English grammar - Tenses For Class 5

 

Even if a child is good at languages, they might struggle with the use of tenses. Parents and educators should practise with children to familiarise them with the forms of verbs and tenses. Educators have compiled information in an easy and fun way to learn tenses in Planet Spark’s modules. These modules will help children study English tenses for Class 5. This article will find all the information you need about tenses to solve CBSE Class 5 English tenses questions. Read the definitions, types, and simple rules for tenses below.

What are Tenses?

As you already know, a verb is a word or phrase that describes the action, state, or event in a sentence. Verbs denote ‘doing’ or ‘being’. These actions may occur in the present, the past, or the future. Tenses represent this time of the event taking place. In short, tense is the form taken by the verb to express the action's time. Students will come across three primary forms while learning about Class 5 English grammar tenses - past, present, and future tense.

 

If you say ‘I ate pasta yesterday’, you are talking in the past tense. ‘I am eating pasta’ is present tense, and ‘I will eat pasta’ is future tense.

 

Each tense is further divided into four groups

• Simple
• Continuous
• Perfect
• Perfect continuous

 

Let’s read more about tenses and the rules for tenses in English grammar. The following section explains all about tenses, and their forms, including the simple present tense For Class 5.

Types of Tenses

1. Present Tense

Present tense describes any action happening in the present. ‘I am reading this chapter’ is an example of the present tense. Further, there are four types of present tense:

 

1. Simple present tense

Simple present, or simple present indefinite tense, will tell you as things happen. This is used for things that happen every year, every week, or every day. It is also used for universal truths. Simple present tense is denoted by adding ‘s’ or ‘es’ to verbs when the sentence has a singular or collective noun.

 

Examples

The flamingos arrive every year.

Sun rises in the east.

 

2. Present continuous tense

This type of present tense describes things that are happening right now. You can use this tense by adding the helping verbs ‘is’, ‘am’ and ‘are’ to the main verb.

 

Examples

The carpenter is working in my room.

I am going to the sweet shop.

 

3. Present perfect tense

This type of tense describes actions that are complete. Present perfect tense may describe any action or state that started in the past. You can use this tense by adding the helping verbs ‘have’ and ‘has’ to the main verb.

 

Examples

We have finished the cupcakes.

Aryan has given me a pen.

 

4. Present perfect continuous tense

This kind of tense describes an action that started in the past and has not been finished. It is described using the helping verbs ‘have/has been’ along with the main verb.

 

Examples

I have been waiting for a taxi.

The boys have been playing since morning.

 

2. Past Tense

Past tense describes any action that has already happened. ‘I read the book’ is an example of past tense. Similar to present tense, past tense can be divided into four types:

 

1. Simple past tense
   The simple past tense, or past indefinite tense, is used to describe events that took place in the past. The action being described has taken place earlier –  a day, month, a year, decades, or more. Simple past tense is denoted by adding ‘d’ or ‘ed’ to the verb.

 

Examples

It rained yesterday.

Anurag played with us.

 

2. Past continuous tense

The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were taking place in the past. It shows that the subject was in the middle of an action. This tense is denoted by using the helping verbs ‘was’ and ‘were’ with the main verb.

 

Examples

Papa was buying chocolates for us.

They were walking in the park.

 

3. Past perfect tense

This kind of tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action started. For this tense, we use the helping verb ‘had’ plus the past tense of the main verb (past participle).

 

Examples

Gina had left when I reached the cafe.

The muffins had finished before I went to the shop.

 

4. Past perfect continuous tense

The past perfect continuous tense describes an action that started in the past and continued up to a certain time. It is described using had/had been along with the main verb.

 

Examples

Anjali had been practising for her show all day.

Mohit had been working on his project.

 

3. Future tense

The future tense describes an action that is going to take place in the future. In the future tense, the verb describes something that has not yet happened.

1. Simple future tense
   The simple future tense, or future indefinite tense, describes events that will take place in the future. For this tense, students should use the helping verbs ‘shall’ or ‘will’.

 

Examples

The students shall write a test tomorrow.

I will bring my brother to your place on Sunday.

 

2. Future continuous tense
   This tense is used to describe actions that will be going on at a specific point of time, or for a certain duration in the future. Students should not change the verb, but use the helping verbs ‘going to’ or ‘will’ to use this tense.

 

Examples
I will be playing the match tomorrow.

You are going to regret your actions.

 

3. Future perfect tense

This tense is used to describe that something will be completed by a given time in the future. It is described by using ‘will have’ along with the addition of ‘d’ or ‘ed’ to the main verb.

 

Examples

I will have eaten lunch by the time you arrive.

I will have cleaned the room when the guests come.

 

4. Future perfect continuous tense

This kind of tense is used to describe an action or event that will be continuing before the start of another event in the future, or an event that will go on for a certain time. It is described by combining ‘will be’ and adding ‘ing’ to the main verb

 

Examples

I will be staying at my friend’s house in Jaipur.

Arjun will be celebrating his birthday at the mall.

 

To sum it up, there are 12 forms of tenses that you need to learn while studying Class 5 English grammar tenses. If educators or parents wish to read more about verbs and their forms, they can go through our module for CBSE Class 5 English grammar verbs. Understanding verbs will help to use their correct form with the respective tenses.  

Rules for Usage

Children studying 5th Class English tenses should keep in mind some basic guidelines for the correct use of tenses. First, use the same tense in all sentences of a paragraph. If you are using past tense in one sentence, use the same in the other sentences as well. For example, “I have finished my homework. I have also eaten dinner.” Both the sentences here use the present perfect tense. “I have finished my homework. I ate dinner,” is inconsistent.

Present perfect versus past tense

It can sometimes be confusing for students to differentiate between the past tense and present perfect tense. A simple way to spot the difference is to ask yourself: Was the action started in the past, and has been completed now? If the answer is yes, use the present perfect tense. An example is: ‘I have eaten dinner.’ This implies that you just ate your dinner.

 

If the action started and got over sometime in the past, you should use the past tense. For example, ‘I ate dinner’ means you ate dinner sometime earlier. You may or may not specify the time in the past tense. You can say, ‘I ate dinner at 8 pm.’ Remembering these simple rules for tenses in English grammar will help children with the correct use of tenses.

Summary

While a verb describes the action, state, or event in a sentence, tense is the form taken by the verb to represent the action's time. There are three types of tenses - past, present, and future that denote the time of the action in a sentence. These are further divided into four groups - simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect. Please go through PlanetSpark’s module on English tenses for Class 5 for definitions and examples.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many types of tenses are there?

There are mainly three types of tenses - past, present, and future. These are divided into four categories each. So, there are 12 types of tenses students need to learn for CBSE Class 5 English tenses.

 

2. What is the difference between present perfect and past tense in Class 5 English tenses?

As per 5th class English tenses, if an action started in the past, and has been completed now, use present perfect tense. If the action took place sometime in the past, use the past tense.

 

3. How can I form future perfect tense?

Combine the helping verbs ‘will have’ and the past participle of the verb (verb + ed) to form the future perfect tense.

 

4. What do you study under simple present tense for Class 5 in CBSE syllabus?

While studying simple present tense for Class 5, you will learn that it describes things as they happen. This is used for events occurring in the present or that happen routinely. It is also used for universal truths.

 

5. How can I learn more about tenses?

Practise is the best way to learn more about tense. Try to use different forms of tenses while conversing. Also, to learn more about Class 5 English grammar tenses, study our tenses chapter and go through the given examples.