Verbs and Tenses

1.0Definition

A verb is used to say or assert something about a person or thing. It says what a person or thing does, what a person or thing is, or what a person or thing has. A verb denotes doing, being or possessing.

(doing) The baby is sleeping soundly. A shopkeeper cheated me.

(being) Monica is a sweet girl. Father was angry with me.

(possessing) A car has four wheels. We have a beautiful car.

Most of the verbs are doing verbs. We have separate forms of these verbs to show the present time, the past time and the future time. Be is the only verb that denotes being. Is, are, am, was, were, will be, shall be are various forms of the verb be. Is, are, am refer to the present time. Was, were refer to the past time. Will be, shall be refer to the future time. Have shows possession. Have, has, will have, shall have are various forms of the verb have. Have and has refer to the present time. Had refers to the past time. Will have and shall have refer to the future time.

2.0Definition of Tense

The tense of a verb refers to the time at which the action shown by the verb takes place. The tenses thus refer to past, present or future. The aspect of the tense tells us whether the speaker considers the action is completed or still going on. They are thus perfect (completed) or continuous (going on).

3.0Object of A Verb - The Receiver

Look at these sentences and the questions that follow:

• Ruchi likes ice-cream.

• What does Ruchi like? - ice-cream We say ice-cream is the object of the verb 'like'.

• Monu wastes money. What does Monu waste? - money Money is the object of the verb 'waste'.
• I love books. What do I love? - books Books is the object of the verb 'love'.
• The Principal praised Neha. Whom did the Principal praise? - Neha Neha is the object of the verb 'praised'.

Look at the following sentences:

In all the above sentences, there is a verb as part of the predicate. For example the predicate of:

• Sentence A has the verb - gave; the direct object - bag and the indirect object - me.
• Sentence B has the verb - loves; and the object - flowers.

Let us now see the nature of these verbs: gave $\to$ two objects

loves $\to$ one object The verbs above belong to different types.

The following diagram shows the different types of verbs:

4.0Transitive Verbs

Some verbs have an object. The object of a verb is the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb. Look at this sentence:

The subject of the verb is Alice. She is the person who does the action: She eats. The object of the verb is a banana. A banana is affected by the action of the verb. So, in this sentence, the verb 'eat' has an object 'a banana'. Verbs that have objects are called transitive verbs. Here are some sentences with transitive verbs. The verbs are printed in bold and the objects are underlined.

Example: John likes apples. Sam knows the answer to the question. My sister cooks all our meals. My brother rides his bike in the street. Dad buys tea at the market. Mum writes stories in her spare time.

5.0Intransitive Verbs

Some verbs don't have an object. A verb that does not have an object is called an intransitive verb. Here are some sentences with intransitive verbs.

Example: Lots of people cycle to work in China. The boys play in the garden after school. Mr Carter always drives carefully. Doris talks to her friend on the phone every evening. Michael and I both entered the race. He won but I lost. Some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.

6.0Transitive verbs

The pilot flies the plane very well. The boys play football at weekends. My mum runs her own company. We walk the dog every evening.

7.0Intransitive verbs

Eagles fly high in the sky. The boys play in the garden at weekends. My mum runs in the park for fun. We walk on the beach every evening.

8.0Simple Tenses

Simple Present Tense

Signal words: always, often, usually, sometimes, seldom, never, every day, every week, every year etc. Uses- (i) Repeated action (every day, always, often, sometimes or never) i.e. habitual actions. Examples: I drink milk. My friend often draws nice posters. Doe sometimes lends me his bike. Dad jogs in the park every day.

(ii) Things in general (general truth) Examples: The sun rises in the east. The earth goes round the sun. (fact) Penguins live in Antarctica. (general truth)

(iii) Actions in the present - one follows after the other. (first, then, after that) Example: First I get up then I have breakfast.

(iv) To express future planned action i.e. to talk about things that will happen in the near future. Examples: The President arrives here today at 5 p.m. My little sister starts school tomorrow. The new supermarket opens this Friday. Next week I go on holiday to Japan.

(v) Observations and declarations. Example: I love my parents.

(vi) Commentaries Example: Jadeja serves to Dsilva.

(vii) It is also used in exclamatory sentences. Example: How fiercely the wind blows!

Use of am, is and are

The words am, is and are the simple present of the verb be. We use am with pronoun I. We use is with singular nouns like 'my dad' and 'the teacher', and with the pronouns he, she and it. We use are with plural nouns like 'my parents' and 'Jenny and Mary', and with the pronouns we, you and they. Examples: I am twelve. The children are asleep. I am in the garden. Computers are very expensive. My mum is very tired today. My brother and I are upstairs. The teacher is tall. We are in our bedrooms. She is also pretty. You are my best friend. Our dog is black. You and David are my best friends.

Here is a table to help you remember how to use is, am and are.

Note : There are short ways of saying and writing. Here are the short forms of am, is and are you can use with pronouns.

Simple Past Tense

Signal words: Yesterday, last month, a month ago, in 2007.

Uses-

(i) Habitual actions of the past Examples: He never spoke English. He always cycled to school.

(ii) Series of completed actions in the past. Example: First I got up, then I had breakfast.

(iii) Simultaneous actions in the past Examples: While she danced, I sang. I climbed over the fence and ripped my shirt.

(iv) Actions finished in the past i.e. actions that took place at some time in the past and are over now. Examples: I visited Mumbai last week. Rohit watched TV yesterday. The plane landed ten minutes ago.

(v) Together with past continuous - The simple past interrupted an action which was in progress in the past. Examples: They were playing cards, when the telephone rang. She was singing when I went there. I met him when he was going to the station.

Simple Future Tense

Uses-

• To talk about actions in the future using the verbs shall and will and another verb that describes the action. With the pronouns I and we, we can use either shall or will to express willingness, promise, determination. Examples: I will help you as much as I can. (Willingness) I will give you a prize if you stand first. (Promise) I will punish him whatever may happen. (Determination)
• With the pronouns you, he, she, it and they, we use will. We also use will with singular nouns like 'my dad' and with plural nouns like 'all the boys in my class'. Examples: I shall do my homework after dinner. We shall take the dog for a walk later. We will visit Grandma this weekend. He will be home later. It will soon be dark. I think it will be sunny tomorrow.
• Shall is used with the second person (you) and third person (he, she, it and they) to express promise, threat, command, etc. Examples: You shall get a reward. (Promise) He shall not go unpunished. (Threat) They shall not enter the office without permission. (Command)
• We use will and shall with not to make the negative form. The short form of will not is won't and the short form of shall not is shan't. Examples: I will not help you unless you help me first. It won't be sunny again until next summer. You won't like this food. It's horrible! We shan't walk the dog if it rains. I shan't have time to play football this evening. I have too much homework.
• We use the 'going to' form to refer to : A. A plan or goal in the future. Example: I'm going to visit my grandmother this weekend. B. A prediction for the future with high possibility of realization. Example: The price of petrol is going to be hiked along with the price in the international market. C. The assuredness regarding some future event based on circumstances. Example: The sky is so cloudy and the weather is so stuffy - I think it is going to rain tonight. D. An action that has a component of indefiniteness. Example: I am going to work till late if there is no power cut. E. Actions or events that are most likely to take place under specific circumstances though we are not absolutely certain about the occurrence of the action. Example: The price of necessary goods is going to shoot up within a week as a result of the recent price hike of petrol.

9.0Continuous Tenses

Present Continuous Tense

Uses-

• Describing an action in progress and the continuity of the action. Examples: He is working on an important project. Somebody is calling me again and again. Uncle David is cleaning his car. The dog is barking in the garden.
• Describing an action in progress, but not necessarily at the time of speaking. Examples: She is preparing for IAS exam. My brother is working in a pharmaceutical company. She is learning English. They are building a house.
• Planned future actions. Examples: I am going to Bangladesh next month. They are shifting to the new house tomorrow. We are having a barbecue on Sunday. All my friends are coming to my party next week.
• Repeated actions. Examples: He is always asking for money. She is always arguing with her parents.

Past Continuous Tense

Uses-

• Express an action that was happening at some point of time in the past. Examples: Students were listening to me carefully. He was fighting with the boys. I was watching television. Jenny and I were tidying the classroom.
• To describe an action which was in progress at a point of time or over a period of time in the past: Examples: The children were playing in the garden at 6.00 pm yesterday. They were talking about that case last week. It was raining all the afternoon.
• To express an action that was in progress when another action took place. Examples: They were having dinner when Aakash came. The students were making noise when the teacher came. Sam was doing his Math homework when I called at his house. Dad was cooking dinner when I got home.
• To express parallel actions. Examples: While he was driving car, his family was gossiping. When I was watching television, my mother was cooking food. My brother was playing football, while I was talking to a friend. While I was doing my work, they were playing in the field.
• To indicate repeated actions Examples: He was always asking for money. They were always grumbling.

Future Continuous Tense

Uses-

• To describe actions in progress in future

Examples: Don't call me in the evening, I will be driving car. This time tomorrow, I shall be leaving for Goa. 2. To describe an event expected in the normal course.

Examples: The train will be leaving soon. He will be meeting me tomorrow morning. 3. Arrangement and Plans.

Examples: We shall be spending the winter vacation in Canada this year. They will be arranging everything for the party.

10.0Perfect Tenses

Present Perfect Tense

Uses-

• To describe actions or events began in the past and continuing up to the present moment. Examples: I have never been to the USA. He has finished his graduation. We have lived in this house for five years. (= and we still live there) Your plane has already landed. (= and it's still on the ground)
• To express a past action the result of which still continues. Examples: They have first ended their meeting. She has first landed at Delhi airport. I have just finished my work. The train has just left.
• To indicate the action has taken place sometime in the past it may be a long time back. Examples: We have lived in Delhi long back. She has worked in a multinational company many years ago.

Past Perfect Tense

Uses-

• To indicate that an action was completed at some point of time before another action took place in the past. Examples: When I reached her home, she had already left for college. The patient had died before the doctor arrived. He had taken his breakfast when I called on him. She had gone bed when her parents came.
• It is used for action in the past which became the cause of another action in the past. Examples: I had lost my book so I bought another. He was sad because his son had failed.

Future Perfect

Uses-

• To describe an action which will be completed at some point of time in the future. Examples: By the end of this week, we will have completed the project. She will have given all the necessary documents by today evening. We shall have built a factory by the end of year. I shall have finished my work by next week.
• It is often used to express past possibility with modals can, may, will.

Examples: He might / could / will have won a prize. They will have reached their destination.

11.0Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The use of since and for in Present Perfect Continuous Tense Examples: 'Since' is used when time is specified 'For' is used when time is not specified.

Note: The use of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense has some similarity with that of the Present Perfect Tense.

The two sentences below, one int he Present Perfect and the other in the Present Continuous, mean the same thing. Examples: They have lived here for two years (and is still living or has first stopped living) They have been living here for two years (and is still living or has just stopped living)

Uses-

• To line the past with present The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe an action which began at some time in the past and is continuing up to the present time. Examples: She has been teaching here for nine years. I have been living here since 2015. They have been discussing the matter for several months now. They have been doing their work since morning.
• It can be used with time phrases such as : all day, all week, all the time, etc. Examples: She has been talking all the time. I have been going their all week. He has been studying all day.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Uses-

• To describe actions in progress throughout a period. To describe an action which began in the past and continued upto a certain point of time in the past. Examples: When I called him yesterday, he had been discussing on an important topic. She had been working in her previous school for ten years before she joined the new school. They children had been playing for two hours when I reached her house. They had been preparing for the examination for six months.
• It is used with adverbs such as since, for etc. to describe a past action. Examples: He had been working here since 1982. She had been living here for three years.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Signal words:

By the time, Tomorrow, By then, Next week, Next month

Uses-

To talk about an action which will be in progress over a period of time that will end in the future. Examples: I will have been studying English for three years by the end of this course. When he returns, the workers will have been completing their job for two months.

Let's Recall

A tense is the form of a verb which tells us about the time and state when the action took place.

Types of tenses

Present Past Future

Forms of Each Tense

Simple / Indefinite Continuous/ Progressive Perfect Perfect Continuous