Verb & Tenses | Exam Fusion Prep

Primary H.V.	Forms
Be	is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being
Have	has, have, had
Do	do, does, did

Modals
can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, need, used to, ought to

V1	V2	V3	V4 (ing)	V5 (s/es)
Play	Played	Played	Playing	Plays

Simple Present Tense

Sub + V1 + s/es

Singular Sub → Singular Verb

(He / She / It) + walks, talks, etc.

Plural Sub → Plural Verb

(I / We / You / They) + walk, talk, etc.

⚠ EXAM TRAP "I" is a first-person singular pronoun but always takes the plural verb form:
I am ✔ / I was ✔ / I have ✔ (not "I has") / I do ✔ (not "I does") / I write ✔ (not "I writes")

Uses of Simple Present

1. Habitual / Repeated actions of present

The newspaper boy comes daily at 6 am.
She usually sleeps late at night.
They go to Chicago every summer.

Time Expressions of Habitual Actions
Every day/night/week/month/year/evening/morning, Daily	Seldom, Never, Occasionally, Frequently, Often, Usually, Generally	Hardly, Rarely, Scarcely, Sometimes, Once/Twice a day/week/month/year

"Always" — Habit vs Invitation (Complaint) Habit → Sub + V1 + s/es | Invitation/Irritation → Sub + is/am/are + V1 + ing

She always speaks the truth. ✔ (habit)
He is always babbling about trifle things. ✔ (irritating repeated habit)

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Always/Usually" doesn't always mean simple present — when it expresses annoyance at a repeated behaviour, continuous tense is correct: "You always disturb me" → "You are always disturbing me."

2. Universal Truth / Facts

The moon orbits the Earth.
Our planet Earth rotates around its axis from west to east.
Plants give us oxygen.

⚡ QUICK RECALL Universal truths/scientific facts always take Simple Present, even inside a past-tense sentence: "The scientist believed that gravity pulls down everything" — no change needed.

3. Fixed Actions in Future (timetables, schedules)

Sub + will/shall + V1 = Sub + V1 + s/es

The P.M. will give a speech tomorrow. = The P.M. gives a speech tomorrow.
The match will start at 7 in the evening. = The match starts at 7 in the evening.
The train leaves at 6:30 in the evening. (F)
My grandfather retires on 28th November. (F)
The school reopens in October. (F)

Simple Present — Interrogative / Negative

Interrogative	Negative
Do/Does + Sub + V1?	Sub + do/does + not + V1
Does she go to the mall?	She does not go to the mall.
Do you read novels?	You do not read novels.

⚠ EXAM TRAP "How often is he visiting this place?" ✘ → "How often does he visit this place?" ✔ — question words like "how often" signal Simple Present, not Continuous.

Present Continuous Tense

Sub + is/am/are + V1 + ing

Use: Actions continuing at the moment.

I am teaching.
We are studying.
The boys are playing hockey in the field.

Verb splits into: Information (State) → ✘ in P.C.T. / Physical Activity (Action) → ✔ in P.C.T.

She is owning a Scooty ✘ → She owns a Scooty ✔
He is knowing me ✘ → He knows me ✔
They are going to Manali tonight ✔ (physical action)

State Verbs — Never Used in Continuous Tense

Love, Hate, Like, Remember, Forget, Notice, Recognise, Prefer, Wish, Want, Desire, Believe, Belong, Know, Agree, Own, Contain, Consist

⚠ EXAM TRAP Same word acting differently depending on meaning — exceptions See, Hear, Taste, Smell, Appear, Think, Have are normally state verbs but turn into action verbs (and CAN take continuous form) with a different meaning:

1. See

Perceive with eyes (देखना) → State → No continuous.
My father sees that you are not doing the work properly. ✔

is/am/are + seeing = to meet (मिलना) → action, continuous allowed
I am seeing the Chief Minister tomorrow. ✔

2. Hear

Perceive with ears (सुनना) → State → No continuous.
She hears a noise. ✔

is/am/are + hearing = सुनवाई करना (in court) → action
The judge is hearing a case today. ✔

3. Taste

The flavour of something (स्वाद) → State.
This stew tastes fantastic. ✔

is/am/are + tasting = to taste something intentionally (चखना) → action
He is tasting the food to see if it's okay. ✔

4. Smell

महकना (give off smell) → State.
You smell nice. ✔

is/am/are + smelling = सूंघना (to sniff) → action
The dog was smelling the pillow. ✔

5. Appear

to seem (प्रतीत होना) → State.
The exam appears to be difficult. ✔

is/am/are + appearing = to come out/be published → action
My new book is appearing next month. ✔

6. Think

to give opinion (विचार करना) → State.
I think that coffee is great. ✔

is/am/are + thinking = to consider possibilities (सोचना) → action
I am thinking of opening a new business. ✔

7. Have

own/possess (रखना/होना) → State.
He has a great family. ✔

is/am/are + having = eat, drink, spend time → action
I am having lunch. ✔ / He is having a good time these days. ✔

⚡ QUICK RECALL Rule of thumb: pure state verbs used in continuous form are almost always WRONG in exams unless the sentence's meaning genuinely shifts to a physical/deliberate action (meet, sniff, chew, court hearing, publish, brainstorm, consume).

Present Perfect Tense

Sub + has/have + V3

V2 = Has/have + V3 = Had + V3 → all represent increasing "distance into the past," but Present Perfect links a past action to the present moment.

Simple Past — Finished (V2)	Present Perfect — Unfinished/Linked to Present (Has/Have + V3)
Yesterday, the day before yesterday, ago, last night/week/year, in 1990, in July	So far, Already, Just, Till now, Yet, Never, Ever, For, Since, This is the first time, Two/three times, Up to now, Several times

I ate lunch an hour ago. ✔ (not "have eaten")
Man reached the moon in 1969. ✔ (not "has reached")
I have asked this question from management three times. ✔ (not "asked")
She has read four chapters of this book so far. ✔
This is the first time I have seen this movie. ✔

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Have you heard the news? ... I knew it for ages" ✘ → "I have known it for ages" ✔. A duration word like "for ages" pulls the verb into Present Perfect even mid-conversation.

⚠ EXAM TRAP "No rock-solid actions had been taken so far" ✘ → "have been taken" ✔ — "so far" always demands Present Perfect, never Past Perfect.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Sub + has/have + been + V1 + ing + for/since

Use: Actions that started in the past but continue up to the present.

Rahul has been working here for three years.
I have been teaching English since 2015.

For — Period of time / Duration	Since — Point of time / Exact time
for a second/minute/hour, for a day/week/month/year, for a long time, for years	since 5:30pm, since morning, since June, since 1990, since Monday, since childhood, since last night/week/month

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Since a long time" is always WRONG — Since only pairs with a fixed point in time, never a duration. Use "for a long time."

⚠ EXAM TRAP State verbs used with "has/have been + V-ing + since/for" are wrong even though the sentence looks like Present Perfect Continuous — because state verbs never take -ing:

She has been knowing me since 2005 ✘ → has known ✔
I have been loving her since we met ✘ → have loved ✔
She has been hating me since I broke her heart ✘ → has hated ✔
He has been owing this car for a year ✘ → has owned ✔
He has been adoring her for more than six years ✘ → has adored ✔

⚡ QUICK RECALL Sub + has/have + been + V1 + ing + for/since = Sub + has/have + V3 + for/since (both forms can be used interchangeably for many verbs): "She has been living in London for a month." = "She has lived in London for a month."

Simple Past Tense

Sub + V2

Use: Actions finished/completed in the past.

I met your father yesterday.
My father went to Manali last year.
I bought this pen in U.K.

Time Expressions of Finished Actions in Past
Yesterday, yesterday morning/evening	The day before yesterday
Ago, the other day	Last night/week/month/year
In 1991	In July / In July 1990

Interrogative	Negative
Did + Sub + V1?	Sub + did + not + V1
Did she eat food?	She did not eat food.

⚠ EXAM TRAP In interrogative/negative Simple Past, "did" already carries the past — the main verb must stay in V1, not V2 or V3: "had not arrived on time" ✘ (Did context) → "did not arrive" ✔.

⚠ EXAM TRAP Reported past-belief sentences: when the belief itself was true only in the past (not universal), the embedded verb must also shift to past: "believed that the sun moves" ✘ → "moves" → "moved" ✔. But if the embedded clause is a Universal Truth ("gravity pulls down everything"), no change is needed — compare carefully.

Habit of Past

Sub + used to + V1 (would can also be used)

I used to eat sand in childhood. ✔ (not "used to ate")
He used to play football for the local team. ✔ (not "used to played")

⚡ QUICK RECALL Habit of Present (a habit that continues today, phrased with "used to"): Sub + (be) + used to + V1 + ing — different structure, different meaning from Habit of Past ("used to + V1").

⚠ EXAM TRAP "We used to going to the seaside" ✘ → "used to go to the seaside" ✔ — used to is always followed by bare V1, never V1+ing.

Past Continuous Tense

Sub + was/were + V1 + ing

Use 1 — Actions continuing in the past:

I was teaching.
We were writing.
The boys were playing cricket.

Use 2 — Parallel actions continuing in the past (both long, both Past Continuous):

While my sister was singing, I was sleeping. ✔ (not "had been sleeping")
While I was writing this chapter, my friend was watching T.V. ✔

Long Action (was/were + V1+ing) + Short Action (V2)

I was reading a book (long) when the delivery boy arrived (short). ✔
When the storm hit, they were sleeping. ✔ (not "had been sleeping")

⚠ EXAM TRAP A long, ongoing background action must be Past Continuous, not Simple Past or Past Perfect Continuous: "he cleans the floor" ✘ (long action) → "he was cleaning the floor" ✔.

⚠ EXAM TRAP A momentary/short action interrupting a long one must be Simple Past, not Past Continuous: "the film was beginning" ✘ → "began" ✔; "Radhika was hurried" ✘ (momentary-sounding but should be long/background) → "was hurrying" ✔ (she was in the process of hurrying when she crashed).

Past Perfect Tense — "Past of the Past"

Sub + had + V3

Used for the earlier of two past actions (Action-1), while the later action stays in Simple Past (Action-2, V2).

When I went to meet Jatin, he had gone to Gym. (he went first, then I went — Action-1: had gone; Action-2: went)

Case 1: Had + V3 (Action-1) + Before + V2 (Action-2)

I had gone before he went. (I went first)
The culprit had run away from the house before the police came.
She had submitted her papers to the faculty before the college fair started.

Case 2: V2 (Action-2) + After + Had + V3 (Action-1)

I reached the examination hall after the exam had begun.
The chief guest reached the function after the inaugural dance had started.

Case 3: By the time + Action-2 (V2) ... Action-1 (had + V3)

By the time Manoj received the award, he had worked with many famous actors.
By the time Harvard sent its admission letter, she had joined Cambridge University.

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Before" and "after" flip which action gets Past Perfect — this is the most confused rule in the chapter:

Had + V3 + Before + V2 → the "had" action happened FIRST
V2 + After + Had + V3 → the "had" action still happened FIRST (it's just written after "after")

Always identify which event truly happened earlier — that one gets "had + V3," regardless of its position in the sentence.

⚠ EXAM TRAP Two verbs both wrongly marked Past Perfect, or both wrongly left in Simple Past, is a common trap — only the EARLIER action takes "had + V3":
"Rahul has succeed in catching the ball before it had reached the boundary" → "had succeeded ... reached" (succeed happened later, reached the boundary would've happened first if not caught — so "reached" stays simple past, "succeed" becomes "had succeeded" since it's being compared against a would-have-happened event).

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Sub + had + been + V1 + ing + for/since

Use: A long action continuing up to a point in the past, when another past action occurred.

When the dance teacher came, he had been dancing for three hours.
I had been sleeping for six hours when my mother arrived.

Simple Future Tense

Sub + will/shall + V1 I, We → Shall | He, She, It, You, They → Will

Use: Actions that will happen in the future.

She will arrive at 6 o'clock.
You will go to college tomorrow.

Time & Condition Rule

If two future situations appear in one sentence, and one part has a time/condition word — will/shall is dropped in that part, and Simple Present is used instead. Sub + V1 + s/es

Time & Condition Denoting Words
If, When, Till, Until, Unless, As soon as, As long as, In case, Provided that, Before, After

If you will call me ✘ → If you call me, I will give you the address. ✔
When it will rain ✘ → When it rains, the plant will grow. ✔
Unless you will work hard ✘ → Unless you work hard, you will not succeed. ✔
provided that he will give ✘ → provided that he gives me 60k. ✔
before the rain will fall ✘ → before the rain falls. ✔
as soon as the price will come down ✘ → as soon as the price comes down. ✔
Unless I am having enough time ✘ (state verb + condition word) → Unless I have enough time, I'll not watch the film. ✔

⚠ EXAM TRAP This rule applies ONLY when both clauses describe future events and a time/condition word links them. "goes for the training when she receives the call letter" — here the main clause is actually future ("she goes" describes something that will happen), so it must become "will go": goes ✘ → will go ✔. Always check which clause is the true future action.

⚡ QUICK RECALL Test: spot the time/condition word (if/when/unless/before/after/as soon as/provided that/till/until/in case/as long as) → the clause containing it drops will/shall and uses Simple Present. The OTHER clause keeps will/shall.

Future Continuous Tense

Sub + will/shall + be + V1 + ing

He will be playing cricket tomorrow morning.
At this time tomorrow, I shall be watching a film.

Future Perfect Tense

Sub + will/shall + have + V3

Use: Actions that will have completed before a certain time in the future.

We shall have completed our coaching by August.
By 2050, the robots will have taken control all over the world.
By the end of this century, scientists surely will have discovered a cure for AIDS. (not "must discover")

⚠ EXAM TRAP A "by [future time]" phrase always signals Future Perfect (will/shall + have + V3) — a plain Present Perfect ("has read four plays ... by the end of his vacations") is wrong: "has read" ✘ → "will have read" ✔.

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Sub + will/shall + have + been + V1 + ing + for/since

By this time next year, I shall have been working here for three years.
By this time tomorrow, she will have been doing this work for three days.

"It is time" / "It is high time" Structures

It is time / It is high time / It is about time / It is opportune time + Sub + V2 "It is time" → implies "a little late" | "It is high time" → implies "should" (urgent)

This is the right time to do something — but grammatically the verb goes into Simple Past (V2), NOT present or infinitive.

It is time we work hard ✘ → It is time we worked hard. ✔
It is high time she leaves for the station ✘ → It is high time she left for the station. ✔
It is high time we should prepare for competitive exams ✘ → It is high time we prepared for competitive exams. ✔ ("should" is dropped)
It is time you eat food ✘ → It is time you ate food. ✔
It is an opportune time the state government had taken some strict actions ✘ → took some ✔
It is time you studies well ✘ → It is time you studied well. ✔

⚠ EXAM TRAP Every tense OTHER than Simple Past looks tempting here but is wrong: present ("study"), continuous ("are studying"), present perfect ("have study") — ALL incorrect. Only V2 (Simple Past) is correct after "It is (high) time."

⚡ QUICK RECALL "It is (high) time" + Sub + V2 is a fixed, memorizable structure — it looks like it should demand present/future because it talks about NOW, but it always takes the past form.

Present Perfect vs Past Perfect vs Simple Past — Quick Differentiator

Tense	Structure	When to use
Simple Past	Sub + V2	Finished action, specific past time given (yesterday, last week, in 1990)
Present Perfect	Sub + has/have + V3	Unfinished or unspecified-time past action, linked to present (so far, already, since, for, yet)
Past Perfect	Sub + had + V3	The EARLIER of two past actions (before/after another V2 action)

⚠ EXAM TRAP "He had come after he went" ✘ — mixing up which action is earlier: "he came ... after he had gone" ✔ (he went first).

Time & Condition — Full Recap

In the time/condition clause: use Simple Present (never will/shall). In the main/result clause: use will/shall + V1.

Time/Condition Word	Example (corrected)
If	If you call me, I will give you the address.
When	When it rains, the plant will grow.
Unless	Unless you work hard, you will not succeed.
Provided that	I shall help him to get the job provided that he gives me 60k.
Before	All the flowers in his garden will die before the rain falls.
As soon as	He shall buy a motorcycle as soon as the price comes down.

⚡ QUICK RECALL Spot the trigger word → present tense in that clause → will/shall stays only in the OTHER clause. This single rule is tested repeatedly in error-spotting questions.

Practice: Error Spotting & Sentence Improvement

Q. The downhearted mother is praying for the well-being of her son every day, since no news of the war has come yet.

Ans → is praying → prays

Q. Books are her best friends. She is generally carrying them around even when she goes to party or cafe.

Ans → is carrying → carries

Q. The typical design of books for readers is often include engaging and colourful illustrations to help define the characters and setting of the story.

(a) is often including ✘ (b) often includes ✔ (c) often including ✘ (d) is often include ✘ (e) No improvement ✘

Q. Tony is always making offensive jokes even in inappropriate situations. This is the reason why his friends didn't invite him to the funeral.

Ans → No Error (habit/irritation use of "always making" is correct here)

Q. The good and reverent shepherd is always going through the valley of flowers and spend some time in the meadow.

Ans → is going → goes, spend → spends

Q. I don't understand how Nick can't be there. He is always talking the same road to reach the university.

Ans → is talking → takes

Q. Global warming ... It caused the sea level to rise due to the expansion of warmer seas and melting of ice sheets and glaciers.

(a) It caused the sea level rising ✘ (b) It cause the sea level to raise ✘ (c) It causes the sea level to rise ✔ (d) It is causing sea level rise ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. Many ancient cultures believed that the Earth resembles a flat disc. Many of these early beliefs had their roots in Greek mythology.

Ans → resembles → resembled

Q. Her brother returned tomorrow after 3 years, so she instructed the house staff to make the home in apple-pie order.

(a) will returning tomorrow ✘ (b) returns tomorrow ✔ (c) returned tomorrow ✘ (d) has returned tomorrow ✘ (e) No improvement required ✘

Q. A few years ago an accident destroy her family but she survived the pain and rose like a phoenix from the ashes.

(a) An accident destroyed her family ✔ (b) destroy ✘ (c) has destroyed ✘ (d) had destroyed ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. Science has given us many new inventions in the 19th century that included Typewriter, aspirin, camera, sewing machine. It was indeed a golden era of science.

Ans → has given → gave

Q. On October 12 2006, the Indian Super League (ISL) has gotten off to a splendid start in Kolkata, where there was no lack of fans. Over 60,000 turned up to watch the game.

Ans → has gotten → got

Q. The whole neighborhood was in shock after they were hearing a piece of terrifying news about the cold-blooded murder that took place last night.

(a) They have heard a piece of ✘ (b) They heard a terrifying ✘ (c) They heard a piece of ✔ (d) They had heard a piece of ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. According to the National Crimes Record Bureau, Uttar Pradesh tops the list in crimes against women. It is an opportune time the state government had taken some strict actions.

(a) had taken some ✘ (b) take some ✘ (c) is taking some ✘ (d) took some ✔ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. He is gambling a lot. But when his wife and children left him for this iniquity he realized his mistake and became a whole new person with healthy habits.

Ans → is gambling → used to gamble

Q. Being born and raised in Hawaii, I have always loved being near nature. We used to going to the seaside every summer when I was a kid.

(a) go to seaside ✘ (b) gone to the seaside ✘ (c) used to go the seaside ✔ (d) are used to going the seaside ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. He was late for his presentation because the train had not arrived on time yesterday and that's the reason he lost his chance of getting promoted.

Ans → had → did, arrived → arrive

Q. Rahul attempt to open the umbrella when her spectacles slipped off and fell down.

Ans → attempt → was attempting

Q. He used to walk along the road when a wild and ferocious dog knocked him down.

Ans → used to walk → was walking

Q. She was trying to figure out which dress to choose when her mother had rung the doorbell.

Ans → had rung → rang

Q. He was strolling in the neighborhood minding his own business when the old lady has started arguing with him.

(a) is started arguing ✘ (b) started arguing ✔ (c) starts arguing ✘ (d) had started arguing ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. Rahul has succeed in catching the ball before it had reached the boundary line.

Ans → has succeed → had succeeded, had reached → reached

Q. I was trying to avoid meeting Karan that is why I had come after he went.

Ans → had come → came, went → had gone

Q. The thief escaped before I opened the door.

Ans → escaped → had escaped

Q. We have been trying to meet each other for a very long time. For instance when he had come to meet me last week, I had gone to Mumbai.

(a) he comes to meet me last week ✘ (b) he is coming to meet me last week ✘ (c) he came to meet me last week ✔ (d) he has come to meet me last week ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. The hotel is quite crowded these days due to the festive season. She works late every night hence when she reached for the family reunion, the dinner started.

(a) The dinner had started ✔ (b) have started ✘ (c) is starting ✘ (d) starts ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. His father left him a fortune, but he is so extravagant that he will have spent it all before he is 30.

Ans → No Error

Q. He has read four plays written by Shakespeare by the end of his vacations.

Ans → has read → will have read

Q. I am trying to finish this letter for one hour. I wish you would go away or stop disturbing me.

Ans → am trying → have been trying

Q. Homo sapiens is a gregarious species... even today society had been playing a crucial role in the upbringing of a child since his childhood.

(a) Society is being playing ✘ (b) Society had played ✘ (c) Society has been playing ✔ (d) Society play ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Q. The exams are around the corner and you have more than half of the syllabus to cover up. It is time you studies well to pass the examination.

(a) It is time you study well ✘ (b) It is time you are studying well ✘ (c) It is time you studied well ✔ (d) It is time you have study well ✘ (e) No connection required ✘

Master Table — All 12 Tenses at a Glance

Tense	Structure	Key Use
Simple Present	Sub + V1 + s/es	Habitual actions, universal truths, fixed future schedules
Present Continuous	Sub + is/am/are + V1+ing	Action happening now (physical activity, not state)
Present Perfect	Sub + has/have + V3	Past action linked to present; unspecified time; so far/already/yet/since/for
Present Perfect Continuous	Sub + has/have + been + V1+ing + for/since	Started in past, still continuing, with duration
Simple Past	Sub + V2	Finished action, specific past time given
Past Continuous	Sub + was/were + V1+ing	Long/background action in progress in the past; parallel actions
Past Perfect	Sub + had + V3	Earlier of two past actions (before/after/by the time)
Past Perfect Continuous	Sub + had + been + V1+ing + for/since	Long action continuing up to a point in the past
Simple Future	Sub + will/shall + V1	Future action; I/We→shall, others→will
Future Continuous	Sub + will/shall + be + V1+ing	Action in progress at a future time
Future Perfect	Sub + will/shall + have + V3	Action completed before a future time ("by ...")
Future Perfect Continuous	Sub + will/shall + have + been + V1+ing + for/since	Long action continuing up to a future point, with duration

Master Table — Key Special Rules

Rule	Structure
Time & Condition Rule	If/When/Unless/Before/After/Till/Until/As soon as/As long as/In case/Provided that + Simple Present (drop will/shall); other clause keeps will/shall
It is (high) time	It is time / It is high time / It is about time / It is opportune time + Sub + V2
Always — Habit	Sub + V1 + s/es
Always — Invitation/Irritation	Sub + is/am/are + V1 + ing
Habit of Past	Sub + used to + V1 (or would + V1)
Habit of Present	Sub + (be) + used to + V1 + ing
Fixed Action in Future	Sub + will/shall + V1 = Sub + V1 + s/es
Past Perfect Case 1	Had + V3 + Before + V2
Past Perfect Case 2	V2 + After + Had + V3
Past Perfect Case 3	By the time + V2 (Action-2) ... Had + V3 (Action-1)
Long/Short Action (Past)	Was/Were + V1+ing (long) + V2 (short, interrupting)

Master Table — State Verbs (No Continuous Form)

Category	Verbs
Never take continuous	Love, Hate, Like, Remember, Forget, Notice, Recognise, Prefer, Wish, Want, Desire, Believe, Belong, Know, Agree, Own, Contain, Consist
Exception verbs (dual meaning — see/hear/taste/smell/appear/think/have)	State meaning → no continuous \| Action meaning (meet/court-hearing/deliberate taste/sniff/publish/consider/consume) → continuous allowed