English Tenses Overview

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Questions and Answers

Which tense is used to express an action taking place at the time of speaking?

Simple Present
Future Simple
Present Continuous (correct)
Past Perfect

What is the assertive rule for the Simple Present tense?

sub + has + v3 + object
sub + is/am/are + v1 + ing + object
sub + has/have + been + v1 + ing + object
sub + V1 + s/es + object (correct)

Which tense indicates an action that started in the past and has just finished?

Present Continuous
Simple Present
Future Perfect
Present Perfect (correct)

What is the negative rule for the Present Perfect tense?

sub + has/have + not + v3 + object (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which tense is described as showing an action that started in the past and is still continuing?

Present Perfect Continuous (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the interrogative rule for the Simple Present tense?

Does + sub + v1 + s/es + object (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the Present Continuous tense, what structure is used for the assertive rule?

sub + is/am/are + v1 + ing + object (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the interrogative negative rule for the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

Has sub not been v1 + ing + object (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the structure of a simple past negative sentence?

Subject + didn’t + V1 + Object + (.) (A) Signup and view all the answers

How is the past continuous tense formed?

was/were + V1 + ing + Object (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which sentence illustrates the usage of past perfect tense?

She had written a letter before she left. (C) Signup and view all the answers

When is the past perfect continuous tense used?

To show an action that began and continued up to a certain point in the past. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct structure for an interrogative past continuous sentence?

Was/Were + Subject + V1 + Object + (?) (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a past perfect negative sentence?

She had not written a letter. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the rule for forming the simple past tense?

Subject + V2 + Object (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly identifies the usage of the simple past tense?

Used for a past habit or completed action. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct structure for an assertive sentence in the past perfect continuous tense?

Subject + had been + V1 + ing + Object + (.) (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which auxiliary verb is used with 'I' and 'we' in future tense?

Shall (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the structure for a negative sentence in the future simple tense?

Subject + will + not + Verb (Ist form) + Object + (.) (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an interrogative negative sentence in the past perfect continuous tense?

Had she not been writing a letter? (B) Signup and view all the answers

How is the future continuous tense typically expressed?

Will be + V1 + ing (D) Signup and view all the answers

When would you typically use the auxiliary verb 'will' instead of 'shall'?

When warning someone (A) Signup and view all the answers

In what form would you write the affirmative future tense sentence for 'She'?

She will write a letter. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which tense indicates an action that will occur after the moment of speaking?

Future Simple (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which structure is used to form a future continuous tense in a positive sentence?

Subject + Will/Shall + Be + Verb (Ist form) + Ing + Object + (.) (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the rule for forming a future perfect tense?

Will/Shall + Have + Verb (3rd form) (C) Signup and view all the answers

How is a negative future perfect sentence structured?

Subject + Will/Shall + Not + Have + Verb (3rd form) + Object + (.) (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which tense is used to express an action that will continue for some time in the future?

Future Continuous Tense (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an interrogative negative structure for future continuous?

Will/Shall + Subject + Not + Be + Verb (Ist form) + Ing + Object + (?) (D) Signup and view all the answers

In what situation should one use future perfect continuous tense?

To indicate an action that will start and continue for some time (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a future perfect sentence?

She will have written a letter. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What differentiates future perfect continuous tense from future continuous tense?

The inclusion of duration in the action (A) Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Tenses

Tenses describe when an action takes place.
The tenses are: present, past and future.

Present Tense

Simple present: used for facts, universal truths, and daily routines.
- Assertive: subject + verb (base form) + s/es + object
- Negative: subject + does/do + not + verb (base form) + s/es + object
- Interrogative: Does/Do + subject + verb (base form) + s/es + object
- Interrogative Negative: Does/Do + subject + not + verb (base form) + s/es + object
Present Continuous: used for actions happening at the time of speaking.
- Assertive: subject + is/am/are + verb (ing) + object
- Negative: subject + is/am/are + not + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative: Is/am/are + subject + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Is/am/are + subject + not + verb (ing) + object
Present Perfect: used to show actions that started in the past and have just finished.
- Assertive: subject + has/have + verb (past participle) + object
- Negative: subject + has/have + not + verb (past participle) + object
- Interrogative: Has/Have + subject + verb (past participle) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Has/Have + subject + not + verb (past participle) + object
Present Perfect Continuous: used to show actions that started in the past and are still continuing.
- Assertive: subject + has/have + been + verb (ing) + object
- Negative: subject + has/have + not + been + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative: Has/Have + subject + been + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Has/Have + subject + not + been + verb (ing) + object

Past Tense

Simple past: used to describe actions completed in the past.
- Rule: Subject + verb (past form) + object
- Assertive: Subject + verb (past form) + object
- Negative: Subject + did not + verb (base form) + object
- Interrogative: Did + subject + verb (base form) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Did + subject + not + verb (base form) + object
Past Continuous: used for actions happening at a specific time in the past.
- Rule: was/were + verb (ing)
- Assertive: Subject + was/were + verb (ing) + object
- Negative: Subject + was/were + not + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative: Was/were + subject + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Was/were + subject + not + verb (ing) + object
Past Perfect: used for actions that were completed before another point in the past.
- Assertive: Subject + had + verb (past participle) + object
- Negative: Subject + had + not + verb (past participle) + object
- Interrogative: Had + subject + verb (past participle) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Had + subject + not + verb (past participle) + object
Past Perfect Continuous: used for actions that began before a specific point in the past and continued up to that point.
- Assertive: Subject + had been + verb (ing) + object
- Negative: Subject + had + not been + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative: Had + subject + been + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Had + subject + not + been + verb (ing) + object

Future Tense

Simple future: used to describe actions that will happen in the future.
- Rule: Will/Shall + verb (base form)
- Assertive: Subject + will/shall + verb (base form) + object
- Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + verb (base form) + object
- Interrogative: Will/shall + subject + verb (base form) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Will/shall + subject + not + verb (base form) + object
Future Continuous: used to describe actions that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.
- Rule: Will/Shall + be + verb (ing)
- Assertive: Subject + will/shall + be + verb (ing) + object
- Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + be + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative: Will/shall + subject + be + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Will/shall + subject + not + be + verb (ing) + object
Future Perfect: used for actions that will be completed by a specific time in the future.
- Rule: Will/Shall + have + verb (past participle)
- Assertive: Subject + will/shall + have + verb (past participle) + object
- Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + have + verb (past participle) + object
- Interrogative: Will/shall + subject + have + verb (past participle) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Will/shall + subject + not + have + verb (past participle) + object
Future Perfect Continuous: used to describe actions that will commence at a fixed time in the future and continue for a period of time.
- Rule: Will/Shall + have been + verb (ing)
- Assertive: Subject + will/shall + have been + verb (ing) + object
- Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + have been + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative: Will/shall + subject + have been + verb (ing) + object
- Interrogative Negative: Will/shall + subject + not + have been + verb (ing) + object

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