VERB TENSES IN SINHALA

12 Verb Tenses in Sinhala

There are three main verb tenses in Sinhala

01:     Present,

02:     Past

03:     Future

The present, past and future tenses are divided into four main sub- categories

01:     Simple

02:     Progressive

03:     Perfect

04:     Perfect progressive.

Accordingly, there are 12 verb tenses in English that English learners should know.

Basic Rule you should know that English has only two ways of forming a Verb tense in English from the verb alone. That are past and present. For example, we went and we go.

To form other verb tenses in English, you should have to add

01:     have

02:     be

03:     will

in front of the verb. These are also called helping, or auxiliary verbs. There are many of them.

 Verb Tenses in Sinhala

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Nos	Verb Tenses in English
01	Present Simple
02	Present Continuous/Progressive
03	Present Perfect
04	Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive
05	Past Simple
06	Past Continuous/Progressive
07	Past Perfect
08	Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive
09	Future Simple
10	Future Perfect
11	Future Continuous/Progressive
12	Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive

 

Simple Tenses

Simple tenses basically refer to a single action. In overall, simple verb tenses express facts and situations that existed in the past, exist in the present, or will exist in the future as well. In other words, this indicates an action that is generally true or usual and/or habitual. That is, it has happened in past, continue to take place in the present, and will take place in the future. This verb tense in English is used to represent

01:     A habitual/usual action- She walk to office.

02:     General facts- The sun set in the west

03:     A future event that is part of a fixed timetable- The match starts at 8 o' clock.

This verb tense in Sinhala can also divide in to three major parts depending on time.

01:     Simple present: She drive office every day.

02:     Simple past: She drove office day before yesterday.

03:     Simple future: She will drive office tomorrow.

 

Continuous Tenses

We use progressive tenses to talk about incomplete events. This verb tense in English means the action is not completed. This also called as Progressive tense. This indicates an action that is taking place at the moment of speaking or Indicates an action in the future that is longer in duration than another action in the future or indicates an action going on at some time in the past or an action in the past that is longer in duration than another action in the past. Any thing of above can be happened based on the timing.

01:     Past progressive: She was driving when you arrived at home.

02:     Present progressive: She is driving now.

03:     Future progressive: She will be driving when you arrive.

 Perfect Tenses

 Perfect tenses cause the most mix-up to most students. To make this simply, this verb tense expresses the idea that one event happens before another event. However, there are many tricky exceptions with the perfect tenses.

 

01:     Present perfect:

This verb tense Indicates an action that has been completed sometime before the present moment, with a result that affects the present situation.

E.g.: She has driven that highway.

 02:     Past perfect:

Basically, this verb tense Indicates an action going on at some time in the past or an action in the past that is longer in duration than another action in the past. 

E.g.: She had already driven that highway in the past.

 03:     Future perfect:

Moreover, this verb tense in English Indicates an action in the future that will have been completed before another time or event in the future.

E.g., By the time we arrive, she will have driven 300 km by tomorrow.

 Perfect Progressive Tenses

 Now, let’s look at the perfect progressive verb tenses in english. Usually, perfect progressive tenses express period, sometimes how long? Perfect progressive verb tenses basically include the adverbs for or since.

 01:     Present perfect progressive: She has been driving since today morning.

02:     Past perfect progressive: She had been driving for two hours before I stopped to get vegetable.

03:     Future perfect progressive: she will have been driving for three hours by the time I call.

 How to learn verb tenses in English

 In order to learn verb tense in English you have to learn to think like an English speaker. You should learn how we see time. Our details explanation will hep you to learn verb tense in English fast way.

 However, you have to make sure you understand the all details. Do you know how mixed verbs change tense usage? If not, read those paragraphs again again to lean verb tense in English.

 It is also better to know active and passive verb forms well. You don't want to have to stop in the middle of a sentence to think about forms and so on. However, before that you should learn verb tenses in English

 You should also take some time to learn the large number of English irregular verbs. Also, need to have an understanding about these irregular verbs in English. Your vocabulary should boost as well.

 How many verb tenses in English?

 Answer to the question is depend on the type of expectation of the question. Here is the explanation.

01:     English has three tenses: past, present and future. However simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous are basically aspect of above.

 02:     Some teachers say it has 12 tenses (simple present, present continuous

 03:     In addition to the 12 tenses, there are extra forms as well.

 Common mistakes in Tenses - verb tense in Sinhala

The most common mistake students make is to use simple present to talk about things that are progressing currently. Actually that is wrong and need to use continuous verb tense in English

 Using present perfect with set times such as next month. That is not correct in English language. And most of the students have problems with will and be going to.

 Some of other mistakes are also there;

01:     Using Inconsistent Verb Forms

02:     Confusing the Present Tense

03:     Confusing the Past Tense

04:     Switching in and out of Present and Past Tense

05:     Misusing the Past Continuous Tense

06:     Switching Tenses Around Dialogue Tags

07:     Altering the Future Tense

 Time Expressions - Verb Tenses in English

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Verb Tense in English	Active	Time Expressions
Present Simple	I work.	every day / morning / night
		always
		never
		sometimes
		usually,
		frequently
		rarely
		seldom
Present Continuous	I am working.	now
Present Progressive		right now,
		at the present time
		this weekend
Past Simple	I worked.	yesterday
		last night
		last week / month / year
		last summer / winter
Past Continuous	I was working.	while
Past Progressive		when
Future	I will work.	tomorrow
	I’m going to work.	next week / month /year
		in the future
		soon
Present Perfect	I have worked.	since
		until now
		ever
		never
		for two hours / days / months
		many times
Past Perfect	I had worked.	already
		by the time
		till then
		till that time
Future Perfect	by the time…	The work will have been done.
	already
Present Perfect Continuous	for the past four years	None
Present Perfect Progressive	for the last two days
	up to now
Past Perfect Continuous	I had been working.	before
Past Perfect Progressive		since
		for three hours / days / weeks
Future Perfect Continuous	I will have been working.	by the time
Future Present Progressive		for six months / years

 

 Verb Tenses in English – practise exercise

 We need more and more practise to get it comfortable. With more practice, students can adopt the verb tense in English system, also.

When someone asks a question, you can respond in the same verb tense in English. We’ll ask a question in each verb tense in English.  Give an answer in the same tense, then listen to our answer.

 Practise exercise

 1.       Did you drink enough water yesterday? (simple past)

Yes, I drank well.

2.       Do you bath every day? (simple present)

Yes, I bath every day.

 3.       Are you going to school tomorrow? (simple future)

Yes, I’m going to school tomorrow.

 4.       What were you doing when I came to see you? (past progressive)

I was having breakfast when you came.

 5.       What are you doing now? (present progressive)

I am going to shopping mall.

 6.       What will you be doing at tomorrow evening? (future progressive)

I will be playing cricket.

 7.       Had you ever tried skating before yesterday? (past perfect)

Yes, I had already done it many times before.

 8.       Have you ever broken the window? (present perfect)

No, I have never broken the window.

 9.       Will you have graduated by the time you turn 21? (future perfect)

No, I will not have graduated by the time I turn 21.

 10.     How long had you been drinking alcohol before you quit? (past perfect progressive)

I had been smoking for twelve years before I quit.

 11.     How long have you been waiting for the train? (present perfect progressive)

I have been waiting for the bus for 30 minutes.

 12.     How long will you have been teaching before you start business? (future perfect                   progressive)

I will have been working for 22 years before I start a business.