Grammar: Tenses Basic Tenses Sub-Tenses 1 2 3 4 Present Past Future How Should We Understand The Application of Tenses?

Grammar
Tenses
Basic Sub-tenses
tenses
1 2 3 4
present indefinite Simple continuous perfect Perfect continuous
past indefinite Simple cont perfect Perfect cont
Future indefinite Simple cont perfect Perfect cont
How should we understand the application of tenses?

1. When?
2. How?
Basic structure of a sentence
Subject + Verb + Object
Subject: Actor….who has the capacity to become a subject: Noun / Pronoun
Object: Acttee
Verb: Action
1. Present simple / indefinite
When?
1. Used for the Routine / habitual / repeated action of the present time
2. For universal actions / truth with principal verb
How?
Subject + verb in 1st form (s/es…singular noun/he, she, it) + Object.
Interrogative: Do / Does
Ali goes to college.

Ali and Amjad go to college.
Present perfect:
When?
For a complete action in the present time
How?
Subject + Has / Have + 3rd form + object +.
1. Ali has gone to college.
2. Ali went to college.
The PTI government dealt with COVID-19 wisely…incorrect
The PTI government has dealt with COVID-19 wisely…correct
Past indefinite
When?
An action in Recent past
How?
Subject + 2nd form + object.
Did + 2nd form….incorrect
Did + 1st form……correct
Ali went to college.
Past Perfect
When?
An action in far past
How?
Subject + Had + 3rd + Object .
Ali college ja chukka tha.
Ali had gone to college…..incorrect
Ali had already gone to college…..correct
Ali went to college….correct
Correct use of past perfect
Single sentence: Subject + verb + object
Double sentence: Subject + verb + object + subject + verb + Object
1. In a single sentence…incorrect
2. In a single sentence with an adverb of comparative time….correct
a. Already, yet, before, ever before, never before
3. In a double sentence….correct
Ali had gone to college…incorrect
She told me that Ali had gone to college…correct
She had told me that Ali had gone to college.
She had told me that Ali went to college….incorrect
1. He had told me that Ali had gone to college…both past perfect…incorrect
2. He had told me that Ali went to college…younger is past perfect…incorrect
3. He told me that Ali had gone to college….correct

4. He told me that Ali went to college….correct
Past perfect + past perfect…incorrect
Past perfect + simple past….correct
Simple past + past perfect …correct
Simple past + simple past…correct
Note: in a double sentence, the verb that is older regarding time may be given past perfect, not
the younger one.
Present simple continuous
When?
1. A continuous action at present time
2. For a future plan when an Adverb / a word of future is use in the sentence
How?
Subject + is / am / are + ing + Object
Ali is going to Lahore.
Ali is going to Lahore tomorrow.
Present simple continuous Vs Future simple continuous
Present simple continuous: for a confirmed continuous action of the present
Future simple continuous: for an unconfirmed continuous action of the present
Future simple continuous

When?
1. For an unconfirmed continuous action of the present
2. For an action to be continued in future ( in this case an adverb of future time should be
written in the sentence.)
How?
Subject + will be / shall be + ing + object.
Ali is going to Lahore……100% comfirmed action of present
Ali will be going to Lahore….supposed / guess based action of the present
Ali will be going to Lahore tomorrow….future action
Present perfect continuous

When?
An action continuous at present but has connection with past. / An action that continued in past
and still continue at present.
How?
Subject + Has been / Have been + ing + object +. / + since or for + time
Ali is living in America.
Ali has been living in America for three years.
Note: not necessary that time is always written in perfect continuous. In fact, written time may
be a part of the sentence or it may be just in concept.
Pakistan has been facing a serious level of corruption.
Pakistan is facing a serious level of corruption.
1. Ali is living in America for five years…..incorrect
2. Ali has been living in America for five years….correct
3. Ali has lived in America for five years…..correct
4. Ali had been living in America for five years…..correct
5. Ali lived in America for five years…correct

6. Ali will have been living in America for five years.
7. Ali will have been living in America for five years by 2030.
8. Ali will have lived in America for five years.
Future simple continuous
When:
1. Future continuous action, but it needs future time in the sentence
2. For a supposed / guess based continuous action of the present / it is used for an
unconfirmed action of the present simple continuous.
Ali will be going to Lahore…..present
Ali will be writing an essay.
Ali will be going to Lahore tomorrow.
How?
Subject + will be / Shall be + ing + object
Future perfect continuous
When?
1. For guess based action of present perfect continuous
2. For an action to be continue for a period in future, but in this case future time
should be given in the sentence.
How?
S +will have been / shall have been + ing + OB + . / since / for + time
Ali will have been living in America for ten years.
Ali will have been living in America next year.
Future simple:
For future action

Ali will go to Lahore.
Future perfect
When?
1. For a guess based action of present perfect
2. For future action when future time is a part of the sentence
How?
S + will have / Shall have +3rd form + obect
1. Ali has written an essay.
2. Ali is writing an essay.
3. Ali has been writing an essay for three hours.
4. Ali will have written an essay.
5. Ali will be writing an essay.
6. Ali will have been writing an essay for three hours.
7. Ali will have written an essay by tomorrow.
8. Ali will be writing an essay tomorrow.
9. Ali will have been writing an essay for three hours by 2pm tomorrow.
Past simple continuous

When?
A continuous action at a time in past
How?
S + was / were + ing + ob.
Ali was going to Lahore.

Past perfect continuous
When?
An action that remained continued for a period of time in the past.
How?
S + Had been + ing +ob……………………..
1. Ali had been living in America for ten years.
Note: if there is any adverb of time or a word that directly / indirectly indicates time of the
verb/action, the tense of the sentence must match with that time / word of time.
Ali wrote an essay
Ali had written an essay one day before.
Ali wrote an essay one day ago.
Ali has written an essay just now.
Hope…..future …to + verb
Fear………
Recommend…..to / sub+ should

I recommend that Ali went to America.
Insist
Demand
Likely

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Grammar

How should we understand the application of tenses?

Basic structure of a sentence

Subject + Verb + Object

Subject: Actor….who has the capacity to become a subject: Noun / Pronoun

1. Present simple / indefinite

2. For universal actions / truth with principal verb

Subject + verb in 1st form (s/es…singular noun/he, she, it) + Object.

Ali goes to college.

For a complete action in the present time

Subject + Has / Have + 3rd form + object +.

1. Ali has gone to college.

2. Ali went to college.

The PTI government dealt with COVID-19 wisely…incorrect

The PTI government has dealt with COVID-19 wisely…correct

An action in Recent past

Subject + 2nd form + object.

Did + 2nd form….incorrect

Did + 1st form……correct

Ali went to college.

An action in far past

Ali college ja chukka tha.

Ali had gone to college…..incorrect

Ali had already gone to college…..correct

Ali went to college….correct

Correct use of past perfect

Single sentence: Subject + verb + object

Double sentence: Subject + verb + object + subject + verb + Object

2. In a single sentence with an adverb of comparative time….correct

a. Already, yet, before, ever before, never before

Ali had gone to college…incorrect

She told me that Ali had gone to college…correct

She had told me that Ali had gone to college.

She had told me that Ali went to college….incorrect

1. He had told me that Ali had gone to college…both past perfect…incorrect

2. He had told me that Ali went to college…younger is past perfect…incorrect

3. He told me that Ali had gone to college….correct

Past perfect + past perfect…incorrect

Past perfect + simple past….correct

Simple past + past perfect …correct

Simple past + simple past…correct

Present simple continuous

1. A continuous action at present time

Subject + is / am / are + ing + Object

Ali is going to Lahore.

Ali is going to Lahore tomorrow.

Present simple continuous Vs Future simple continuous

Present simple continuous: for a confirmed continuous action of the present

Future simple continuous: for an unconfirmed continuous action of the present

Future simple continuous

1. For an unconfirmed continuous action of the present

Subject + will be / shall be + ing + object.

Ali is going to Lahore……100% comfirmed action of present

Ali will be going to Lahore….supposed / guess based action of the present

Ali will be going to Lahore tomorrow….future action

Present perfect continuous

Ali is living in America.

Ali has been living in America for three years.

Pakistan has been facing a serious level of corruption.