Tenses

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

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Tenses — Key Facts for MDCAT

In English, tense refers to the TIME of an action (present, past, future) and its STATE (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous). There are 12 tenses in total.

Simple Tenses:

Tense	Formula	Use	Example
Present Simple	S + V1 (s/es)	Habits, facts, permanent truths	Water boils at 100°C. She works as a doctor.
Past Simple	S + V2	Completed actions in the past	He left yesterday. They won the match.
Future Simple	S + will + V1	Instant decisions, predictions, promises	I will call you tomorrow.

Continuous (Progressive) Tenses:

Tense	Formula	Use	Example
Present Continuous	S + am/is/are + V-ing	Actions happening NOW, temporary situations	She is studying right now.
Past Continuous	S + was/were + V-ing	Action in progress in the past, interrupted actions	I was watching TV when she called.
Future Continuous	S + will + be + V-ing	Action in progress at a future time	They will be waiting when we arrive.

Perfect Tenses:

Tense	Formula	Use	Example
Present Perfect	S + have/has + V3	Completed actions with present relevance, experience	I have finished my homework. She has visited London twice.
Past Perfect	S + had + V3	Action completed BEFORE another past action	By the time I arrived, she had left.
Future Perfect	S + will + have + V3	Action to be completed BEFORE a future time	By 2027, I will have graduated.

⚡ Exam tip: The PRESENT PERFECT is one of the most commonly confused tenses in MDCAT. Key markers: “already,” “yet,” “just,” “ever,” “never,” “for,” “since,” “so far,” “recently.” Use Past Simple when a specific time is given (yesterday, in 2020, last week) — no specific time = Present Perfect.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students who want genuine understanding.

Tenses — Complete Study Guide

Perfect Continuous Tenses:

Tense	Formula	Use	Example
Present Perfect Continuous	S + have/has + been + V-ing	Action started in past and continuing to present; emphasises duration	She has been working here for 5 years.
Past Perfect Continuous	S + had + been + V-ing	Action in progress until a past point	I had been waiting for 2 hours before she came.
Future Perfect Continuous	S + will + have + been + V-ing	Action continuing up to a future point	By June, I will have been teaching for 10 years.

Time Expressions:

• Present Simple: always, usually, often, every day, never, sometimes
• Present Continuous: now, at the moment, currently, right now, these days
• Past Simple: yesterday, ago, last week, in 2020, when…
• Past Continuous: while, when, as, at that time
• Present Perfect: already, yet, just, ever, never, for, since, so far, recently, lately
• Past Perfect: by the time, before, after, already (in past context)
• Future: tomorrow, next week, in the future, soon, someday

Active vs Passive Voice:

Tense	Active	Passive
Present Simple	He writes	He is written
Present Continuous	He is writing	He is being written
Past Simple	He wrote	He was written
Past Continuous	He was writing	He was being written
Present Perfect	He has written	He has been written
Past Perfect	He had written	He had been written
Future (will)	He will write	He will be written

Passive is used when: the agent is unknown, less important, or to emphasise the action/object.

⚡ Common mistakes: Using Past Simple instead of Present Perfect with “for” and “since.” Confusing Present Perfect continuous with Present Perfect simple — both can show duration, but continuous emphasises the ongoing nature. Mixing up the structure of Passive Voice (forgetting “been” or “being”). Using “ago” with Present Perfect (wrong — “ago” is always Past Simple).

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Tenses — Advanced Grammar Notes

Sequence of Tenses (Backshift): When a reporting verb is in the past (said, told, asked, thought), subordinate clauses often shift back one tense:

Original	Reported
”I am coming”	He said he was coming
”I will go”	He said he would go
”I have finished”	He said he had finished
”I can help”	He said he could help
”I must leave”	He said he had to leave

Note: Universal truths and past facts do NOT change: He said water boils at 100°C. (still true)

Conditional Sentences:

Type	Structure	Use	Example
Zero	If + present simple, present simple	Scientific facts	If you heat water, it boils.
First	If + present simple, will + V1	Real/possible future	If it rains, I will stay home.
Second	If + past simple, would + V1	Hypothetical present/future	If I had money, I would travel.
Third	If + past perfect, would have + V3	Hypothetical past	If I had studied, I would have passed.
Mixed	If + past perfect, would + V1	Past condition, present result	If you had worked harder, you would be successful now.

Wishes and Regrets:

• Wish + Past Simple → present unreal (I wish I knew the answer.)
• Wish + Past Perfect → past unreal (I wish I had studied.)
• Wish + would + V1 → present dissatisfaction (I wish he would stop.)

Modals and Their Perfect Forms:

Modal	Perfect Use	Example
must have + V3	Strong probability about past	He must have gone home.
can’t have + V3	Impossibility about past	She can’t have finished already.
might/may have + V3	Possibility about past	They may have missed the train.
should have + V3	Expected past action (unfulfilled)	You should have told me earlier.
ought to have + V3	Same as should have

Tense Agreement in Complex Sentences: Subject-verb agreement: Singular subject → singular verb; Plural subject → plural verb.

• Neither the teacher NOR the students were present. (plural wins — proximity rule)
• Each of the boys has passed. (each = singular)
• Either my brothers or my father is coming. (subject closer to verb wins)
• None of the water is drinkable. (water = uncountable)

Gerunds vs Infinitives:

• Gerund (V-ing): After prepositions, certain verbs (enjoy, avoid, mind, suggest, consider)
• Infinitive (to + V1): After certain verbs (decide, promise, refuse, want, hope, plan, agree)

Verbs that can take both (different meanings):

• Remember to lock (future action) vs Remember locking (past memory)
• Stop to smoke (interrupt to smoke) vs Stop smoking (quit the habit)

MDCAT Question Patterns: MDCAT Pakistan English questions on tenses frequently test: (1) choosing correct tense in context, (2) Present Perfect vs Past Simple distinction, (3) Passive voice transformations, (4) conditional sentences (if clauses), (5) subject-verb agreement, (6) sequence of tenses in reported speech, (7) identifying error in underlined sentences. 3–5 questions per paper. Present Perfect vs Past Simple is the most common error tested.

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