Simple present: habits, universal truths, timetables (The train leaves at 6), "Here comes the bus".
Present continuous: now/Look!/Listen!, these days, planned future (I am going to Puri next week), "always" for an annoying habit.
Stative verbs are not used in continuous: know, believe, love, like, own, have (= possess), smell/taste (as states).
Present perfect: just, already, yet, ever, never, so far, this is the first time; a past action with a present result.
Present perfect continuous: action from the past still going on, with since/for/how long.
has gone (still there) vs has been (went and came back).
3. Past
Simple past with definite past time: yesterday, last week, ago, in 2010, just now. Never present perfect with these.
Past continuous: action in progress when another happened (was writing when I entered).
Past perfect: the earlier of two past actions (the train had left when I reached); by the time + past.
Past perfect continuous: duration up to a past point (had been waiting for two hours).
used to + V1 = past habit; be used to + V-ing = accustomed.
4. Future
will: decision, opinion, promise. be going to: plan or evidence (Look at those clouds!).
Future continuous: in progress at a future time (this time tomorrow).
Future perfect: completed by a future time (by next year, by the time you arrive).
Time and if-clauses use the present for the future: when he comes, till you return, if it rains.
5. Sequence of tenses and special forms
Past reporting verb → past in the reported clause (He said he was busy), except universal truths (the earth moves round the sun).
since + point in past: main clause in present perfect (Since he joined, he has never been late). It is ten years since he died (simple past after since).
No sooner/Hardly + had + V3 (inverted).
Unreal: I wish I were…; as if he knew…; It is high time we left.
Conditionals: if + present, will; if + past, would; if + had V3, would have V3.
After did/does/do use V1: did not go.
Sourced from the Odisha Public Service Commission where applicable.
opsc.gov.in.
EduSaint is not affiliated with OPSC.