THE USE OF PAST TENSES

THE PAST INDEFINITE[SIMPLE PAST]
PAST INDEFINITE IS USED  TO DENOTE AN ACTION IN THE PAST; AS,-WE LEARNT ENGLISH AT SCHOOL.  HE KILLED A SNAKE.
TO DENOTE A HABITUAL ACTION IN THE PAST; AS,-HE CAME TO ME EVERY  EVENING.
TO DENOTE AN ACTION GOING ON IN THE PAST; AS,-WHILE THEY DANCED[WERE DANCING]  WE SANG[WERE SINGING].

 THE PAST CONTINUOUS
THE PAST CONTINUOUS IS USED FOR AN ACTION CONTINUING AT A PARTICULAR .TIME OR DURING A PARTICULAR PERIOD IN THE PAST. THE CHIEF INTEREST IS NOT THE TIME OF ACTION, BUT I TS CONTINUITY, AS- WHEN I SAW HIM ,HE WAS PLAYING CHESS. I WAS WRITING A LETTER WHEN HE CAME TO MY HOUSE.
THIS TENSE IS ALSO USED  WITH ALWAYS ,CONTINUALLY, ETC. FOR PERSISTENT ACTIONS OR HABITS IN THE PAST. AS- HE WAS ALWAYS RINGING ME UP. HE WAS ALWAYS TROUBLING HIS PARENTS.

THE  PAST PERFECT TENSE
THE PAST PERFECT IS USED TO EXPRESS AN ACTION COMPLETED BEFORE A CERTAIN  MOMENT IN THE PAST.IT IS USED WHENEVER WE WISH TO SAY THAT SOME ACTION HAD TAKEN PLACE BEFORE ANOTHER WAS BEGUN OR COMPLETED.AS-THE PATIENT HAD DIED BEFORE THE DOCTOR CAME. I HAD FINISHED MY WORK BEFORE EVENING.
THIS TENSE IS ALSO USED TO EXPRESS SOME UNFULFILLED DESIRE.AS-I WISH MY FATHER HAD BEEN .HERE AT THIS TIME. I WISH I HAD WORKED HARDER.
IF THERE ARE TWO ACTIONS TAKING PLACE IN THE PAST- THE ACTION TH AT TOOK PLACE  FIRST IS PUT  IN THE PAST PERFECT TENSE.THE ACTION THAT TOOK PLACE LATER IS PUT IN THE PAST INDEFINITE TENSE.AS,-I HAD  GONE HOME BEFORE IT RAINED.I HAD WRITTEN THE LETTER BEFORE HE ARRIVED.

THE FUTURE INDEFINITE TENSE[SIMPLE FUTURE]
FUTURE INDEFINITE IS USED FOR AN ACTION THAT HAS STILL TO TAKE PLACE; AS,-I SHALL SEE HIM TOMORROW.  THEY WILL GO TO DELHI IN THE MORNING.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
THIS TENSE IS USED TO EXPRESS AN ACTION GOING ON AT SOME POINT IN FUTURE TIME; AS,-I SHALL BE READING THE PAPER ,THEN . THEY WILL BE PLAYING A MATCH  AT THAT TIME.

THE FUTURE PERFECT
THIS TENSE IS USED TO INDICATE THE COMPLETION OF AN ACTION BY A CERTAIN FUTURE TIME; AS,-I SHALL HAVE FINISHED MY HOME WORK BY EVENING WILL HAVE CLEANED THE ROOM BEFORE YOU REACH THERE.

THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
IT IS USED WHEN AN ACTION, STARTED IN THE PAST,IS STILL CONTINUING. AS-HE HAS BEEN READING  ENGLISH FOR TWO YEARS.

THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
IT IS USED TO INDICATE THAT THE ACTIVITY WAS CONTINUOUS AND THAT WAS STILL GOING ON,AT THE NAMED POINT OR PERIOD OF TIME IN THE PAST; AS,-IT HAD BEEN RAINING SINCE MORNING WHEN YOU RANG ME UP.

THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
IT IS USED WHEN AN ACTION IS TO CONTINUE TILL SOME POINT OF TIME IN THE FUTURE.AS- BY  SIX' O CLOCK  I WILL HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE FOR TEN HOURS.