Tenses in English – Present Tense, Past Tense and Future Tense and Four Patterns of the Tenses - Part 6

The Future

There  are  several  ways  of  talking  about  the  future  English :  the  Simple Future Tense,  the  going  to  form,  the  Simple  Present Tense  etc.

                  

Simple future tense

The  Simple  Future  Tense  is  used  to  talk about  things  which we  cannot control it expresses the future as fact. 

I shall be twenty next Saturday.                                                                                            

It will be Diwali in a week.                                                                                        

We will know our exam results in May.

 We  use  this  tense  to  talk about  what  we  think  or  believe  will happen in  future.

                  

            I think   Pakistan   will win the match.                                                                                   

I’m sure Helen will get a first class.                                                  

 As  in  the above  sentences,  we  often use this  tense  with  I  think, and  I’m sure.      We also say I expect, I believe, probably, etc.

We  can  use  this  tense when  we  decide   to  do  something  at  a  time of speaking

            It is raining.  I will take an umbrella                                                                         

‘’Mr.  Hary is very busy at the moment ‘’  ‘’ All right I’ll wait ‘’

Going to                                                                                                      

We  use  the  going  to  form (  be  going  to  +   base of  the  verb)  when  we  have decided  to  do  something  before  talking  about  it

         ‘’ Have you decided what to do? ‘’ -   Yes I am going to resign the job ‘’

        ‘’ Why do you want to sell your motorbike?’’- ‘’ I am going to buy a car ‘’ 

                       

Remember  that   if   the  action  is  already  decided  upon  and     preparations    have    been   made ,  we  should  use  the  going to form, not the  Simple  Future Tense.  The Simple Future   Tense is used for   an instant decision.

We  also use  the going  to  form to  talk about  what  seems likely  or  certain,  when  there  is  something  in  the present  which  tells  us about  future.

It is going to rain, look at those clouds.                                                      

The boat is full of water.  It is going to sink                                               

She is going to have a baby

                           

The  going to  form  may  also  express  an  action  which is  on point of happing                               

Be about to

Be  about  to +   base  form  can  also be  used  for  the  immediate  future.

Let’s   get into the train, It’s about to leave.                                                             

Don’t   go out now.  We are about to have lunch.

Simple Present Tense

The Simple Present Tense is used for official programmes and timetables.

The   college opens on 23^rd June.                                                                               

The  film  starts  at  6 .30 and finishes at  9.00                                                                      When  does  the  next  train  leave  for  Chennai ?

The Simple Present   is often used for future time in clauses. With if, unless, when, while, as (=while) before, after, until, by the time and as soon as.  The Simple Future Tense is not used in such cases.                     

            I won’t go out if it rains. (not:  will  rain)                                                           

            Can  I  have some  milk before I  go  to  bed ?                                                                

            Let’s wait till he finishes his work.                                                     

Please ring me up as soon as he comes.

          

Present Continuous Tense                                                                               

We  use  the  Present  Continuous  Tense  when  we  talk about  something that  we  have planned  to  do in  the  future.

                                               

I am going to Colombo tomorrow                                                                                

We are eating out tonight                                                                                            

Mr. Obama is arriving this evening.

You  are  advised  to  use  the Present  Continuous  ( not the Simple Present) for  personal  arrangements.

Future Continuous Tense

We  use  the  Future Continuous   Tense  to  talk about actions  which  will be  in  progress  at  a time in  the future.

I suppose it will be raining when we start.                                                                

This time tomorrow I will be sitting on the beach in Singapore.                              

‘’ Can I see you at 5 o’clock? ‘’ - ‘’ Please don’t come then.                         

I will be watching the tennis match on TV ‘’.

We  also  use  this  tense  to  talk  about actions  in  the  future  which  are  already planned or which are  expected  to  happen  in  the normal  course  of  things.                    

I will be staying here till Sunday                                                                                   

He will be meeting us next week.                                                                                

The postman will be coming soon.

Be to

We use be to + base form to talk about official plans and arrangements.

The Prime Minister is to visit America next month                                                  

The conference is to discuss ‘’ Nuclear Tests ‘’

Be to is used in formal style, often in new reports. Be is usually    left out in headlines, e.g.’’ Prime Minister to visit America ‘’   

Future Perfect Tense 

The   Future  Perfect  Tense  is  used   to talk about  actions that  will be  completed  by a  certain  Future time.

I shall have written my exercise by then.

He will have left before you go to see her.

By the end this month.  I will have worked   here for five years.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense.

The  Future  Prefect  Continuous tense is used for  actions  which will be in progress over  a  period  of time that will end  in  the future.

            By next March we shall have been living here for four years.

            I’ll have been teaching for twenty years next July.

This tense is not very common

Tenses in English Part 5 - Present, Past and Future Tenses and Four Patterns of the Tenses

Tenses in English – Part 5

THE PAST

v  Simple Past Tense

The Simple past is used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs with adverbs or adverbs phrases of past time.

The Steamer sailed yesterday.

            I received letter a week ago.

            She left school last year.

Sometimes this tense is used without an adverb of time. In such cases time may be either implied or indicated by the context

            I learnt Hindi in Nagpur

            I didn't sleep well (i.e. last night)

           

The Simple past is also used for past habits; as,

 

            He studied many hours every day

            She always carried an umbrella.

Past continuous tense

The past continuous is used to denote an action going on at some time in the past. The time of the action may or may not be indicated

            We were listening to the radio all evening

            It was getting darker.

            The Light went out while I was reading.

            When I saw him, he was playing chess.

As in the last two examples above, the past Continuous and Simple past were used together when a new action happened in the middle of a long action. The simple Past is used for the new action

This tens as also used with always, continually, etc. for persistent habits in the past

        He was always grumbling.

Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect describes an action completed before a certain moment in the past ; as,

        I met him in New York in 1996. I had seen him last five years before.

If two action happened in the past it may be necessary to show which action happened earlier than the other. The Past Perfect is mainly used in such situations. The Simple Past is used in such situations. The Simple Past is used in one clause and the Perfect in the other; as,

        When I reached the station the train had started (so I couldn't get into the train)

          I had done my exercise when Hari came to see me.

          I had written the letter before he arrived.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

 The Past Perfect Continuous is used for used for an action that began before a certain point    in the past and continued up to that time; as,

        At that time he had been writing a novel for two months.

        When Mr. Mukerji came to the school in 1995, Mr. Anand had already been teaching there for five years.

Tenses in English – Present Tense, Past Tense and Future Tense and Four Patterns of the Tenses - Part 4

Present Perfect Tense

v  The Present Perfect is used

(1) To indicate completed activities in the immediate past (with Just) ; as,

            He has just gone out.

             It has just struck ten.

(2) To express past actions whose time is not given and not definite; as,

    

            Have you read “Gulliver’s Travels’?

             I have cut my finger (and it is bleeding now)

            I have finished my work (=now I am free)  

(3) To describe past event when we think more of their effect in the present than of action itself; as

        Anne has eaten all the biscuits (e.g. there aren’t any left for you)

        I have cut my finger (and it is bleeding now)

        I have finished my work (= now I am free)

(4) To denote an action beginning at some time in the past and continuing up to the present moment

 (Often with since-and for- phrases); as,

  

            I have known him for a long time

            He has been ill since last week

            We have lived here for ten years

            We haven’t seen Padma for several months.

The following adverbs or adverb phrases can also be used with the Present Perfect (apart from those mentioned above): never, ever (in question only), so far, till now, yet (in negatives and questions), already, today, this week this month, etc.

Note that the present perfect is never used with adverbs of past time. We should not say, for example, He has gone to New York yesterday. In such cases the Simple past should be use (He went to Calcutta yesterday)

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The Present Perfect Continuous is used for an action which began at some tme in the past and is still continuing; as,

            He has been sleeping for five hours (and is still sleeping)

            They have been building the bridge for several months

They have been playing since four o’ clock.

This tens is also sometimes used for an action already finished. In such cases the continuity of the activity is emphasized as an explanation of something

            Why are your clothes so wet? - I have been watering the garden

Tenses in English – Present Tense, Past Tense and Future Tense and Four Patterns of the Tenses - Part 3

THE USES OF THE PRESENT AND PAST TENSES THE PRESENT

Simple Present Tense

v  The Simple Present is Used:-

(1)  To express a habitual action: as 

            He drinks tea every morning

            I get up every day a five O’clock

            My watch keeps good time.

(2) To express general truths: as 

            The sun rises in the east.

            Honey is sweet

            Fortune favors the brave.

(3) In  exclamatory  sentences beginning  with  here  and  there to  express what is  actually  taking place in  the present; as,

            Here comes the bus!

            There she goes!

(4) In vivid narrative, as substitute for the Simple Past; as, 

            Ann now rushes forward and deals a heavy blow to Sam.

            Immediately the Sultan hurries to his capital

(5) To express a future event that is part of a fixed timetable or fixed programme.

            The next flight is at 9.00 tomorrow morning

            The match starts at 9 O’clock

            The train leaves at 6.20

            When does the coffee house reopen?

v  The other uses of the Simple Present Tense.

(1)  It is used to introduce   quotations; as

            Ann says ‘A thing of beauty is a joy   forever’

(2) It  is  used,  instead  of the Simple  Future  Tense,  in  clauses  of   time  and  of condition: as, 

            I shall wait till you finish your lunch

            If it rains we shall get wet.

(3) As in broadcast commentaries on sporting events, the Simple Present is used, instead of the Present Continuous. to describe  activities  in progress  where  there is  stress on  the succession of happenings rather  than on  the  duration.

(4)  The Simple Present is used, instead of the Present Continuous.

Present Continuous Tense

v  Present Continuous Tense is used

 (1) For an action going on at the time of speaking : as,

       She is singing (now).

       The boys are playing hockey.

 

  (2) For a temporary action which may not be actually happening at the time of speaking : as,

        I am reading ‘David Copperfield’ (but I am not reading at this moment)

  (3) For an action that has already been arranged to take place in the near future :as,

              I am going to the cinema tonight.

              My uncle is arriving tomorrow.

It has been pointed out before that the simple present used for a habitual action. However, when the reference is to a particularly obstinate habit-something which persists, for example, in spite of advice or warning- we use the Present Continuous with an adverb like always, continually, constantly.

           My dog is very silly; he is always running out into the road.

v  The following verbs, on account of their meaning, are not normally used in the continuous form:

   

        (1) Verbs of perception, e.g., see, hear, smell, notice, recognize.

        (2) Verbs of appearing, e.g., appear, look, seem

        (3) Verbs of emotion, e.g., want, desire, feel, like, love, hate, hope, refuse, prefer.

        (4) Verbs of thinking, e.g., think, suppose, believe, agree, consider, trust, remember, forget, know, understand, imagine, mean, mind.

        (5) Have (=possess0, own, possess, belong to, contain, consist of, be

(except when used in the passive)

e.g.       Wrong                                                       Right

        These grapes are tasting sour.                  These grapes taste sour.

        I am thinking you are wrong.                     I think you are wrong.

        She is looking sad.                                      She looks sad.

        He is having a cellular phone.                    He has a cellular phone.

However, the verbs listed above can be used in the continuous tenses with a change of meaning:

       She is tasting the soup to see if it needs more salt.

           (taste = test the flavor of)

       I am thinking of going to Malaysia.

           (think of + consider the idea of)

       They are having lunch. (have = eat)