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12 Tenses

This document provides a comprehensive guide to the 12 major English tenses, including definitions, examples, and formulas for each tense. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and memorizing these tenses for students aiming to improve their grammar skills. The document includes explanations of basic grammar terms and exercises for practice.
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
268 views31 pages

12 Tenses

This document provides a comprehensive guide to the 12 major English tenses, including definitions, examples, and formulas for each tense. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and memorizing these tenses for students aiming to improve their grammar skills. The document includes explanations of basic grammar terms and exercises for practice.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

12 Major English Tenses

With Definitions, Examples, and Formulas

Prepared by : Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed ( Sabriye )

1
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

Introduction
In English grammar, verbs are often used in a way that it indicates or
denotes the time when an event occurred. These verbs that take up
different forms to indicate the time of an action, event or condition by
changing its form are called as tenses.

Dear students it is important to learn in detail and memorize the 12


tenses. And This small book contains English 12 tenses with basic
explanations. It is for the students who want to build their basic
grammar.

That is why I have prepared this booklet and recorded its explanations,
insha allah I hope it is benefit to many students.

Important Grammar Terms:


√ Grammar means putting the right words to the position
√ Subject is the person or thing doing the action.
(He, she, it, they, we, you, I)

√ Verb is a word which tells us what is being done.


(Go, sleep, play, drink, watch, give)

√ Object is the person or thing receiving the action.


√ verb to be: We use them as a main verb and an auxiliary verb:
in Present: ( am, is, are ) in Past: (was, were )

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

√ Auxiliary verb used in forming the tenses. The primary auxiliary verbs
in English are be, do, and have ; the modal auxiliaries
are can, may, must, shall, will etc.

There are 12 tenses in English which are important in grammar.

PAST PRESENT FUTURE

1) SIMPLE PAST 1) SIMPLE PRESENT 1) SIMPLE FUTURE

2) PAST CONTINUOS 2) PRESENT CONTINUOS 2) FUTURE CONTINUOS

3) PAST PERFECT 3) PRESENT PERFECT 3) FUTURE PERFECT

4) PAST P. CONTINUOS 4) PRESENT P. CONTINUOS 4) FUTURE P. CONTINUOS

Let us understand these four parts in each of these 12 tenses.

√ FORMULA √ EXAMPLES

√ USAGE √ QUESTIONS & NEGATIVE

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

1- SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE


Form: subject + verb + object

USAGE: When you use present simple, you are using a routine. It’s
something that you always do every day, month or year, Or it’s
something that you never do.

HE

SHE + es / s O, X, CH, SH, SS, S, Z


IT

There are three important exceptions:


1( For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
2( For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb
or es to the auxiliary.
3( For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions
and negatives

Examples:
1. She cooks food every week.
2. He drinks tea every night.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

3. They play football in the morning.


4. i sell things in the market.

Questions and Negatives:

I
HE
WE
SHE DOES DO
YOU
IT
THEY

Examples
1) Q: Does she wash the cloths every week?
N: she does not wash the cloths every week.
2) Q: does he eat apple every night?
N: he does not eat apple every night.

Exercise:
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ali goes to school every day
Q: .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We watch the television every friday.


Q: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. We watch the television every friday.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

Q: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2- PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE


Form: subject + is/are/am + verb + ing + object
Usage: Present continuous is used for an action which is happening at
the moment, Also, it can be an action that is not yet complete.

HE YOU
SHE IS WE ARE
IT THEY

I ARE

Examples
1. She is washing the cloths now.

2. They are playing football at the moment.

3. I am eating fruits now.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

4. it is not raining now.

5. they are listening quran.

Questions and negatives


1) Q: is she washing the cloths now?

N: she is not washing the cloths now.

2) Q: Are they playing football at the moment?

N: they are not playing football at the moment.

3) Q: Am I wearing hijab now?

N: I am not wearing hijab now.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ahmed is going to school at the moment.

Q: ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We are riding the horse now.

Q: .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. i am meating some one right now.

Q: .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

3- PRESENT PERFECT TENSE


Form: subject + have/has + verb (past participle) + object

Usage: Present perfect tense is used for an action which have just
completed, In other words, you are looking at the result right now
without any words referring to time.

I
HE
WE
SHE HAS HAVE
YOU
IT
THEY

Examples
1. She has sung the song.

2. They have played golf.

3. she has walked to the bus.

4. we have travelled to kismayo.

5. I have studied English.

Questions and negatives


1) Q: has she washed the cloths?

N: she has not washed the clothes.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

2) Q: Have they played football?

N: they have not played football.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1) Ahmed has slept on the bed.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2) We have missed the train.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3) you have visited the ka’ba.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4) she has met the presedent.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5) i have done my homework.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

English Irregular Verbs


it is import for every student to classify regular and irregular verbs.
Memorize these irregular verbs so the others are regular.

NO PRESENT PAST P.PARTICIPLE NO PRESENT PAST P.PARTICIPLE


1 be Was /were been 21 feed fed fed

2 become became become 22 feel felt felt

3 begin began begun 23 fight fought fought

4 bend bent bent 24 find found found

5 bite bit bitten 25 Fly flew flown


6 blow blew blown 26 Forget forgot forgotten
7 break broke broken 27 Get got gotten

8 bring brought brought 28 Give gave given

9 build built built 29 Go went gonw


10 buy bought bought 30 Grow grew grown

11 catch caught caught 31 Hang hung hung

12 choose chose chosen 32 have had had

13 come came come 33 Hear heard heard

14 cost cost cost 34 hide hid hidden

15 cut cut cut 35 hit hit hit

16 do did done 36 hold held held

17 draw drew drawn 37 hurt hurt hurt

18 drink drank drunk 38 keep kept kept

19 drive drove driven 39 Know knew known


11
20 fall fell fallen 40 leave left left
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

NO PRESENT PAST P.PARTICIPLE NO PRESENT PAST P.PARTICIPLE


41 lose lost lost 60 spend spent spent

42 make made made 61 stand stood stood

43 meet met met 62 steal stole stolen

44 pay paid paid 63 swim swam swum

45 put put put 64 take took taken


46 read read read 65 teach taught taught
47 ride rode ridden 66 tear tore torn

48 ring rang rung 67 tell told told

49 run ran run 68 think thought thought

50 say said said 69 throw threw thrown

51 see saw seen 70 understand understood understood

52 sell sold sold 71 Wake up Woke up Woken up


53 send sent sent 72 wear wore worn

54 shake shook shaken 73 win won won

55 shut shut shut 74 write wrote written

56 sing sang sung 75 eat ate eaten

57 sit sat sat 76 lend lent lent

58 sleep slept slept 77

59 speak spoke spoken 78

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

 Remember that there is no other way but Memorizing these


irregular verbs to

4- PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE


Form: subject + have/has + been + verb + ing + object

Usage: present perfect continuous is used for an action which has started
in the past and still continues, You have been performing the action and
still are performing the action in the present.

Examples
1) She has been washing the cloths.

2) They have been playing football.

3) you have been running away.

4) we have been hiding behind the room.

5) Adam have been thinking alot.

Questions and negatives


1) Q: has she been washing the cloths?

N: she has not been washing the clothes.

2) Q: Have they been playing football?

N: they have not been playing football.

3) Q: Have they been catching the thief?

N: they have not been catching the thief.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

4) Q: Have you been understanding me ?

N: you have not been understanding me.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1) the teacher has been teaching us the lesson.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2) they have been watching the tv.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3) We have been driving the car.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4) she has been telling a story.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5) i have been sleeping on the bed.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

5- SIMPLE PAST TENSE


Form: subject + verb (past) + object

Usage: simple past is used for an action which finished in the past.

I YOU WE THEY HE SHE IT

DID

Examples
1. She washed the cloths yesterday.

2. I went to school.

3. They ate pasta last night.

4. we played football last monday.

5. you woke up early.

Questions and negatives


1. Q: did she wash the cloths yesterday?

N: she did not wash the cloths yesterday.

2. Q: Did they eat maize last night?

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

N: they did not eat maize last night.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. john went to school yesterday.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We watched the television last night.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. they drank milk last monday.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. We ate meat yesterday.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. she held the baby nicely.

Q: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

6- PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE


Form: subject + was/were + verb + ing + object

Usage: Past continuous is used for an action which was happening


sometime in the past.
However When you use past continuous, you are often using two
actions. However, one action is not finished in the past, and another is
complete interrupting the other action.

I
YOU
HE
WAS WE WERE
SHE
THEY
IT

Examples
1. She was sitting the chair yesterday.

2. They were eating fish last night.

3. I was sleeping.

4. we were shopping last friday.

5. he was living in mogadishu.

Questions and negatives


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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

Note: all the other tenses have auxiliary verbs in their positive
sentences except (simple present and simple past) and therefore their
question and negative forms will be done as we did before with the
other tenses.

1. Q: was she washingg the cloths yesterday?

N: she was not washing the cloths yesterday.

2. Q: were they eating banana last night?

N: they were not eating banana last night.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ahmed was going to school yesterday.
Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We were watching television last night.


Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. He was writing an e-mail when the phone rang.


Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. I was preparing dinner.


Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. the baby was crying last night.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

7- PAST PERFECT TENSE


Form: subject + had + verb (past participle) + object

Usage: Past perfect is used for an action which had happened before
another action in the past. So This verb tense uses two actions at two
different times. Before the second action occurs, the first action is
complete.

I YOU WE THEY HE SHE IT

Had
Examples
1. She had washed the cloths before she left the house.

2. They had eaten maize before they slept.

3. She had met him.

4. i had come to the right place.

5. the maid had cleaned the room.

Questions and negatives


1. Q: Had she washed the cloths yesterday?

N: she had not washed the cloths yesterday.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

2. Q: had they eaten the lunch last night?

N: they had not eaten the lunch last night.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ahmed had gone to school.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We had watched the television.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. i had fought him very hard.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. you had started the computer.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. They had complained.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

8- PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS


Form: subject + had + been + verb + ing + object

Usage: Past perfect continuous has a complete action that happened before
a second action. But in this case, you can describe how long.

And For colloquial English, people don’t use past perfect continuous
very often. But in text books, it’s a bit more common.

Examples
1. She had been washing the cloths.

2. They had been eating maize.

3. i had been sitting here.

4. we had been listening him.

5. My grandfather had been feeling great until yesterday.

Questions and negatives


1. Q: Had she washing the cloths?

N: she had not been washing the cloths.

2. Q: had they been eating the lunch?

N: they had not been eating the lunch.

3. Q: had you been doing your homework?

N: you had not been doing your homework.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

4. Q: had she been seeing him?

N: she had not been seeing him.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ahmed had been going to school.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We had been watching the television.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. you had been playing football.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. he had been crying alot.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. they had been speaking to each other.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

9- SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE


Form: subject + will/shall + verb + object

Usage: simple future is used for an action which will happen


sometime in the future. So its more like planning things to do in the
future.

YOU
THEY I
HE WILL SHALL
WE
SHE
IT

* NOTE: Instead of using “will”, you can use “going to” for future
tense. But this lesson uses “will” for the future tense.

Examples
1. She will wash the cloths tomorrow.

2. They will eat maize next day.

3. You will come to the party.

4. he will get married in September.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

5. it will cook dinner.

Questions and negatives


1. Q: will she cook the dinner?

N: she will not cook the dinner.

2. Q: will they keep their word?

N: they will not keep their word.

3. Q: shall i become a doctor?

N: i shall not become a doctor.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ahmed will go to school tomorrow.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We shall watch the television next night.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. We shall watch the television next night.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. she will clean the hauses after the lunch.

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

10- FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE


Form: subject + will/shall + be + verb + ing + object

Usage: future continuous is used for an action which will be in


progress sometime in the future. Meaning The action is not complete,
when another action happens in the future. This is similar to past
continuous, but it refers to the future.

Examples
1. She will be washing the cloths.

2. They will be eating maize.

3. i will be taking a nap.

4. i will be writing the lesson.

5. we will be eating breakfast.

Questions and negatives


1. Q: will she be cooking the dinner?

N: she will not be cooking the dinner.

2. Q: will they be driving the car ?

N: they will not be driving the car.

3. Q: shall i be swimming in the pool ?

N: i shall not be swimming in the pool.

25
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

4. Q: shall i be swimming in the pool ?

N: i shall not be swimming in the pool.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. Ahmed will be going to the market tomorrow.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. We shall be waiting him in the mosque.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. they will be building our new home.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. she will reading the Quran.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. it will be raining.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

11- FUTURE PERFECT TENSE


Form: subject + will/shall + have + verb (past participle) + object

Usage: future perfect is used for an action which will have completed
at some point in the future before another is completed.

Examples
1. She will have washed the cloths by this week.

2. He will have eaten the maize by the sun set.

3. i shall have drunk the tea by the sun set.

4. we shall have done our homework by the this evening.

5. you will have given him the present by the morning.

Questions and negatives


1. Q: will she have cooked the dinner by this afternoon?

N: she will not have cooked the dinner by this afternoon.

2. Q: will they have driven the car ?

N: they will not have driven the car.

3. Q: shall i have swum in this pool ?

N: i shall not have swum in this pool.

4. Q: will you have brought the eggs ?

N: you will not have brought the eggs.

27
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. I will have finished this book.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. They will have left Japan.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. He will have arrived.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. He will have arrived.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. It willl have stopped raining.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

28
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

12- FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE


Form: subject + will/shall + been + verb + ing + object

Usage: Future perfect continuous is used for An action that will be


continuing in the future when it is interrupted by another action.

In this future verb tense, it often includes an indication of how long


the action has been happening.

Examples
1. I will have been working

2. You will have been sleeping

3. She will have been studying

4. He will have been cooking

5. It will have been raining

Questions and negatives


1. Q: shall I have been working?

N: I shall not have been working.

2. Q: Will you have been sleeping?

N: you will not have been sleeping.

3. Q: Will she have been studying?

N: she will not have been studying.

4. Q: Will it have been raining?

29
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

N: it will not have been raining.

Exercise
Change these sentences into question and negative:
1. We will have been exercising.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. They will have been travelling.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. I will have been smoking.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

4. He will have been waiting for his mother.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

5. I will have been working for children.

Q: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

N: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Now, test yourself getting help from your friend or another person. Did
you understand all the 12 tenses, their forms, usage, and examples.

30
BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMAR TENSES

THE END

31

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