Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous has two different forms: "will have been doing " and "be going to have been doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect Continuous forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Will"

[will have been + present participle]

Examples:

• You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
• Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
• You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Be Going To"

[am/is/are + going to have been + present participle]

Examples:

• You are going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
• Are you going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
• You are not going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect Continuous with little or no difference in meaning.
Complete List of Future Perfect Continuous Forms

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Future

We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future.

Examples:

• They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives.
• She is going to have been working at that company for three years when it finally closes.
• James will have been teaching at the university for more than a year by the time he leaves for Asia.
• How long will you have been studying when you graduate?
• We are going to have been driving for over three days straight when we get to Anchorage.
• A: When you finish your English course, will you have been living in New Zealand for over a year?
  B: No, I will not have been living here that long.

Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because these future events are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Future

Using the Future Perfect Continuous before another action in the future is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

• Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.
• Claudia's English will be perfect when she returns to Germany because she is going to have been studying English in the United States for over two years.

Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous rather than the Future Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future. Study the examples below to understand the difference.

Examples:

• He will be tired because he will be exercising so hard.
  This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will be exercising at that exact moment in the future.
• He will be tired because he will have been exercising so hard.
  This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will have been exercising for a period of time. It is possible that he will still be exercising at that moment OR that he will just have finished.
  

REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Future Perfect Continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous is used.

Examples:

• You won't get a promotion until you will have been working here as long as Tim. Not Correct
• You won't get a promotion until you have been working here as long as Tim. Correct

AND REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using Future Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Future Perfect .

Examples:

• Ned will have been having his driver's license for over two years. Not Correct
• Ned will have had his driver's license for over two years. Correct

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

• You will only have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives.
• Will you only have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives?

• You are only going to have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives.
• Are you only going to have been waiting for a few minutes when her plane arrives?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:

• The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. Active
• The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. Passive

• The famous artist is going to have been painting the mural for over six months by the time it is finished. Active
• The mural is going to have been being painted by the famous artist for over six months by the time it is finished. Passive

NOTE: Passive forms of the Future Perfect Continuous are not common.

The Past Perfect Progressive Tense

Spelling Tip

Verbing (Present Participle)

• Add ing to most verbs. Ex. play > playing, cry > crying, bark > barking
• For verbs that end in e, remove the e and add ing. Ex: slide > sliding, ride > riding
• For verbs that end in ie, change the ie to y and add ing. Ex: die > dying, tie > tying
• For a verb whose last syllable is written with a consonant-vowel-consonant and is stressed, double the last letter before adding ing. Ex: beg > begging, begin > beginning. However: enter > entering (last syllable is not stressed)

The past perfect progressive (continuous) is used to describe an action that started in the past and and was still in progress when a second action started. Both actions began and ended in the past. As in the past perfect simple, the sentence has two parts:

1. The past perfect progressive, to refer to the action that was in process
2. The past simple to refer to the action that happened after the first action

1. Ben had been working for three hours when Rachel came home.
2. By the time Sam found an umbrella, it had been raining for ten minutes.

To form the past perfect progressive, use the auxiliary (helping) verb had + been + verbing (present participle).

Subject	Have/Has + Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
I / You / We / They He / She / It	had been talking	for two hours when he got up and left
	had been texting	her long before they met

Note: The order of phrases may be switched, but the meaning will stay the same.

1. By the time Catherine got to the office, the client had been waiting for an hour.
2. The client had been waiting for an hour by the time Catherine got to the office.

Past Perfect Simple or Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous) – Which to use?

Punctuation Tip

When you begin a sentence with a time expression, put a comma (,) after the first part of the sentence.

In general, use the past perfect simple when the first action started in the past and ended before the second action began. Use the past perfect progressive when that first action was still in progress when the second action began. Remember, both actions ended in the past.

1. I had fed the dogs before I tripped and fell.
2. I had been feeding the dogs when I tripped and fell.

Negative Sentences in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Useful Tip

Time Expressions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

• Use since with a specific hour, month, year or a period in the past > since 2002 / since Tuesday
• Use for with a number of hours, days, months or years > for twenty years
• Use already between had and the verb > had already been flying
• Use before, when and by the time before the past simple > when they saw the boys

When creating negative sentences, we use the auxiliary (helping) verb hadn’t (had not) + been + the ing (present participle) form of the verb.

Subject	Auxiliary Verb	Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
I / You / We / They He / She / It	hadn’t (had not)	been sleeping	when you arrived

1. I hadn’t been feeling well, so I sent him away.
2. Simon had not been expecting a positive answer when he got a job.
3. The hikers hadn’t been walking long before they got lost.

Yes/No Questions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, use Had (or Hadn’t for a negative question) + been + the ing (present participle) form of the verb.

Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
Had	I / you / we / they he / she / it	been working	when she called
Hadn’t		been assisting	you

1. Had he been drinking when you found him?
2. Had the manager been complaining about Jim before she fired him?
3. Hadn’t the snow been falling for hours before then?

Wh-Questions in the Past Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words are what, where, when, why, which, who, how, how many, how much.
To form a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add had, then the subject (a person or thing that had been doing the action), followed by been and the ing (present participle) form of the verb, and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh-Word	Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
What	had	I / you / we / they he / she / it	been doing	until then
Who			been dating	before me

1. What had you been doing when you cut your finger?
2. Which fax message had you been trying to send when the power went off?
3. How long had he been waiting?

Exercises – Past Perfect Progressive

Fill in the correct form of the Past Perfect Progressive or Past Simple as in the examples

1. I‘d been trying to sell my car for six months before I found a buyer (try/find)
2. Sheila had not been dieting for long when she began to lose weight. (not diet)
3. How long had the fire been burning before the firefighters arrived? (burn/arrive)

1. Dylan ______ chess for several years before he _______ his first tournament (study/enter)
2. Before I _______ to work here, who ______ the client’s account? (start/ manage)
3. Although they _______ the house for two years, it still _____ ready. (build/not be)
4. Mario _______ well before the exam. (not feel)
5. At last we ______ the movie that everyone _______ about. (see/talk)
6. The students _____ math problems when one of them fainted. (solve)
7. How long _____ he _____ before the accident ______? (drive/occur)
8. Paula and Terry ______ tennis when it _____ to rain. (play/begin)
9. ______ you _______ a long time when you ______? (jog / faint)
10. Our forces _______ in that area until two weeks before then. (not fight)

Answers:

1. had been studying/entered
2. started/managed
3. had been building/wasn’t
4. hadn’t been feeling
5. saw/had been talking
6. had been solving
7. had/been driving/occurred
8. had been playing/began
9. Had/been jogging/fainted
10. hadn’t been fighting

Examples

Positive

1. Ben had been working for three hours when Rachel came home.
2. By the time Sam found an umbrella, it had been raining for ten minutes.
3. By the time Catherine got to the office, the client had been waiting for an hour.
4. The client had been waiting for an hour by the time Catherine got to the office.
5. I had been feeding the dogs when I tripped and fell.

Negative

1. I hadn’t been feeling well, so I sent him away.
2. Simon had not been expecting a positive answer when he got a job.
3. The hikers hadn’t been walking long before they got lost.

Yes/No questions

1. Had he been drinking when you found him?
2. Had the manager been complaining about Jim before she fired him?
3. Hadn’t the snow been falling for hours before then?

Wh-Questions

1. What had you been doing when you cut your finger?
2. Which fax had you been trying to send when the power went off?
3. How long had he been waiting?

The Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense

Useful Tip

Time Expressions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

• Use since or ever since with a specific month, year or a period in the past > I have been jogging in this park since 2002 / He has been staring at the wall ever since he heard the news.
• Use for with a number of hours, days, months, years > She’s been talking on the phone for 3 hours.

The present perfect progressive (continuous) is actually easier to understand than the present perfect simple tense. It is used to describe an event that started in the past but is still happening in the present. That event in the present can be
An habitual event:

1. I have been living in this house for 40 years.
   (I started living in it 40 years ago and I am still living in it today.)

Something that is taking place at this moment:

1. I have been climbing up this mountain for over two hours.
   (I started climbing up it two hours ago and at this moment I’m still climbing.)

To form the present perfect progressive (continuous), has or have + been + verbing (present participle).

Subject	have/has + been + verbing	rest of sentence
I / You / We / They	have been sitting	here for two hours
He / She / It	has been working	at this company since April

Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous) – Which to use?

In general, use the present perfect simple when the action started in the past and is relevant to the present. Ex. This is the third time I’ve written to you. (I wrote twice in the past and now I am writing again – in the present.)
If it’s an action that started in the past and that same action is still happening now, use the present perfect progressive. Ex I have been waiting for you since 10 am.
Some actions can be expressed in either tense, especially those that started in the past and still occur in the present on a habitual basis. Ex. I have lived in this house for 20 years. / I have been living in this house for 20 years. Both sentences are correct.

Contractions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

In general, we contract the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and form of have:

1. I have > I’ve – I’ve been thinking about you since you called.
2. He has > He’s / She has > She’s / It has > It’s – He’s been singing for two hours.
3. We have > We’ve / You have > You’ve / They are > They’ve – We’ve been helping her out for a few months.

You may have noticed that the 3rd person singular (he, she, it) contractions look like those in the present progressive. You can tell them apart by the use of been and from the context of the sentence: he is > He’s eating now. / he has > He’s been eating for two hours.

Negative Sentences in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Spelling Tip

When shortening the 3rd person (he, she, it) negative, just remove the o in not and add an apostrophe (‘)
has not > hasn’t

When creating negative sentences, we use hasn’t or haven’t together with been and the ing (present participle) form of the verb. Save the long forms (has not, and have not) for when you want to create emphasis. When speaking, put the stress on ‘not’.

Subject	Auxillery Verb	Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
I / You / We / They	haven’t (have not)	been lying	to you
He / She / It	hasn’t (has not)	been sleeping	weill since the accident

1. I haven’t been feeling well lately.
2. Simon hasn’t been attending class regularly since he got a job.
3. The sales team hasn’t been performing at the top of their game.
4. He has not been paying attention!

Yes/No Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

To create a question that will be answered with a yes or no, start the question with Have or Has, (Haven’t or Hasn’t for a negative question) then add a subject (the person or thing that has been doing the action) followed by been and the ing (present participle) form of the verb and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
Have	I / you / we / they	been working	since this morning
Has	he / she / it	been earning	minimum wage
Hasn’t	he / she / it	been helping	you clean the house

1. Have you been keeping track of sales?
2. Has Jerry been picking fruit from my trees again?

Wh-Questions in the Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Wh- questions are questions that require more information in their answers. Typical wh- words are what, where, when, why, which, who, how, how many, how much.
To create a wh-question, start with the wh-word, then add have or has, then the subject (a person or thing that has been doing the action), followed by been and the ing (present participle) form of the verb, and only then add the rest of the sentence.

Wh-Word	Auxiliary Verb	Subject	Been + Verbing	Rest of Sentence
What	have	I / you / we / they	been doing	lately
Why	has	he / she / it	been copying	documents all day

1. What have you been doing since I left?
2. Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?
3. How long has he been waiting?

Exercises – Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Fill in the correct for of the Present Perfect Progressive as in the examples.

1. I‘ve been gardening for three hours. (garden) My back is killing me!
2. Tony has been listening to the news non-stop since the conflict began. (listen)
3. Have you been saving the coupons for me? (save)

1. Roger ______ at his mother’s house since his divorce. (stay)
2. How long _____ the dogs ________ like that? (bark)
3. I _______ the football score. (not follow) Are we winning?
4. The students ______ plans for the school party for several weeks. (make)
5. Rachel ________ at that studio for very long. (not dance)
6. _________ Tim _______ that book since January? (not read) I’m waiting to borrow it.
7. The project manager ________ us to finish the work since Tuesday. (push)
8. ________ you ________ TV all morning? (watch)
9. I_________ to Paris twice a month since the project started. (travel)
10. Jenny ________ customer deadlines since she arrived here. (not meet.) The boss may fire her.

Answers:

1. has been staying
2. have/been barking
3. haven’t been following
4. have been making
5. hasn’t been dancing
6. Hasn’t/been reading
7. has been pushing
8. Have/been watching
9. I’ve been traveling
10. has not been meeting

Examples – Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)

Positive

1. I have been living in this house for 40 years. (I started living in it 40 years ago and I am still living in it today.
2. I have been climbing up this mountain for over two hours. (I started climbing up it two hours ago and at this moment I’m still climbing.)
3. I have been waiting for you since 10 am.
4. I’ve been thinking about you since you called.
5. He’s been singing for two hours.
6. We’ve been helping her out for a few months.
7. I’ve been gardening for three hours. My back is killing me!
8. Tony has been listening to the news ever since the conflict began.

Negative

1. I haven’t been feeling well lately.
2. Simon hasn’t been attending class regularly since he got a job.
3. The sales team hasn’t been performing at the top of their game.
4. He has not been paying attention!

Yes/No Questions

1. Have you been keeping track of sales?
2. Has Jerry been picking fruit from my trees again?
3. Have you been saving the coupons for me?

Wh Questions

1. What have you been doing since I left?
2. How long has he been waiting?
3. Why has the phone been ringing for the last two hours?

Past Perfect

Introduction

The past perfect tense is often used in English when we are relating two events which happened in the past. It helps to show which event happened first. This page will explain the rules for forming and using the tense.

Forming the past perfect tense

This tense is formed using two components: the verb HAVE (in the past tense), and the past participle form of a verb. With a regular verb the past participle ends with -ED (just like the simple past). Irregular verbs have a special past participle form that you have to learn. Here are the rules, using the regular verb "arrive" and the irregular verb "eat":

Subject	HAVE	Past Participle	Contraction
I	had	arrived. eaten.	I'd arrived. I'd eaten.
You	had	arrived. eaten.	You'd arrived. You'd eaten.
He	had	arrived. eaten.	He'd arrived. He'd eaten.
She	had	arrived. eaten.	She'd arrived. She'd eaten.
It	had	arrived. eaten.	It'd arrived. It'd eaten.
We	had	arrived. eaten.	We'd arrived. We'd eaten.
They	had	arrived. eaten.	They'd arrived. They'd eaten.

Using the Past Perfect

The past perfect is used to show you which of two events happened first. Imagine that two things happened in the past:

Past Event	I went to see the movie.
Past Event	We discussed the movie in class.

Here, we don't know which order the events happened in. That may be important -- perhaps I went to see the movie after the discussion, or maybe I saw the movie before the discussion. There are many ways to make this sequence clear, and the past perfect is one of them. This is how we do it:

I went to see the movie. We had discussed the movie in class.

Here, we know that the discussion took place first — even though the sentence describing it comes afterwards. We discussed the movie, and then I went to see it. This can be very useful when you are telling a story or relating a sequence of events. At any point in your story, you can jump back to a previous event, and your reader will not be confused because the past perfect will make it clear that the event happened previously.
Here is another example:

Simple Past	I wanted to live in a foreign country, so I applied for a job in Japan. Judy lived in Japan, so I called her to find out more about the culture and lifestyle there. (Judy was probably still living in Japan when I called her.)
Past Perfect	I wanted to live in a foreign country, so I applied for a job in Japan. Judy had lived in Japan, so I called her to find out more about the culture and lifestyle there. (Judy no longer lived in Japan — she returned from there before I applied for the job.)

Present Perfect

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb:
The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been and the -ing form of the verb:

Use

We use the present perfect tense:

• for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

Note: We normally use the present perfect continuous for this:

She has been living in Liverpool all her life.
It’s been raining for hours.

•  for something we have done several times in the past and continue to do:

I’ve played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
He has written three books and he is working on another one.
I’ve been watching that programme every week.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:

They’ve been staying with us since last week.
I have worked here since I left school.
I’ve been watching that programme every week since it started.

• when we are talking about our experience up to the present:

Note: We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:

My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.

Note: and we use never for the negative form:

Have you ever met George?
Yes, but I’ve never met his wife.

• for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of speaking:

I can’t get in the house. I’ve lost my keys.
Teresa isn’t at home. I think she has gone shopping.
I’m tired out. I’ve been working all day.

 We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and returned:

A: Where have you been?
B: I’ve just been out to the supermarket.

A: Have you ever been to San Francisco?
B: No, but I’ve been to Los Angeles.

But when someone has not returned we use have/has gone:

A: Where is Maria? I haven’t seen her for weeks.
B: She's gone to Paris for a week. She’ll be back tomorrow.

We often use the present perfect with time adverbials which refer to the recent past:

just; only just; recently;

Scientists have recently discovered a new breed of monkey.
We have just got back from our holidays.

or adverbials which include the present:
ever (in questions); so far; until now; up to now; yet (in questions and negatives)
Have you ever seen a ghost?
Where have you been up to now?
Have you finished your homework yet?
No, so far I’ve only done my history.

WARNING:

We do not use the present perfect with an adverbial which refers to past time which is finished:

I have seen that film yesterday.
We have just bought a new car last week.
When we were children we have been to California.

But we can use it to refer to a time which is not yet finished:

Have you seen Helen today?
We have bought a new car this week.

Future Perfect tense

 

It is used to express an action which will occur in future and is thought to be completed in future. It expresses a sense of completion of an action which will occur in future. For example, “John will have gone tomorrow”. It shows a sense of completion of an action (go) which will occur in future (tomorrow).

Rules. Auxiliary verb “will have” is used in sentence. 3rd form of verb or past participle form of verb is used as main verb in sentence.

 

                                   Structure of sentence

Positive sentence
       • Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + object
       • Subject + will have + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object

Examples
        She will have finished the work by Wednesday.
        I will have left for home by the time he gets up.
        You will have started a job.

Negative sentence
      • Subject + Not between auxiliary verbs + main verb (past participle) + object
      • Subject + will not have + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object

Examples
       She will have finished the work by Wednesday.
       I will have left for home by the time he gets up.
       You will not have started a job.

Interrogative sentence
    • Auxiliary verb + Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + object
    • Will + Subject +have + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object

USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Future

The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future.


Examples
Will she have finished the work by Wednesday?
Will I have left for home by the time he gets up?
Will you have started a job?

More Examples

Positive sentences
          He will have finished his work.
          You will have made a new chair.
          She will have decorated her home.
          I will have bought a computer.
          They will have shifted to a new home.
          Students will have passed the examination.
Negative sentences
        He will not have finished his work.
        You will not have made a new chair.
        She will not have decorated her home.
        I will not have bought a computer.
        They will not have shifted to a new home.
        Students will not have passed the examination.
Interrogative sentences
       Will he have finished his work?
       Will you have made a new chair?
       Will she have decorated her home?
       Will I have bought a computer?
       Will they have shifted to a new home?
       Will students have passed the examination?

Future Continuous Tense

Those tasks or jobs which are being done in future time continuously but there must not have any time included are future continuous tense.

Structure of sentence:
Positive Sentence:

    • Subject + auxiliary verb + be + main verb-ing + object
    • Subject + shall/will + be + (base verb + ing) + object

If the subject is “I” then “shall/will” is used after subject in sentence.
If the subject is “He, She, It, singular or proper name” then “will” is used after subject in sentence.
If subject is “You, They or plural” then “will” is used after subject in sentence.
The participle “ing” is added to the base form of verb i.e. going (go) writing (write)

Examples:

        I shall be playing cricket.
        He will be driving a car
        They will be reading their lessons.

Negative Sentence

      • Subject + auxiliary verb + not + be + main verb-ing + object
      • Subject + shall/will + not + be + main verb-ing + object

Examples:

         I will not be playing cricket.
         He shall not be driving a car
         They will not be reading their lessons.

Interrogative Sentences

      • Auxiliary verb + Subject + be + main verb-ing + object
      • shall/will + Subject + be + (base verb + ing) + object

Examples.
          Will  he be playing cricket?
          Will I be driving a car?
         Shall they be reading their lessons?

Past Continuous Tense

Those tasks or jobs which were being done in past time continuously
but there must not have any time included are past continuous tense.

Structure of sentence

Positive Sentence:

    • Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb-ing + object
    • Subject + was/were + (base verb + ing) + object

If the subject is “I” then “was” is used after subject in sentence.
If the subject is “He, She, It, singular or proper name” then “was” is used after subject in sentence.
If subject is “You, They or plural” then “were” is used after subject in sentence.
The participle “ing” is added to the base form of verb i.e. going (go) writing (write)

Examples:

        I was playing cricket.
        He was driving a car
        They were reading their lessons.

Negative Sentence

      • Subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb-ing + object
      • Subject + was/were + not + main verb-ing + object

Examples:

         I was not playing cricket.
         He was not driving a car
         They were not reading their lessons.

Interrogative Sentences

      • Auxiliary verb + Subject + main verb-ing + object
      • was/were + Subject + (base verb + ing) + object

Examples:

          Was he playing cricket?
         Was  I driving a car?
         Were they reading their lessons?



More:
 
Positive Sentences

           You are listening to the news
           I am washing your clothes
           She is riding on horse
           They are playing football.
           It is raining

Negative Sentence

          I was not listening to the news.
          You were not washing your clothes.
          They were  not riding on a horse.
          She was not playing football.
          It was not raining.

Interrogative Sentences

         Was she listening to the news?
         Were you washing your clothes?
         Was I riding on a horse?
         Were they playing football?
         Was it raining?

Present Continuous Tense

Those works or jobs which are done in present time continuously but there must not have any time included are called present continuous tense.

Structure of sentence

Positive Sentence:

    • Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb-ing + object
    • Subject + am/is/are + (base verb + ing) + object

If the subject is “I” then “am” is used after subject in sentence.
If the subject is “He, She, It, singular or proper name” then “is” is used after subject in sentence.
If subject is “You, They or plural” then “are” is used after subject in sentence.
The participle “ing” is added to the base form of verb i.e. going (go) writing (write)

Examples:

        I am playing cricket.
        He is driving a car
        They are reading their lessons.

Negative Sentence

      • Subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb-ing + object
      • Subject + am/is/are + not + main verb-ing + object

Examples:

         I am not playing cricket.
         He is not driving a car
         They are not reading their lessons.

Interrogative Sentences

      • Auxiliary verb + Subject + main verb-ing + object
      • Am/is/are + Subject + (base verb + ing) + object

Examples.
          Is he playing cricket?
          Am I driving a car?
         Are they reading their lessons?
More:
 
Positive Sentences

           You are listening to the news
           I am washing your clothes
           She is riding on horse
           They are playing football.
           It is raining

Negative Sentence

          I am not listening to the news.
          You are not washing your clothes.
          The are  not riding on a horse.
          She is not playing football.
          It is not raining.

Interrogative Sentences

         Is she listening to the news?
         Are you washing your clothes?
         Am I
riding on a horse?
         Are they playing football?
         Is it raining?

Future Indefinite Tense

Those tasks or jobs which are done or spoken in future time but there must not be any continuity and feedback which will be used in farther time are in future indefinite tense.

Structure:  Subject + shall/will + verbs in it base form + extension/ complement/ object

a.    They will go tomorrow.
b.    I will do that in time.
c.    She shall drink some milk.
d.    Rana will play with us today.
e.    You will be with us.

We have to use Shall be or Will be instead of am, is, are, was, were.

a.    You will be a doctor.
b.    They will be the good player one day.
c.    She will be here in time.
d.    Shathi will be with Swadhin forever.

This tense is used in making sentences a lot at third place in English language.

Past Indefinite Tense

Past indefinite tense means the tasks or jobs were done in past time but there must not be any continuous time. And also those jobs or tasks which will have no feedback or result to be used after completion of those jobs or tasks can be written or spoken as past indefinite tense.

Structure: Subject + Verb in past form + object/complement/extension  

I wanted to go to city.
They did the wrong task.
He wrote the letter.
You build the relation with the person.

In case of 3^rd person singular number, as auxiliaries you have to use had, was (were for plural), did, could, should, might, would Here you don’t have to use s or es with verbs as we used in present tense.

I had a fountain pen.
They were good students.
He could do that.
He might be crueler than you.
You should help him.

Second most frequently used sentences in English are from this tense.

Present Indefinite Tense

Present Indefinite means a job or task must be done in present time but there must not be any continuous time. If you want to use a time, you have to use them in habitual facts, tasks or jobs. And also you can use in universal truth.

Structure: Subject + Verbs in present form + Object/ Complement/ Extension

In case of 3^rd person singular number: If it appears that the subject becomes 3^rd person singular number, then the verb takes S or ES with verbs.

• She takes bath in the morning.
• Rahman always speaks the truth.
• Ritu never goes to wrong way.

 [Note: We have already learnt about the kinds of verbs]

# 3^rd person singular number always takes is, has, can, may, and does.

Because after them, there also has s or es.

•  She has a dog.
• He is a student.
• Rita does not do the sum.
• The home looks very beautiful.
• The train is very big.
• He can do the sum.
• He may come in the room.

Special Uses:

There are two special uses of present indefinite tenses, this are-

Universal Truth: All the universal truth events must be written and spoken in present indefinite tense.

a.      Sun rises in the east.

b.      Water flows into the river.

c.       Cow lives on grass.

d.      Moon shines at night.

e.      All living things have to work.

f.        Water feels cold. Etc.

Habitual Facts: Most of the habitual facts, jobs or works are to be written or spoken in present indefinite tense.

a.      I take a glass of milk every day.

b.     They walk in the morning.

c.     She hears a lot of songs. Etc.

Most of the general sentences in English Grammar are written and spoken in Present Indefinite Tense.