Imagine Ravi, a brilliant software engineer in Bengaluru, explaining a complex bug to a client in London. He says, “I am understanding the problem, and I am having a solution.” The client pauses, slightly confused. While Ravi’s logic is flawless, his grammar feels “off” to a native speaker. Why? Because in English, you don’t use ’be understanding’ for this — you simply say ‘understand’.

Most Indians are polyglots, often fluent in three or more languages. While this is a massive cognitive advantage, it creates a unique challenge: Mother Tongue Influence (MTI). We often think in Hindi, Tamil, or Bengali and translate the structure literally into English. This is where our tenses usually trip us up.

Let’s break down the most common tense traps and how you can escape them.

The ‘-ing’ Obsession with Stative Verbs

In many Indian languages, we use the continuous form for almost everything. In Hindi, for example, you say “Mujhe samajh aa raha hai” (literally: To me, understanding is coming). Naturally, we translate this to “I am understanding.”

However, English has a category called stative verbs. These describe a state of being, not an action, and they do not take the ‘-ing’ form.

Stative Verbs: Correct vs Incorrect Usage
❌ Incorrect✅ Correct
I am having a doubt.I have a doubt.
Are you wanting more chai?Do you want more chai?
Key Point: If you can’t physically “do” the action with your hands or feet (like knowing, belonging, or remembering), it’s likely a stative verb. Keep it simple; avoid the ‘-ing’.

The ‘Since’ vs ‘For’ Timeline Trap

This is perhaps the most frequent error heard in Indian IT offices and banks. We often say, “I am working here since three years.”

There are two mistakes here. First, if an action started in the past and is still continuing, you must use the Present Perfect Continuous (have/has been + -ing). Second, ‘since’ is for a specific point in time, while ‘for’ is for a duration.

‘Since’ vs ‘For’: Correct vs Incorrect Usage
❌ Incorrect✅ Correct
I am waiting for the Mumbai local since two hours.I have been waiting for the Mumbai local for two hours.
Priya is knowing him since childhood.Priya has known him since childhood.

Note: ‘Know’ is a stative verb, so we use the Present Perfect (has known), not the Continuous form.

The ‘Yesterday’ Conflict: Simple Past vs Present Perfect

In many Indian contexts, we use the Present Perfect (“I have done”) for things that happened at a specific time in the past. This happens because our local languages often use a similar construction for completed actions.

In English, if you specify a finished point in time (yesterday, last week, in 2010) for a completed action, you cannot use the Present Perfect. You must use the Simple Past. (Note: these time expressions can follow 'since', e.g., 'I have been working since 2010'.)

Simple Past vs Present Perfect: Correct vs Incorrect Usage
❌ Incorrect✅ Correct
I have submitted the report yesterday.I submitted the report yesterday.
Did you wrote the email?Did you write the email?

Remember: After ‘did,’ always use the base form of the verb (write, not wrote).

Tense Inconsistency in Storytelling

When narrating a story — perhaps about a weekend trip to Lonavala or a placement interview — many Indian learners fluctuate between past and present:

“So, I went to the office and the interviewer asks me a question. I was nervous but I answer it well.”

This ‘tense-jumping’ makes it hard for the listener to follow the timeline. If the event is over, stay in the past.

Storytelling: Correct vs Incorrect Usage
❌ Incorrect✅ Correct
He came home, eats dinner, and went to sleep.He came home, ate dinner, and went to sleep.

Top 10 Tense Corrections for Indian Learners

Here’s a quick reference for the most common tense mistakes and their fixes:

Top 10 Tense Corrections
❌ Common Error✅ Correct UsageWhy?
I am belonging to Delhi.I belong to Delhi.‘Belong’ is a state, not an action.
He has graduated in 2022.He graduated in 2022.Specific past dates require Simple Past.
I am liking this biryani.I like this biryani.‘Like’ is a stative verb.
They are staying here since Monday.They have been staying here since Monday.Use Perfect Continuous for ongoing duration.
She didn’t knew about it.She didn’t know about it.After ‘did,’ use the base verb (know).
⚠️ I will be calling you tomorrow. (less natural, not incorrect)I will call you tomorrow.Both are grammatically correct; Simple Future is more direct and natural in most professional contexts.
When I will reach, I will call.When I reach, I will call.Don’t use ‘will’ twice in conditional sentences.
I have seen that movie last week.I saw that movie last week.‘Last week’ blocks the use of ‘have’.
I am having two brothers.I have two brothers.Possession is a state; use Simple Present.
He is working here for 5 years.He has been working here for 5 years.Ongoing actions that started in the past and continue now require the Present Perfect Continuous.

How to Stop Translating and Start Thinking in English

To fix these mistakes, you need to break the ‘translation loop.’ When you’re reading The Hindu or watching a cricket commentary, pay close attention to auxiliary verbs (has, have, had, been).

Ask yourself: “Is this an action or a state?” If it’s a state (like having a doubt or belonging to a city), drop the ‘-ing.’ If you see a specific completed past time like yesterday, use the Simple Past instead of the Present Perfect.

Pro Tip: Practise narrating your day in English without translating from your mother tongue. Record yourself and listen for tense consistency.

Final Thought

English tenses aren’t just about time; they’re about whether an action is a one-time event, a continuous process, or a permanent state. Master these distinctions, and you’ll sound far more natural and confident. Stop translating; start thinking in English.