2:1:1 Indefinite Tense: It is the simplest application of the main verb. In all the three tenses the use of indefinite tense is conspicuous for the different modes of the relationship between time and action. The Indefinite Tense denies the symmetry or similarity of the treatment of the action along time between the present and past and between the present and future. In the Present Indefinite Tense, the action is always general and spread along an indefinitely long time span whereas in the past and future indefinite, the action is always specific and is defined along a given point of time. Special care should be taken to avoid the confusion in the nature of the action in the Present Indefinite and Past and Future Indefinite.
2:1:2 Present Indefinite Tense: In the Present Indefinite Tense, the action is never realized along a single point of time but it is spread along an indefinitely long time span.
The most noticeable aspect of the application of Present Indefinite Tense is that action is never specific or particular and it is not realized along a specific point of time. Thus we always apply the tense when we use this specific type of action
Examples;
He always meets me on the way.
She often comes to meet my mother.
They fight with one another
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
People love pets and play with them.
Sincerity always pays in the long run.
Honesty pays.
Lawyers go to court everyday.
My father goes to temple everyday.
Mr. John is a doctor. He takes good care of his patients.
A close survey of the sentences given above makes it clear that the action in all these sentences is general and it does not specify a particular moment of time. In the first sentence the speakers tells about something that takes place on his way to office or any other place. In the second sentence, also the speaker tells about the routine of some woman who is a regular visitor of his mother. In the third sentence the speaker talks about the habit or general behavior of a group of persons. The fourth sentence is a universal truth and no specific moment can be associated with this action. Similarly fifth, sixth and seventh sentences are general or moral truth about a particular quality. In the eighth sentence, the speaker is talking about the routine of the lawyer that is spread along an indefinite time span. In the ninth sentence, the speaker talks about the routine of his father. The tenth sentence, like the eights tell about the profession of the subject.
It is closely observed that the action in all these sentences is not specific but it is general and it does not specify a particular moment of time.
Thus the Present Indefinite Tense is used when;
The action is not particular but general.
It is spread along an indefinitely long time span.
2:1:2 The Applications of the Present Indefinite: With these two parameters given, we shall no proceed to classify the areas of application of the Present Indefinite Tense.
Routine: We always express a routine in the Present Indefinite Tense as it doesn’t have any specific moment but is always spread along an indefinitely long time span.
Examples:
I get up at five every morning.
I leave for college at nine in the morning.
He visits my place every Sunday.
Ramesh comes back home from the office late in the evening.
My father goes to bed early.
Hobbies and Habits: Habits are also expressed in Present Indefinite Tense as the action of a hobby of habit is not realized at a given particular moment of time. The action in either case is general and is spread along an indefinitely long time span.
Examples:
He collects stamps.
He comes late everyday.
Vijay plays on guitar.
He reads before he goes to sleep.
He spends hours in the coffee house.
General Truth: The general truth is the expression of some common human nature or of the world in general, thus it also has no specific moment of time to define its existence, thus we always use Present Indefinite Tense to express it.
Examples:
Dogs bark at night.
Indians enjoy every festival.
Christians go to Church and Hindus go to temple.
The computer helps us with memory and speed.
God helps those who help themselves.
Natural Phenomena: The cycle of nature is generally a timeless activity and thus can not be defines in terms of one specific moment of time. Hence we always express a natural
phenomenon in the Present Indefinite Tense.
Examples:
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
The earth revolves round the sun.
All the planets revolve round the sun.
It rains heavily in the month of July in India.
We inhale Oxygen and exhale Carbon Dioxide.
Moral Truth; All the moral instructions are expressed in the Present Indefinite Tense as they don’t have any specific moment to define the action but the action is spread along an indefinitely long time span.
Examples;
Sincerity pays in the long run.
Honesty always pays.
We pay for our sins.
2:1:3: Time referents in the Present Indefinite Tense;
It is clear from the above discussion that the Present Indefinite Tense does not have any specific moment to define the action, thus to justify the use of the Present Indefinite Tense, we make use of time referents that tell us about the frequency of the action in the given time span along which the action is spread.
Some common time referents are the following;
Generally or usually is used to denote some action in most situations;
He generally avoids my company.
Frequently denotes the good frequency of the action.
I frequently meet him on the way to college.
Regularly is used when the action follows a definite pattern of occurrence.
Vijay takes exercise regularly.
Always is used when the action takes place all the time or every time.
He always misspells my name
She always comes late and makes excuses.
Sometimes is used when the action takes place on some occasions not always or frequently.
Sometime he teaches well.
Often is used in sense of many times during a give time span.
He often troubles me with new demands.
I often go to cinema hall to watch the movie.
Rarely, hardly and seldom denote very low frequency of the action
He rarely comes to my place.
I hardly take pains to meet him.
Barking dogs seldom bite.
Never is used to denote zero frequency of the action.
I never take non vegetarian food.
He never comes on time.
2;1;4; Structure of the Present Indefinite:
The structure of the Present Indefinite Tense has two different verb forms. The first form of the Main Verb is used when the Subject is in First Person Singular Number, First Person Plural Number, Second Person (Singular Number and Plural Number) and Third Person Plural Number. We use first form of the Main Verb with s or es when the Subject is Third Person Singular Number.
2;1;5; The present Indefinite Tense generally serves to illustrate some idea, quality or some such fact expressed in the Auxiliary Verb;
Examples:
He is very punctual. He always comes on time.
Vijay is not reliable. He avoids doing work.
He is very honest. I rely on him completely on money matters.
He is very naughty. He makes mischief and runs away.
Ramesh is very cunning. I avoid going with him anywhere.
Vikrant is very serious. He does not like roaming about with friends.
She is my sister’s good friend. She visits my house frequently.
Indians are generally very religious. They respect every religion.
Cricket is very famous in India. People watch the game with great passion and involvement.
The pet is the most important member of my family. We take good care of it.
Sachin is the god of Cricket. Youngsters look at him for inspiration.
He is a committed teacher. He delivers his hundred percent.
I am a teetotaler. I never take alcoholic drinks.
He is very fickle minded. No one relies on him.
2:1:6 Past and Future Indefinite Tenses:
The Past and Future Indefinite Tenses unlike the Present Indefinite Tenses give us a single action in the past or in the future respectively. It is note worthy that the action in the Past and Future Indefinite Tenses is always specific and is locatable on a particular point of time. In the Past Indefinite the action is located on a particular point of time in the past and in the Future Indefinite, the action is located on a particular point of time in the future.
The most noticeable aspect of the Past and Future Indefinite is that the action is always specific; it is never general and it gives a single specific action in the past or in future.
Present
It is clear from the above diagram that the Past Indefinite gives us a single specific action in the past, here represented by the cross inside the circle.
2: 1:7: The Structure of the Past Indefinite:
It is also noticeable that the action of the Past Indefinite is always specific, thus it mostly gives some specific representation of some general action or it sometimes provides and exception to some general behavior.
Examples:
He always comes on time but today he came late by half an hour.
He understands things well but today he failed to concentrate.
She never pays attention to my advice, but today she responded well.
He often meets me on the way back home. Yesterday also I met him.
I expect him to stand by my side and he also cooperates me to the maximum.
They celebrate every festival with great pomp. This year they celebrated Deepawali with crackers and loud music.
I never go to the office at night, but yesterday I went there for some urgent work.
Joseph loves to play on guitar, but today he is on table.
He is a good teacher of English but today he taught a new subject.
He always performs well but today he disappointed his audience.
It is remarkable that the Future Indefinite Tense unlike the Present Indefinite, always gives us a single specific action in the future.
2: 1:8: The Structure of the Future Indefinite:
Examples:
I will see him tomorrow on his birthday.
He is very arrogant. He will not come tomorrow for the meeting.
They are all good players. They will win the match.
He usually comes on time but today he will come late because of some urgent work.
He is fond of performing new experiments. He will do something different this time.
They are determined to win the series and they will.
She will join us within a week or so.
They are good students. They will do well in the examination.
Joseph is an upcoming star of Indian Cricket. Soon he will play for the country.
He is in deep distress but he will come out of it if we support him.
2: 1:9: Conditional Sentences with Indefinite Tense:
If there are two sentences A and B in Future Indefinite connected with each other in cause and effect relation;
He will come to pick me up.
I will go with him to attend the party.
If we combine these two sentences in one structure, we write the condition in the Present Indefinite and the result or consequence in the Future Indefinite.
We write;
If he comes to pick me up, I will go with him.
Examples;
If he plays well, the team will win the match.
If my friend comes to pick me up, I will go and attend the party.
Wherever you go, I will follow you.
Whenever they call me, I will attend them.
I know even if I don’t permit him, he will do the same.
2: 1:10: Continuous Tense; The Continuous Tense gives us the continuity of the action at the given point of time in the present, past or the future.
Examples;
I am making notes for my students.
When he rang me up, I was taking dinner.
He is taking ice cream and talking to his friends.
He was fighting with his parents when I reached his house.
I shall be leaving for Bhopal tomorrow by Janshtabdi Express.
The above examples make clear the use of continuous tense. In the first and third sentences, the speaker talks about the continuity of the action at the present moment. In the second and fourth the speaker informs about the continuity of the action at the given points of time in the past. In the fifth sentence, the speaker tells us about the continuity of the action at a given point of time in the future. It is important to note that the in the present continuous tense, the moment of conversation is obviously referred to whereas in the second and fourth sentences, the use of the Past Indefinite, gives us the precise moment of the continuity of the action.
2: 1:11: Present Continuous Tense; It gives us the continuity of the action at the present moment, that is the moment of conversation, the moment when the speech is being delivered or the sentence is written.
There are two main points in relation to the application of the Present Continuous Tense;
The Present Continuous Tense gives us a single specific action at the present moment.
The action is located precisely at the present moment.
It is generally the illustration of some general action expressed in Present IndefiniteTense.
Present Continuous Tense
It is clear from the above diagram that the long time span of the Present Indefinite Tense is converged to a single moment of the present thus the action becomes specific and is located at a precise moment of time.
It is noticeable that the action is not spread along a long time span but is defined along a fixed point of time.
2: 1:12: The structure of the Present Continuous Tense;
2: 1:13: Past and Future Continuous Tense;
The Past and Future Continuous Tense give us the continuity of the action at the given point of time in the past of future respectively. It is noticeable that we always need to specify that point of time of the continuity of the action.
In the picture given above, the cross in the circle shows the single action in the past whereas the arrow illustrates the continuity of the action at the given point of time in the past.
It is further noticeable that time is not always denoted in terms of clock measurements but mostly we denote time with the help of the Past Indefinite. It is to remind you that the Past Indefinite represents a single action in the past thus the single action also represents the specific moment of time when the action is performed.
Examples:
When he rang me up, I was taking dinner.
Yesterday when you came, I was watering plants.
I didn’t talk to him because yesterday when I saw him he was talking to his friend and I didn’t disturb him.
I came back because when I reached the office, he was shouting on his subordinates.
He was offering prayers to the Almighty, when he was hit by a gangster.
The above examples put forth a distinct role played by the action in the Past Indefinite. It has been discussed earlier that the action of the verb is realized chiefly along the axis of time, thus the action in the Past Indefinite clearly represents the specific moment of time and the Past Continuous Tense shows the continuity of the action at that point of time which is represented the action in the Past Indefinite.
2: 1:14: the Structure of the Past Continuous:
2: 1:15; Future Continuous Tense: Future Continuous Tense is used to denote the continuity of the action at the give point of time in the future.
Examples: I shall be leaving for Indore by Narbada Kutub Express.
It is important that the leaving for Indore is the main action of the of sentence and the reference to conveyance ( Narbada- Kutub Express) is the representation of the specific moment of time on which the action shows continuity.
2: 1:16; The Structure of the Future Continuous Tense:
2: 1:17: Perfect Tense: The Perfect Tens gives us the completeness of the action at a given point of time in the past, present or the future. It is used to denote that the action at the given point of time is complete.
2;1;18; Present Perfect Tense; Present Perfect Tense gives us the completeness of the action at the present moment; the moment when the conversation is going on.
Examples;
1 ) Raja has completed the home work and he is not ready to leave.
2) He is not at home. He has just left for the college.
3) Uma has prepared the meals. Now she is chatting with her neighbor.
4) All the teachers have finished the syllabus and the students now come to college only for difficulties.
5) Sanjay has discussed the problem with the Director. He is now ready to put the instructions into practice.
The above quoted examples make the idea of the completeness of the action clear before us. In the first sentence, the subject (Raja) being ready to leave shows the present moment and at that point of time, the completeness of the action of completing the homework is suggested. In the second sentence, the speaker is probably at his friend’s place and this moment defines the present and at this moment the action of his friend’s leaving home for college is complete. In the third sentence, the time of Uma’s gossiping her neighbours denote the present moment and at that point of time, the action of preparing the meals is complete. Similarly in the fourth sentence, the time of students’ coming to college, gives us the present moment and the action of the finishing the syllabus is expressed in Present Perfect Tense because the speaker has to show the completeness of the action. Similarly in the fifth sentence, Samjay’s readiness to put the Director’s instructions into practice is the desired present and at this moment denoting present, the action of discussing the problem with the director is complete.
2;1;19;The Structure of the Present Perfect Tense;
2;1;20; the Past Indefinite and the Present Perfect Tense;
In order to write and speak correct English, it is very important to understand the distinction between Past Indefinite and Present Perfect. It is observed that people always use one in place of the other.
Past Indefinite, as discussed above, gives us a single action in the past whereas the Present Perfect gives us the completeness of the action at the present moment or phase.
Let us consider the following examples carefully.
I took lunch at 1 pm.
Mohan celebrated his 20 birthday on 10 July 2011.
Yesterday I watched that movie.
The first sentence is a single action that took place at 1 pm, probably a hour before the moment when the speaker is informing about this action. Now the same action can be expressed in Present Perfect when the action has some present value or some validity at the present moment. Supposing that the moment of speech is 2 pm, then the action can be expressed in Present Perfect if the same action has a present value. Further we can imagine the situation that the speaker of the line is offered a loaf of bread and the speaker refuses because he is not hungry then he can use Present Perfect to say the same thing.
Vijay; Would you like to have some snacks?
Ajay; No I have taken lunch.
Amar; Shall we have a cup of tea?
Ramesh; No, I have just taken.
Similarly the third sentence gives us the information that the speaker went to see the movie a day before. But if the same person has to inform the same in relation to the present moment, he would use Present Perfect.
I have seen the movie and I don’t wish to see it again.
The second sentence is another fine example illustrating the difference between Past Indefinite and Present Perfect. The second given above gives us a single event in the past that Mohan celebrated his 20 birthday on 10 July. If we examine the sentence at the present moment we can use Present Perfect and say; Mohan has celebrated his 20th birthday chiefly because the action has its present value.
Let us take another example;
Mohan celebrated his 19th birthday on 10 July 2010.
Now this action has no present value because Mohan has celebrated 20th birthday thus the action of celebrating 19th birthday has no present value. And the action of celebrating 20th birthday has a present value because Mohan is in his 21st year and until he celebrates his 21st birthday, the action will have its present value.
Mohan has celebrated his 20th birthday gives us the completeness of the action of celebrating his 20th birthday.
2;1;21; Past Perfect Tense: Past Perfect Tense gives us the completeness of the action at a given point of time in the past. It is important to note that the given point of time may not always be expressed in digits but the Past Indefinite Tense, which gives us the single action in the past, also serves to denote the specific moment of time where the completeness of the action is denoted.
2;1;22; The Structure of the Past Perfect Tense:
2;1;23; Past Indefinite and Past Perfect; Past Perfect Tense always gives us the completeness of the action at a given point of time in the past and the Past Indefinite Tense is used to denote the that point of time of the past which marks the completeness of the action.
Examples;
Read the following examples carefully.
When he rang me up, I had taken lunch.
He had left of home when I reached the college.
He had decided to resign much before he was asked to do so.
She permitted me to go there but I had changed my mind.
He called me back but I had joined elsewhere.
In the sentences given above there are two parts one that shows the completeness of the action and the other which denotes a specific point of time in terms of a single action in the past. In the first sentence, the completeness of the action of taking lunch is suggested at the point of time when he rang me up. In the second sentence, the completeness of the action of leaving home is suggested at the point of time when I reached the college. Similarly in the third sentence, the speaker is instructed to resign and the point of time is little before this and the completeness of the action of deciding to resign is suggested at that point of time. In the fourth sentence, the action of permitting to go suggests denotes the point of time and the action of changing the mind is complete at that point of time in the past. In the fifth sentence, the action in past indefinite shows the point of time and at that point of time, joining elsewhere is complete at that point of time.
The above discussion leads to one important rule which should always be kept in mind. Suppose there are two sentences a) and b) both are in Past Indefinite. A) takes place first and B) follows it. Now if we combine these two sentences, we always write the first sentence (the older one) in the Past Perfect and B) in Past Indefinite.
Examples;
The patient died
The Doctor came
In this example the sentence a) takes place first and b) takes place second. Imagine that the patient died at 9;05 am in the morning and the doctor came at 9;15 ie after ten minutes of the death of the patient. Obviously when we combine the two sentences into one, we write the second sentence in the Past Perfect and first in the Past Indefinite.
When the doctor came the patient had died.
Let us take another example;
The train left the platform.
I reached the station.
In this example, a) takes place first and b) follows it. Suppose the train left the platform at 3;00pm sharp and I reached the station at 3;05 pm, thus when we combine these two sentences, we keep a) in the Past Perfect and b) in the Past Indefinite.
When I reached the station, the train had left the station.
Let us consider some more examples;
He inquired about the task.
I had finished it.
When he inquired about the task, I had finished it.
He reached the college at 9; 35 am.
The examination began at 9; 30 am
When he reached the college, the examination had begun.
I finished my dinner at 7;00 pm and I was waiting for him.
He reached my place at 7; 15 pm
When he reached my place, I had finished my dinner and I was waiting for him.
The rescue workers jumped into the river to save him.
He died of drowning.
When the rescue workers jumped into the river to save him, he had died of drowning.
The parents decided to take him to Mumbai for consulting the doctor.
He began to recover from the disorder.
When the parents decided to take him to Mumbai for the consulting the expert, he had begun to recover.
He requested me to land him one thousand rupees.
I spent all my money on purchasing clothes.
When he requested me to land him one thousand rupees, I had spent all my money on purchasing clothes.
It is often observed that the students while combining the two sentences rarely pay attention to time order and write them in the Past Perfect Tense only which is incorrect. If the two sentenced being combined are in occur at two different points of time, then in order to combine the two, we keep the time order in mind. If the two interrelated actions are realized at two different points of time then we write the older even in the Past Perfect and the one that takes place later in the Past Indefinite. Both the sentences are written in Past Indefinite only when the actions in those two sentences are independent and have no direct interrelation with each other.
Let us consider the following sentence;
He came he saw, he conquered.
I went there, met the concerned person and came back.
He saw me and turned his face away.
He didn’t invite me but I went to him and greeted him on the auspicious occasion.
He took the exam but failed.
A close scrutiny of the above sentences makes it clear that the actions in the above sentences simply follow a time order. They are connected to each other only in chronological terms and order thus we use Past Indefinite for writing both. In the first sentence, (from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar) gives three different actions in precise chronology. In this sentence, we don’t write one in relation to the other. Similarly in the third sentence, there are three actions in precise chronology. In these sentences we don’t examine the status of one action in relation to the other. Same is the case with the fourth and fifth sentence. In these sentences also the actions bear only a chronological relation and we don’t assess the status of one the relation to other or others. In the fourth sentence, there are three action, first of not inviting the speaker, second of going to him and third of greeting him and they are connected with each other only chronologically. Likewise in the fifth sentence, there are two actions; taking the exam and failing it. They are connected with each other only in the chronological manner.
2;1;24 Future Perfect Tense; Future Perfect Tense gives us the completeness of the action at the given point of time in the future. The structure of the sentence has two main parts; one is the reference to the point of time in the future and the other is the completeness of the action at that point of time.
2;1;25; The Structure of the Future Perfect;
It is noticeable that the reference to time is not always given in terms of clock time but often we denote time in terms of some action in the future which in combination with the Future Perfect Tense is always written in the Present Indefinite.
Examples; Let us examine the following examples carefully;
I will have completed the work before next morning.
He will have returned me the amount before the weekend.
Mahesh will have taken the amount before Mukesh runs away from the town.
It is important to note that the point of time in the Future is not denoted in Future Indefinite Tense. We make use of the Present Indefinite to denote the point of time in the future.
Let us consider the following example;
1) He will ask me about the progress of the work.
I will have completed the work before it.
In the two sentences given above, the first sentence gives us a point of time in the future and the second sentence gives us the completeness of the action at that given point of time.
I will have completed the work before he asks me about the progress.
2;1;26; Perfect Continuous Tense; Perfect Continuous Tense is characterized by two main features defining the action of the verb in this tense.
The action is always in form of a process spread along a given time period.
At the given point of time, a part of the action is complete and the actions shows continuity at that given point of time in the past, present of the future.
2;1;27; Present Perfect Continuous; Present Perfect Tense gives us the completeness of the action at the present moment (or phase) and the action shows continuity at the present moment.
The tense is characterized chiefly in terms of two main features;
The action is always in form of a process.
A part of the action is complete at the present moment (or phase) and the action shows continuity at the present moment.
Examples;
I have been residing in Jabalpur since birth.
I have been teaching in Gyan Ganga College of Technology for last five years.
She has been giving dance performances since childhood.
Vikram has been working in this college since inception.
Sachin has been playing for India since 1989.
It is clear from the above given examples that the behavior of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense has two main features of defining significance; the completeness of the action at the present moment and the continuity of the action at the same point. In the first example, a part of the action of residing in Jabalpur since birth is complete and the action shows continuity at the present moment also. Imagine that the age of the speaker is 30 years, then he has completed 30 years of the same action and at the present moment also the action shows continuity ie the speaker is residing in Jabalpur at that the present moment. In the second sentence also a part of the action ie is the phase of five years of the action is complete and the speaker is continuing with the same action of teaching in Gyan Ganga College of Technology. Similarly in the third sentence also the a part of the action since childhood of the dancer is complete and there is continuity of the action at that the present moment. In the fourth sentence also a part of the action- from the inception of the college to the present date is complete and the action shows continuity at the present moment that is the moment of speech. In the last example again a part of the action from 1089 to the moment of speech, the present moment is complete and the action shows continuity at the same moment.
2;1;28; The Structure of the Present Perfect Continuous;
2;1;29; Past Perfect Continuous; The Past Perfect Tense has two salient features of defining significance;
The action in the Past Perfect Tense is always in form of a process.
At a given point of time in the past, a part of the action is complete and the action shows continuity at that point of time in the past.
Examples;
I had been teaching in University Teaching Department from 1990 to 1996.
For years, he had been absconding but ultimately he was arrested.
He had been attending his father very sincerely until he died.
I had been watching movies until 1985.
I had been waiting for you for the whole day yesterday but you neither came nor rang me up.
In the examples given above we find that action has both the defining features; the completeness of the action at a given point of time in the past and the continuity of the action at the same moment. In the first sentence, the action begins at 1990 and the in 1996, a part of the action (of 6 years) is complete and at 1996 the action shows continuity. In the second sentence, the person under discussion, completes a part of the action and shows continuity until his arrest. In the third sentence also the action has same behavior, the speaker shows continuity of the action at the given point of time (1985) and, from beginning to the given point of time a part of the action is complete. The fifth sentence also has the same behavior of the action. From morning to the end point, a part of the action is complete and the continuity of the action is suggested at the end point.
2;1;30; Structure of the Past Perfect Continuous;
2;1;31; Future Perfect Continuous; Future Perfect Continuous Tense has the following two main features;
The action begins either at the present phase or moment or at some point of time in the past.
At a given point of time in the future, a part of the action is complete and the action shows continuity at that point of time.
It is important to note that the action may be in continuity in the present and may be extended to some point of time in the future or it may begin at a point of time in the future and end at some other point of time in the future only. The most important aspect of the Future Perfect Continuous Tense is that at the given point of time in the future, a part of the action is complete and at that point of time in the future, the action shows continuity.
2;1;32; Structure of the Future Perfect Continuous;
Examples;
I will have been teaching you until the semester exams.
They will have been working on the project by the end of next week.
We will have been working until the body permits.
Raja will have been playing till 5 pm.
Sachin will have been representing the country until next world cup.
The above examples make clear the use of Future Perfect Continuous tense. In the first example, the speaker, who is probably the teacher, tells his students about the continuity of the action till some point of time in the future which is the semester exam. In the second example, the speaker informs about the group of persons working on the project till the end of the next week. By the given time, a part of the action is complete and the action shows continuity at that point of time. In the third sentence, the speaker claims the continuity of the action until he remains healthy which is a reference to the future and at that point of time, a part of the action will be complete and the action shows continuity. In the fourth sentence, the speaker tells about the subject (Raja) who performs the action in form of process till 5 pm, which is the given point of time in the future. Similarly in the last sentence, the speaker tells about Sachin and his action. The next world cup is the point of time in the future and by then, a part of the action will be complete and the action shows the continuity of the action. It is further noticeable that the point of time in the future is always suggested in terms of some action but we always make use of the Present Tense to denote the future.
2;1;33; Perfect Continuous and Continuous Tense; it is commonly observed that the people often use Continuous Tense in place of the Perfect Continuous Tense which from the point of view of grammar is incorrect. It should always be kept in mind that the Continuous tense always gives us the continuity of the action at a given point of time in the past, present or future, whereas, Perfect Continuous Tense, always gives is a process with part completeness and continuity both realized at one point of time in the past, present of the future.
Examples;
I was waiting for you for the whole day yesterday. (wrong)
I have been waiting for you for the whole days yesterday. (Correct)
I am teaching in Gyan Ganga College of Technology since 2006. (wrong)
I have been teaching in Gyan Ganga College of Technology since 2006.
I will be helping you until you need my help. (wrong)
I will have been teaching you until you need my help. Correct)
2;1;34; Use of since and for; Since and for are two main ways to denote time in the Perfect and Perfect Continuous Tense.
Since is used when the initial point of the action is given and the action is stretchable to the present moment. It is noticeable that the action is case of the use of since is always stretchable to the present moment, thus since is always used in the Present Perfect of Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
Examples;
I have been in the college since 9;30 am
He has been playing for India since 1989.
Mohan has been a good cricketer since school days.
I have been teaching since 1990.
Since time immemorial, people have been going to the Confluence for a holy dip.
In the examples given above an attempt has been made to make clear the use of since for denoting time. In the first sentence, 9;30 am is the initial point of the action and it is stretched to the present moment when the sentence is being spoken. The second sentence informs us about the player who had been playing for India. It is noticeable that the year 1989 marks the initial point of the action and the action is stretchable to the present moment i.e, a part of the action from 19889 to the present day is complete and at the present moment the action shows continuity. In the third sentence the use of Present Perfect Tense shows the completeness of the action which begins in the school days of the subject. In the fourth sentence, 1990 is the initial point of the action and at the present moment, a part of the action is complete and it shows continuity as well. In the fifth sentence, the initial point has unknown antiquity and the action with part completeness is going on even in the present phase.
For denotes time in a package or bundle form. We use for when the time is denote in a package form of two years, five months, whole day, six hours etc. it is also noticeable that in case of for, time is denote in a package form, thus for can be used in any of the tenses viz a viz past, present or future of perfect and perfect continuous.
Examples;
I have been in the UK for five years.
I have been in the US for last five years.
Ram had been playing for the school for three years from 1999 to 2002.
Ankit will have been doing this job for two more years.
He had been waiting for me for the whole day yesterday.
The above given examples make clear the use of for in the Perfect and Perfect Continuous Tense. In the first example, the speaker informs the listener about the time period of five years denoted in form of the package. In the second sentence, the same speaker tells the listener about his stay in the USA given the time slot of ‘last five years’ in a bundle form. In the third sentence, the speaker speaks about Ankit suggesting his preoccupation with the job for a time period of two years to come. In the fifth sentence, the whole day is the suggested time period for the action which is expressed in Perfect Continuous Tense.
2;1;35; Use of till/ until; All these references to time are used when we have to show the end point of the action; the point where the action comes to an end.
We use till to denote the end point of the action where the action comes to a dead halt. Generally we use a direct reference to time for suggesting the end point of the action.
He had been playing with his friends till 7; 30 in the evening. Then he went back.
I had been waiting for his call until midnight, and then I went to sleep.
I have been very busy till the last weekend. Now I can spare sometime for him.
In all the three sentences till is used to denote the end point of the action. In case of the Perfect Tense (generally Past Perfect and Future Perfect) till denotes the point suggesting the completeness of the action. In the case of the Perfect Continuous Tense (generally Past Perfect and Future Perfect) till denotes the point of time where the process of the action comes to an end; the point where the action in form of the process ended or where it will end.
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