All Pakistan Educational Board Results Portal
Verb Tenses & Usage Guide
Master 12 English Tenses, Formulas, Rules, and Solved Board Exam Correction Exercises.
1. What are Verb Tenses?
Verb tenses indicate the time an action takes place—whether in the past, present, or future—and express its state of completion or continuation.
Understanding correct tense selection is essential for objective error correction questions in matric, intermediate, MDCAT, and competitive exams.
2. The 12 Tenses Master Chart & Formulas
| Tense Name | Structure / Formula | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | Sub + V1 (s/es) + Obj | He writes an essay. |
| Present Continuous | Sub + is/am/are + V-ing + Obj | He is writing an essay. |
| Present Perfect | Sub + has/have + V3 + Obj | He has written an essay. |
| Present Perfect Cont. | Sub + has/have + been + V-ing + Since/For | He has been writing since morning. |
| Simple Past | Sub + V2 + Obj | He wrote an essay yesterday. |
| Past Continuous | Sub + was/were + V-ing + Obj | He was writing an essay. |
| Past Perfect | Sub + had + V3 + Obj | He had written an essay before sleeping. |
| Past Perfect Cont. | Sub + had + been + V-ing + Since/For | He had been writing for 2 hours. |
| Simple Future | Sub + will/shall + V1 + Obj | He will write an essay. |
| Future Continuous | Sub + will be + V-ing + Obj | He will be writing an essay. |
| Future Perfect | Sub + will have + V3 + Obj | He will have written an essay by 5 PM. |
| Future Perfect Cont. | Sub + will have been + V-ing + Since/For | He will have been writing for an hour. |
3. High-Yield Tense Rules for Board Exams
Rule 1: Past Perfect Sequence (Had + V3 with Simple Past)
When two actions happened in the past, the earlier action takes Past Perfect (Had + V3) and the later action takes Simple Past (V2).
- ❌ Incorrect: The train left before I reached the station.
- ✅ Correct: The train had left before I reached the station.
Rule 2: Since vs. For Usage
Since is used for a starting point in time (e.g., since 1999, since 7 AM, since Monday). For is used for a duration (e.g., for 3 days, for 5 hours).
Example: It has been raining since morning. / She has lived here for ten years.
4. Solved Board Exam MCQs Exercises
Q1. “The patient ______ before the doctor arrived.” Fill in the correct verb form:
A) died | B) has died | C) had died (Correct) | D) was dying
Q2. Choose the correct sentence with ‘since/for’:
A) He is studying here for 2020.
B) He has been studying here since 2020. (Correct)
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between Simple Past and Present Perfect?
Simple Past describes an action completed at a specific past time (e.g., “I visited Lahore last year”). Present Perfect connects a past action to the present moment without specifying exact past time (e.g., “I have visited Lahore”).
Can we use ‘shall’ with ‘He’ or ‘She’?
In modern standard English, ‘will’ is universally used for all pronouns. ‘Shall’ is traditionally reserved for ‘I’ and ‘We’ in formal contexts or offers.