SPI English · Grammar
Tenses and Verb Forms
A tense is the form of the verb that shows when an action happens and whether it is finished or still going on.
Why this matters
Fifteen questions in the bank: 11 EASY, 3 MODERATE and 1 HARD, and four of the five Grammar questions from the 2022 paper sit here. Most are settled by one time word in the sentence (ago, since, yet, by tomorrow), so find that word before you read the options.
Concept 1 of 4: The twelve tense forms and how to name them
Every tense is built from two choices: the time (past, present or future) and the shape (simple, continuous, perfect or perfect continuous). Learn the helping verbs of each shape and you can name any tense on sight.
Definition
- Simple: the verb alone (plays, played, will play).
- Continuous: a form of be + verb-ing (is playing, was playing, will be playing).
- Perfect: a form of have + past participle (has played, had played, will have played).
- Perfect continuous: a form of have been + verb-ing (has been playing, had been playing).
- Old books call the simple tenses indefinite: Past Indefinite means Simple Past.
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | verb or verb + s | She reads every day. |
| Present Continuous | am, is, are + verb-ing | She is reading now. |
| Present Perfect | has, have + past participle | She has read the letter. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | has, have been + verb-ing | She has been reading since noon. |
| Simple Past | past form | She read the letter yesterday. |
| Past Continuous | was, were + verb-ing | She was reading when I called. |
| Past Perfect | had + past participle | She had read it before I came. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | had been + verb-ing | She had been reading for an hour. |
| Simple Future | will, shall + verb | She will read it tomorrow. |
| Future Continuous | will be + verb-ing | She will be reading at six. |
| Future Perfect | will have + past participle | She will have read it by Monday. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | will have been + verb-ing | She will have been reading for two hours by six. |
To name a tense, look only at the helping verbs and the ending of the main verb.
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 1 · Grammar · Tenses and Verb Forms
Identify the correct tense for the given sentence: Children were making a noise in the class.
Calling every '-ing' form perfect continuous
Was or were + verb-ing is only the Past Continuous. The Past Perfect Continuous needs 'had been' before the -ing verb.
Reading 'have not' as the simple present
'I have not seen it' is have + past participle, so it is the Present Perfect, even though 'have' looks like a present verb.
Concept 2 of 4: Time words that fix the tense
Most tense questions hide a clue word that names the time. A finished time in the past wants the simple past; a period that runs up to now wants the present perfect; a deadline in the future wants the future perfect.
Definition
- Yesterday, last week, in 2019, two years ago: finished past time, so the simple past.
- Since, for, yet, already, so far, this week: a period that reaches up to now, so the present perfect.
- Ago never goes with the present perfect: say 'I met him two years ago', not 'I have met him two years ago'.
- By tomorrow, by next Monday: finished before a future time, so the future perfect.
- When + a short past action: the longer action that was going on takes the past continuous.
| Clue word | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ago, yesterday, last month | Simple Past | We visited Pune last month. |
| since, for, so far | Present Perfect | He has lived here since 2020. |
| yet, already, this week | Present Perfect | She has not called yet. |
| by tomorrow, by next week | Future Perfect | I will have finished the book by Friday. |
| when + short past action | Past Continuous | I was cooking when the lights went out. |
| now, look, listen | Present Continuous | Listen! The baby is crying. |
Find the clue word first, then pick the option whose tense matches it.
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
SPI · 2022 · SPI Entrance Examination 2022 · Q144Moderate
Example 2 · Grammar · Tenses and Verb Forms
Next five questions have a word or a group of words underlined. Three alternatives are suggested for this underlined word or the group of the words. Choose the most appropriate alternative to improve the sentence. If there is no improvement then choose (d).
The castle was constructed by the king many years ago, hence it could not be modified now.
Putting 'ago' with the present perfect
'Has been built two years ago' is wrong. A word like ago or last year names a finished time, and a finished time takes the simple past: 'was built two years ago'.
Using the simple past with 'since'
'I did not eat since morning' is wrong. Since marks a period that runs up to now, so it takes the present perfect: 'I have not eaten since morning'.
Using the simple future with 'by'
'By Monday' means finished before Monday, so the verb is the future perfect: 'will have done', not 'will do' or 'will be doing'.
Concept 3 of 4: Sequence of tenses: a past main verb pulls the next verb into the past
When the main part of a sentence is in the past, the part that depends on it usually goes into the past too. If one past action happened before another, the earlier one takes 'had'.
Definition
- A past main verb (knew, said, thought, was) is followed by a past verb: 'I hadn't gone out because I was tired', not 'because I am tired'.
- Of two past actions, the earlier one takes the past perfect (had + past participle): 'She saw that he had left.'
- After before, the event that had not yet happened may take the past perfect: 'The film was over before we had found our seats.'
- A universal truth stays in the present: 'The teacher said that the earth moves round the sun.'
| Main verb | Following verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past (thought) | Simple past | I thought he was at home. |
| Past (found) | Past perfect for the earlier action | We found that the shop had closed. |
| Past (ended) | Past perfect after before | The rain ended before we had reached the gate. |
| Past (taught) | Present for a universal truth | He taught us that water boils at 100 degrees. |
| Present (says) | Any tense the meaning needs | She says she will come. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
SPI · 2022 · SPI Entrance Examination 2022 · Q143Moderate
Example 3 · Grammar · Tenses and Verb Forms
Next five questions have a word or a group of words underlined. Three alternatives are suggested for this underlined word or the group of the words. Choose the most appropriate alternative to improve the sentence. If there is no improvement then choose (d).
I knew that Girish had not broken the glass door.
Mixing a present verb into a past sentence
'I did not come because I am sick' mixes two times. If the main verb is past, the reason is past too: 'because I was sick'.
Changing a correct past perfect
After a past verb such as knew or found, 'had + past participle' for the earlier action is already right. 'No improvement' is often the answer.
Concept 4 of 4: Modals and the base form of the verb
Can, must, should and their family never change their own form, and the verb after them is always the plain base form. Each modal carries its own meaning, so pick it by what the sentence wants to say.
Definition
- After a modal (can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, shall), use the base form: 'can go', never 'can goes', 'can going' or 'can to go'.
- After going to, also the base form: 'It is going to snow.'
- Must shows duty or need; can shows ability; may and might show possibility or permission; should shows advice.
- The pattern 'it takes (someone) time to do something' needs 'to' + the base form.
| Modal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | duty or necessity | Students must wear the school uniform. |
| can, could | ability | She can swim across the river. |
| may, might | possibility or permission | It may rain this evening. |
| should | advice | You should drink more water. |
| going to | a plan or a sign of what comes next | Look at that sky: it is going to snow. |
| it takes ... to | time needed | It takes ten minutes to walk to school. |
The verb after a modal or 'going to' has no -s, no -ing and no 'to'.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a practice question:
Practice questionEasy
Example 4 · Grammar · Tenses and Verb Forms
Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option.
We ____ obey the natural laws.
Adding -s or -ing after a modal
'He can drives' and 'we can't going' are wrong. A modal is always followed by the bare base form: 'can drive', 'can't go'.
Choosing a modal by sound, not meaning
Might, could and can only show possibility or ability. A rule everyone has to follow needs 'must'.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (4)
The twelve tense forms and how to name them12 rows
| Tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | verb or verb + s | She reads every day. |
| Present Continuous | am, is, are + verb-ing | She is reading now. |
| Present Perfect | has, have + past participle | She has read the letter. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | has, have been + verb-ing | She has been reading since noon. |
| Simple Past | past form | She read the letter yesterday. |
| Past Continuous | was, were + verb-ing | She was reading when I called. |
| Past Perfect | had + past participle | She had read it before I came. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | had been + verb-ing | She had been reading for an hour. |
| Simple Future | will, shall + verb | She will read it tomorrow. |
| Future Continuous | will be + verb-ing | She will be reading at six. |
| Future Perfect | will have + past participle | She will have read it by Monday. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | will have been + verb-ing | She will have been reading for two hours by six. |
To name a tense, look only at the helping verbs and the ending of the main verb.
Time words that fix the tense6 rows
| Clue word | Tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ago, yesterday, last month | Simple Past | We visited Pune last month. |
| since, for, so far | Present Perfect | He has lived here since 2020. |
| yet, already, this week | Present Perfect | She has not called yet. |
| by tomorrow, by next week | Future Perfect | I will have finished the book by Friday. |
| when + short past action | Past Continuous | I was cooking when the lights went out. |
| now, look, listen | Present Continuous | Listen! The baby is crying. |
Find the clue word first, then pick the option whose tense matches it.
Sequence of tenses: a past main verb pulls the next verb into the past5 rows
| Main verb | Following verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past (thought) | Simple past | I thought he was at home. |
| Past (found) | Past perfect for the earlier action | We found that the shop had closed. |
| Past (ended) | Past perfect after before | The rain ended before we had reached the gate. |
| Past (taught) | Present for a universal truth | He taught us that water boils at 100 degrees. |
| Present (says) | Any tense the meaning needs | She says she will come. |
Modals and the base form of the verb6 rows
| Modal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | duty or necessity | Students must wear the school uniform. |
| can, could | ability | She can swim across the river. |
| may, might | possibility or permission | It may rain this evening. |
| should | advice | You should drink more water. |
| going to | a plan or a sign of what comes next | Look at that sky: it is going to snow. |
| it takes ... to | time needed | It takes ten minutes to walk to school. |
The verb after a modal or 'going to' has no -s, no -ing and no 'to'.
Watch out for (9)
- Calling every '-ing' form perfect continuous→ The twelve tense forms and how to name them
- Reading 'have not' as the simple present→ The twelve tense forms and how to name them
- Putting 'ago' with the present perfect→ Time words that fix the tense
- Using the simple past with 'since'→ Time words that fix the tense
- Using the simple future with 'by'→ Time words that fix the tense
- Mixing a present verb into a past sentence→ Sequence of tenses: a past main verb pulls the next verb into the past
- Changing a correct past perfect→ Sequence of tenses: a past main verb pulls the next verb into the past
- Adding -s or -ing after a modal→ Modals and the base form of the verb
- Choosing a modal by sound, not meaning→ Modals and the base form of the verb
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