English Language – Tenses
FCI Recruitment – Study Notes
1. Simple Explanation
The tense of a verb tells us when an action happens:
- Past – already happened
- Present – happening now or always true
- Future – will happen
Each tense has three aspects that give more detail:
| Aspect | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | Regular occurrence or fact | She walks. |
| Continuous (Progressive) | Action happening at a specific moment | She is walking. |
| Perfect | Action completed before another time | She has walked. |
| Perfect‑Continuous | Duration of an action completed before another time | She has been walking. |
2. Key Points
| Category | What to Remember | Common Mistakes |
|---|---|---|
| Present Tenses | Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect‑Continuous | Mixing is walking with walk when describing habit |
| Past Tenses | Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect‑Continuous | Using was walking for a completed past event |
| Future Tenses | Simple (will), Continuous (will be), Perfect (will have), Perfect‑Continuous (will have been) | Forgetting will have in future perfect |
| Usage Rules | 1. Simple: facts, habits, scheduled events 2. Continuous: ongoing actions 3. Perfect: actions finished before another time 4. Perfect‑Continuous: emphasis on duration |
1. I have eaten (finished) vs I am eating (now) |
| Common Forms | Present – I eat / I am eating / I have eaten / I have been eating Past – I ate / I was eating / I had eaten / I had been eating Future – I will eat / I will be eating / I will have eaten / I will have been eating |
|
| Interrogatives & Negatives | Add did, do, does, didn't, doesn't, hasn't, haven’t, wasn't, will not, etc. | Forgetting hasn't in present perfect negative |
| Sequence of Tenses | Main clause time → subordinate clause time | I thought that she was coming (past → past continuous) |
| Time Expressions | Yesterday, last week → Past | Tomorrow, next year → Future |
3. Worked Example
Paragraph
Yesterday, I was walking in the market when I saw a friend who had been living in London for five years. We sat on a bench and talked about how she will be arriving next month. She said that she has already booked her flight, but she will not be going to the airport until after she finishes her exams.
Identify the tense of each verb phrase:
| Verb Phrase | Tense | Aspect | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| was walking | Past Continuous | Ongoing action in past | “Yesterday” indicates past; action in progress |
| saw | Past Simple | Regular past action | Immediate observation |
| had been living | Past Perfect‑Continuous | Completed action before another past event | Her living in London had started earlier and continued until yesterday |
| sat | Past Simple | Completed action | Sitting happened after seeing |
| talked | Past Simple | Completed action | Conversation after sitting |
| will be arriving | Future Continuous | Ongoing future action | Arrival scheduled for next month |
| said | Past Simple | Completed action | Statement made in past |
| has already booked | Present Perfect | Completed action with present relevance | Booking happened earlier, still relevant |
| will not be going | Future Negative Continuous | Ongoing future action not occurring | She will not go to the airport |
| finishes | Present Simple | Habitual/General truth | Exams will conclude at an unspecified future time |
Takeaway
- Pay attention to time cues (
Yesterday,next month,already) to pick the correct tense. - Remember that the perfect tenses tie an action to another time.
4. Quick Revision Summary
- Tense + Aspect = Time + Action Detail
- Simple | Continuous | Perfect | Perfect‑Continuous
- Present – facts, habits, scheduled events
- Past – actions finished before now
- Future – actions that will happen
- Key Time Words
- Past: yesterday, last, ago
- Present: now, today, always
- Future: tomorrow, next, soon
- Common Formulas
- will + base verb → Future Simple
- was/is + verb‑ing → Continuous
- has/have + past participle → Perfect
- has/have been + verb‑ing → Perfect‑Continuous
- Check the Context – Use surrounding words to decide tense.
- Practice – Convert simple sentences into all four aspects for each tense.
Tip for FCI Exam:
In multiple‑choice questions, look for time markers or sequence indicators (e.g., “before”, “after”, “since”) to choose the right tense.
Good luck preparing for the FCI Recruitment exam!