Class 9 English Grammar Tense, NCERT/SCERT Class 9 English Grammar Notes to each Syllabus wise provided in the list of SEBA Class 9 English Grammar Tense can be of great value to excel in the examination.
Class 9 English Grammar Tense
Class 9 English Grammar Tense Notes cover all the exercise questions in Assam Board SEBA Textbooks. The SEBA Class 9 English Grammar provided here ensures a smooth and easy understanding of all the concepts. Understand the concepts behind every chapter and score well in the board exams.
TENSE
GRAMMAR
MAIN USES OF DIFFERENT TENSES:
PRESENT TENSE
Simple Present Tense
The simple present is mainly used to express habitual action. I does not tell us whether or not the action is being performed at t’ moment of speaking.
e.g. He drinks milk.
The Sun rises in the east.
Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense is used to represent an action happening now.
e.g. I am drinking tea.
I am working on my project.
Some other important uses of the present continuous tense :
For an action happening about this time but not necessarily at the moment of speaking:
e.g. She is studying and doing a part-time job. (She may not be doing either at the moment of speaking.)
For expressing one’s immediate plans:
e.g. I am buying books this evening.
Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used for recently completed actions whose time is not mentioned.
e.g. I have seen the movie but I didn’t like it.
e.g. He has had a serious accident. (He is probably still in hospital) But actions expressed by the simple past tense without a time expression do not usually have results in the present.
e.g. He had a serious accident.
(but he is probably out of hospital now)]
Another important use of the present perfect tense :
The present perfect tense is used for actions occurring in, of lasting throughout, an incomplete period.
Time expressions indicating an incomplete period include: today; this morning/ afternoon/ evening/ week/ month /year/ century; all day/night/week; all <someone’s lives; since <a point of time; for <a period of time>; all the time; always; lately; never; recently.
e.g. I have met him today. (at some time during the day)
He has been in this firm for six years. (He is still there.)
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Either of the two-the present perfect tense and the present perfect continuous tense- can be used to express an action which began in the past and is still continuing or has only just finished. However, there are some differences, between the two tenses which may be clear from the following:–
Both the following sentences convey the same idea :
She has taught for eight years. (present perfect tense)
but the following sentences do not convey the same meaning:
She has taught. (the job has been completed)
She has been teaching. (the job is not necessarily completed)
Clearly the present perfect continuous tense can be used with or without a time phrase; but when the present perfect tense is used without a time expression, it refers to a single completed action.
The present perfect continuous tense can sometimes be used to express a repeated action in the present perfect tense.
e.g. I have already received calls five times since lunch.
PAST TENSE
Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense is chiefly used for past actions whose time is definite.
e.g. I washed it yesterday. (the time of action is mentioned)
I bought this pen in Kolkata. (although the time is not mentioned, the action clearly took place at a definite time)
Past Continuous Tense
The past continuous tense is mainly used for past actions which continued for some time in the past, but whose exact limits are uncertain.
e.g. At ten, he was still sleeping.
When I reached home, he was having breakfast.
Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect tense can be used for an action which began ir the past and was still continuing, or only just finished, or stopper some time before the time of speaking.
e.g. She arrived at 1.15. She had been told to wait outside the cabin.
(She received her instruction before her arrival. Had th sentence been ‘She arrived at 1.15 and was told to wai. outside the cabin’, it would have meant that she received hei instructions after her arrival.)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
The past perfect continuous tense bears the same relation to the past perfect tense as the present perfect continuous tense bears to the present perfect tense.
We can often use either the past perfect continuous tense o the past perfect tense for an action which began in the past and was still continuing, or just finished before the time c speaking:
e.g. He had been sleeping since ten; (he is now awake. (past perfect continuous)
He had slept since ten; (he is now awake.) (past perfect)
The past perfect continuous tense can sometimes be used t express a repeated action in the past perfect tense.
e.g. I had been receiving calls. (past perfect continuous)
I had received calls five times. (past perfect)
A single action in the past perfect tense and an action in the past perfect continuous tense do not convey the same meaning.
e.g. By four o’clock she had taught them. (the job had been completed)
She had been teaching them. (the job was not necessarily completed)
An action in the past perfect continuous tense continues up to, or beyond, the time of speaking in the past. Whereas, there may or may not be a long interval between an action in the past perfect and the time of speaking.
e.g. She had been washing the utensils. (The utensils were probably still wet.)
FUTURE TENSE
Simple Future Tense
The simple future tense is used to express the speaker’s opinions, assumptions, speculations about the future.
e.g. I will go to Kolkata.
Some other important uses of the simple future tense :
For future habitual actions which we assume will take place :
e.g. Winter will come again.
In sentences containing clauses of time, condition and sometimes purpose:
e.g. When it rains, the drains will overflow.
If you do not attend this class, you will miss important lessons.
Future Continuous Tense
Future continuous tense is usually used with a point in time, and expresses an action which starts before that time and probably continues after it.
e.g. By noon tomorrow they will be doing this job.
Another important use of the future continuous tense :
To express future action which will occur in the normal course of events.
e.g. I will be meeting Rekha tomorrow.
Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to indicate the completion of an action by a certain future time. Another useful thing to note is that it is normally used with a time expression beginning with by.
E.g. By the end of this month, she will have finished her exam.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
The future perfect continuous tense bears the same relationship to the future perfect tense as the present perfect continuous tense bears to the present perfect tense. Either of the two- the future perfect continuous tense and the future perfect tense – can be used in the following cases –
When the action is continuous : By the end of this year he will have been teaching for te years.
By the end of this year he will have taught for ten years.
When the action is expressed as a continuous action:
By the end of this year he will have been teaching children for ten years.
Exercise
Insert the correct tense of the verb:
(i) I asked him what I _____ do. (can)
(ii) He ran away because he afraid _____ (to be)
(iii) He speaks as one who ____(to know)
(iv) He rested his horse, for it ______(to limp)
(v) I forgive you since you _____(to repent)
(vi) He lost more than he ____ afford.(can)
(vii) He ran as quickly as he _____(can)
(viii) I waited for my friend until he _____ (come)
Ans:
(i) could
(ii) was
(iii) knows
(iv) limped
(v) repent
(vi) could
(vii) could
(viii) came
Some Previous Years’ Questions
Rewrite the following sentences using the correct tense forms of the verbs given in brackets:
1. It (rain) since eight o’ clock this morning.
2. When we went to his house, he (read) a book.
3. She behaves as if she (know) everything.
4. If it (rain), I shall not go out.
5. The work was (begin) a month ago.
6. He (leave) for Europe last Friday.
7. He went out after he (lock) the door.
8. As he was (climb) the steps, he slipped.
9. I (write) this letter since morning.
10. I have not seen him since we (leave) school.
11. If you (neglect) your studies, you will fail.
12. The bus usually (arrive) here at 6 o’clock.
13. I wish I (can) help you.
14. The match (start) before we reached the field.
15. I (not hear) from him for a year now.
16. We shall wait here until he (come) back.
17. We (know) each other for many years.
18. She (read) a book when I met her.
19. They (reach) home before it grew dark.
20. She (wait) for you since early morning.
Ans: 1. It has been raining since eight o’clock this morning.
2. When we went to his house, he was reading a book.
3. She behaves as if she knows everything.
4. If it rains, I shall not go out.
5. The work was begun a month ago.
6. He left for Europe last Friday.
7. He went out after he had locked the door.
8. As he was climbing the steps, he slipped.
9. I have been writing this letter since morning.
10. I have not seen him since we left school.
11. If you neglect your studies you will fail.
12. The bus usually arrives here at 6 o’clock.
13. I wish I could help you.
14. The match had started before we reached the field.
15. I have not heard from him for a year now.
16. We shall wait here until he comes back.
17. We have known each other for many years.
18. She was reading a book when I met her.
19. They had reached home before it grew dark.
20. She has been waiting for you since early morning.
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