Tamilnadu State Board Class 10 English Grammar Tenses
Tenses (Text Book Page No.: 75-83)
Tenses denote the time of action. They show when the work is done.
They are:
- Present Tense
- Past Tense
- Future Tense
Present Tense
The Present Tense form is further divided into:
(1) Simple Present:
It is used to denote scientific facts, universal truths and work done on a daily basis.
Example:
She writes a letter. (Assertive) She does not write a letter. (Negative)
Does she write a letter( Interrogative) Does she not write a letter? (Interrogative -ve)
(2) Present Continuous:
It is used to express an action taking place at the time of speaking.
Example:
She is writing a letter. She is not writing a letter.
Is she writing a letter? Is she not writing a letter?
(3) Present Perfect:
It is used to show an action that started in the past and has just finished.
Example:
She has( recently) written a letter. She has not written a letter (recently).
Has she written a letter? Has she not written a letter?
(4) Present Perfect Continuous: This tense shows the action which started in the past and is still continuing.
Example:
She has been writing a letter since morning. She has not been writing a letter.
Has she been writing a letter for an hour? Has she not been writing a letter?
Past tense:
The past tense form is further divided into Simple Past, Past Continuous Tense and Past Perfect Tense.
Simple Past:
Used to indicate an action completed in the past. It often occurs with an adverb of time. Sometimes it is used without an adverb of time.
Used for past habits.
Example:
She wrote a letter. – She didn’t write a letter.
Did she write a letter? – Did she not/Didn’t she write a letter?
Past Continuous Tense:
Used to denote an action going on at some time in the past.
Example:
She was writing a letter. – She was not writing a letter.
Was she writing a letter? – Was she not writing a letter?
Past Perfect Tense:
Used to describe an action completed before a certain moment in the past, usually a long time ago. If two actions happened in the past, past perfect is used to show the action that took place earlier.
Example:
She had already written a letter. – She had not written a letter.
Had she written a letter? – Had she not written a letter?
Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
Used to denote an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued up to some time in past.
Example:
She had been writing a letter yesterday for an hour. She had not been writing a letter.
Had she been writing a letter? Had she not been writing a letter?
Future Tense:
This tense tells us about an action which has not occurred yet and will occur after saying or in future Tense helping verb ‘Shall’ is used with ‘I’ and ‘We’. Helping verb ‘Will’ is used with all others.
When you are to make a commitment or warn someone or emphasize something, use of ‘will/shall’ is reversed. ‘Will’ is used with ‘I’ & ‘We’ and ‘shall’ is used with others.
In general speaking, there is hardly any difference between ‘shall & will’.
The future form is further divided into Simple Future, Future Continuous Tense and Future Perfect Tense. Simple Future
Example;
She will write a letter. – She will not write a letter.
Will she write a letter? – Will, she not write a letter?
Future Continuous Tense:
It is used to express an ongoing or continued action in future.
Example:
She will be writing a letter tomorrow by this time. – She will not be writing a letter.
Will she be writing a letter? – Will she not be writing a letter?
Future Perfect Tense:
It is used to express an action which will happen/occur in future and will be completed by a certain time in future.
We use the future perfect to say that something will be finished by a particular time in the future.
Example:
She will have written the letter by Sunday morning.
Tense symbolizes the ever-moving, non-stop wheel of time which is forever busy gathering moments of future and throwing them into the dustbin of the past.
Exercises: Type – 1
Fill in with the simple present or present continuous form of the verb in brackets.
Question 1.
Please be quiet. I _________ (try) to read my book.
Answer:
am trying
Question 2.
I __________ (not/use) the computer at the moment so you can use it.
Answer:
am not using
Question 3.
Mary is ill so She _________ (go) to the hospital now.
Answer:
is going
Question 4.
Excuse me, I _________ (look) for a hotel.
Answer:
am looking
Question 5.
_________ (you/wait) for someone?
Answer:
are you waiting
Question 6.
Ricky, you are very careless. You _________ (always I forget) to do your homework!
Answer:
are always forgetting
Question 7.
The cost of living (rise) very fast. Every year things are more expensive.
Answer:
is rising
Question 8.
What _________ (you/do)? I _________ (clean) my shoes.
Answer:
are you doing; am cleaning
Question 9.
The post man __________ (come) everyday at 11 a.m.
Answer:
comes
Question 10.
The boys usually (play) cricket in this ground.
Answer:
play
Exercise: Type – 2
Fill in with the simple past or past continuous form of the verb in brackets
Question 1.
I __________ (sleep) when she __________ (come).
Answer:
I was sleeping when she came.
Question 2.
They __________ (wait) for me when I __________ (arrive).
Answer:
They were waiting for me when I arrived.
Question 3.
The phone __________ (ring) while I _________ (have) a shower.
Answer:
The phone rang while I was having a shower.
Question 4.
We __________ (not/go out) last Sunday because it __________ (rain).
Answer:
We did not go out last Sunday because it was raining.
Question 5.
I __________ (see) Adhira at the party She __________ (wear) a new dress.
Answer:
I saw (see) Adhira at the party. She was wearing a new dress.
Question 6.
I __________ (break) a bowl this morning. When I __________ (wash) the dishes itust (slip) out of my hand onto the floor!
Answer:
I broke a bowl this morning. When I was washing the dishes it just slipped out of my hand onto the floor!
Question 7.
Why he (carry) the table, he __________ (feel) a sharp pain in his back.
Answer:
When he was carrying the table, he felt a sharp pain in his back.
Question 8.
We ______ (watch) TV when someone _______ (come) to the door and ______ (knock) very loudly.
Answer:
We were watching TV when someone came to the door and was knocking very loudly.
Exercises: Type – 3
Complete the sentences using the present perfect continuous and add since or for.
Question 1.
Maria __________ (learn) English ___________ two years.
Answer:
Maria has been learning English for two years.
Question 2.
I ___________ (write) letters ___________ 8:00.
Answer:
I have been writing letters since 8:00.
Question 3.
anu and Ram _________ (travel) around the city _________ five weeks.
Answer:
Janu and Ram have been travelling around the city for five weeks.
Question 4.
We _________ (go) to Ooty for our holidays _________ 2010.
Answer:
We have been going to Ooty for our holidays since 2010.
Question 5.
It _________ (rain) continuously morning.
Answer:
It has been raining continuously since morning.
Exercise: Type – 4
Complete the sentences using the present perfect.
Question 1.
They __________ (build) all the main walls recently.
Answer:
have built.
Question 2.
Viman is writing a novel. He __________ (complete) the first three chapters.
Answer:
has completed
Question 3.
The painter (paint) nearly half the town hall.
Answer:
has painted
Question 4.
I am watching cartoons on TV. I _________ (watch) 4 cartoons already.
Answer:
have watched
Question 5.
I __________ (be) to the Yelagiri mountains recently.
Answer:
have been
Exercises: Type – 5
Read the situations and write sentences in the past perfect using the words In brackets.
Question 1.
I arrived at the party at 9 p.m, but Nimmy was already there. (she/arrive I before/me)
Answer:
She had arrived before me.
Question 2.
I invited Afsarto come for lunch but he wasn’t hungry. (he/already/eat I lunch)
Answer:
He had already eaten lunch.
Question 3.
Gown was late for her exam. All the other students were already there. (they I start/the exam)
Answer:
They had started the exam.
Question 4.
Kavin got home after midnight. The house was quiet. (everybody I go/to bed)
Answer:
Everybody had gone to bed.
Question 5.
I rang Vijay but he wasn’t at home. (he/already I leave I for work)
Answer:
He had already left for work.
Exercise: Type-6
Complete the sentences using the past perfect or the past perfect continuous.
Question 1.
By the time I got home they (eat) all the cake.
Answer:
had eaten
Question 2.
Mangai retired at fifty-eight, but she __________ (work) hard all her life.
Answer:
had been working
Question 3.
Elambrathi was very irritable. He __________ (look) for his contact lens for an hour and he still __________ (not I find) it!
Answer:
had been looking; had not found
Question 4.
I was furious with Umar when he arrived. I __________ (wait) for him for hours.
Answer:
had been waiting
Question 5.
Han was too sad to sell his car. He (have) it for a long time. Answer: had had I
Exercise: Type – 7
Choose the correct form of the verb.
Question 1.
What time _________ leave tomorrow? (does your train/will your train)
Answer:
will your train
Question 2.
‘I’m very thirsty.’ you something to drink. Coke or tea?’ (I’ll get/I get)
Answer:
‘I’ll get
Question 3.
I think __________ later today. (it rains/will rain)
Answer:
will rain
Question 4.
‘Why have you put the TV on?’ __________ the news.’ (I’m going to watch/I will watch)
Answer:
I’m going to watch
Question 5.
__________ I carry that for you? (Shall/Will)
Answer:
Shall