TENSE

Tenses play a crucial role in English. It denotes the time an action takes place, whether sometime in the past, in the present or will take some time in the future. It is a verb-based method used to indicate the time, and sometimes the continuation or completeness, of an action (main verb) or state (linking verb) in relation to the time of speaking. We can say that tense is the changing form of the verb because of time changing.

We cannot talk of tenses without considering two components of many English tenses: time and aspect.

Time : Past, Present, Future

Aspect         : Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous

Tenses Naming

Time/Aspect

Simple

Continuous

Perfect

Perfect Continuous

Past

 Simple Past

Continuous Past 

 Perfect Past

Perfect Continuous Past 

Present

 Simple Present

Continuous Present

 Perfect Present

Perfect Continuous Present 

Future

 Simple Future

Continuous Future

 Perfect Future

Perfect Continuous Future

Tenses Concept

Main Verb

Auxiliary Verb

Linking Verb/To be

Simple Past

V2

Did

Was 

Were 

Simple Present

V1

V1 (s/es)

Do

Does

 Is 

Am 

Are

Simple Future

Will V1

-

Will be

Continuous Present

(is, am, are) V1+ing

-

(is, am, are) being 

Main verb is used for action : (S V O C)

Linking verb is used for state : (S to be ANA)

S : Subject

V : Verb

O : Object

C : Complement

A : Adjective

N : Noun

A : Adverb

In conclusion, learning tenses means you know how the verb change due to the time changing. There will always be a signal or clue to know  the tenses used in a sentence, check its time signal as a complement in a sentence or check its verb. 

Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is one of several forms of present tense in English. It is used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, schedule and fixed arrangements. The simple present tense is simple to form. Just use the base form of the verb for action : (I take, you take, we take, they take) The 3rd person singular takes an -s at the end. (he takes, she takes). It uses to be present (is, am, are) for state that is combined with adjective or noun or adverb in a sentence. 

 

THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE IS USED:

1. To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:

I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a large city (general truth), I am a college student, She is an introvert person.

 

2. To give instructions or directions:

You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.

 

3. To express fixed arrangements, present or future:

Your exam starts at 09.00

 

4. To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:

He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

 

NOTES ON THE SIMPLE PRESENT, THIRD PERSON SINGULAR

1. In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:

he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

 

2. Negative and question forms use DOES (= the third person of the auxiliary 'DO') + the infinitive of the verb.

He wants ice cream. Does he want strawberry? He does not want vanilla.

 

3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:

fly --> flies, cry --> cries

Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:

play --> plays, pray --> prays

Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch, -o, :

he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes, she goes

 

Simple Past Tense

The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterite, is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. The simple past is the basic form of past tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past and action duration is not important. Just use the V2 form of the verb for action : (I took, you took, we took, they took, she took). It uses to be past (was, were) for state that is combined with adjective or noun or adverb in a sentence.

You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it is associated with certain past time expressions

frequency: often, sometimes, always

I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.

I often brought my lunch to school.

 

a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago

We saw a good film last week.

Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.

She finished her work atseven o'clock

I went to the theatre last night 

I was in cinema last night

 

an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago

People lived in caves a long time ago.

She played the piano when she was a child.

 

 

NOTES ON THE NEGATIVE AND INTERROGATIVE

For the negative and interrogative simple past form of "to do" as an ordinary verb, use the auxiliary "did", e.g. We didn't do our homework last night.

There are 2 type of V2 in simple past : Regular and irregular verb, study more about this!

Simple Future Tense

The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty.  We use “Will V1” for action form, and “will be” for state form. 

The simple future is used:

1. To predict a future event:

It will rain tomorrow.

 

2. With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:

I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.

 

3. To express willingness:

I'll do the washing-up.

He'll carry your bag for you.

 

    In the negative form, to express unwillingness:

    The baby won't eat his soup.

    I won't leave until I've seen the manager!

     

    With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:

    Shall I open the window?

 

    With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:

    Shall we go to the cinema tonight?

 

    With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:

    What shall I tell the boss about this money?

     

    With you, to give orders:

    You will do exactly as I say.

 

    With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:

    Will you come to the dance with me?

    Will you marry me?

Like all future forms, the simple future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of simple future, simple present is used. 

Examples:

When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Not Correct

When you arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Correct

 

 

Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous of any verb is composed of two parts - the present tense of the verb to be + the present participle of the main verb (is, am, are) Ving

As with all tenses in English, the speaker's attitude is as important as the time of the action or event. When someone uses the present continuous, they are thinking about something that is unfinished or incomplete. Its show that an ongoing action is happening now, either at the moment of speech or now in a larger sense. The present continuous can also be used to show that an action is going to take place in the near future.

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS IS USED:

1. to describe an action that is going on at this moment: You are using the Internet. You are studying English grammar. Look! Those boys are playing with the snack.

2. to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend: Are you still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian.

3. to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or prepared: We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?

4. to describe a temporary event or situation: He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment. 

with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasize a continuing series of repeated actions: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly complaining about your mother-in-law!

 

Spelling Rules for Verb

1. Verbs ending in -e. We drop it before adding -ing.

have  having

2. One-syllabic (very short) verbs consisting of consonant (except w, x, y), double the final consonant before adding -ing.

run  running

VERBS THAT ARE NOT USUALLY USED IN THE CONTINUOUS FORM

The verbs in the list below are normally used in the simple form because they refer to states, rather than actions or processes.

SENSES / PERCEPTION

to feel*

to hear

to see*

to smell

to taste

 

OPINION

to assume

to believe

to consider

to doubt

to feel (= to think)

to find (= to consider)

to suppose

to think*

 

MENTAL STATES

to forget

to imagine

to know

to mean

to notice

to recognize

to remember

to understand

 

EMOTIONS / DESIRES

to envy

to fear

to dislike

to hate

to hope

to like

to love

to mind

to prefer

to regret

to want

to wish

 

MEASUREMENT

to contain

to cost

to hold

to measure

to weigh

OTHERS

to look (=resemble)

to seem

to be (in most cases)

to have (when it means "to possess")*

 

EXCEPTIONS

Perception verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used with can: I can see... These verbs may be used in the continuous form but with a different meaning

This coat feels nice and warm. (your perception of the coat's qualities)

John's feeling much better now (his health is improving)

She has three dogs and a cat. (possession)

She's having supper. (She's eating)

I can see Anthony in the garden (perception)

I'm seeing Anthony later (We are planning to meet)

Present Continuous Timeline