The ministry of Preschool and School Education

Tashkent State Pedagogical University named after Nizomi

Subject: Aspects of language

Tenses
Guide to Understanding and Using Tenses Correctly

Done by: Sataganova Aqniyet, 201A group

Checked by: Sayfullin Ravshan R.
 Plan:
I. What Are English Tenses?
II. Definition of English Tenses
III. The Three Main Tenses
IV. Types of English Tenses
V. Tips and Techniques to Master English
Tenses
What Are English
Tenses?

English Tenses are verb forms that indicate when an

action or event occurs, whether it is in the past,
present, or future. Each tense has its own unique
structure that is used to convey different meanings.
There are three main tenses in English: past, present,
and future.
 Definition of English Tenses

A tense is a grammatical category that expresses the time of an action or

event. In English grammar, tenses are formed by the inflection of verbs to
indicate the time when an action or event occurred.
The Three Main Tenses
• The three main tenses in English are past, present, and future. Each tense has its own
set of verb forms that indicate the time of an action or event.

• The past tense is used to indicate that an action or event occurred in the past.
The present tense is used to indicate that an action or event is happening now.
The future tense is used to indicate that an action or event will occur in the future.
Types of English Tenses
English grammar has 12 types of verb tenses, each indicating a different
time period.
These tenses can be broadly classified into three categories: present
tense, past tense, and future tense.
1. Present Tense
The Present Tense describes actions that are currently happening, habits,
or general truths.

The present tense is used to describe actions that are currently

happening or are on going. It can be divided into four subcategories:
simple present, present continuous, present perfect, and present perfect
continuous.
a. Simple Present
Usage: Describes habitual actions, universal truths, and scheduled events.
Examples:
Affirmative: She writes a letter.
Negative: She does not write a letter.
Question: Does she write a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + base verb (+ s/es) + object
Negative: Subject + does not + base verb + object
Question: Does + subject + base verb + object?
Negative Question: Does + subject + not + base verb + object?
b. Present Continuous
Usage: Indicates actions happening at the moment of speaking or temporary situations.
Examples:
Affirmative: She is writing a letter.
Negative: She is not writing a letter.
Question: Is she writing a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + is/am/are + base verb + ing + object
Negative: Subject + is/am/are + not + base verb + ing + object
Question: Is/am/are + subject + base verb + ing + object?
Negative Question: Is/am/are + subject + not + base verb + ing + object?
c. Present Perfect
Usage: Describes actions that started in the past and have relevance to the present.
Examples:
Affirmative: She has written a letter.
Negative: She has not written a letter.
Question: Has she written a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + has/have + past participle (V3) + object
Negative: Subject + has/have + not + past participle (V3) + object
Question: Has/have + subject + past participle (V3) + object?
Negative Question: Has/have + subject + not + past participle (V3) + object?
d. Present Perfect Continuous
Usage: Highlights the duration of an action that began in the past and is still ongoing.
Examples:
Affirmative: She has been writing a letter.
Negative: She has not been writing a letter.
Question: Has she been writing a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + has/have + been + base verb + ing + object
Negative: Subject + has/have + not + been + base verb + ing + object
Question: Has/have + subject + been + base verb + ing + object?
Negative Question: Has/have + subject + not + been + base verb + ing + object?
2. Past Tense

The past tense is used to describe actions that

have already happened. It can be divided into
four subcategories: simple past, past
continuous, past perfect, and past perfect
continuous.
a. Simple Past
Usage: Describes actions completed in the past or past habits.
Examples:
Affirmative: She wrote a letter.
Negative: She did not write a letter.
Question: Did she write a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + past verb (V2) + object
Negative: Subject + did not + base verb + object
Question: Did + subject + base verb + object?
Negative Question: Did + subject + not + base verb + object?
b. Past Continuous
Usage: Indicates an action that was ongoing at a specific time in the past.
Examples:
Affirmative: She was writing a letter.
Negative: She was not writing a letter.
Question: Was she writing a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + was/were + base verb + ing + object
Negative: Subject + was/were + not + base verb + ing + object
Question: Was/were + subject + base verb + ing + object?
Negative Question: Was/were + subject + not + base verb + ing + object?
c. Past Perfect
Usage: Describes an action that was completed before another action in the past.
Examples:
Affirmative: She had written a letter before he arrived.
Negative: She had not written a letter.
Question: Had she written a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + had + past participle (V3) + object
Negative: Subject + had + not + past participle (V3) + object
Question: Had + subject + past participle (V3) + object?
Negative Question: Had + subject + not + past participle (V3) + object?
d. Past Perfect Continuous
Usage: Describes an action that started in the past and continued until another past action.
Examples:
Affirmative: She had been writing a letter for an hour before he arrived.
Negative: She had not been writing a letter.
Question: Had she been writing a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + had + been + base verb + ing + object
Negative: Subject + had + not + been + base verb + ing + object
Question: Had + subject + been + base verb + ing + object?
Negative Question: Had + subject + not + been + base verb + ing + object?
3. Future Tense

The future tense is used to describe actions that

will happen in the future. It can be divided into
four subcategories: simple future, future
continuous, future perfect, and future perfect
continuous.
a. Simple Future
Usage: Describes an action that will occur in the future.
Examples:
Affirmative: She will write a letter.
Negative: She will not write a letter.
Question: Will she write a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + will/shall + base verb + object
Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + base verb + object
Question: Will/shall + subject + base verb + object?
Negative Question: Will/shall + subject + not + base verb + object?
b. Future Continuous
Usage: Indicates an action that will be ongoing at a specific time in the future.
Examples:
Affirmative: She will be writing a letter at 5 PM tomorrow.
Negative: She will not be writing a letter.
Question: Will she be writing a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + will/shall + be + base verb + ing + object
Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + be + base verb + ing + object
Question: Will/shall + subject + be + base verb + ing + object?
Negative Question: Will/shall + subject + not + be + base verb + ing + object?
c. Future Perfect
Usage: Describes an action that will be completed before a certain point in the future.
Examples:
Affirmative: She will have written a letter by tomorrow.
Negative: She will not have written a letter.
Question: Will she have written a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + will/shall + have + past participle (V3) + object
Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + have + past participle (V3) + object
Question: Will/shall + subject + have + past participle (V3) + object?
Negative Question: Will/shall + subject + not + have + past participle (V3) + object?
d. Future Perfect Continuous
Usage: Describes an action that will be ongoing up until a specific time in the future.
Examples:
Affirmative: She will have been writing a letter for two hours by the time he arrives.
Negative: She will not have been writing a letter.
Question: Will she have been writing a letter?

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + will/shall + have been + base verb + ing + object
Negative: Subject + will/shall + not + have been + base verb + ing + object
Question: Will/shall + subject + have been + base verb + ing + object?
Negative Question: Will/shall + subject + not + have been + base verb + ing + object?
Tips and Techniques to Master
English Tenses
Learning English tenses can be challenging, but with the right techniques, it can
become a lot easier. Here are a few tips to help you master English tenses:

1. Understand the Basics

Before delving into the intricacies of English tenses, it’s essential to understand
the basics. Start with the three basic tenses: past, present, and future. Once you
understand these, move on to the different aspects of each tense, such as simple,
continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
Tips and Techniques to Master English Tenses
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice is the key to mastering English tenses. Take advantage of various resources such as
grammar books, online exercises, and language exchange programs to practice using different
tenses. The more you practice, the more confident you will become in using them.

3. Pay Attention to Context

The context in which a tense is used can significantly impact its meaning. Pay attention to the
context in which different tenses are used, and try to understand the reason behind their use. This
will help you use the correct tense in the appropriate context.
• Thank you for your attention:)