Class 7 The Tense English Grammar - Importance of English Grammar for Class 7 Students
In today’s lesson, we will discuss The Tense. We will begin with understanding the tense and its type. Then we will see examples of the tenses. Moving ahead we will learn about its uses. Practice questions and solved examples are given throughout the article for better understanding and concept clarity. Let’s begin the journey on the topic.
Introduction to English Grammar
What are Tenses?
Every day, we talk about what we did in the past, what we are doing now, and what we plan to do in the future. We accomplish this by employing verb "tenses" that indicate time—the past tense, present tense, and future tense.
Examples of Tenses
To express when events occur, we must conjugate our verbs differently. Here are some examples of the three most common verb tenses.
Mini called me. (Past Tense)
Mini calls me. (Present Tense)
Mini will call me. (Future Tense)
As you can see, the verbs' forms change with each tense. To clarify this, we can insert a specific time into the sentence:
Mini called me yesterday.
I talk to Mini every day.
Parts of Tenses
Since verbs only change form between past and present tense, we must rely on other words to convey the time or situation. When changing verb tenses, we use "helping verbs" called auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliary verbs, which are used in addition to the main verb. They assist the main verb in making sense of a sentence.
Auxiliary Verbs
Sometimes just using a verb isn't sufficient to make a sentence work. As a result, auxiliary verbs exist to add understanding or to ensure that other verbs work correctly. Many sentences would be meaningless without them. They are divided into three categories: to be, have, and do.
To be: are, be, being, is, been, was, were, am
Have: had, has, have, having
Do: do, did, does
Here are some examples, both with and without the use of auxiliary verbs:
Mini is calling(Correct)
Mini has been calling. (Correct)
Mini was calling. (Correct)
Mini calling. (Incorrect)
Mini did call. (Correct)
Mini call. (Incorrect)
Mini called. (Correct)
Mini has called. (Incorrect)
Auxiliary Verbs
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Modal auxiliary verbs indicate whether something is likely, might happen, probably happen, definitely happen, and so on. The following are the main modal auxiliaries: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would. Here are a few examples:
Mini could call soon. (Likely Happen)
Mini may call soon. (Might happen)
Mini should call soon. (Probably happen)
Mini will call soon. (Definitely happen)
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Types of Tenses
Tenses are grouped into three types: past, present, and future. However, within each tense, additional types help us express ourselves more precisely: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.
Remember:
The past tense allows us to speak about events that have already occurred (in the past).
The present tense allows us to talk about what is happening right now (in the present).
The future tense allows us to speak about events that will occur in the future (in the future).
Types of Tenses
Simple Tenses
Simple tenses are the most fundamental way of writing and speaking. They demonstrate that there is something that happened/is happening/will happen during the period discussed in the sentence:
Past: Yesterday Mini walked home from school.
Present: Mini walks home from school on Tuesdays.
Future: Mini will walk home from school tomorrow.
Continuous Tenses
The continuous tenses allow us to communicate a condition that is, was, or will happen indefinitely. This implies that the action in the sentence is still ongoing at the time being discussed:
Past: Mini was walking home when Lily called.
Present: Mini is walking home now.
Future: When Lily calls, Mini will be walking home.
Perfect Tenses
Perfect tenses allow us to express that there is something that occurred before the time being mentioned in the sentence that has an impact on what is happening now.
Past: By the time we were ready to leave school, Mini had walked home.
Present: Mini has walked home; let’s meet her now.
Future: Mini will have walked home by the time we finish work tonight.
Perfect Continuous Tenses
Perfect continuous tenses allow us to describe something that has/had been/will have been going on for some time and is still going on at the time of the sentence:
Past: When she turned 15, Mini had been walking home from school for 10 years.
Present: Mini has been walking home from school since she was 5.
Future: By the time she turns 15, Mini will have been walking home from school for 10 years.
Difficult Word Meaning
Summary
In this chapter, we started with the Tense. The past is used to represent what has already happened. The present tense is used to describe what is happening right now or what is ongoing and the future tense is used to describe what will happen in the future. The tense of a sentence tells us when an activity took place. You must use the proper tenses to express your ideas if you wish to engage with others or construct a proper phrase. The three fundamental divisions of time—Past, Present, and Future—are expressed in English using tenses. If you don't use the tense that best describes the situation, the statement or query will mean the exact opposite of what you intended to say or write.
Practice Questions
A. Choose the correct tense for the following sentences
Look! We ________ to crash. (Go/are going/were going/have gone).
I wish I ________ good friends. (Have/had/had had).
After he ________ his work, he went out for a movie. (had completed /completed/ Either could be used here).
I ________ him for a very long time when we got married. (knew/have known/had known/had been working).
B. Place the verbs into the correct tense
The receptionist (welcome) ________the guests and (ask). ________ them to sanitize their hands first.
The motorcycle (breaks), ________ down and they (have). ________ to walk to college.
The boys (swim). ________ while the girls (sunbath) ________.
My sister (come) ________ in, (look) ________ and (tell). ________ me to help her in cooking.
C. Fill in the blanks with suitable tenses.
I _________ you if you tried to disturb me again. (am hitting/ will be hitting/will hit)
__________ I help you with the housework?(will/would/shall)
By next year we ___________ in this city for twenty-five years.(have lived/will have lived/will be lived)
I _______ home late tonight.(a,/will be/would be)
Answers:
A. Choose the correct tense for the following sentences
Look! We are going to crash.
I wish I had good friends.
After he had completed his work, he went out for a movie.
I had known him for a very long time when we got married.
B. Place the verbs into the correct tense
The receptionist welcomed the guests and asked them to sanitize their hands first.
The motorcycle broke down and they had to walk to college.
The boys swam while the girls sunbathed.
My sister came in, looked, and told me to help her with cooking.
C. Fill in the blanks with suitable tenses.
I will hit you if you tried to disturb me again.
Shall I help you with the housework?
By next year we will have lived in this city for twenty-five years.
I will be home late tonight.
NCERT Solutions - Class 7 The Tense Grammar Solution
NCERT Solutions for English Grammar serves as a comprehensive solution book for the students of Class 7 The Tense who are willing to expertise in the English Grammar subject.
The Class 7th English Grammar syllabus is comprehensively mentioned in this NCERT Solutions. Exhaustive Class 7 Grammar topics are present in the NCERT Solutions. Also, this is to ensure that students from any board can refer to the NCERT Solutions for English Grammar Class 7 The Tense.
FAQs on English Grammar for Class 7 The Tense
1. What are the most common types of important questions on Tenses for the Class 7 English exam?
Based on the CBSE pattern for the 2025-26 session, students can expect the following types of important questions on Tenses:
- Fill in the blanks: You will be given a sentence with a blank and a verb in brackets, and you must use the correct tense of the verb.
- Sentence Conversion: You may be asked to change a sentence from one tense to another, for example, from Simple Present to Simple Past.
- Error Correction: This involves identifying and correcting the incorrect tense used in a given sentence.
- Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs): You will need to choose the correct verb form from a list of options to complete a sentence.
2. How do you identify the specific tense used in a sentence? Provide examples.
To identify the tense, you need to look at the main verb and any auxiliary (helping) verbs. Here are some examples:
- "She is writing a letter." – The structure 'is + verb-ing' indicates the Present Continuous Tense.
- "They had finished their homework." – The structure 'had + past participle (V3)' indicates the Past Perfect Tense.
- "We will have completed the project by next Monday." – The structure 'will have + past participle (V3)' indicates the Future Perfect Tense.
- "He plays cricket every evening." – The base form of the verb with an '-s' indicates the Simple Present Tense.
3. Why is it important to distinguish between the Simple Past and Present Perfect Tense in exams?
Correctly distinguishing between the Simple Past and Present Perfect tenses is crucial as they signal different time connections, a common area for marks deduction. The key difference is:
- Simple Past Tense (e.g., "I visited Delhi in 2020") describes an action completed at a specific time in the past. The connection to the present is cut off.
- Present Perfect Tense (e.g., "I have visited Delhi") describes an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past but has relevance or impact on the present. Using one for the other changes the entire meaning.
4. How can auxiliary verbs like 'be', 'do', and 'have' change the meaning of a sentence when forming tenses?
Auxiliary verbs are essential for forming different tenses and moods. They add specific meanings that the main verb cannot convey on its own:
- 'To be' (is, am, are, was, were): Used to form the continuous tenses, showing an action in progress. For example, "He reads" (a habit) versus "He is reading" (an action happening now).
- 'To have' (has, have, had): Used to form the perfect tenses, showing that an action is completed in relation to another point in time. For instance, "I wrote the essay" (past action) versus "I have written the essay" (completed, and the essay is now ready).
- 'To do' (do, does, did): Used to form questions and negative sentences in simple tenses, like "Did he go?" or "He did not go."
5. What is a common mistake Class 7 students make when using future tenses like 'will' vs. 'be going to'?
A frequent error is using 'will' and 'be going to' interchangeably. While both refer to the future, they have different uses:
- Use 'will' for spontaneous decisions made at the moment of speaking (e.g., "I think I will have a glass of water"), for promises, or for predictions without evidence.
- Use 'be going to' for plans and intentions made before the moment of speaking (e.g., "I am going to visit my grandparents this weekend") or for predictions based on present evidence (e.g., "Look at those dark clouds. It is going to rain").
6. How do tenses help in constructing a clear narrative or story?
Tenses are the backbone of storytelling, as they establish a clear timeline for the reader. Using them correctly is important for narrative writing questions.
- Past Tense: Most stories are told in the past tense (e.g., "The princess lived in a tower"). It grounds the story in a time that has already occurred.
- Sequence of Events: Using different past tenses like Simple Past and Past Perfect helps to order events. For example, "The team celebrated because they had won the match." This clearly shows the winning happened before the celebration.
- Building Suspense: Shifting to the Present Tense can make action feel more immediate and exciting, pulling the reader into the moment.
7. For exam practice, fill in the blanks with the correct tense of the verb given in brackets.
Here are some practice questions typical for a Class 7 exam:
- After the students ____________ (complete) the assignment, the teacher collected the papers.
Answer: After the students had completed the assignment, the teacher collected the papers. - I ____________ (read) this book for three hours now.
Answer: I have been reading this book for three hours now. - By this time next year, my brother ____________ (finish) his high school education.
Answer: By this time next year, my brother will have finished his high school education.
