What are Definite And Indefinite Articles | With Examples

What are Definite And Indefinite Articles?

Learning English grammar can be useful. There can be many rules, there can be many exceptions and sometimes there can be uncertainty. I got some good news though. There is a field of grammar where there are only three very little things to keep track of and you are already familiar with them. It is only a matter of learning to avoid the common mistakes that people make in the case of definite and indefinite articles.

 

What is An Article?

An article is a word that goes before a noun, giving some basic information about the noun, such as if it's singular and plural, or if the object is specific or general. The English articles are a, an, some, and the.

Types of Article:

1. Indefinite Article. A, An 
2. Definite Article. The

What is An Indefinite Article?

An indefinite article is a part of speech that identifies an indefinite noun. "A" and "an" are the only indefinite articles.

Indefinite Article Examples:

• There’s a dog in the garden!
• I need a stamp for this letter.
• Alex is an accountant.
• He works for a multinational company.
• We need an apple and an orange for the fruit juice.
• Is there a whiteboard in the school classroom?
• My brother drives a lorry.

Use of Indefinite Article : A and An

• Rule- 1. If there is a consonant at the beginning of the word, then a and vowel (a, e, I, o, u) precede an. Example: A hen, A boy, A pen, An egg, An apple. 

• Rule- 2. If the first letter of the word has 'h' and if it is pronounced correctly, then it sits before a. Example: A horse, an historian. And 'h' is not pronounced correctly before that sits an. Or Example: An honest, an hour. 

• Rule- 3. If there are Vowels at the beginning of the word and it is pronounced like (u), then a sits before that. Example: A ewe, A European, A uniform, A University, A useful metal, A unique position. 

• Rule- 4. All words composed of (o) sit before an. Only one of the associated words sits a. Example: An open field, An open heart surgery, An open door, An orange. A one-taka note, a one-eyed man.

• Rule- 5. The first letter of the acronym is pronounced like Vowel-before that sits an. Example: An M.A., An F.R.C.S., An F.C.P.S. Rule-

• 6. Indefinite Article (a/an) sits before the Singular Common Noun to explain to one another all. Example: A dog is a faithful animal. An ant is industrious.

What is A Definite Article?

A definite article is "The". "The" refers to a special noun that is understood. The visitor is aware of the reference object and no further identification is required.

Definite Article Examples:

• You can’t go to the school office now.
• Can you turn on the radio?
• The shopping bags are still in the car now.
• Where is the bottle-opener?
• The students are waiting for the lesson to begin.
• The new washing machine is broken.
• The presentation is ready for you to check Mr. Alex.
• How is the weather in your country?

Use of Definite Article: The

• Rule- 1. The sitting before a particular person/object. Example: The girls are playing. The girls are reading.

• Rule- 2. The One Sitting Before the Common Noun Singular to explain to all people. Example: The cow is a useful animal. The rose is a nicely flower.

• Rule- 3. The river sits before the names of rivers, seas, bays, mountains, islands, ships etc. Example: The Andaman. The Himalayas. The Pacific.

• Rule- 4. The name sits before the date. Example: The 8th of December. The 21th of may.  

• Rule- 5. The Comparative Degree of Adjective before the Comparative Degree of Adjectives.  Example: Rani is the better of the two girls.  She is the best girl in the class.  She joined the army.

A. Read The Text and Notice The Word In

This is Sama Ahmed's bed room. The room is very neatly made. It has a bed with pillows, cushions, and a colorful, flowery bed cover. There's a rug in front of the bed with another big cushion. 

An  excellent painting of the sea is hanging from the wall while another small painting is kept on the top of the left side-table. The room has a rocking chair and a sofa at the right corner. The windows are covered with large heavy curtin. Can you see a mask somewhere around the bed?

The bold words in the passage are examples of article in English. Can you find out any principal or rule about the use of a, an and the in the passage Use of article.

• We use a/an to talk about something for the first time. e.g a bed-cover, a rug, a rocking chair, a sofa, a make In the lesson above when the speaker uses any singular countable noun, she/he uses either a/an before that.

• We also use a/an to refer to something unspecified, e.g. not particular or specific. She bought some apples from a shop in the new market. In this sentence the shop in the new market is not specific as there are many shops in the new market. So, article has been used before that.
• A is used before consonants and 'an' is used before vowel.
• A is used before vowel 'U' when it's pronounced as 'you'. As, a university, not an university.
• An is used before consonant if the first 'h' of a word is silent : an hour, an honest man etc.
• We use the when we refer from something for the second time. e.g. This is Sama Ahmed's bed room. The room is very neatly made. (room:1st time) (room: 2nd time)
• We used the when we refer from any person/object specifically. e.g. There are few windows in the room. The windows are covered with large heavy curtain. In the second sentence, the windows are specific in the sentences : which windows the speaker is referring to? The windows are the windows of Sama Ahmed.
• We also use the from refer from something that has no alternative. e.g. The sun is the source of energy in the earth.

Exercise:

B. Fill in the blank spaces with a, an, the, or cross (x) mark

• ____ motor vehicles and ____ greenhouses cause pollution and it damages _______ environment.
• All pollutions are bad but ____ pollution we cause in ___ water is perhaps the worst.
• I love watching ____ movies. _____ movies are good sources of entertainment. Last week I saw a movie ____ Tory. That was fantastic.
• _____ Honesty and _____ sincerity are three great qualities of human life.
• However, sometimes it appears that _____ honesty and ______ sincerity our farmers are showing everyday aren't evaluated.
• I am a food taster. I like even _____ food of small ethnic groups. Last time _____ foods I tried in Rangamati and Khagrachari were great.
• ____ world is yet to ensure ___ food for all.
• My brother is studying ____ history. His special interest are ____ history of the Farah and ___ history of ___ post-Communist Ear.

C. Explain what all these people do Follow the pattern given here

A writer's a person who writers books/article. Writers are persons who write books/article.

• ____ writer ___ farmer ___ tour. Guide ___ pilot ___ cabin crew ____ nurse ____ teacher ___ advocate ___ administrator ____ police ___ performer ____ singe ____ reporter.

D. Practice Article

The Adjective which is used before a noun to indicate noun definitely or indefinitely in the sentences is called Article. The sounds a, an and the are usually called Article. They are called Article as they've some special significance as the parts of speech. 

1. Fill in the blanks of the following sentences with appropriate articles:

• Mr Rahim is ............. European.

• You are .............. Nazrul, I see.

• He has eaten ............... egg.

• Our English teacher is ...........M.A.

• He is .................... M.B.B.S.

• Smith is ....... best boy in ...... class.

• Jone joined ................. army.

• He bought ................. pen.

• The girl took ............ egg.

• A dog is ........... faithful animal.

• The rose is ............ nice flower.

• Forgiveness is ......... great virtue.

• Cricket is ............  favourite game.

• Football is played all over ....world.

• Nishu is the better of ..... two girls.

2. Use articles, where necessary in the following sentences:

• He's honours graduate person.

• Kalam reads Observer daily.

• I could see nothing but sky.

• Maghna and Tista are very fast train.

• Dhaka is old city in Bangladesh.

• Rahim is good player.

• Rani is better of the two girls.

• I say my prayers five time few day.

• She is ten years old girl.

• Imran come here to tell news.

• There is little water in the glass.

• Good many people witness the football.

• I've bought dozen of bananas.

• Many boy was present in the class.

• The crow is rather ugly bird.

3. Correct the following sentences:

• Not the single man was present in the meeting.

• I saw a man on the street.

• There are a few books on a table

• An old lady came to our house yesterday.

• The man is moral.

• He reached the Canada from France. 

• I met an one-eyed man.

• He's the justice of the peace.

• He has a rad and the blue car.

• He's a smart and intelligent boy.

• I've a nice and costly pen.

• There are a thousand people in a train.

• An honest man leads poor life.

• Everybody should check the beast in him.

• Alexander the great was an brave warrior.

Use of Articles A, An, The And (x)

★ Use articles only where needed:

• I've in Canada. My elder brother who is ____ engineer, works in U.S.A. Last summer he asked me to stay _____ few days with him and sent me _____ plane ticket. That was my ____ first journey by _____ plane. I arrived at ____ airport about ____ hour before ____ flight. It was ___ enjoyable plane __ journey.
• ____ friend in need is ____ friend indeed. A true friend is ____ asset. He stands by his friend in ____ time of ____ danger. He always wishes for ____ welfare of his friend. He never misguides ____ friend to ____ path of violence and dishonesty. But it's ____ matter of sorrow that ____ real friend is very rare nowadays.
• People consider ____ poverty _____ great evil and it seems to be ____ accepted belief that if people had ____ plenty of money, they should be happy and ____ useful and more out of life. As _____ result, there is more genuine satisfaction in life and more obtained from life in ____ humble cottage of ____ poor men than in ____ palaces of ___ rich.
• Punctuality is ___ unique virtue. It leads ___ man to ___ path of success, ___  punctual man does all his works in ____ due time. He never stops working for ___ tomorrow. So it is our duty to acquire ___ quality of punctuality in our life. Everyone respects ____ man who is punctual, ____ unpunctual man faces many problems in his ____ life.
• One day I meet ____ lame man. After talking for a while he showed me ____ identity card. Seeing ____ identity card I come to know that he was ____ university student. After completing his ____ study he joined ___ army. During the Liberation War he fought ___ bravely against ___ occupying army of then West Pakistan. But it's __ irony of fate that a bullet of ____ enemies hit on his left leg. Thus, he lost his leg.
• Rainy season is one of ___ most enjoyable seasons in ___ Bangladesh. It rain almost all ____ day long. Everybody becomes ___ poet on ___ rainy day. But ___ poor people suffer much on this day. ___ Floods occur during ___ rainy season. None can avoid ___ impact of ___ rainy season.
• ____ discipline is seen in ____ nature. Every morning, ____ sun rises in ____ east, day following ____ night, birds sing and ____ plants blossom. Everywhere in ____ nature there is ____ harmony. In case there was no discipline in ____ nature, there would have been ____ chaos everywhere.
• Each and every student wants to make ___ good result in ___ examination. But it is not ___ easy task,___ student has to do something with this end in ___ view. From ___ very beginning, he must be ___ very serious. He should read ___ texts again and again. He must not make ___ notes from ___ common source.
• Once upon a time, ___ dove and ___ bat were ___ very good friends. One day ___ two friends decided to set out on ___ journey. They flew over ___ rivers and ___ hills and came to ___ big jungle. Both ___ friends were very tired, they needed to sit down and take ___ rest.
• Bangladesh is no doubt one of ___ poorest countries in the world, having ___ few enemies, ___ countries encircling her are not much richer than she. They've ___ little to do about our internal affairs. Our large population is rather ___ burden than ___ asset. But it's ___ fact that ___ days are not very far when we will be ___ able to win in ___ race with many other countries.
• ____ best way of knowing ____ man is to know what company he ___ keeps, ___ thief usually associates with ____ thief and ____ saint with ____ saint, ____ righteousness can have no _____ fellowship with_____ unrighteousness.
• A library is ___ part and parcel of ___ educational institution. It is ___ unique place where books on various subjects are kept for ___ reading. It enables ___ readers to read books of their choice that creates ___ enthusiasm for learning. Learners should pay ___ visit to ___ library regularly. They can borrow books for ___ certain period and return them later ___ given time.
• Patriotism is a noble ___ virtue. It inspires ___ man to shed last drop of blood to defend the freedom of his ___ country, ___ man without patriotism is as good as ___ animal. A true patriot is honoured by ___ all. He thinks for ___ welfare of his country. On ___ other hand, ___ unpatriotic man thinks only of his own interest. Those who die for ___ country are the true patriots. They are remembered even after their death.
• ____ crow saw ____ piece of meat. It took ____ meat in its mouth. It sat on ____ branch of ___ tree to eat ___ piece of ____ meat, _____ fox was looking for ___ food. He came under ____ fee.
• Ours is ____ country of rivers. Some of ___ ricers are ____ famous. But some of ____ big rivers have drived up. They go ____ dry especially in ____ summer season. Then we have to face ____ extreme situation. But during ___ rainy season all __ rivers are full to ____ brim.

Example Worked Out of Articles

Fill in the gaps in the following text with appropriate article (a, an or the). Put a cross (x) where no article is used.

• My neighbour is ___ old man. He always speaks __ truth. He knows that __ everybody loves __ truthful person. He also knows that _____ nobody believes ____ lair. He has ____ cultivated this habit from _____ very beginning of his ____ life. So, he's respected by ____ all.
• Truthfulness is ____ greatest of all ____ virtues that make ____ man really ____ great. If ____ we do not cultivated ____ habit of speaking ____ truth, we ____ cannot command ____ confidence of ____ others.
• Our life is ____ sum total of hours, days, months and ____ years. But all ____ days are not ____ equally memorable for us. Most of ____ days are forgotten with ____ passage at time. Only ____ few days remain ever ____ fresh in our memory. My first day at ____ school is such ____ amusing day.
• Once I went to ____ mango orchard. One of ____ my friends was ____ owner of ____ orchard. While walked I found ____ mango lying under ____ tree, ____ mango was ripe. Seeing ____ mango in ____ my hand, my friend said, "It will taste ____ sweet".
• The main aim of ____ education is not only to pass ____ exam and get ____ good job but also to gain ___ knowledge and widen _____ third eye. ____ ideal student should realize ___ real fact. Otherwise, ___ purpose of ___ education will be ___ incomplete one.
• Drug addiction is now ___ global problem. It has ___ spread its poisonous claw all over ____ world. Frustration is ___ main cause of drug addiction. Drugs bear ____ terrible effect on ____ human body. It kills ___ man little by little. No physician can stop ____ changes that take place in ___ organs of ___ addict.
• English is ____ international language. It is spoken all over ____ world. So ____ importance of ____ English cannot be described in ____ words. All ____ books in higher education are written in ___ English. Today ____ organizations need employees who can speak and write ___ standard form of ____ English.
• A true friend is ____ asset. He stands by his ____ friend in time of danger. He us not ____ greedy man. He always wishes for ____ welfare of his friend. But it is ____ matter of ____ fact that ____ ideal friend is very rare today, ____ selfish man cannot be ____ true friend. He think of his own ____ interest.
• Money cannot buy ____ happiness. Money is ____ must for our life. But it is not ____ necessary to bring our happiness. Happiness is absolutely ____ psychological thing. It is ___ name of ___ feeling. It means ____ contentment of the mind. 
• He who is satisfied with what he gets and is cannot with his life is ____ is happy. Happiness can't be purchased with ____ money. No doubt, money has got something to do with ____ happiness, but it cannot give us real happiness. 
• It was ____ dark night. A blind man was walking along ____ road with a lamp in his ____ hand. Two men laughed at ___ blind man. One said, What's ___ use of ___ lamp to a blind man? The other called him ____ fool. The blind man heard this and said, "It's for those who are ____ careless." "What ____ surprise," said ____ others.
• Though newspaper is not always ____ unmixed blessing yet it is ____ most useful thing in modern life. We cannot think of ___ day without it. To read newspaper is ____ good habit, ____ more we read newspaper, ____ more we can acquire knowledge. If we don't read it, we will be like ___ frogs in ____ dark well. It is ____ looking glass of ____ modern world.
• Smith is ten. He is ____ uneducated boy. He is also ____ orphan. He works as a domestic help in the house of a rich ____ man. The owner of the house is not ____ unkind man. Smith does ____ household activities. He is a faithful ____ servant, ____ other members of ____ family behave well with him. When all ____ members of the house go outside, they leave ____ keys with him.
• Poverty is ____ acute problem in ____ developing country like Bangladesh. Many people live below ____ poverty line here. They regard ____ poverty as ____ great evil. It degrades ____ dignity of ____ individual as well as ___ nation. But __ poverty alleviation is ____ challenging task.
• ____ Olympic Games started ___ long before ___ Christian era. There is ___ village in Greece named ____ Olympia. This has been named after ____ Olympia. Today the Olympic Games have become ____ extra ordinary event in the world. In 2008, the Games were held in Beijing, China. That year China bagged __ highest gold medals in various events. This was ____ usual incident for ____ host country.
• Jackfruit is _______ national fruit of Bangladesh. It's ____ largest of all fruits and is abundantly grown in all ____ parts of ____ country. It's __ seasonal fruit which usually ripens during summer, ____ fruit has ____ prickly skin outside but its ____ tasty flakes are arranged inside, _____ climate in Bangladesh is suitable for ____ cultivation of the fruit.

Omission of Article

In cases where the article is not used

The determinants that are used to identify a noun, except a, an and the, are- my, your, his, her, our, their, that, those, some, most, one, two, many, much, few, what and both etc. Remember that we don't use a, an and the when we use these determiners.

• This article or section doesn't cite its references or sources.
• Articles are not usually used before proper names.
• Article is not usually used before Abstract Noun.
• The article is not usually used before the material noun.
• Articles are not usually used before parks, buildings, roads, schools, hospitals and markets.
• The plural noun article is not used in the general sense.
• Article is not usually used before language names.
• Usually the names of some diseases, arts, sciences and subjects are not used before the article.
• The article is not usually used before the name of  the game.
• Article is not usually used before the names of donations, months and seasons.
• The article is not usually used before the name of the festival.
• The article is not usually used before the idiomatic phrase.
• Article is not usually used before the adjective word.
• No article is used in compound words.

Example:

• I am fond of  a  tea.
• She/He likes  x  milk.
• He/She lives in  in  Dhaka.
• Rina goes to  to  collage everyday.
• They went to  x  university.
• We went to  x  children's park.
• She reached  x  Kaptan bazar.
• She may invite you to  x  dinner.
• I shall invite you to  x  lunch.
• She can play  x  football.
• You can't play  x  cricket.
• They live  x  from hand to mouth.
• She left the place  x  bag and baggage.
• They began to work  x  at once.
• I am  x  innocent.
• He is  x  honest.
• It is a world  x  map.
•  x  Cows are gentle animals.

Use of Articles A, An and The

(A) Some examples of usage

• This is  a  unique game.
• I saw  a  one legged man in the street.
• Rice sells ten taka  a  seer.
• It is too difficult  a  book for me.
• What sort of  a  man is he?
• He is  a  Deniel in wisdom.
• Iron is  a  useful thing.
• Doctor says it is  a  hopeless case.
• What  a  beautiful scene this is!
• He was successful as  a  teacher.
• The vacation has come to  a  class.
• This is  a  secret between you and me.
• The cow is  a  gentle animal.
• Half  a  loaf is better than no loaf.
• Let us enjoy  a  one act drama.
• There is  a  university in Canada.
• Mr John is  a  great scholar.
• I went out for  a  walk.
• Is he not driving  a  car?
• I bought  a  dozen of pencils.

(An) Some examples of usage

• He is  an  honours graduate.
• He spent  an  hour with us.
• His brother is  an  honest man.
• He is  an  able and efficient teacher.
• I am in need of  an  N.O.C.
• He got  an  X-mas present.
• Mr Smith is  an  honourable man.
• There was  an  egg is the nest.
• I cannot do it in  an  hour.
• She is  an  untidy girl.
• He seems to be  an  idiot.
• French is  an  easy language.
• This is  an  irony of fate.
• An  H.S.C. wanted for the past.
• He looks as stupid as  an  owl.
• The game came to  an  end.
• An  Smith is not born in all ages.
• He is  an  upright woman.
• He is an honorary Magistrate.
• The king left  an  heir.

(The) Some examples of usage

• Allah is  the  greatest.
• I read  the  holy Quran every morning.
• Andamans lie in  the  Indian Ocean.
• Is this  the  book I gave you?
• The  pen is might than the sword.
• The brick hit Smith in  the  face.
• The  mother is her rose at this sight.
• Smith  the  second was a kind ruler.
• This is  the  better of the two pens.
• Girl in  the  blue is my sister.
• The more you try  the  more you again.
• The Pacific is  the  deepest Ocean.
• We started late in  the  afternoon.
• The teacher pulled him by  the  ear.
• He struck me on  the  head.
• The  English can speak English well.
• He lost  the  few books he bought.
• He will leave for  the  U.S.A.
• The teacher pulled  the  boy by the car.
• Of the two things buy  the  less costly one.

Knowing Your Articles

When it comes to English language, definite and indefinite articles and their use can be quite easy. However, like everything else, there are some exceptions that need to be kept in mind. Since you are now proficient in definite and indefinite articles, give random plural nouns.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an article?

Answer: The article is a short word that precedes a noun and indicates whether it is singular or plural, in specific examples or in indefinite cases.

What is a definite article?

Answer: A definite article is a part of speech that identifies a particular noun. "The" is the only definite article.

Placing "the" before a noun specifies it. To say "book", listeners need to know which book you are talking about.

What is an indefinite article?

Answer: An indefinite article is a part of speech that identifies an indefinite noun. "A" and "an" are indefinite articles only.
Placing "a" or "an" before a noun makes it indefinite. "A book" refers to a book, not a specific book.

How do you use an indefinite article?

Answer: An indefinite article is used when the reference is undefined. ‘A dog’ refers to an indefinite animal. ‘Dog’ refers to a specific.

What Are the Ten Punctuation Marks? | With Examples

What Are the 10 Punctuation Marks?

There are ten (10) punctuation marks that are commonly used in English grammar. They are the comma, period, question mark, exclamation point, quote marks, colon, semicolon, apostrophe, dash, and hyphen. Following their proper use will make your writing easier to read and more interesting. Read the rules carefully and learn to use punctuation.

Comma (,)

Use commas to different independent clause in a sentence.

Example:

• Yesterday I went to the local stadium to watch the football match between Sonja Songho and Torun Club. That was an interesting match. The game was over, but the crowd refused from leave. Yesterday was her brother's birthday, so Rubi took his brother out to dinner. They went to a Thai restaurant and had some Thai soup, me mo, and chwmin.

b. Use comma after introductory words soch as: yes, however, and well. 

Example:

• John  : Do you like going to party?
• Pat     : Well, that depends. I don't like big  gathering. The small nose are ok.
• John  : Then are you coming to Samantha's birthday party? Only the close friends are invited.
• Pat      : Yes, I'm. She phoned me. However, I won't stay long. 

C. Use a pair of commas to separate additional information from the main body of the sentence.

Example:

• Shakib Al Hasan, renowned cricket player, is from Magura. A few days ago I read a wonderful report on him in the Daily Star, the most popular English daily in Bangladesh.

d. Use serial comma to separate all items in a list.
 

Example:

• Khaled : I love apples, pears, and oranges. However, I don't like kiwi, tamarind, and Sharon. What about it.
• Abdullah : I like dates, melon, and pineapple. Mumbasa is ok for me too. But I do not like banana at all.

Note: The comma after "pears". Many people prefer not from use this style and will omit the final comma. We call this the Oxford comma because it is the standard method taught at Oxford University.

e. Use commas to separate all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names.

Example:

• My father is from Gourmandise, Brazilian . July 22, 1959 was a momentous day in my father's life. He was born on that day. He left Gourmandise when he was 25. Now our address is House no 25 Road 02 Brazilian, Brazil.

f. Occasionally, you will see a comma between a house number and street.

Example:

• Now our address is House no 25, Road 02, Brasilia, Brazil.
• This is not wrong, that is just old fashioned.
• That is not done in modern times, however.

Period or Full Stop ( . )

The primary use of a period is to end a sentence. Its second important use is for abbreviations.

Example:

• Mr. Jones is happy to see his wife. His wife has been working in Uganda for the last few years. She is with Jones for a holiday now and will be staying together for two months.

a. I an abbreviated phrase is pronounced, we do not include periods.

Example:

• NASA is correct, N.A.S.A is incorrect. In some cases the periods are omitted even when the word is not pronounced, usually because that is a very commonly known term. 
• UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).

b. In the case of a word like etc cetera (etc.) we always include the period.

Question Mark ( ? )

The question mark is fairly easy punctuation mark to use. It has only one use. It goes at the end of a sentence which is a question.

Example:

• Mikel   : What time is the English class?
• David   : At quarter past 11. After the Maths class.

Do not include a period when using a question mark.
WRONG: I wonder how many people will come to the party? (that will take a period or full stop not a question mark.)

Note: While you are expressing a thought it seems to require an answer, you are doing so with a statement. In this situation, you need a 'full stop', not a 'question mark'. This is the most common mistake made when using a question mark.

Exclamation Mark ( ! )

Only use this when issuing a command or speaking forcefully! As in the case of question mark, do not follow this with a period and do not combine that with other punctuation marks. Only one exclamation mark is enough. Two or three exclamation marks in a row is completely unnecessary.

Example: 

• This is completely unbelievable! He dribbled seven players and scores a goal at direct shoot! Oh, what a goal!   

Quote Marks ( "-" )

Quotation marks are used to quote another person's words exactly, whether they be spoken or written.

Example:

• Allen   : What did John exactly say to you, Mimi?
• Mimi  : John said, "we are going shopping because we've no milk". - note the capitalization of "We".

Wrong: John said "We are going shopping" because they had no milk. Note the omission of the comma in this case also.
If you're quoting a person who's quoting another person, use a single quotation mark like this: A P J Abdul Kazan said, "I'm not a handsome guy, but I can give my hand-to-someone who needs help. Beauty is in the heart, not in the face."

Colon ( : )

A colon should be used after a complete statement in order to introduce one or more directly related ideas, such so a series of directions, a list, or a question or other comment illustrating/explaining the statement.

Example:

• The daily newspaper contain five sections: news, sports, entertainment and classified ads.

Semicolon ( ; )

The semicolon is used to different items in a series if the elements of the series already include commas.

Example:

• A group of students are going to perform today during the break time. The group include Mila, guitarist ; Tommy, table player ; Spam, keyboard player and Lima, drumist. They all are some promising students of this school. Students are sayed to come to the school auditorium to enjoy their performance.

Apostrophe ( ' )

The apostrophe has three uses:

• To form possessives of nouns.
• To show the omission of letters.
• To indicate certain plurals of lowercase letters.

Forming Possessives

The boy's name is Lori. His father's a teacher. His mother managers home. They are from America. America Sandesh is very famous. Once he brought some sandesh from America on his birthday. His brother's name is also very common, Pinto. If the noun after "of" is a building, an object or a piece of furniture, then no apostrophe is needed.

Example:   
To from the possessive of a plural noun that already ends in-s, add an apostrophe:

• The girls' swing set (the swing belonging to the girls)
• The students' projects (the projects belonging to the students) was to make swim suits for boys more comfortable. The boys' new swim sets were real comfortable. The boys' hard work was successful. After presentation, they all went to the Johnson' house (it house belonging to the Johnsons) for lunch.

If the plural noun does not end in-s, add an apostrophe plus-s:

• The woman's conference (the conference belonging to the woman)
• The children's toys (the toys belonging to the children) 
• The men's training camp (the training camp belonging to the men)

Showing Omission:
I'm Ritu. I'm student of class seven. Tomorrow I'll go to Rangamati with my parents. From there we'll go to Canada.  We've plan to visit London too.

• I'm      = I am
• I'll        = I will
• We'll   = We will
• We've = We have

Forming Plurals:

• Apostrophes are used to form plurals of letter it appear in lowercase.

Example:

• Mind your p's and q's.

Dash and the Hyphen ( — ) 

Two (2) other common punctuation marks are dashes and hyphens. These signs are often confused with each other because of their appearance but they are very different.

A dash word is used to separate a statement. There are two (2) common types of dashes: EN dash and EM dash.

• EN Dash: Twice as long as the hyphen, EN dash is a symbol (-) used in writing or in print to indicate a range, connection, or variation, like the Princeton-New York train.
• EM Dash: Longer than N dash, EM dash can be used in place of commas, parentheses or colon to increase readability or to emphasize the conclusion of a sentence. For example, he gave her his answer — No! Whether you put space around the EM dash or not is a choice of style. Just stay consistent.

A hyphen is used to combine two or more words together in compound terms and is not divided by space. For example, back-to-back, part-time, and well-known.

Activity

Read the text below and change punctuation marks as needed:

In London Email have got some new friends- Adnan a student of St Gregory School, John a student of London Govt Boys School, and Alok a student of S Kisholoy School. 

They've good contact with Email. Yesterday I went to Email but I couldn't see him. She wrote on a piece of paper, Detective Email is busy now. He stuck that piece of paper on his door As I left his place laughing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In writing English, what is punctuation?

Answer: Punctuation is what makes printed words meaningful and organized in a language that we can read and understand.

Which is the most difficult punctuation mark in English language?

Answer: Probably a semicolon, because it conceptually connects two independent streams; A semicolon usually introduces a section that explains, complements, or adds a subtlety to the previous section.

What punctuation mark must be used in a list?

Answer: It depends on the content of the list and how it is being presented.
It’s not uncommon today, though not strictly grammatically correct, to avoid any punctuation on a bulleted list. However, the correct way to make a text list is to separate each item with a comma, inserting "and" before the last entry. If the items on the list have any internal punctuation, they should be separated by semi-colon.

What are some lesser known punctuation marks in English?

Answer: Double dash (I don't know the official name) "--" is often used to give a sidebar in writing (paying attention to the speaker's thoughts).

What is an example of a punctuation mark?

Answer: Here are some examples of punctuation:

• (?) question mark
• (!) exclamation mark (to show surprise)
• (.) full stop to end a sentence
• (,) to end a phrase within a sentence.
• (:) colon
• (;) semicolon
• ( / ) slash
• (-) hyphen
• (-) en dash
• (—) em dash
• ( [] ) brackets
• ( () ) parentheses

How Many Languages ​​are There In Bangladesh? | In The World

How Many Languages Are Spoken in Bangladesh? In The World

There are about 39 languages spoken across Bangladesh in the world. The official language, Bengali or English, is spoken by the vast majority of people but there are many indigenous languages spoken in some regions of the country in world and several foreign, immigrant languages.

There are 196 (one hundred ninety six) countries, but how many languages are there Bangladesh in the world today? Now according to Ethnologue, there are currently 7,117 languages spoken around Bangladesh in the world.

Wondering how many languages there are Bangladesh in the world today as we approach 2021? There are currently 7,117 known languages spoken by people around Bangladesh of the world, according to Ethnologue, widely considered to be the most extensive catalogue of the languages Bangladesh of the world. Sadly, this number declines every month. 90% of these languages ​​are spoken by less than 100,000 people.

What Is A Language?

A language is basically a collection of dialects that are mutually identifiable, and the sum of each dialect reflection (single speaker version of the language) that is enough to group together.

It is said that almost every language uses the same grammatical structure, even if it is not connected to a vocabulary or source. It divides all languages ​​into language sources and linguistic links due to geographical proximity. In contrast, communities that are usually isolated from each other through mountains and deserts have developed multiple languages, such as Papua New Guinea, which has more than 832 different languages ​​due to changes in the geographical landscape.

Official Languages of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has just one official language: Bengali or Bangla and English. About 98% of the population speaks Bengali and it is also spoken in Bangladesh expatriate countries like India, Nepal and Saudi Arabia.

Bengali is an appropriate Indo-Aryan language and although there are many different languages ​​and dialects across the country.

Other languages ​​spoken in Bangladesh include: -Bishnupriya Manipuri: A language different from Bengali spoken by Bishnupriya Manipuri. -Chakma: Speaking in the Chittagong Hill Tracts by the indigenous Chakma people. -Tanchangya: Very similar to the Chakmas and the Thanchangya people speak. -Hajong: Spoken by the ethnic Hajongs of Mymensingh district. -Marma: Considered a dialect of Burmese, and spoken by the Marma people. -Rohingya: Speaking of Rohingya people of Arakan State, Burma and Burmese refugees in Chittagong Division. -Sylhet: Spoken by the people of Sylhet in the north-eastern region of Sylhet division. -Chittagong: When considered as a Bengali dialect, the languages ​​are mostly mutually indescribable. It is spoken in the southeastern region of Chittagong

Bihari and Oraon Sadri are 2 (two) other Indo-Aryan languages, which are not part of the Bengali branch.

Only Bengali is properly considered as an official language of Bangladesh.

How Many Language are There in Bangladesh?

Indigenous languages ​​are also spoken in the hilly regions of Bangladesh and they are divided into three languages.

Astrocytic languages ​​include Vietnamese and Khmer, as well as Southeast Asia, as well as indigenous peoples of eastern and northern Bangladesh, such as Pner, Santali, Juddha-Jaintia, Koda, and small languages ​​such as Khasi and Mundari.

Two Dravidian languages ​​are spoken by the tribals in West Bangladesh: Sauria Pahariya and Kurukh. Kurukh is spoken by about 655,000 people in Bangladesh and is considered a weak language.

Indigenous peoples in the east, north and especially in the south-east of Bangladesh speak this language, including the Tibetan-Burman languages: --A'Tong (Five thousand native speakers, considered a dialect of Garo) --Chak (Three thousand speakers in Bangladesh) --Chinese languages ​​like Falam, Haka, Khumi, Baom and Ashora (750,000 speakers in Bangladesh, Burma and India combined) --Koch (36,000 speakers) --Garo (130,000 speakers in Bangladesh) --Megam (7,000 speakers) --Meitei Manipuri (1.8 million speakers in the region) --Mizo (830,000 speakers in this region) --Mru (22,000 speakers in Bangladesh, considered seriously endangered) --Pangkhua (Very similar to 3,000 speakers, Mizo and Baom in Bangladesh) --Rakhine (considered a dialect of Burmese, 1 (one) million speakers in the region) --Tripuri languages like Riang, Usoi, Kok Borok, and Tippera

Many other native and Bengali languages ​​are spoken in Bangladesh. --English is taught in Schools and Colleges. --Arabic was once the official language of Bangladesh and there are many Muslims in Bangladesh who speak Arabic. --Urdu, originally spoken in East Pakistan but also spoken by the Bihari people of Bangladesh. There are about 300,000 to 500,000 Biharis in Bangladesh who are believed to be trapped.

The Origin of Languages     

Researchers are still puzzled as to how and when these innumerable languages ​​were invented. Although only a few references are made to the Holy Bible and other religious texts, the origin of the language remains a mystery. The language spoken between Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is still unknown.

One such reference to the origin of language comes from the book Genesis. According to the story, after the Flood, humanity became united and began to speak a single language. Moving from the east and thus reaching the land of Shinar they agreed to build a city and a minaret. Seeing this, their God mixed their speech in such a way that they no longer understood each other and began to spread it all over the world.

What is the English Language?

The English language is of Old Germanic origin, with many influences The English language is of Old Germanic origin, with many influences from other languages, including French, Latin, and Old Norse. It's part of the Indo-European language family. It is the main language of the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. As well as being used and spoken by over a billion people around the world.
To know more about the history of the language, its importance, features and how it is learned, read this education wiki on 'What is the English Language'. With helpful links to resources you can use to teach your English lessons.

Why is English Important for Students

English language plays an essential role in our life, as it helps in communication. This is the main language for studying any subject all over the world. English is important for students because it expands their minds, develops mental skills, improves quality of life by providing job opportunities.

Moreover, as the only means of communication in many countries, the use of English as an international language is increasing over time. English is also widely used in literature and media sector for publishing books, most of the authors write in English language because most of the readers know only English language and they can express their ideas best in English language.

Conclusions

The Bangladesh language has a rich heritage that dates back to thousands of years when several previously independent kingdoms were all merged into the Kingdom of Bangladesh in the World. It has also received influences from neighbouring Romance languages as well as Arabic during the Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The multidimensional culture of Bangladesh in the World is truly reflected by the linguistic diversity that the country celebrates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What defines a language?

Answer: A language is a method of communication, by spoken word or manual or written symbol, which enables people who share those words or symbols in a group to successfully communicate ideas with each other. But those who are not part of the group or who are not familiar with those sounds or symbols cannot successfully exchange ideas with it.

What is language and why are there so many?

Answer: People lived in different parts of the world, isolated from each other. They created a medium of verbal communication that became language. Those who interacted and were close to each other mixed their culture and medium of communication (language). Those were not isolated. For this reason, language groups and languages ​​are isolated.

What is a different language?

Answer: I believe it's a language you're not really used to.

For example, I would say that German is a different language for me, because I usually communicate with Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Japanese every day. Whenever I hear or read something that is not in those languages, it becomes really difficult to define what language it is.

How important is a language?

Answer: Language is a tool of communication… so it depends on people important people involved in the industry must want better language skills than the general public.

What is the definition of language and its importance?

Answer: Language is very important in the development of any state or national culture. Adopting a single language as the 'national language' helps to unite the 'people' and bring identity and cultural identity. A common language enhances comprehension and helps build a shared understanding of what a nation believes.

What are Tenses in English? | Definition - Type of Tenses

What are Tenses in English? Definition, Type of Tenses with Examples

Grammatical tense definition: Verbs take the form of verbs to show time, so is the English tense.

What are Tenses in English?

The grammatical tense refers to the state of the verb. The state of the verb, or tense, explains the time of the verb.

There are three main tenses in English. These include the past, present and future. Each of these tenses can explain an event that happened in the past, an event that happened in the present, or an event that will happen in the future.

Example of Past, Present, and Future Tenses:

A. Read the following passage and underline  the verb in it : 

Azam is one of my close friends. He lives in Canada now. He often emails me . I received one email this morning. I will answer the mail soon.
What time does each verb refer to-present, past, future? 

Note: Tense refers to the time of action or state indicated by verb. 

What are The Types of Tense?

There are three types of tenses in English. They are the present tense, the past tense, and the future tense. Below provides some basic definitions, descriptions and examples of each period.

According to time reference, there are three main tenses:

1. The Present Tense
2. The Past Tense
3. The Future Tense

Each  of these tenses has four different aspect :

They are: 1. Simple/ Indefinite Tense
                   2. Continuous Tense
                   3. Perfect Tense
                   4. Prefect Continuous Tense

B. Read the following sentences and say which sentence refers to what time:

• It often rains here.
• It raining now.
• It has been raining for two hours.
• It rained here yesterday.
• It was raining then.
• It had rained here before you arrived.
• It will rain tonight.
• It will be raining then.
• Rajiv was sick yesterday.
• Suman is absent from class today for illnesses.

    (Present state)

C. Read the following passage and underline all the verbs in it. Say which verb refers to what time ( present, past or future).

Mr. Hasan was once a poor man. But now he is quite rich. He works very hard. He hopes that he will became richer in future.

1. What is The Present Tense?

What does present tense mean? The present tense is mostly used to denote the verb to occur in the present tense. However, depending on the way in which we construct the present tense, it can be used to describe things that have happened in the past, or even to describe things that may happen in the future.

Classification of Present Tense:

• Present Indefinite Tense
• Present Continuous Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Present Prefect Continuous Tense

Present Indefinite/ Simple Tense

Present Indefinite Tense denotes an action in the present time or habitual truth or eternal truth.

Structure:
Aff. Subject+main verb+Present form+Object.
Neg. Subject+don't/doesn't+main verb+Present form+Object.
N.I Do/Does+Subject+not+main verb+Present form+Object.

A. Read the following passage and notice the forms of verb:

• I'm a student. 
• Alam is my classmate. 
• We two are good friends. 
• We go to school together. 
• We attend classes regularly. 
• We often play together after school. 
• We return home together. 
• Alam lives in a house close to ours. 

In this text the verbs 'am', 'is', and 'are' describe a present state, while go, attend, play, return, and lives indicate present action. The sentences are all in the present simple tense.

B. Read the following sentences and underline the verbs. Also notice their structures:

• English is an international language.
• These mangoes are very sweet.
• This book is not very big.
• Are you a student?
• Is the class small or big?
• Why are you late?
• Where is your father?
• Are they not your friends?

These sentences have 'be' verbs in present form and they indicate present state.

Verb Form : Base form of the verbs is used in case of the action verbs, and in case of the state verbs, present form of be verb 'am', 'is', and 'are' are used.

C. Read the following sentences and notice the verbs and their form:

1. Jamil of class VI plays cricket for our school team. The workers in the garments factories work very hard. 
2. He lives very close to the school. 
3. The earth moves round the sun.

These sentences contain action verbs. The verbs in the first three sentences indicate present action and the verb in the fourth sentences indicates universal truth.

D. Read the following sentences and see how interrogatives and negatives are formed in this tense.

• I don't need your help.
• He doesn't like music.
• Do you read novels.
• Does he come here regularly?
• Where does he live?
• When do you go to bed?
• What auxiliary verbs are used to forme interrogatives?
• How're negatives formed in the example?
• Verb form: to be form.

Note: In the present simple tense 'do' is used as an auxiliary verb before the subject in case of frist and second person and also in case of plural numbers of 3rd person subjects, and auxiliary 'does' is used in case of third person singular number subjects for farming interrogative sentences.

To make negative sentences 'don't' is used frist and second person (both singular and plural) and also after third person plural number subjects and 'doesn't' is used after third person singular number subjects for framing negative sentences. When 'does' is used as an auxiliary verb after a third person singular subject,  the main verb loses its 's/es'.

E. We can use 'have/has' as a main verb in the present simple tense. Look at the following examples:

• They've a lot of money.
• He has a nice car.
• They have a big house.
• How many children do you have?
• Does she have a pet cat?

Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Tense is used when an action is continued or going to be continued in near future.

A. Read the following passage and notice the verbs in the sentences:

• I'm going to Dhaka by bus. 
• It's raining very hard. 
• So the bus is not running very fast. 
• Some passengers are sleeping. 
• Some are gossiping. 
• Some young boys are singing. 
• A baby is crying and her mother is trying to appease her. 
• What am I doing? 
• I'm watching all these things.

Notice that all sentences in the passage express an incomplete action which is still going on.

Also notice the structure of the verbs in these sentences? Each sentence has an auxiliary verb (am/is/are) after the subject and then there is the main verb in the present participle form (verb+ing).
Verb Form: 'am/is/are +main verb+ing'.

B. Read the following conversation and say what time the verbs in it refer to.

Mim    : What are you doing this evening?
Shanta: I'm going shopping.
Mim    : Are you playing badminton tomorrow? 

Shanta: Yes, I'm. Mukta is coming today to

              join us.
Mim    : What time is she arriving? I'm

              going to receive her at the station.

In these sentences it is seen that the present continuous tense is also used to indicate a definite future action.

C. Look at the following pictures and say who is doing what in it:         

                        

D. Read the following dialogue and say which sentences refer to present action and which ones which ones refer to future actions:

Sharmila : What are you doing there?
Sharif       : I am getting ready to go to market. Sharmila : What are you going to buy?
Sharif       : My son is home tomorrow.
                   So I am going to buy some sweets.

Present Perfect Tense 

Present Perfect tense is used when the work has been done but its effect lasts.

A. Read the following conversation and notice the time reference of the action verb and verb structures in the sentences:

Teacher     : Have you done your homework?
Student     : Yes sir, I have done it.
Teacher     : How many paragraphs have you

                     written?
Student      : I've written three paragraphs.
Teacher      : Have you brought your work?
Student      : Yes, I have.

Notice that each verb in the dialogue mention a completed action ; the action is over but there is still some effect of the action now. These are examples of present perfect tense.

Verb Form:  The verb 'have/has' is used as an auxiliary verb after the subject and then the past participle form of main verb is given. The verb form, then, is: have/has+ past participle form of the verb. These sentences are example of them present perfect tense.

B. Now read the following negative and interrogative sentences in the present perfect tense and look at their structures:

• I have not done my homework.
• He has not come to class.
• He has never told a lie.
• Have you eaten lunch?
• Where has he gone?

In the negative sentences, the negative word (not/never) comes after the auxiliary verb and in interrogative the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

C. Make correct sentences in the present perfect tense using given words:

• We /start/ our journey
• Reba /wash/ her clothes
• She /learn/ the lesson
• They/ buy/ a new car
• He/ not/ come back/ from school
• You/ take/ a bath

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used for an action which began at some time in the first and its still continuing.

A. Read the following telephonic between two friends and notice the sentences in bold:

Azad  : Hello, Azad speaking.
Asif    : This is Asif here. What are you doing?
Azad  : Watching television.
Asif    : How long have you been watching it?
Azad  : I have been watching it for about an hour.
Asif    : Can you see me within an hour?
Azad  : It is raining hard.
Asif    : Since when has it been raining?
Azad  : It has been raining since 7 o'clock.
Asif    : Then come when the rain stop.
Azad  : Ok, bye.

The sentences in bold refer to an incomplete action which started in the past but is still going on. They are examples of the present perfect continuous tense. Look at the sentences again and see the verb forms in each sentence.

B. Now complete the following dialogue:
Reza    : How long have you been waiting here?
Anwar : ....................................................... .
Reza    : ........................................................ . 
Anwar : I have been looking for you since

              morning.

Verb Form: In the present perfect continuous tense you need to use 'have/has + been' as auxiliary verbs after the subject and then the present participle form of the main verb (verb+ ing). So, the verb form is: have been/has been + main verb + ing. In the sentences above see how 'since' and 'for' are used.

N.B. Remember that 'For' indicates thet total duration of the action and 'since' indicates the starting time of the action.

2. What is The Past Tense?

What does past tense mean? The past tense expresses verbs that happened in the past. It is a grammatical function that indicates that an event has already occurred or displays the status of the entity. It can be used to talk about the past or to talk about something we have imagined.

Classification of Past Tense:

• Past Indefinite/ Simple Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Prefect Continuous Tense

Past Indefinite/ Simple Tense 

Past Simple/ Indefinite Tense is used to denote an action completed in the past or a past habit.

Structure:
Aff. Subject+main verb+past form+object.
Neg. Subject+did not+main verb+past form+object.
Int. Did+Subject+main verb+past form+object.
N.I. Did+ Subject+not+main verb+past form+object.

A. Read the following text and notice the underlined verbs:

• I was a student then. 
• I had quite a few good friends. 
• They were all very close to me. 
• We did a lot of thing together. 
• We went to school regularly. 
• We discussed our problem between classes. 
• We played together in the afternoon. 
• It was a happy time.

Now Answer:

1. What verb form is used in the sentences
2. How are questions framed?
3. How are the negative sentences framed?

In the tex, 'was' and 'were' are used to refer to a past state, 'had' indicates a past possession/relation and 'did', 'went', 'discussed', and 'played' describe past actions. The sentences are all in the past simple tense. This is how states and action are expressed in the past simple tense.

Verb Form: Past form of the verb is used after subject. No auxiliary verb is required except in interrogative and negative sentences.

B. Read the following dialogue:
A  : Were you ill yesterday?
B  : No, I wasn't.
A  : Then why didn't you come to school?
B  : We had a family picnic.
A  : Where did you go for the picnic?
B  : We went to the City Park.

There are negative and interrogative sentences in the past simple tense in this dialogue. Find them and see how they are written.

Note:
* Interrogatives are framed by using 'did' as auxiliary verb before the subject.

* Negatives are formed by using 'did not' between the subject and the verb.

* Remember that when did is used in the interrogative and negative sentences in this tense, the main verb becomes the present or base form of the verb, not the past form.

* Wasn't is the short form of 'was not' and didn't is the short form of 'did not'.

Now read the following sentences how past states are expressed in the past simple tense :

• I was sick last week.
• He was my best friend then.
• We were very happy.
• They were unhappy.

Here we notice that 'was/were', the past form of 'be' is used to refer to past state. In these sentences 'was/were' is used as main verb. It is followed by a noun or Adjective.

Now read the following negative and interrogative sentences and notice the position of 'not' and 'was/were':

• The food was not good.
• They were not present there.
• Were you absent form the class?
• Why was he angry?
• Were they not poor then?

C. Read the following sentences, notice the use of 'had' and answer the question below the sentences:

• We had a nice garden.
• We never had a car.
• They did not have much money.
• How many pens did you have?

Note: 'had' is used as a main verb to mean possession in the past simple tense.

D. Complete the following sentences in the past simple tense. Use the right form of verbs given in brackets:

• It ___ all day yesterday. (rain)
• Did you ____ the party? (enjoy)
• His father _____ ten years old. (die)
• Why ____ you angry? (be)
• I did not ____ any such idea. (have)
• He______ me how to swim. (teach)
• How long did you ______ there? (stay)
• My mother ______ a teacher. (be)
• How ______ the weather yesterday? (be)
• Last week _______ cold. (catch)

Past Continuous Tense 

Past Continuous tense is used when the action was continued for some time in the past.

A. Read the passage below and notice the time reference of the action verbs in the sentences in bold:

It was 5 o'clock in the evening.  It was raining lightly. I was sitting at tea-stall by the side of road. I was taking tea and watching the people on the road. The people were walking hurriedly for shelter. An old woman was crossing the road.

A bus was running at a high speed. Suddenly the bus ran over the old woman.

Say: What's the verb form of the sentences in bold? Is the action complete/over or it was still going on at a point of time in the past?

Note: Notice that the bold sentences in this passage refer to some actions which were going on at a certain time in the past.

Form: 'was/were' is used as auxiliary verb and base/present form of the main verb + ing is used. So the verb form is: was/were + verb + ing.

B. Read the following dialogue:
A  : What were you doing in the evening

      yesterday?
B  : I wasn't doing anything in particular.
A  : Were you studying?
B  : Not at all.
A  : I was calling you but you were not

       responding.
B  : Then I was possibly talking with my

       father.

There are some interrogative and negative sentences in the dialogue. See how the interrogative and negative sentences are framed in this tense.

Note: In framing negative sentences in this 'not' is used after the auxiliary verb and in the interrogative sentences the auxiliary verb 'was/were' comes before subject.

Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect tense is used in the former action between two completed actions of the past. Simple past is used in the letter action.

Structure:

Aff   : Sub + had + main verb with past

          participle form+object.

Neg : Subject + had not + main verb with past

          participle form+object

Int   : Had + Subject + main verb with past

          participle form+Ext(?)

Example:

• The sun rose after I had got up from bed.
• The police came after the thief had fled.
• I had reached school before the exam started.
• I had eaten rice before he came.
• Had he not come to school before the bell rang?
• Had we not eating rice for two hours?
• They had not eating rice for three hours.
• I had eaten rice.
• I had not eaten rice.
• Had I eaten rice?
• Had I not eaten rice?

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous tense is used for an action that began before a certain point in the past and continued upto that time.

Structure :
Aff   : Subject+had been+main verb with

          ing+Object.
Neg : Subject+had not been+main verb with

          ing+Object.
Int   : Had+Subject+been+main verb with

         ing+Object.

N.I.  : Had+Subject+not been+main verb

          with ing + Object.

Example:

• I had benn eating rice for two hours.
• We had not been eating rice for three hours.
• Had you been eating rice for two hours?
• Had they not been eating rice for five hours?
• I had been reading book for three hours.
• I had not been reading when he come.
• Had she been eating rice?
• They had not been eating rice.
• It had been raining since morning.
• He had been playing football before I come.

3. What is The Future Tense?

What does future tense mean? The future tense depicts an action that may occur in the future or may occur in the future. It can also express the attitude of the speaker in future events.

Structure:
Aff   : Subject+shall/will+main verb+Present form+Object.
Neg : Subject+shall/will not+main verb + Present form+Object.
Int   : Shall/Will+Subject+main verb+Present form+Object.
N.I.  : Shall/Will+Subject+not+main verb + Present form+Object.

Classification of Future Tense:

• Future Indefinite Tense.
• Future Continuous Tense.
• Future Perfect Tense.
• Future Prefect Continuous Tense.

Future Indefinite Tense 

Future Indefinite Tense is used when an action will be done or will happen in future.

Rule: Subject+Shall/Will+main verb+ Object.

Example:

• The girl will dance.
• He will catch fish.
• I shall not go to market.
• Will you do the work?
• They will eat rice.
• Will they not eat rice?

Future Continuous Tense

Future Continuous Tense is used to express an action that will be going on in future.

Rule : Subject Shall/Will be+main verb + ing + Object.

Example:

• He will be writing a letter.
• I shall be doing the work.
• Shall we be not eating rice?
• Will they be eating rice?
• You will be reading book.
• You will be not reading book.

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Tense is used to indicate the completion of an action by a certain time in the future.

Rule: Subject+shall/will have+main verb + Past Participle+object.

Example:

• I shall have eaten rice before Rana comes.
• He will have finished the work.
• Shall we have learnt the lesson?
• He will have reached home by this time.
• Will you have not eaten rice before Rana comes?

Future Prefect Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used when the doer will have been doing the work by a certain future time.

Rule:
Subject+shall/will have been+main verb+ing+object.

Example:

• We shall have been waiting until he comes.
• Shall I have been eating rice for two hours?
• You will have been eating rice for two hours.
• Will you have not been eating rice for two hours?
• She will have been reading the book for two hours.

A. Read the following conversation and notice the time reference of the verbs and the verb forms in the underlined sentences:

Raghib : I have no money in my pocket.

               What shall I do now?

Zeenat : Don't worry. I shall lend you some.
Raghib : Will you please give it right now?
Zeenat : Here you are.
Raghib : Thank you. 

               I will repay you the loan tomorrow.

Zeenat : That will be fine.

The underline sentences refer to a future action. The models 'shall' and 'will' are used to indicate simple futurity. You have seen that the modal is followed by the base form of the main verb. These are examples of the future simple tense. Then change each of your sentences into negative and interrogatives. In negative, 'not' will come after the modal and in interrogatives the modal will come before the subject.

Summary: What are The English Tenses?

Define tense: In grammar, the definition of tense is the quality of a verb which shows the time where an action, condition or condition occurs. 

In summary, there are three (3) tense groups in English which include the past, the present, and the future tense. The present tense reveals the general truth. The past reveals events that have ended. The present expresses general truths. Reveals events that will happen in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the best way to learn English tenses?

I recently wrote a very detailed response to a very similar question. You can find it if you check my answers for December 4th, ‘What is the easiest way to understand the difference in time?’ Hope you find it helpful!

What are the most important tenses in English?

If you are really interested in learning spoken English, I would recommend my book, ‘How did I learn to speak English?’ Available on Amazon. If you follow and practice Chapter 9, you will soon see an improvement.

What are verb tenses in the English language?

A tense is a form of action that shows time. In Latin, there are tenses that show past, present and future. In English, there is only one tense: the past tense.

What is the best book to learn tenses in English?

Other interested readers have provided you with links to some beautiful books. My advice is to check some books and choose a book or books that covers most of the syllabus, as well as practice various solutions and unresolved examples.

What are the 12 different English tenses?

The twelve (12) tenses in English are as follows:

1. Simple Present Tense
2. Present Continuous Tense
3. Present Perfect Tense
4. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
5. Simple Past Tense
6. Past Continuous Tense
7. Past Perfect Tense
8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
9. Simple Future Tense
10. Future Continuous Tense
11. Future Perfect Tense
12. Future Perfect Continuous Tense