Present Perfect Continuous Tense (Tense 5)
Following our previous chapter which was on Present Perfect Tense, we will go a little further with the Perfect Tense form. Our focus, in this chapter, is on Present Perfect Continuous Tense today. Let’s start..
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
As we already know, Perfect Tense completes an action of the Verb. That means, an action already started is complete now and there is nothing left for the action.
I have finished my homework
It means that I started my homework, the homework is finished now and I have nothing more to do on my homework.
In Present Perfect Continuous Tense, an action starts in some time of the past and is still going on. In short, an action started in the past (in most cases, the time is specific) and the action is continuing. E.g. I have been watching the movie for 2 hours.
Syntax: Subject + (HAVE/HAS) + been + Verb(ing) + (SINCE/FOR, – if you add time period) + ….
Present Perfect Tense (Tense 4)
We’ve learnt Tense along with Simple Present Tense and Present Continuous Tense. Today, we will see another form of tense – Present Perfect Tense. So, read on..
Present Perfect Tense
Unlike present continuous tense, which indicates that an action is still going on and not completed yet, Present Perfect Tense completes an action of the verb started in the past. Moreover, when an action is just done i.e. in the recent past, we use this tense.
Syntax: Subject + auxiliary verbs ‘HAVE‘/’HAS‘ + Past Participle of Verbs + ….. (e.g. He has written a poem.)
Interrogative Syntax: Bring the auxiliary verb (have/has) before the subject and finish the sentence with a note of interrogation (?). You will get the interrogative sentence in Present Perfect Tense. ( e.g. Has he written a poem?)
When an action starts in the past (e.g. working on the homework) and that action is completely done (i.e. no more action of that verb is left now), we need to use Present Perfect Tense. What happens in Present Continuous Tense? An action starts in the past and keeps going on (i.e. not completed yet). In case of Present Perfect Tense, the action is no more active; it’s complete. You can say – it’s a mixture of Present and Past tense.
Present Continuous Tense (Tense 3)
In our previous chapter, we talked about Simple Present Tense. Today, our shift is on Present Continuous Tense, another form of Tense.
Present Continuous Tense
As the name suggests, present continuous tense speaks about an action which is happening at this moment (at the time of speaking); an action in current motion (at the time of speaking.
She is singing
Her act on song is going on at this moment. It’s still continuing and is not complete yet.
Syntax: Subject + be auxiliary verbs(am/is/are) + verb (ing) + (object OR no object) + …
Note1: The action (singing) has started but is not compete yet. When it’s complete, it will get into another form of tense.(present perfect tense).
Examples:
- I am eating.
- You are studying.
- He is watching a movie now.
- They are playing football.
- The boys are celebrating John’s birthday.
- I am thinking to step down.
- It is not raining now.
Simple Present Tense (Tense – 2)
In our previous chapter, we learnt Tense and its different other forms. With this chapter, we will start learning each Tense forms with more elaboration and more examples. So, let’s start with Simple Present Tense today.
Simple Present Tense
I love playing football
See the above sentence. The verb ‘love‘ is in the present time. It’s an action done in all time. ‘You love playing football‘ – in the past, in the present and maybe in the future. There is no time specific for this action. Such types of tenses are to be in Simple Present Tenses, an action in all the time periods, time zones.
Examples
- I eat noodles [indicates. [This action of eating is normal for me and I do it on a regular basis.]
- She speaks English. [It's her habit to speak a language; no time factor here]
- Mr. John drives his car. [indicates - he drives his own car everyday or whenever he can- no time factor here.]
- It rains in the rainy seasons. [It's a action in the rainy season, a common action in this time every year.]
- You dance very well. [Your habitual action - dancing very well, in all time]
- I study in standard XI. [indicates - I study in a standard in this time. It' s been going for a specific time & will end at a specific time. But currently, it's in the present time.]
Tenses – Kinds of Tenses
We have gone through Verb and a few of its other types in one of our previous chapters. Today, we will again learn verb but this time, it’s about the time of action of verbs. This is known as Tenses.
Tense
Tense of a verb indicates the time of an action or any event. As we know, there are three universal times – present, past and future. Tenses cover the actions done in those times. The Tense also refers to the continuation or completion of an action. However, everything is implied in the three time periods.
In this chapter, we will learn the basics of three different types of tenses with appropriate examples. In our subsequent chapter, we will go deep into them and learn things more elaborately. So, here we go.
Three types of Tenses
There are primarily three types of tenses of the verb. They are
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Present Tense
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Past Tense
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Future Tense
There are subcategories of the three tenses which indicate specific and acute timing of the verb actions. Read on →