Tenses and Voice
Tenses and Voice
Tense shows the time of an action and voice shows whether the subject does the action or receives it. Both are decided by the form of the verb, and together they account for a large share of the English grammar questions in Paper 1.
The twelve tenses
| Tense | Present | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple / Indefinite | He writes | He wrote | He will write |
| Continuous | He is writing | He was writing | He will be writing |
| Perfect | He has written | He had written | He will have written |
| Perfect Continuous | He has been writing | He had been writing | He will have been writing |
Perfect = has / have / had + V3 | Continuous = be + V-ing
Uses that are tested
- Simple present for habits and universal truths: 'The sun rises in the east.'
- Present perfect for a past action with a present result: 'She has finished her work.'
- Simple past with a definite past time: 'She finished it yesterday.' Never 'has finished yesterday'.
- Present perfect continuous with 'since' for a point of time and 'for' for a period: 'He has been reading since morning', 'for two hours'.
- After 'if' in a first conditional, use the present, not the future: 'If it rains, we will stay.'
Active and passive voice
Passive = object + correct form of be + V3 + (by + subject)
| Tense | Active | Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Simple present | She writes a letter | A letter is written by her |
| Simple past | She wrote a letter | A letter was written by her |
| Present continuous | She is writing a letter | A letter is being written by her |
| Present perfect | She has written a letter | A letter has been written by her |
| Future | She will write a letter | A letter will be written by her |
| Imperative | Open the door | Let the door be opened |
Only transitive verbs, those that take an object, can be changed into the passive. Perfect continuous tenses are not normally used in the passive, which is itself an occasional question.
✗ She has finished her homework yesterday. | ✓ She finished her homework yesterday.
✗ A letter is write by her. | ✓ A letter is written by her.
संकेत: Perfect में has/have/had + V3; passive में be की सही रूप + V3; 'yesterday' के साथ simple past ही आता है।
Tenses and voice together carry 2-3 questions. The most repeated error tested is the present perfect used with a definite past time such as yesterday or last year, which requires the simple past. In voice questions, check the tense first and then apply the be + V3 pattern; the trap uses V2 instead of V3. Remember that only transitive verbs can be made passive, and that imperative sentences take the 'Let ... be' form.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 'She has finished it yesterday' wrong?
Because the present perfect cannot be used with a definite past time expression. When a specific past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2020 is mentioned, the simple past must be used: she finished it yesterday.
How do you change a sentence into the passive voice?
Make the object the new subject, use the correct form of the verb be for that tense followed by the third form of the main verb, and put the original subject after 'by' if it is needed.
What is the difference between 'since' and 'for'?
Since is used with a point of time, such as since morning or since 2019. For is used with a period of time, such as for two hours or for three years. Both usually take a perfect or perfect continuous tense.
60-second recap
- Twelve tenses: simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous in three times.
- Perfect = has/have/had + V3; continuous = be + V-ing.
- Definite past time takes the simple past, never the present perfect.
- Since with a point of time, for with a period.
- Passive = be + V3; only transitive verbs can be made passive.