9th Class English Grammar Time & Tense

       Time & Tense

Introduction: Tense is that form of a verb which shows the time and state of an action on event. It comes from Latin word tempus, meaning time. Tense is the change of form in a verb to express the time of an action. There are three principal tenses -

(i) The Present Tense: describes an action in the present time. Example: I go. He runs. They are walking.

(ii) The Past Tense: describes an action in the past time. Example: I went. He ran. They were playing.

(iii) The Future Tense: describes an action in the future time. Example: I shall go. He will run. They will be walking.

Each of these principal tenses has four forms - Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous.

To understand Tense better, you should remember the conjugation of verb always.    

Conjugation of verb (To Be)  

           Present Tense  

            Present Indefinite Tense

Singular                               Plural

I am                                      We are

You are                                 You are

He/ She/ lt is                      They are  

            Present Continuous Tense

Singular                               Plural

I am being                           We are being

You are being                      You are being

He/ She/ It is being           They are being  

            Present Perfect Tense

Singular                               Plural

I have been                        We have been

You have been                  You have been

He/ She/ It has been       They have been  

             Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Singular                                               Plural

I have been being                            We have been being

You have been being                     You have been being

He/ She/ It has been being          They have been being  

           Past Tense  

            Past Indefinite Tense

Singular                               Plural

I was                                     We were

You were                              You were

He / She/ It was                 They were  

            Past Continuous Tense

Singular                               Plural

I was being                         We were being

You were being                  You were being

He/ She / It was being     They were being  

            Past Perfect Tense

Singular                               Plural

I was been                          We were been

You were been                   You were been

He / She/It was been       They were been  

            Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Singular                                               Plural

I was been being                              They were been being

You were been being                      You were been being

He/ She /It was been being           They were been being  

           Future Tense  

            Future Indefinite Tense

Singular                               Plural

I shall be                              We shall be

You will be                          You will be

He/ She/It will be              They will be  

            Future Continuous Tense

Singular                                               Plural

I shall be being                                  We shall be being

You will be being                              You will be being

He/ She / It will be being                They will be being  

            Future Perfect Tense

Singular                                               Plural

I shall have been                              We shall have been

You will have been                          You will have been

He/ She / It will have been            They will have been  

            Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Singular                                                               Plural

I shall have been being                                  We shall have been being

You will have been being                              You will have been being

He / She / It will have been being               They will have been being