Tenses in English

In this article of the English with Internshala series, we will focus on the different tenses in the English grammar with the help of a hand-picked YouTube playlist (one video for each tense).

So, hop on the bandwagon and re(learn) all the twelve tenses with us. But, before you do that, take this quick quiz to check your understanding of the different tenses and see where you stand.

YouTube Video Channel – LibertyEnglish Learning

Some special rules:

1. Do/Does/Did in questions:
To make a question in simple present tense, we put the auxiliary verb do or does at the beginning of the question or before the subject. We use do when the subject is I, you, we or they. We use does when the subject is he, she or it.
Examples:
How do you know him?
Does she work at Amazon?
Do they hire a fresher for that profile?
Does he speak Tamil?

To make a question in simple past tense, we put the auxiliary verb did at the beginning of the question or before the subject. When we use did, the main verb always comes in its base form. Examples:
Why did you say that?
Did the interviewer ask any technical questions?

2. Has vs. Have:
They are both used to show possession and are required for constructing perfect tenses too.
Have is used with pronouns like I, we, they, you and with plural nouns. Examples:
I have seen this movie before.
They have a great understanding.
Teachers have a difficult job.

Has is used with the third person singular. Examples:
She has a great personality.
He has done his graduation from VIT University.
It has a hole near the door.

3. Since vs. For:
They are used when we want to talk about something that started in the past and continues into the present.
For is used when we measure the duration or amount of time. Apart from present and past perfect, For can also be used with present tense. Examples:
I’ve been working at Internshala for 11 months.
She has been smoking for a long time.
They have known each other for years.
I exercise for two hours every day.

Since is used when we want to signify the starting point of actions, events, or states. It refers to when things began. It can only be used with present and past perfect tenses. Examples:
It has been two months since I last saw her.
She had been working since 7’o clock.
They have known each other since January 2015.

We hope this was helpful and that, now, you have a better understanding of the various tenses. To check your learning, take this really interesting assignment by clicking on the next button below. You can go back to the earlier article by clicking on the previous button.

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