Tense of a verb form that shows time and represents the time period during which an action or occasion has happened. Tenses constitute a important part of our composed and communicated in English and is key in comprehension conversational English. Tenses can broadly be divided into three classes for comfort of communication. They are as follows I. Present Tense II. Past Tense III. Future Tense

Present tense: A tense expressing an activity that is presently going on or constantly performed, or a state that presently or for the most part exists is known as the present tense. Present tense is further sub divided into four sub categories i.e. 1. Simple present 2. Present continuous 3. Present perfect 4. Present perfect continuous Example: 1. Simple present tense: - To express habitual or regular actions, simple present tense is used. Example: A kid always likes to play. 2. Present continuous tense: - To express an action that is taking place or happening at the time of speaking, present continuous tense is used. Example: I am teaching a lesson. 3. Present perfect tense: - The present perfect tense is used with 'just' for a recently completed action. 'Just' should be placed between auxiliary and the main verb. Example: John has done the work. 4. Present perfect continuous: - Present perfect continuous tense is used to express an action which began in the past and is still continuing in the present. This tense is also used with the preposition 'for' and 'since'. When 'for' is used with present perfect or present perfect continuous, it indicates a 'period of time' extending into the present. 'For' and 'sincec' is used for period of time. Example: I have been trying for a job for two years. Tom has been working in SBH since 1990. Paste tense: A tense expressing an activity that has happened or a state that already existed is known as the past tense. Present tense is further sub divided into four sub categories i.e. 1. Simple past 2. Past continuous 3. Past perfect 4. Past perfect continuous Example: 1. Simple past tense: - The Simple past tense is used to express and action completed in the past at a definite time. It is therefore used when the time is given or when the time is asked about. Example: He visited Mumbai last week. 2. Past continuous tense: - The Past continuous is used for past actions which continued for some time. But the exact limits of these actions are not known and are not important. Example: It was getting darker. 3. Past perfect tense: - The Past perfect is used to express an action which began before the time of speaking in the past and was still continuing at that time or stopped at that time or just before it. Example: Alice had lived in a flat for seven years and had no intention to shift to another flat. 4. Past perfect continuous: - The Past perfect continuous is used to express an action which started before the time of speaking in the past and continued upto that time or stopped just before it. Example: Since it had been snowing many trains were cancelled. Future tense: A tense expressing an activity that has not yet happened or a state that does not yet exist is known as the future tense. Present tense is further sub divided into four sub categories i.e. 1. Simple future 2. Future continuous 3. Future perfect 4. Future perfect continuous Example: 1. Simple future tense: - The simple future tense is used to express the speaker's thoughts, plans, opinions, assumptions about the future. The future simple can be used with or without a time expression. Example: He will drive a car. 2. Future continuous tense: - The future continuous tense is used to express an action that starts before a point in time in future and probably continues after it. Example: I shall be reading. 3. Future perfect tense: - The future perfect tense is used to express an action which will come to an end at a given future time or will be in the past at a given future time. Example: She came here three years ago. So she will have lived here for four years by next year. 4. Future perfect continuous: - The Future perfect continuous tense represents an action represented as being in progress over a period of time that will end in the future. Example: They will have been learning music for two weeks by tomorrow.

1. Select the correct tense form. They _____ yesterday. A) Leaving B) Have left C) Had left D) Left Solution: D 2. Select the correct tense form. It rained heavily while they _____ home. A) Are returning B) Returning C) Were returning D) Returned Solution: C 3. Select the correct tense form. When the doctor touched the patient he _____. A) Had already died B) Already died C) Already dead D) Has already died Solution: A 4. Select the correct tense form. I bought a new house last year, but I _____ my old house yet. A) Did not sell B) Have not sold C) Not sell D) Have sold Solution: B 5. Select the correct tense form. Mary _____ in Germany for years A) Has been B) Is been C) Is D) Was been Solution: A 6. Select the correct tense form. The government _____ a lot of money on welfare schemes last year. A) Spends B) Spending C) Spent D) Was spending Solution: C 7. Select the correct tense form. When we _____ the station the train has already left. A) Had reached B) Reached C) Was reaching D) Has reached Solution: B 8. Select the correct tense form. If I had known the news I _____ you. A) Will have informed B) Informed C) Shall have informed D) Would have informed Solution: D 9. Select the correct tense form. _____ he attend classes last week? A) Has B) Did C) Wasn't D) Had Solution: B 10. Select the correct tense form. He never _____ in others affairs. A) Interferes B) Is interfering C) Had interfered D) Interfere Solution: A