Thursday, 26 December 2019
Thursday, 6 June 2019
Simple Past Tense
TENSES
The word ‘tense’ is derived from Latin
word ‘tempus’ and it means time. Basically tense conveys the time of action.
Tenses are mainly divided into parts –
Present, Past and Future. They are further subdivided into three categories –
Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous.
Simple
Past Tense
Simple Past Tense is used to describe or denote an action that
started in the past and ended in the past. It could be something that happened
many years ago or something that happened some moments before.
This tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now.
Action duration as well as time of action is not important in this tense as it
emphasizes that the action is finished that’s why this tense is also known as Past Indefinite Tense.
Usage of Simple Past Tense
1. This tense is used to indicate or describe an action/actions
completed or happened in past. The time of the action can be in the recent past
or the distant past.
Examples –
My friend, Sneha left the school last year.
We shifted to this place last month.
I didn’t attend the school yesterday as I was not well.
2. Simple Past is also used to talk about a past state of being
or sentiments about something that happened in past. This is often expressed
with the simple past tense of the verb ‘to be’.
Examples –
I was proud of my students’ brilliant performance on stage.
The engagement ceremony was a moment to be cherished.
3. Simple Past is used
to describe past conditions and wishes.
Examples –
He could get a new job
if he really tried.
I wish it wasn’t true.
4. Simple Past is also
used to denote past habits or the habitual actions which discontinued in
present time. Such actions or habits are also expressed with the modal
auxiliary ‘used’.
Examples
I used to bite my
nails, when I was a child.
I couldn’t sleep well
when I was giving class XII board examinations.
He never fared well in
studies during school time.
Time expressions (adverbs/adverb phrases used)
The most common time
expressions used for the past simple are: yesterday, a week ago, a year ago,
long ago, last month, last year, last weekend, last Monday, last night, day
before yesterday, when I was a child, etc.
Note : Time expressions appear either at the
beginning or at the end of the sentence.
Sequence with Past continuous Tense
Past Continuous
Tense is used as a time expression or
time reference with Simple Past Tense to describe when some action took place
some other work was going on/happening.
For example –
When we were going to
Nainital, we were stuck in a hail storm.
He fell asleep while
he was driving and met with an accident.
Video on Integrated Grammar
Verb Form used ( V2 – second form of
verb )
Past Simple Tense is
usually formed by adding ‘d’, or ‘ed’ to the base form of the verb. However,
there are many irregular verbs that take on a completely different form in past
tense. For irregular verbs, things get more complicated. The simple past tense
of some irregular verbs looks exactly like the root form. They remain unchanged
in all the three forms. Such as :
Put, Cut, Set, Cost, Hit,
Cast, read
For other irregular
verbs, including the verb to be, the simple past forms are more erratic.
Here goes the list :
see – saw - seen
build – built - built
go – went - gone
rise – rose – risen
hide – hid - hidden
meet - met – met
bring – brought -
brought
begin – began - begun
break – broke - broken
choose – chose -
chosen
come – came – come
hold – held - held
eat – ate – eaten
write – wrote –
written
win – won - won
Auxiliaries
have – had - had
(be)am/is/are - was/were
– been
do – did – done
Examples –
1. She completed her work at seven o'clock.
2. I received his letter last week.
3. Mr. Bhaskar Reddy met his wife in 1983.
4. Ms. Meenakshi Pandit worked in this firm for 20
years.
5. I lived abroad for ten years.
Video on Present Tense
Sentence structure in the tense
Affirmative – Subject (noun/pronoun) + Verb 2 (second form
of verb) + object + time expression
Negative – Subject (noun/pronoun) + did (second form of
helping verb ‘do’) + not + V1 (first form of verb) + object + time expression
Interrogative – Question Word + did (second form of helping
verb ‘do’) + Subject (noun/pronoun) + V1 (first form of verb) + object + time
expression
Examples –
1. I visited my grandparents yesterday. (Affirmative)
2. My boss did not sign the document. (Negative)
3. Did they go to Spain for holidays? (Interrogative)
More examples –
4. Joseph Priestley discovered Oxygen.
5. Sujoy and Meeta got married in 2011.
6. We watched Avengers Endgame last month.
7. Long time ago, people lived in caves.
8. She ate pizza everyday, when she was a
child.
6. She always carried an umbrella with her as
she was scared of rain.
7. Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869.
8. My cousin missed the train and could not
join us in my birthday celebration.
Video on Integrated Tense Practice
Complete the following sentences by using
correct form of verb given in the bracket.
1. I__________ ‘Ignited Minds’ last week. (read)
2. It _______ raining while we _______ Football match. (start / play)
3. Why _______ you__________ for me at the bar in the evening? (not
wait)
4. I __________ for over an hour, but you never _________ up. (wait
/ turn)
5. My friend _________ for Mumbai yesterday to enjoy the weekend.
(leave)
6. Teresa ___________ even the last train. (miss)
7. The sunset _________ so beautiful after rain. (be)
8. What time_______ they ________to meet the doctor yesterday? (go)
9. Which year _____ you _________ ? (bear)
10.
I ________ to contact you, but your
phone _______ unreachable. (try/ be)
Answers:
1.
read
2.
started – were playing
3.
didn’t – wait
4.
was waiting – turned
5.
left
6.
missed
7.
was
8.
did – go
9.
were – born
10.
tried – was
Video on past tense
Sunday, 26 May 2019
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Tenses
The word ‘tense’ is derived from Latin
word ‘tempus’ and it means time. Basically tense conveys the time of action.
Tenses are mainly divided into three parts
– Present, Past and Future. They are further subdivided into four categories –
Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
TENSE
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE (also
called Present Progressive Tense) is generally used for an action which began
at some time in past and is still continuing at the time of being reported. It
usually emphasizes duration, or the amount of time that an action has been
taking place.
This tense is used to denote an
unspecified time between 'before now' and 'now'. The speaker is thinking about
something that started but perhaps did not finish in that period of time and
may still be going on, or may have just finished.
Basic Structure of Sentence
Basic structure of a sentence in this
tense is –
Subject + Has/Have + been (third form
of be ) + continuous form of verb (V1+ing) + object
Subject has/have been verb’s
base+ing object
I have been reading this
book.
She
has been swimming. (affirmative)
He has
been running. (affirmative)
He hasn't
been running. (negative)
Has she
been running? (interrogative)
Present Perfect Tense is used to describe/show/denote
–
1. Something that started in past and
continues up to the present moment –
For example :
I've been working on this report since
eight o'clock this morning ( I still haven't finished it).
They have been travelling since last
October. (They're not home yet).
Sameer has been sleeping since 4
o’clock. (still sleeping)
He has been playing for three hours.
(still playing)
2. An action just finished but the
long continuation of action is emphasised –
For example :
It's been raining. (and there was no
break)
She has been waiting for you all day.
(emphasis is over the length of time)
I have been watering my plants. (as an
explanation to some query)
Prepositions (for/since) used with certain
time expressions:
Since –
used to denote point of time when some work/action began.
For –
used to denote for total duration of some work/action
e.g.
I have been living in Bombay since 2008. (point of time when I started
living)
I have been living in Bombay for 11
years. (duration of stay in Bombay)
More adverbs/adverb phrases used as time
expressions with since/for:
for since
three hours morning
four days 9.00 a.m.
3 months March
2 years 2018
centuries 1100
ages I was a child
ever the very beginning
Verb form used in the Present Perfect Continuous
Tense–
The present perfect continuous form of
a verb is composed of three elements:
1. Appropriate form of
auxiliary/helping verb (have) – have (plural) / has (singular)
2. Third form of be – been
3. Present participle form of main
verb (Verb’s base form+ing) – playing, eating, working, reading, singing,
writing, etc.
Note : Singular subject takes singular
helping verb - Has
Plural subject takes plural helping
verb - Have
Plural verbs
(Have+been+V1+ing)
|
Singular
verbs
(Has+been+V1+ing)
|
Have been sleeping
|
Has been sleeping
|
Have been working
|
Has been working
|
Have
been studying
|
Has been studying
|
Have been trying
|
Have been trying
|
Have been writing
|
Has been writing
|
Have been playing
|
Has been playing
|
Have been drawing
|
Has been drawing
|
Have been teaching
|
Has been teaching
|
Have been travelling
|
Has been travelling
|
Have been talking
|
Has been talking
|
More examples :
They have
been talking for an hour.
What have
you been doing for the last 30 minutes?
Mr. Joshi
has been teaching in this school since April 2012.
We have been
waiting here for over two hours.
Why have you
not been answering my call for the last three days?
Recently, I
have been feeling really tired.
Have you
been exercising lately?
They’ve been
staying in this house for twenty years.
My father
hasn't been feeling well for weeks.
He has been
living in Bombay since he got married.
Note : I and You, in spite of being
singular, take plural form of helping verb (have). It is an exception to the
rule.
Verbs not used in Continuous Tenses :
The verbs
which convey sensory actions, perception, possession and state of mind are not
used in Continuous Tenses hence, they shouldn’t be used in Present Perfect
Continuous Tense.
For example – I have been feeling bad. (incorrect)
I feel bad /
I have felt bad. (correct)
She has been
knowing you. (incorrect)
She knows
you. (correct)
More such verbs (not to be used in
Present Perfect Continuous Tense)
feel
hear have(to possess)
smell measure assume
believe consider seem
find suppose forget
imagine
know mean
recognise remember understand
fear hate hope
love mind prefer
wish cost hold
Exercise for practice
1. She _______________ in this company for three years. (work)
2. What __________ you ___________? (do)
3. He ________________ football for a
long time. (play)
4. Mr. Sinha _________ care of his
children very well. (take)
5. You _________
TV since 7p.m. (watch)
6. My parents ____________ learning
English for six months. (learn)
7. Shikha _____________ us since March. (not visit)
8. The students _________ Math these days. (not practise)
9. I __________ tuitions for ten years.
(give)
10.
My children ________ very well in Physics. (not
perform)
Answers :
1. Has been working 2. Have – been doing 3. Has been playing
4. Has been taking 5. Have been watching 6.
Have been learning
7. has not been visiting
8. Have not been practising 9.
Have been giving
10. Have not been performing
Video on Present tense
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)