Question

Let's wait till he comes.
What time does the tense in the following sentence express?
A) Present time
B) Past time
C) Future time
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Tense is a category in language that indicates time reference. The usage of certain forms of verbs, particularly in their conjugation patterns, is generally how tenses are expressed. The past, present, and future are the three basic tenses found in many languages.

Complete answer:
The present tense is a grammatical tense that serves to place a situation or occurrence in the present. The present tense is used to describe actions that are now taking place. The past tense is a verb tense that refers to a past event or state of being. For instance, I dove into the lake. A future tense is a verb form that indicates that the event represented by the verb has not yet occurred but will do so in the future.

Let us look at the given options:
A) Present time: Even though 'comes' is in the simple present tense, the meaning changes when the word 'until' is added. To express a future activity, a simple present verb is frequently employed. 'The train leaves at 6 o'clock,' for example. As a result, option A is wrong.
B) Past time: This option is incorrect because it can't be in the past because the activity hasn't happened yet. The use of the word ‘till’ indicates that the action is yet to happen.
C) Future time: The speaker advises that 'they' wait till 'he' arrives in the provided sentence. This indicates that he has not yet arrived. This appears to be in the future tense. The future tense is used to describe an activity that has yet to occur. The individual referred to as 'he' has yet to arrive. As a result, option C is accurate.
D) None of the above: This option is incorrect because the correct answer is Option C.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) Future time.

Note:
- The Future Perfect Tense is used to describe an activity that will be completed at a specific point in the future. The tense is created by combining the words "will" and "have" with the verb's past participle.
- The Future Continuous Tense represents an activity that will most likely occur in the future and last for a predetermined amount of time. It's made up of the words 'will+be+past participle.'