PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Subject+ had been + verb in progressive
Past perfect continuous tense represents an ongoing action that started and continued for some time in the past.
Example:
1. Yar’adua had been seeing his doctor for two years before he died in 2009.
2. The students had been waiting for two hours when their lecturer arrived.
3. Muhammad had been teaching for four years when he resigned and joined politics
SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE
subject+ will/shall + verb (base form)
Functions of the simple future tense
The simple future refers to a time later than now and expresses facts or certainty. In this case, there is no ‘attitude’.
The simple future is used:
- To predict a future event:
It will rain tomorrow. - With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I will pay for the tickets by credit card. - To express willingness:
I will do the washing-up.
He will carry your bag for you. - In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won’t eat his soup.
I won’t leave until I’ve seen the manager! - With I in the interrogative form using “shall” to make an offer:
Shall I open the window? - With We in the interrogative form using “shall”, to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight? - With I in the interrogative form using “shall” to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money? - FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
subject+ will be + verb in -ing
The Future Continuous tense is a verb tense that indicates that something will occur in the future and continue for an expected length of time.
Example
1. I will be travelling to Kano tomorrow this time
2. We will be watching the football match
3. The students will be sitting for their final exams in June.
FUTURE PERFECT
subject+ will have + verb in past participle
Example
1. I will have returned from Kano tomorrow by this time
2. I will have finished my project by next week.
3. I will have written the letter by breakfast time.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
subject+ will have been + verb in – ing
– To show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future
Example:
1. I will have been teaching for six years by September 2022
2. The students will have been waiting for two hours by 10.00 am
3. We will have been playing for one hour by 10:30
In summary
1. simple present: I drive.
2. present cont: I’m driving.
3. present perfect: I have driven.
4. Present perfect continuous I have been driving.
5. simple past: I drove.
6. past cont: I was driving.
7. past perfect: I had driven.
8. past perfect cont: I had been driving.
9. simple future: I will drive.
10. future cont: I will be driving.
11. future perfect: I will have driven.
12. future perfect continuous: I will have been driving.
Concluded
Nuru Aliyu Bauchi wrote from Bauchi via nurubh2015@gmail.com.
