CBSE Class 11 English Grammar – Tenses (The Present Tense)

CBSE Class 11 English Grammar – Tenses (The Present Tense)

I. THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

(a)    Statements

Form. Subject + the infinitive (without to) + ………….
When the Subject is Third Person singular, ‘s’ or ‘es’ is added to the first form of the verb.
Examples:

1. I learn my lesson daily.
2. We love our parents.
3. You read the Hindu daily.
4. A cow lives on grass.
5. He/she helps the poor
6. They reach the school in time.

SPELLING RULES:

1. Add ‘es’ to the first form of the verb if it ends in ‘ch’, ‘sh’, ‘o’ or ‘x’: as —teaches, rushes, goes, passes or fixes.
2. If a verb ends in ‘y’ and there is a consonant before ‘y’; change ‘y’ into ‘i ’ and add ‘es’ to the verb; as—
   cry —> cries; fly —> flies; try —> tries
   Exception. If there is vowel before ‘y’ add only ‘s’ to the first form of the verb; as—
   enjoy —> enjoys, obey —> obeys; pray —> prays.
3. To all verbs, add only ‘s’; as
   sits, plays, rims, speaks.

(b) Interrogative Sentences

Form. Do/does + subject + the infinitive (without to) + …………. ?
When the subject is third Person Singular, we use ‘Does’. For other subjects we use ‘do’:
Examples:

1. Do you learn your lesson daily?
2. Does he help the poor?
3. Does she know me?
4. Why does the girl cry?

(c) Negative Sentences 

Form. Subject + do not/does not + the infinitive + …………. .
Use ‘does not’ if the subject is third person singular. With other subjects use ‘do not’:
Examples:

1. She does not hate anyone.
2. They do not welcome us.

Exceptions. ‘Never’ is followed by bare infinitive or infinitive + s/es as in statements. The negative sense is conveyed by ‘never’ itself; sis—

1. I never tease animals.
2. She never tells a lie.

(d) Negative Interrogative Sentences

Form. Do not/Does not + subject + the infinitive + …………. ?
Examples: 

1. Don’t you like this new film?
2. Doesn’t she help the poor with money?

(e) Emphatic Use of ‘Do/Does’

Form. Subject + do/does + the infinitive …………. .
Examples:

1. She does drink, but not in public.
2. I do go to the gym, but only on Sundays.

Important Note. Use only the first form of the verb after do and does.
Adverbs. The Simple Present Tense is used with the words:
always, often, frequently, generally, usually, sometimes, everyday, every week, every month, daily, once a week, twice a week, etc.

The Use of Simple Present Tense

1. To express a habitual action; as—
   I go to the temple daily.
   She always speaks the truth.
   My grandmother tells us a story every evening.
2. To express a universal truth; as—
   The earth moves round the sun.
   The sun rises in the east.
   Water freezes into ice at 0°C.
3. To express a situation or a fact that is permanent; as—
   The Taj stands on the bank of the Yamuna.
   My house faces north.
   This road leads to Ambala.
4. To express an action which must happen in the near future; as—
   Her marriage comes off next month.
   Ravi goes to England next year.
   We leave at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
5. To read or write a subordinate clause (of time or condition) when the main clause refers to future; as
   If you come, we shall be happy.
   If you work hard, you will pass.
   We will not wait here until he comes.
   He will come out when the bell rings.

EXERCISE 1

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in brackets:

1. Birds …………………………….. (fly) in the air.
2. She always …………………………….. (keep) her word.
3. The Gita…………………………….. (say) : Man is mortal.
4. The Muslims …………………………….. (bury) their dead.
5. The sun…………………………….. (shine) by day.
6. The milkman…………………………….. (not come) here twice a day.
7. The Ganga…………………………….. (rise) from the Himalayas.
8.  ……………………………..  you …………………………….. (understand) what I say?
9. Wheat…………………………….. (sell) at seven rupees a kilo.
10. Beauty…………………………….. (need) no ornaments.
11. She usually…………………………….. (write) in black ink.
12. Barking dogs seldom…………………………….. (bite).
13. This train generally…………………………….. (run) late.
14. He often…………………………….. (forget) his purse.
15. …………………………….. he …………………………….. (go) to school everyday?
16. …………………………….. your friends…………………………….. (play) games?
17. If it …………………………….. (rain), we shall cancel the match.
18. If she …………………………….. (hear) of my marriage she will be shocked.

Answers:
l. fly, 2.keeps, 3.says, 4. bury, 5.shines, 6.does not come, 7.rises, 8.Do (you) understand, 9. sells, 10. needs, 11. writes, 12. bite, 13. runs, 14. forgets, 15. Does, go, 16. Do, play, 17. rains, 18. hears.

2. THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

(a)  Statements

Form. Subject + is lam/are + Present Participle (Bare infinitive + ing or verb + ing)
Examples:

1. I am writing a letter.
2. Uday is reading a book.
3. Children are playing in the field.

SPELLING RULES:
While adding ‘ing’ to the first form of the verb, remember the following:

1. If the verb ends in ‘e’, this final ‘e’ is dropped before adding ‘ing’; as—
   come — coming,    use — using,
   tease — teasing,    waste — wasting.
   Exception. dye — dyeing; die — dying.
2. When the verb is of one syllable and has a vowel before the final consonant, double the final consonant before adding ‘ing’; as—
   hit—hitting, run—running, shop—shopping.
3. If the verb is of two or more syllables with stress falling on the last syllable, double the final consonant before adding ‘ing’; as—
   begin — beginning, submit — submitting.
4. If the verb ends in a single ‘l’ preceded by a vowel, double the ‘l’ before adding ‘ing’; as—fulfil—fulfilling.
   compel —compelling; quarrel —quarrelling.

(b)    Interrogative Sentences

Form. Is/ am/ are + Subject + Present Participle ……………….. ?
Examples:

1. Is Madhu watching television?
2. Are they coming to the party?
3. Why are you making a noise?

Note. The ‘wh’ – question word comes before is/am/are.

(c)    Negative Sentences

Form. Subject + is / am / are + not + Present Participle.
Examples:

1. We are not going out today.
2. Hemant is not flying a kite now.
3. I am not wasting my time.

(d) Negative Interrogative Sentences

Form. Is I am/are + Subject + not + Present Participle + ?
Examples:

1. Is the gardener not watering the plants now?
2. Are they not coming to the party this evening?

Important Note:
The following verbs are not normally used in the present continuous tense (The non-conclusive actions can be conveyed by using the Simple Present):
(i) Verbs of Perception : see, hear, smell, notice.
(ii) Verbs of Thinking : think, feel, know, mean, mind, remember, forget, believe, imagine, agree, doubt, understand etc.
(iii) Verbs of Feeling : admire, adore, care, desire, wish, love, hate, like, dislike, forgive, want.
(iv) Verbs of Possession : have, owe, own, belong, possess.
(v) Verbs of Appearance : appear, seem, resemble, etc.
(vi) Miscellaneous Verbs : consist, contain, cost, depend, etc.
Examples:

1. I smell something burning.
2. He thinks he left his diary in his office.
3. It is raining, but she wants to go home.

Adverbs. The Present Continuous Tense is often used with the words these days, at this time, at present, at the moment, etc.

The Use of Present Continuous Tense

1. To describe the continuity of an action going on at the moment of speaking; as—
   She is singing now.
   Look! The postman is coming.
   You are speaking too fast, I can’t follow you.
2. To describe ah action in process, but not necessarily going on at the time of speaking; as—
   I am writing a play these days.
   What is your sister doing now-a-days?
   We are still exporting coal to Japan.
3. To express an action definitely planned for the near future; as—
   He is leaving for Delhi tomorrow.
   What are you doing in the evening?
   I am taking my mother to the art gallery this afternoon.
4. To express a temporary situation; as—
   Anju is sitting in a chair.
   Mother is cooking food now.
   We are enjoying the situation.
5. To express an action that has become a habit but is annoying/unpleasant to others; as—
   You are always asking for more?
   He is always making excuses.
   He is always indulging in baseless gossips.

EXERCISE 2
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks with correct form of the verbs (Present Simple or Present Continuous) given in brackets:

1. The train ………………….. (leave) for Kolkata shortly.
2. What ………………….. you (do) these days?
3. What ………………….. she (do) in the afternoons?
4. They ………………….. (host) a party tomorrow.
5. She always ………………….. (write) with her left hand.
6. The players ………………….. (warm) themselves up now.
7. The last bus for Agra …………………..  (leave) at 11 p.m.
8. I ………………….. (not believe) what you say.
9. My mother usually ………………….. (cook) in the morning.
10. You ………………….. (hear) the wind?
11. He ………………….. (not waste) his time.
12. I ………………….. (visit) my parents tomorrow.
13. My brother ………………….. (make) a film these days.
14. Mohit usually ………………….. (drink) coffee but today he ………………….. (take) tea.
15. Hurry up! The taxi ………………….. (wait).
16. She ………………….. (resemble) her mother.
17. Look! Smoke ………………….. (come) out of that window.
18. What ………………….. you (wait) for at this moment?
19. Our teacher usually ………………….. (stand) near the lecture stand, but now he ………………….. (sit) near the table.
20. He ………………….. still (sleep) in his room.

Answers:
1. is leaving, 2. are (you) doing, 3. does (she) do, 4. are hosting, 5. writes, 6. are warming, 7. leaves, 8. do not believe, 9. cooks, 10. Do (you) hear, 11. does not waste, 12. am visiting, 13. is making, 14. drinks, is taking, 15. is waiting, 16. resembles, 17. is coming, 18. are (you) waiting, 19. stands, is sitting, 20. is (still) sleeping.

3. THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
(a) Statements

Form. Subject + has/have + Past Participle (III form of the verb)
Examples:

1. I have lost my pen.
2. He has posted all the invitations.
3. She has finished her work.
4. They have left for Agra today.

(b) Negative Sentences

Form. Subject + has not/have not + Third form of the Verb

1. I have not taken your book.
2. He has not solved all his sums.
3. They have not sold their old house yet.

(c)    Interrogative Sentences

Forms. Has /Have + Subject + Third form of the Verb + ……………… ?

1. Have you lost your purse?
2. Has he won the first prize?
3. Have they scored the winning goal?

Important Note.

1. ‘Has’ is always used with singular subjects and ‘have’ with plural subjects,
2. The subjects ‘you’ and ‘I’ take ‘have’ with them.

Adverbs. The Present Perfect Tense is used with the words :
Yet, as yet, so far, ever since, already, just, just now, presently, once, twice, etc.

The Use of the Present Perfect Tense

1. To express an action that has been recently completed; as—
   He has just received an e-mail.
   I have solved two questions so far.
   Have you finished your meals?
2. To describe an action which has just occurred, but the time is not given; as—
   I have watered the plants.
   He has sent a message.
   They have contacted all their friends.
3. To describe a past event, having some connection with the present; as—
   She has been to Shimla twice.
   I have seen this film.
   He has never failed in any public examination.
4. To express an action having taken place in the Past and continuing in the present; as—
   We have lived here for ten years.
   He has known her for three years.
   I have not heard from you for over a year.

EXERCISE 3
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in brackets:

1. Devanshi ……………………… (get) a new car now.
2. Nidhi ……………………… not (come) back yet.
3. I ……………………… already (see) this film.
4. The postman ……………………… not (come) so far.
5. She ……………………… (be) a teacher since 2000.
6. They ……………………… (know) us for several years.
7. She ……………………… (join) a college recently.
8. The old man ……………………… (live) here all his life.
9. He  ……………………… not (wear) the new shirt yet.
10. Tbm left the school some time ago. He ……………………… not (return) yet.

Answers:

1. has got, 2. has not come, 3. have already seen, 4. has not come, 5. has been, 6.have known, 7. has joined. 8. has lived, 9. has not worn, 10. has not returned.

4.    THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form. Subject + has/have + been + Present I participle (I form of verb +ing)
In negative sentences ‘not’ is placed between has/have and been, while in Interrogative sentences, ‘has’ or ‘have’ is placed before the subject, whereas ‘been’ follows the subject.
Examples:
We have been waiting for you for an hour.
He has been living in this house since 1995.
It has not been raining since morning.
Has she been working in this firm for two months?

The Use of the Present Perfect Continuous Tense

(a)    To express an action which began in the past but is still going on; as—
She has been reading a book since morning.
I have been lying in bed for an hour.
Note. ‘Since’ and Tor’ are used with the Perfect Tenses. ‘Since’ is used with a point of time eg. since morning, since Monday, since 15th, since May, since 4 O’clock, since 1985 etc.
‘For’ is used with a period of time eg. for two hours, for three months, for many years etc.

(b) To express an action which began in the past and has been just completed, but whose result is still the present; as—
My clothes are dirty, because I have been washing my car.
I have been clearing my room since morning and I am very much tired now.

(c) To express an action in a sentence which begins with ‘For how long’ or ‘Since when’; as—
Since when have you been waiting for me?
For how long has he been suffering from fever?

EXERCISE 4
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in brackets:

1. It ………………………………………….     (rain) since morning.
2. The students ………………………………………….      (work) well this year.
3. I ………………………………………….    (teach) in this school for twenty years.
4. How long you ………………………………………….    (wait) for me?
5. What you ………………………………………….     (do) all these years?
6. They ………………………………………….    (live) in this house since 1990.
7. Since when you ………………………………………….     (work) in this office?
8. I am very much tired, for I ………………………………………….     (wash) my car since morning.
9. You ………………………………………….    (play) tennis all morning?
10. Since when she ………………………………………….    (stand) there?
11. She  ………………………………………….   (wait) there since 8 a.m.
12. He  ………………………………………….    (study) medicine here since 1999.
13. We ………………………………………….    (search) the missing pen for half-an-hour.
14. The teacher ………………………………………….    (mark) the answer books since morning.
15. The teachers  ………………………………………….   (discuss) the problem since lunch.

Answers:
1. has been raining, 2. have been working, 3. have been teaching, 4. have (you) been waiting, 5. have (you) been doing,
6. have been living, 7. have (you) been working, 8. have been washing, 9. Have (you) been playing, 10. has (she) been standing, 11. has been waiting, 12. has been studying, 13. have been searching, 14. has been marking, 15. have been discussing.

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