Tenses: Verb tenses are tools that are used to express time. They refer to the time of action and tell the time and state of an action. present tense, past tense and future time refer to the time of action and tell the time and state of an action.
Basic English Grammar rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.
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Tenses Exercises or Class 9 CBSE With Answers PDF
Tenses Exercise For Class 9 In Paragraph
Corresponding to the three divisions of time there are three tenses:
- The present tense referring to present time
- The past tense referring to past time
- The future time referring to future time
Each tense has four forms:
- Simple or Indefinite – It merely states an action or event. It does not say anything about the completeness of the action.
- Continuous or Progressive – It indicates that an action is in progress at a given time and is incomplete at the point of reference.
- Perfect – It indicates that the action is complete.
- Perfect Continuous – It indicates that an action has been in progress for a period of time. Study the table for use of tenses given below.
Class 9 English Grammar Tenses Exercises Verb forms
| Simple/Indefinite | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect Continuous | |
| Present | I go for a walk. | I am going for a walk. | I have gone for a walk. | I have been going for a walk. |
| Past | I went for a walk. | I was going for a walk. | I had gone for a walk. | I had been going for a walk. |
| Future | . I will go for a walk. | I will be going for a walk. | I will have gone for a walk. |
Present Tense
Simple Present
Usage. The Present Indefinite is used to
- things happening in the present
For example, She teaches in a public school. - express a habitual action
For example, My servant gets up early daily. - express a universal truth.
For example, The Sun rises in the east. - express subordinate clause it the principal clause is the Future Indefinite tense.
For example, If she prepares well for the exams, she will not fail.
Words often used with the Present Indefinite: Always, daily, generally, seldom, never; sometimes, every.
Other uses of the Present Indefinite are:
- With verbs of communication like advise, warn, instruction, etc:
Example: Everyone advises us when it comes to health issues. - As newspaper headlines:
Example: The actress commits suicide after a heated argument with her director. - In the present continuous tense that does not take the continuous form.
Example: The father smiled and said, “I see that you do not want to talk to me.” - In some conditional sentences:
Example: If I do not reach there on time please inform my parents. - In time frame clauses:
Example: I will leave as soon as my assistant arrives. - In exclamatory sentences:
Example: Here comes the groom! - To make future time reference when the event is part of a fixed timetable.
Example: This year Holi falls on a Saturday.
Use the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete the passages given below.
a. The phenomenon of female infanticide (a) ………………………. (be) as old as many cultures, and (b) ………………………. (has) likely accounted for millions of gender-selective deaths throughout history. It (c) ………………………. (remain) a critical concern in a number of Third World countries today, notably in the two most populous countries on earth, China and India. In all cases, specifically female infanticide (d) ………………………. (reflect) the low status accorded to women in most parts of the world. It is arguably the most brutal and destructive manifestation of the anti-female bias that (e) ………………………. (pervade) patriarchal societies. It is closely linked to the phenomenon of sex-selective abortion, which (f) ………………………. (target) the female foetus almost exclusively, and the neglect of the girl child.
b. Scientists studying the morphology of the human race (a) ………………………. (be) of the opinion that throughout the 200,000 years of the history of modem humans, we (b) ………………………. (be) the shortest, lightest and, the least robust. Even our brains are the smallest. Two hypotheses (c) ………………………. (has) been put forward to explain the reasons behind these reductions in size. The first one (d) ………………………. (be) that the nutritional stress after the start of the agricultural era some 10,000 years ago led to the reduction in the size of humans.
Mr. Maciej Henneberg of the University of Johannesburg (e) ………………………. (relate) the body size to the position of the earth in its orbit. He (f) ………………………. (say) that individuals born between February and July end up shorter and lighter than those born during the rest of the year.
Present Continuous
This form is used:
(a) is used to express an activity happening at the time of speaking.
Example:
The kids are watching TV.
(b) is used to express an activity happening around now but not necessarily at that very moment.
Example:
Vinay is studying very hard for his exams these days.
(c) is used to express activities happening in the near future especially a planned future event.
Example:
I am attending the meeting.
(d) is used with Always.
Example:
She is always telling lies.
(e) is used in a frequently repeated action.
Example:
Naresh is always falling sick.
(f) is used to express an action that appears to be continuous.
Example:
My grandfather is always sleeping.
Words often used with the Present Continuous Tense: ‘stift’, ‘now’, ‘nowadays’, ‘these days’, ‘at this time’, ‘at the moment’.
Verbs Not Used In Continuous Tense
- Perception: see, hear, smell, notice, recognize
- Appearing: appear, look, seem
- Emotion: want, wish, desire, feel, like, love, hate, hope, refuse, prefer
- Thinking: think, suppose, believe, agree, understand, remember, forget, know
- Possession: have, own, possess, belong to
Use the correct form of the verbs given in brackets to complete the passage given below.
Shikha: What (a) ………………………. (be) all those children (b) ………………………. (do) in the middle of the playground? Why (c) ………………………. (be) they (d) ………………………. (play) during assembly time?
Kajol: They (e) ………………………. (practise) for a match. They (f) ………………………. (be) members of the school team.
Shikha: Does that mean they (g) ………………………. (go) to play a match today?
Kajol: Yes, they (h) ………………………. (be).
Use the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete the passage given below.
Meena: My daughter (a) ………………………. (not write) to me so I (b) ………………………. (not know) what she (c) ………………………. (do), (d) ………………………. (do) your son (e) ………………………. (write) to you?
Swati: Yes, he (f) ………………………. (write) twice a week. He (g) ………………………. (like) writing letters.
Present Perfect
This form is used:
(a) express an action recently completed, it is used with ‘just’.
Example:
The train has just arrived.
(b) describe an action which began in the past and continues up to the present moment, (using for, since, etc.)
Example:
I have not slept since the evening.
(c) describe the recent actions when the time is not known.
Example:
Have you seen the news on TV this morning?
(d) describe a past action which is important for its effect in the present and not in itself.
Example:
I have stopped smoking.
(e) describe the connection of the present with the distant past.
Example:
I have heard that the theatre has been closed, (hence I cannot go there)
Present Perfect Continuous
Usage. The Present Perfect Continuous is used to
(a) express an action that began in the past and has been in progress till the time of speaking.
Example:
We have been participating in the play for three years.
(b) express an action that finished just a short while ago.
Example:
Ramesh has been watching TV. (He has stopped watching now)
Use the correct form of the verbs given in brackets to complete the passage given below.
Bank clerk: Could you give me some proof of your identity?
Lady: But I (a) ………………………. (have) an account here for twenty-five years.
Bank clerk: I (b) ………………………. (know), Madam. But the bank (c) ………………………. (lose) a lot of money lately through fake accounts. The manager (d) ………………………. (make) new regulations and we (e) ………………………. (tell) to check the proof of identity for all account holders, no matter how long we (f) ………………………. (know) them.
Use the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete the passage given below.
It (a) ………………………. (take) a long time for a country to rebuild after an earthquake. There maybe aftershocks for many days. Rebuilding cannot start until all the aftershocks (b) ………………………. (stop). Aftershocks are small tremors that (c) ………………………. (shake) the ground after an earthquake. Sometimes, people (d) ………………………. (be) afraid to return to that area and (e) ………………………. (prefer) to settle elsewhere. Of course, many people (f) ………………………. (be) reluctant to leave the land of their ancestors.
Past Indefinite
This form is used to refer to:
(a) express an action that was completed at a definite point in the past.
Example :
I did not celebrate my birthday last year.
Yesterday, Reema visited her aunt.
(b) express a past habit or routine.
Example:
He used to eat with his left hand when he was young.
Past Continuous
This form is used:
(a) express an action in progress before the moment of speaking.
Example :
It was pouring heavily at 6 o’clock this morning.
(b) The time reference may be replaced with a verb in the simple past.
Example :
The phone rang when she was taking her food.
(c) Sometimes to indicate gradual development, when used with a time expression.
Example :
She was getting late.
(d) When two actions were going on simultaneously in the past.
Example :
While I was playing, my sister was studying.
(e) The past continuous is often used in descriptions.
Example :
I entered the classroom. The teacher was teaching and the students were listening.
Past Perfect
Usage. As in the Past Continuous Tense, here too there are two actions, both in the past. The past perfect is used to describe an action which was completed just before or sometime before the second action in the past.
(a) It is used with such verbs as: ‘hope’, ‘expect’, ‘think’, etc. to suggest that an expected past action did not take place.
Example :
(i) I had hoped that she would not decline my invitation, (but she did)
(b) In this tense, the form remains unchanged irrespective of person or number.
Example :
(i) He had done his duty before the next shift started.
(ii) They had done their duty before the next shift started.
Past Perfect Continuous
Usage. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense
(a) expresses an action that was finished at some definite time in the past but which had been going on before it was finished or had recently finished.
Example:
Ramesh had been working in this factory since he came to Delhi.
(b) At times, this tense can be expressed in a repeated action of the past.
Example:
Geeta had been trying since morning to contact her friend.
Use the correct form of the verbs given in brackets to complete the passage given below.
He was an old man who (a) ………………………. (fish) alone in a skiff, a small light boat, in the Gulf stream and he (b) ………………………. (go) eighty-four days without taking the fish. In the first forty days a boy (c) ………………………. (be) with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents (d) ………………………. (tell) him that the old man (e) ………………………. (be) definitely unlucky and the boy (f) ………………………. (go) at their orders in another boat, which caught three big fishes the first week.
Use the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete the passage given below.
When the old lady (a) ………………………. (return) to her flat she saw at once that burglars (b) ………………………. (break) in during her absence. Though the burglars themselves (c) ………………………. (be) no longer there she saw at once that they (d) ………………………. (just leave) because there was a burning cigarette in the ashtray on the table.
Probably they (e) ………………………. (hear) the lift coming up and (f) ………………………. (run) down the stairs.
Future Time
For referring to the future, the modal auxiliaries shall and will are used with the bare infinitive.
Future time is expressed in the following ways:
1. will/shall + infinitive to denote future actions
Examples:
- We shall go for a picnic tomorrow.
- He will reach by 5:30 p.m.
2. is/am/are + going to + infinitive
Example:
- We are going to play football this evening.
3. is/am/are + to + infinitive
Example:
- We are to play football this evening.
4. is/am/are + about to + infinitive
Example:
- It is about to rain.
5. Simple present (to express an unalterable plan)
Example:
- The Prime Minister leaves for a 10-day tour of the US tomorrow.
6. Present continuous (to denote the future)
Example:
- Uncle’s Pizza is opening a new branch in Amritsar.
7. will/shall + be + -ing (present participle)
Example:
- We shall be going abroad sometime next year.
Use the correct form of the words given in brackets to complete the dialogue given below.
Aarti: I (a) ………………………. probably (b) ………………………. (come) to Mumbai next week.
Chirag: When (e) ………………………. you (d) ………………………. (come)?
Aarti: I haven’t decided on the dates yet. Once I do I (e) ………………………. (give) you a call and (f) ………………………. (let) you know.
Chirag: Yes. If you let me know, I (g) ………………………. (pick) you up from the airport. Aarti: That (h) ………………………. (be) kind.