/Ali was not+ verb1st form + ing +object.

You/we/they were not+ verb1st form + ing +object.

Interrogative:

Was +I/he/she/it/Ali+ verb1st form + ing +object.

Were +you/we/they+ verb1st form + ing +object.

Negative questions:

Wasn’t +I/he/she/it/Ali+ verb1st form + ing +object.

Weren’t +you/we/they+ verb1st form + ing +object.

A: He was working.

N: He was not working.

I: Was he working?

A: You were working.

N: You were not working.

I: Were you working?

Past Perfect Tense:

We use past perfect tense to talk about finished actions before past simple.

·        To say that someone finished one action and then did something else, we use either when…had done or after …did/had done:

1.   When she had written the letter, she went out to post it.

2.   After she wrote/written the letter, she went out to post it.

NOT: When she wrote the letter, she went out to post it.

·        These three expressions given below can be used (often with a past perfect tense) to suggest that one thing happened very soon after another:

…hardly---when/before

…scarcely---when/before

…no sooner---than…

1.   I had hardly/scarcely closed my eyes when the doorbell rang.

2.   She was hardly/scarcely inside the house before the kids started screaming.

3.   I had no sooner closed the door than somebody knocked.

Examples:

1.   We can also use past perfect for a state:

2.   Everything seemed fine up to then.      

3.   They had been friends for six months.

Form:

 Subject + had + verb3rd form + object.

Affirmatives:

I/he/she/it/Ali + had + verb3rd form + object.

You/we/they +had + verb3rd form + object.

Negatives:

I/he/she/it/Ali +had not + verb3rd form + object.

You/we/they +had not + verb3rd form + object.

Interrogative:

Had +I/he/she/it/Ali + verb3rd form + object.

Had +you/we/they +verb3rd form + object.

Negative questions:

Hadn’t +I/he/she/it/Ali + verb3rd form + object.

Hadn’t +you/we/they + verb3rd form + object.

A: He had worked.

N: He had not worked.

I: Had he worked?

Past Perfect Progressive/Continuous:

We use past perfect progressive tense to talk about a continued action before past simple or to talk about longer actions or situations which had continued up to the past moment that we are thinking about, or shortly before it.

Example:

·        How long something had been happening before something else happened:

1.   We had been watching cricket before manager came.

2.   Muslims had been facing problems before Pakistan came into being.

3.   I had been reading this novel for about a month.

Form:

 Subject + had been + verb1st form + ing + object

Affirmative:

I/he/she/it/Ali + had been + verb3rd form +ing + object.

You/we/they +had been + verb3rd form +ing + object.

Negative:

I/he/she/it/Ali + had not been + verb3rd form +ing + object.

You/we/they +had not been + verb3rd form + ing +object.

Interrogative:

Had +I/he/she/it/Ali + been + verb3rd form +ing + object.

Had +You/we/they +been + verb3rd form +ing + object.

A: I had been waiting for Susan for 2 hours when she arrived.

N: I had not been waiting for Susan for 2 hours when she arrived.

I: Had I been waiting for Susan for 2 hours when she arrived.

PRESENT TENSE

PRESENT INDEFINITE TENSE: 

We use present simple to talk about repeated actions, imperatives, states, daily routines, story- telling etc.

Examples:

• Repeated actions:

Every day, Always, Often, Sometimes or Never

1. I often write comical stories. 
2. My friend never drinks milk.

• Imperative: (order, suggestion, advice or request)

1. Switch on the TV.
2. Do not embarrass your kids in front of others.
3. Value the time.
4. Please have a seat.

• States: (fixed arrangements, scheduled events (e.g. timetable))

The plane flies to London every Monday.

The sun rises in the East.

•  Daily routine:

One follows after the other (first - then, after that)

1. First I get up, and then I have breakfast.
2. I perform ablution and offer prayer.

• Story telling:

One day my teacher calls me and asks me to participate in a quiz.

After special verbs, which are normally not used with the Present Progressive (These verbs express states, possessions, feelings etc.)

be, believe, belong, hate, hear, like, love, mean, prefer, remain, realize, see, seem, smell, think, understand, want, wish.

1. I understand English.
2. He doesn't like fish.

Form:

 Subject + verb 1st from + Object.

Affirmative:

He/ she/ it, singular+ Verb 1st form+ s/es+ Object.

I/ we/ you/ they, plural+ Verb 1st form+ Object.

Negative:

He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + DOES NOT+ verb 1st form +Object.

We/ you/ they/ I/ with more than one name or Plural + DO NOT+ verb 1st form +Object.

Interrogative:


DOES + He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + verb 1st form +Object?

DO+ We/ you/ they/ I, with more than one name or Plural + verb 1st form +Object?

1. Negative Question:

1. 
   

Doesn't he / she / it / singular++ verb 1st form +Object?

Don’t I / we / you / they + verb 1st form +Object?

A: She likes apples.

N: She does not like apple.

I: Does she like apple?

A: They like apple.

N: They do not like apple.

I: Do they like apple.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE:

We use Present Progressive to say that something is going on now or happening now. It is also called Present Continuous. We use it to talk about actions, fixed plans and trends.

Examples:

1. Actions happening at the moment of speaking:
2. Now, at the moment
3. Pamela is writing a story now.
4. He is listening to the music.

• Temporary actions:

His father is working in Dubai this month.

• Actions happening around the moment of speaking: (longer actions)

My friend is preparing for his exams.

• Repeated actions which are irritating to the speaker:

With always, constantly, forever

1. He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.
2. Ana is always coming in late. (I don't like it.)

Simple Present: 

Ana always comes late. (Here I don't give a comment.)

• Fixed plan in the near future:

I am going to London on Saturday.

• Trends:

More and more people are using their cell phones to listen to music.

Affirmative:

He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + IS + verb 1st form + ing +Object.

We/ you/ they/ with more than one name or Plural + ARE+ verb 1st form+ ing+ Object.

I+ AM+ verb 1st form+ ing+ Object.

Negative:


He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + IS NOT + verb 1st form + ing +Object.

We/ you/ they/ with more than one name or Plural + ARE NOY+ verb 1st form+ ing+ Object.

I+ AM NOT+ verb 1st form+ ing+ Object.

Interrogative:


IS+ He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + verb 1st form + ing +Object.

ARE+ We/ you/ they/ with more than one name or Plural + verb 1st form+ ing+ Object.

AM+ I+ verb 1st form+ ing+ Object

Examples:

A: He is doing his work.

N: He is not doing his work.

I: Is he doing his work?

A: They are playing monopoly.

N: They are not playing monopoly.

I: Are they playing monopoly?

A: I am going to London.

N: I am not going to London.

I: Am I going to London?

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE:

We use present perfect tense to say that something started in the past and finished in the present with a result or when we have a present result of a past action, we use present perfect.

• Recently completed actions, a piece of news or information:

1. He has just played handball. (It is over now.)
2. Police has taken bribe.
3. Family members have taken offence.

Result of an action in the past is important in the present (It is not important when this action happened. When we use a specific time in the past - e.g. yesterday - then we use the Simple Past.)

1. I have cleaned my room. (It is clean now.)
2. Has Lisa ever been to Rome? (Has Lisa been there or not?)

Together with lately, recently, yet

1. I have been to London recently. (No specific point of time)
2. He has not typed the letter yet. (He has not done it.)

Affirmative:

He/ She/ It and Singular + HAS+ verb 3rd form + Object.

We/ you/ they/ I/ with more than one name or Plural + HAVE+ verb 3rd form +Object.

Negative:

He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + HAS NOT+ verb 3rd form +Object.

We/ you/ they/ I/ with more than one name or Plural + HAVE NOT+ verb 3rd form+ Object.

Interrogative:

HAS +He/ She/ It and Singular or with one name + verb 3rd form +Object.

A: Julia has reached home

N: Julia has not reached home

I: Has Julia reaches home?

A: I have finished my work.

N: I have not finished my work.

I: Have I finished my work?

HAVE +We/ you/ they/ I/ with more than one name or Plural + verb 3rd form +Object

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE:

We can use present perfect progressive to say that something started in the past and is still going on mostly with point of time (Since) or period of time (For).

Since: we use it with point of time.

Example: With time and years e.g. since 4 o’clock/ since Morning/ since breakfast/ since Tuesday/ since April/ since 1950.

For: we use it with period of time.

Example:  For two hours/ for four days/ for eight years/ for one week/ for six months.

Actions beginning in the past and still continuing: (focus is on the action)

I have been waiting for you for three hours. (It was a long time.)

 Recently completed actions (focus is on the action)

She has been watching too many videos. (It was too much time.)

Affirmative:

He/ She/ It and Singular + HAS BEEN+ verb 1st form + ing + Object+ SINCE/FOR.

We/ you/ they/ I/ and Plural + HAVE BEEN+ verb 1st form +ing+ Object+ SINCE/FOR.

Negative:

He/ She/ It and Singular + HAS NOT BEEN+ verb 1st form + ing + Object+ SINCE/FOR.

We/ you/ they/ I/ and Plural + HAVE NOT BEEN+ verb 1st form +ing+ Object+ SINCE/FOR.

Interrogative:

HAS +He/ She/ It and Singular + BEEN+ verb 1st form + ing + Object+ SINCE/FOR.

HAVE +We/ you/ they/ I/ and Plural + BEEN+ verb 1st form +ing+ Object+ SINCE/FOR.

A: He has been writing for five days.

N: He has not been writing for five days.

I: Has he been writing for five days?

A: He has been writing since 1997.

N: He has not been writing since 1997.

I: Has he been writing since 1997?

EXAMPLES:

1. We have been trying to find you for many days.
2. I haven’t been typing for an hour.
3. You have been speaking ill of others for the last 15 minutes.
4. The shopkeeper has been fleecing customer for many years.
5. It has been drizzling since morning.
6. It has been pouring down for a week.
7. She has been writing since 1996.
8. She has been playing since five o’clock.

FORMATS: