Before we dive deeper into tenses, there are a few important terms we should know. These are like the building blocks that help us create sentences correctly. Let’s explore them together!
A verb is like the action star in a sentence. It’s the word that tells us what action is happening. Whether we’re running, jumping, reading, or singing, verbs are at the heart of every action we do.
Verbs are the key to understanding when something happened. They help us travel through time with tenses.
Verbs can change their forms based on when the action is happening. They have three main forms: the base form, the past tense form, and the past participle form.
Changing the form of a verb helps us fit it into the right tense and makes our sentences clear and accurate.
Helping verbs, also called auxiliary verbs, work together with main verbs to create different tenses. They help us understand the timing of actions.
Helping verbs give us clues about whether an action happened in the past, is happening right now, or will happen in the future.
– For past tense: “I was reading.”
– For present tense: “She is singing.”
– For future tense: “They will play.”
The direct object is the thing or person that receives the action of the verb. It answers the question “what” or “whom.”
Understanding direct objects helps us create more detailed and complete sentences.
The indirect object is the person or thing that benefits from the action. It’s like an extra helper in the sentence.
Indirect objects add depth to our sentences, showing who benefits from the action.
Understanding these terms is like having a special toolbox for building sentences correctly. Verbs, forms, helping verbs, and the other players in this language game help us communicate accurately. Let’s keep exploring and learning!
Tenses help us talk about when something happened. It’s like a time machine for our words, helping us understand if an action is in the past, happening right now, or going to happen in the future. Let’s jump right in!
Tenses are divided into three main categories:
1. Past
2. Present
3. Future
Past tense is used to talk about things that have already happened. It’s like looking back in time.
We use past tense when we want to tell stories about things that occurred before this moment. It helps us share our memories and understand events from the past.
There are four types of past tense:
We add “-ed” to regular verbs. For example, “play” becomes “played.”
She walked to the park.
We use “was” or “were” plus the base form of the verb and add “-ing.”
They were playing in the garden.
We use “had” plus the past participle form of the verb.
He had already eaten when I arrived.
We use “had been” plus the base form of the verb and “-ing.”
She had been studying for hours.
Present tense helps us talk about what’s happening right now. It’s like looking at things as they’re occurring.
We use present tense to talk about actions that are ongoing or general truths.
There are four types of present tense:
We use the base form of the verb. For example, “eat.”
They eat lunch every day.
We use “am,” “is,” or “are” plus the base form of the verb and add “-ing.”
She is reading a book now.
We use “have” or “has” plus the past participle of the verb. This tense is often used to express actions that started in the past but have relevance to the present.
I have visited Paris several times.
We use “have been” or “has been” plus the base form of the verb and “-ing.” This tense indicates an action that started in the past, is still ongoing, and has a connection to the present.
They have been working on the project for two hours.
Future tense helps us talk about what will happen in the time that comes after now.
We use future tense when we want to discuss plans, predictions, or actions that will take place.
There are four types of future tense:
We use “will” plus the base form of the verb.
I will visit my grandparents.
We use “will be” plus the base form of the verb and “-ing.”
They will be playing soccer tomorrow.
We use “will have” plus the past participle form of the verb.
She will have finished her homework by then.
We use “will have been” plus the base form of the verb and “-ing.”
By next week, they will have been studying for a month.
Tenses are like time-traveling words that help us fit actions into the right time slot. By understanding past, present, and future tenses, you’re becoming language time travelers! Keep practicing and soon you’ll master the art of talking about time.
There are some exceptions that exist within tenses. While the explanation above covers the basics of tenses, it’s important to note that English language can be tricky sometimes. Here are a few exceptions you might encounter:
Some verbs don’t follow the regular “-ed” pattern in the past tense. For example, “go” becomes “went,” not “goed.”
He went to the store yesterday.
| Infinitive (Base Form) | Past Simple | Past Participle | Present Participle (-ing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| be | was/were | been | being |
| become | became | become | becoming |
| begin | began | begun | beginning |
| break | broke | broken | breaking |
| bring | brought | brought | bringing |
| buy | bought | bought | buying |
| choose | chose | chosen | choosing |
| come | came | come | coming |
| do | did | done | doing |
| eat | ate | eaten | eating |
| find | found | found | finding |
| get | got | got/gotten | getting |
| go | went | gone | going |
| have | had | had | having |
| make | made | made | making |
| read | read | read | reading |
| run | ran | run | running |
| say | said | said | saying |
| see | saw | seen | seeing |
| take | took | taken | taking |
| write | wrote | written | writing |
Remember, irregular verbs don’t follow the regular pattern of adding “-ed” to form the past tense or past participle. They have their own unique forms, so it’s important to learn them by heart. Practice using them in sentences to become more comfortable with these irregular forms.
Some verbs change their spelling when forming the past tense. For instance, “run” becomes “ran.”
She ran in the race.
When using the simple present tense with he, she, or it, we often add “s” or “es” to the verb.
He eats breakfast every morning.
Just like in the past tense, some verbs don’t follow the regular rules in the present tense either.
They have a pet dog.
Sometimes, instead of using “will,” we use “going to” to talk about future plans and intentions.
I am going to travel next summer.
We can also use the present continuous tense to talk about future arrangements.
We are meeting at the park tomorrow.
Remember, while these exceptions might make things a bit more complex, practicing and encountering them in context will help you understand and use them correctly. Language is full of surprises, but with practice, you’ll become a pro at navigating through these exceptions!
| Tense | Formula | Example | Translation in Urdu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Base Verb (with 's' for he, she, it) | She eats breakfast every morning. | وہ ہر صبح ناشتہ کھاتی ہے۔ |
| Present Continuous | Am/Is/Are + Base Verb + -ing | They are playing in the park. | وہ پارک میں کھیل رہے ہیں۔ |
| Present Perfect | Have/Has + Past Participle | He has visited that museum before. | اس نے اس میوزیم کا دورہ پہلے بھی کیا ہے۔ |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Have/Has Been + Base Verb + -ing | She has been studying for hours. | وہ گھنٹوں سے پڑھ رہی ہے۔ |
| Simple Past | Base Verb + -ed | They played soccer yesterday. | کل وہ فٹبال کھیلے۔ |
| Past Continuous | Was/Were + Base Verb + -ing | She was reading when I called her. | میں نے جب اسے کال کی تھی، وہ پڑھ رہی تھی۔ |
| Past Perfect | Had + Past Participle | He had already eaten when I arrived. | میں آنے پر اس نے پہلے ہی کھا لیا تھا۔ |
| Past Perfect Continuous | Had Been + Base Verb + -ing | They had been playing for hours. | وہ گھنٹوں سے کھیل رہے تھے۔ |
| Simple Future | Will + Base Verb | She will travel around the world. | وہ دنیا کے چاروں کونوں میں سفر کرے گی۔ |
| Future Continuous | Will Be + Base Verb + -ing | They will be singing at the concert. | وہ کنسرٹ میں گانا گا رہے ہوں گے۔ |
| Future Perfect | Will Have + Past Participle | I will have finished my homework. | میں اپنا ہوم ورک ختم کر چکا ہوں گا۔ |
| Future Perfect Continuous | Will Have Been + Base Verb + -ing | They will have been studying for a while. | وہ کچھ وقت سے پڑھ رہے ہوں گے۔ |