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English has 3 main tenses (Present, Past, Future), each divided into 4 aspects (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous) — giving us 12 tenses total. BCS frequently tests tense identification, correct tense usage, and since/for rules.
| Tense | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | V1 / V1+s(es) | He goes to school. |
| Present Continuous | am/is/are + V-ing | He is going to school. |
| Present Perfect | have/has + V3 | He has gone to school. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | have/has + been + V-ing | He has been going for 2 hours. |
| Simple Past | V2 | He went to school. |
| Past Continuous | was/were + V-ing | He was going to school. |
| Past Perfect | had + V3 | He had gone before I arrived. |
| Past Perfect Continuous | had + been + V-ing | He had been going for 2 hours. |
| Simple Future | shall/will + V1 | He will go to school. |
| Future Continuous | shall/will + be + V-ing | He will be going at 8 AM. |
| Future Perfect | shall/will + have + V3 | He will have gone by then. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | shall/will + have + been + V-ing | He will have been going for 2 hours. |
| Word | Used For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Since | A point in time | since 2010, since Monday, since morning, since I was a child |
| For | A period/duration of time | for 5 years, for 3 hours, for a long time, for ages |
Both since and for demand a Perfect tense (Present Perfect or Past Perfect).
When two actions happened in the past, the earlier action takes Past Perfect (had + V3) and the later action takes Simple Past (V2).
Signal words: before, after, when, by the time, already, as soon as
Regardless of the tense of the main clause, a universal/scientific truth stays in Simple Present:
This rule overrides the normal indirect speech backshift rule.
After wish and if only, use the past form for present unreal situations:
For past regrets, use Past Perfect:
Q1. "I have been living in Dhaka _____ 2015." (a) for (b) since (c) from (d) by
Answer: (b) since Explanation: 2015 is a specific point in time, so we use "since". "For" is used with durations (e.g., "for 11 years"). "From" does not pair with perfect tenses this way.*
Q2. "The patient _____ before the doctor came." (a) died (b) had died (c) has died (d) was dying
Answer: (b) had died Explanation: Two past actions — the patient dying happened BEFORE the doctor coming. The earlier action takes Past Perfect (had + V3). The later action "came" is Simple Past.*
Q3. "The teacher told us that the sun _____ in the east." (a) rose (b) rises (c) has risen (d) had risen
Answer: (b) rises Explanation: This is a universal truth. Universal truths always stay in Simple Present regardless of the reporting verb's tense. "The sun rises in the east" is always true.*
Q4. "I wish I _____ a bird." (a) am (b) was (c) were (d) be
Answer: (c) were Explanation: After "wish" for an unreal present situation, we use the past subjunctive. For "be", the subjunctive form is always "were" for all subjects (I were, he were, she were).*
Q5. "She has been studying for this exam _____ three months." (a) since (b) for (c) from (d) by
Answer: (b) for Explanation: "Three months" is a duration/period of time, so we use "for". If it were a starting point (e.g., "since January"), we would use "since".*
"Since 2010" NOT "for 2010." Since = point in time. For = duration. Students often mix them up.
Universal truth stays in Simple Present in indirect speech. Do NOT backshift "the earth moves" to "the earth moved" — even though the reporting verb is past.
"I wish I were" NOT "I wish I was." The subjunctive "were" is used for all subjects after wish/if only in formal English. BCS always expects "were."
Forgetting Past Perfect for the earlier of two past actions. "He went home after he finished" is acceptable in casual speech, but BCS expects: "He went home after he had finished."