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Tenses | Kerala PSC LDC
- Fact 1 of 8⏳
English has only two primary tenses
Grammarians recognise just two primary tenses in English, present and past. Future time is shown with auxiliaries such as 'will' or 'shall', not by a change in verb form. This is a common PSC question.
- Fact 2 of 8🚆
Present simple can describe the future
Timetabled events use the present simple for future time, as in 'The train leaves at 6 pm tomorrow.' This is a standard exam point on tense usage.
- Fact 3 of 8📅
'Since' for a point in time, 'for' for a duration
Use 'since' with a starting point, as in 'since 2010', and 'for' with a period, as in 'for ten years', when using the present perfect. Confusing the two is a frequent error in exams.
- Fact 4 of 8🔙
Past perfect marks the earlier of two past actions
The past perfect ('had' + past participle) shows an action completed before another past action, as in 'He had left before I arrived.' It is often tested in sentence correction.
- Fact 5 of 8🔮
Future perfect shows completion by a future time
The future perfect ('will have' + past participle) shows that an action will be completed before a stated future time, as in 'By June, I will have finished the course.'
- Fact 6 of 8🏃
Present perfect continuous shows an ongoing action
The present perfect continuous ('has/have been' + -ing) describes an action that started in the past and is still continuing or has just stopped, as in 'She has been studying since morning.'
- Fact 7 of 8✈️
'Has gone' versus 'has been'
'He has gone to Kochi' means he is not here now, while 'He has been to Kochi' means he went and has returned. The distinction is a frequent PSC question.
- Fact 8 of 8🗣️
'Used to' shows past habits
'Used to' followed by the base verb describes a habit or state that no longer exists, as in 'I used to walk to school.' It is a common grammar item in competitive exams.
