Grammar

PICTO GRAMMAR

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Simple Present Tense

a. Facts that exist at all times: Magnet attracts iron.

b. Permanent situation: I live in Chennai.

c. Expressing actions happening now: He opens the door and enters the room.

d. Habitual actions: Ravi goes to school at 8:30 a.m.

e. Future reference: Kanyakumari Express departs at 5:15 p.m.

Venkat will leave the class as soon as Anbu arrives.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE

Present Progressive Tense

a. Unfinished Actions Now : My grandfather is reading the newspaper now.

b. Annoying Habits : You are always disturbing me.

c. Definite Future Plans with time word: The Prime Minister is visiting Chennai tomorrow.

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

We use the simple present tense in the following contexts.

1. To express facts that exist at all times

i) Wood floats on water.

ii) Water boils at 100°C.

iii) The sun rises in the east.

2. To denote a permanent situation

i) Abdul lives in Dubai.

ii) The Vaigai flows along Madurai.

iii) Snakes swallow frogs.

3. To express an action happening now

i) The doctor gets ready to go to the clinic.

ii) The athlete puts on his shoes.

iii) My father takes the newspaper and begins to read.

4. To express habitual actions

i) Latha goes to school at eight thirty.

ii) Every morning I drink a cup of coffee.

iii) My uncles comes home at 6 p.m.

5. To express future reference

i) The aeroplane takes off at 9 a.m.

ii) The Chief Minister opens the exhibition tomorrow.

iii) Our annual examination starts next week. 

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE

1. To express unfinished actions happening now.

i) My mother is cooking now.

ii) Devaki is cleaning the vessels in the kitchen now.

iii) At present my friends are practising for the friendly match.

2. To denote annoying habits

i) You are always asking me for money.

ii) The little girl is always crying.

iii) The old man is always complaining about his sons.

3. To express definite future plans

i) The President is leaving for the States tomorrow.

ii) The Flood Relief Committee is coming here the day after tomorrow.

iii) They arc writing the final examination tomorrow.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

1. To express completed action

i) It rained heavily yesterday.

ii) We went to a movie last Friday.

iii) Milton wrote ’Paradise Lost'.

2. To express actions in stories

i) Every one laughed at him.

ii) The captain came home after two months.

iii) Little Sarah opened the door and welcomed the guests. 

PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

1. To indicate overlapping actions.

i) When my entered the kitchen the cat was drinking milk.

ii) You were watching TV when we came in.

iii) While he was going to school someone called him.

2. To indicate past habits

i) As children we were playing kabaddi.

ii) My mother was doing all household work when we were children.

iii) We were shopping regularly during our visit to Mumbai.

3. To emphasize length or duration

i) John was studying till 11.30 p.m. every night.

ii) The labourers were working hard from dawn to dusk.

iii) It was raining all through the night.

4. To recall the past

i) I could remember you were painting the door.

ii) We went to the new building. The men were carrying cement bags from the lorry.

iii) It was raining hard when the accident took place.

J. Read the sentences given below. Does the action happen every day or is it happening at this moment?

1. Deepa waters the plants every morning happens every day

2. A triangle has three sides. happens every day

3. Sandhya is writing a letter. is happening at this moment

4. The children are playing in the garden. is happening at this moment

5. I go to school regularly happens every day.

K. Read the sentences given below and circle the verbs appropriately.

1. Children like like/likes ice-creams.

2. Birds is flying is flying/are flying in the sky.

3. The doctor is treating is treating/ are treating the patient.

4. Our school commences is commencing/commences at 9.00 in the morning.

5. The florist sells sell/sells flowers on the street.

L.Vimala and Srinath have met after a long time. Read the conversation given below and complete the dialogue. Role play the situation with your own words.

Vimal: Hello Srinath, I haven’t seen you for a long time. Where are you rushing off?

Srinath: I am going to the hospital.

Vimala: Why are you going to hospital? Are you ill?

Srinath: No, I want to see my friend.

Vimala: Oh! What happened to him?

Srinat: He met with an accident.

 Vimala: Are you free tomorrow?

Srinat: Yes, I am free.

Vimala: You are in a hurry, meet you tomorrow. Take care.

Srinath: Ok! Bye.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Simple Past Tense

a. Completed action: Merlin went to Ooty last week. Shakespeare wrote ‘The Tempest’.

b. Actions in stories: She boarded the train and looked for her friends.

PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE

Past Progressive Tense

a. Overlapping action: When I entered the room, the telephone was ringing.

b. Past habits: Arun was eating a lot of junk food those days.

c. Emphasis of length or duration: Malathi was watering the plants all day.

d. Recalling the past: It was raining that day. I remember it well.

M. Sinduja is getting ready to sleep. She starts writing her diary. Help her complete it by using the verbs given in brackets.

(start eat have finish go reach)

1.  I got up at 7’O clock.

2.  I ate breakfast.

3.  I went to office by car.

4.  I started to work.

5.  I had lunch at at 2 p.m.

6.  I finished my task at 7 p.m.

7.   I reached home at 8 p.m.

N. Read the sentences carefully and fill in the blanks with suitable tense form of the verbs given in brackets.

1. The doorbell rang, while I was doing (do) my homework.

2. We saw an elephant, while we were going (go) on a trip to Ooty.

3. Mary fell asleep while she was reading (read) a book.

4. The television was on but nobody was watching (watch) it.

5. Baskaran hurt his hand while he was cutting (cut) mangoes.