Lessons From English Class | Tenses

Present Tense

The present tense form of a verb is used to show actions that are habitual, i.e. actions that takes place all the time.
Example: When I wake up I usually say my prayer and then get ready to go to school.

Past Tense

Past tense is used to show actions that have already happened.
Example: I went to grandma's house last night.

Some verbs form the past tense, by adding "ed".
Examples
Love - loved
Play - played
Care - cared
Excite - excited

Some verbs form the past tense by dropping the "y" and adding "ied".
Examples:
Cry - cried
Try - tried

There are also irregular past tense verbs.
Examples:
Run - ran
Leap - lept

Future Tense

Future tense is used to show events to come or future action.
Words to show the future actions are: "will", "going to", "shall".

Present Continuous Tense

Present continuous tense is used for speaking or writing about action that is occurring and would be continuous for a long time.
Example: The boy is going to school.
We use it with "is" and "are" and then end it with "ing".

Past Continuous Tense

The past continuous tense is used for speaking or writing about an action which began in the past and continued in the past.
Example: We were going to the mall, but now we aren't.
We use it with "was" and "were" and then end it with "ing".

The Present Perfect Tense

The present perfect tense is used to emphasize the completion of the action.
This is the opposite of the past perfect tense but with the use of "has" and "have" (with a past participle).
Example: I have considered to reapply to WASA.

The Past Perfect Tense

When we wish to write about two actions which occurred in the past, the past perfect tense is used to emphasize the completion of the first action before the start of the second. The latter or second action express with the simple. It is usually used with words like "before", "when", "until", "no sooner than".
Example 1: I had prepared dinner before my mother came.
Past perfect tense: "had prepared" Link word: "before"
Example 2: I had left home before they rang.
Past perfect tense: "had left" Past tense: rang

Present Tense | Past Tense | Past Participle

Give | Gave | Given
Consider | Considered | Considered
Go | Went | Gone
Run| Ran | Run

- Lesson done on 3rd March 2005 :) Extracted from my English note book. :)