Let us see the rules for using tenses with some examples:
|
Tenses |
Rules or Tips to Use Tenses or When to Apply Tenses |
Use Tense with example |
|
Simple Present |
Planned and Scheduled Events |
Clock ticks twelve |
|
Description of Routines |
Ashok visits the orphanage daily |
|
|
Universal Truth |
Earth rotates around the Sun |
|
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Present Continuous |
When an activity that started recently and is in continuing while we speak about it |
Radha is jogging while talking to Suman |
|
An action that is taking place but not at that particular moment |
I am watching The Blacklist on Netflix these days |
|
|
An action that will take place in the future for sure |
I am going to school tomorrow |
|
|
Present Perfect |
The action is over but still has an effect on the present |
I have finished all my chores for the day |
|
Present Perfect Continuous |
An activity that started in the past and is likely to continue in the future or not sure when it will end |
I have been staying in Canada for the last fifteen years now |
|
Simple Past |
Action started and ended in the past |
She completed her graduation last year |
|
Reference to historical events |
Mangal Pandey revolted in 1857 |
|
|
Past Continuous |
An action that was going on in the past and has now ended |
We were eating strawberries in the morning |
|
Reference to person’s persistent habit(s) |
He was always a complaining type |
|
|
Past Perfect |
An action completed before a certain moment in the past |
I had met Amitabh Bachchan few years back |
|
When two actions have taken place in the past and we want to refer to the earlier event out of the two |
The plane had landed before I reached to pick her from the airport |
|
|
Simple Future |
An action that is likely to take place in future |
India will launch a satellite in 2020 |
|
An activity we can control in the future |
I will write CAT 2023 exam |
|
|
Future Continuous |
An activity that wil certainly be happening in continuation in future |
I will be watching the Oscars tonight |
|
Future Perfect |
When action 1 will be complete by the time action 2 will begin in the future |
I will have been married by the you will come back from Australia. |
Please Note: Past Perfect Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous are not used in spoken English
Below exercise on tenses will give you a deeper understanding:
- I (learn)_______ to bake for three years now.
- But last year I (not / work) __________hard enough on my baking skills, so my bakes (not / be) __________ really that good then.
- As I (pass / want) __________ my baking exam successfully coming summer, I (practice) __________ harder this term.
- During my last winter vacation, my father (send) __________ me on a baking course to Paris.
- It (be) __________ great and I think I (learn) __________ a lot.
- Before I (go) __________ to Paris, I (not / enjoy) __________ baking cakes that much.
- But while I (do) __________ the baking course, I (meet) __________ lots of people of different age groups from all over the world.
- There I (realize) __________ how exciting it (be) __________ to experiment and bake.
- Now I (have) __________ much more fun baking cakes than I (have) __________before the course.
- At the moment I (work) __________ on my bread baking skills.
- And I (begin / already) __________ to bake cookies, cakes and short crust pastries.
- I (think) __________ I (do) __________ one type of bake every week.
- My final test (be) __________ on 4th June, so there (not / be) __________ any time to be lost.
- If I (clear) __________ my baking exam, I (start) __________ an internship with Tesco Bakery in August.
- And after my internship, maybe I (go) __________ back to Paris and open my store.
- As you (see / can) __________, I (fall) __________ in love with Paris already.
Answers:
- (have been learning)
- (did not work, were not)
- (want to pass, am going to practice)
- (sent)
- (was, learnt)
- (went, did not enjoy)
- (was doing, met)
- (realized, is)
- (have, had)
- (am working)
- (have already begun)
- (think, will do)
- (is, isn’t)
- (clear, will start)
- (will go)
- (can see, have fallen)
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