Page 62 - Carvaan Grmmar-7

13. Present Tense

Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous

Tense

Tense is used to denote the time of an action. There are three main forms of tenses :

1. The Present Tense

2. The Past Tense

3. The Future Tense

Each of the tense mentioned above has four forms :

1. Simple 2. Continuous

3. Perfect 4. Perfect Continuous

The simple present tense is used to indicate an action that takes place now (in the present).

The simple past tense is used to denote an action that took place earlier (in the past).

The simple future tense is used to indicate an action that is going to take place later (in the

future tense).

Now, look at the table given here that shows the different forms of verb 'play' in all the
tenses mentioned above.

Present Positive Negative Interrogative Past Tense Future Tense

Simple I play. I do not play. Do I play? I played. I shall play.

Continuous I am playing. I am not playing. Am I playing? I was playing. I shall be playing.

Perfect I have played. I have not played. Have I played? I had played. I shall have played.

Perfect I have been I have not Have I been I had been I shall have

Continuous playing. been playing. playing? playing. been playing.

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