Verb Tenses PDF

VERB TENSES WHAT IS IT? Verb tenses are changes or additions to verbs to show when the action took place: in the past, present, or future. The phrase verb tense is also used for grammatical aspects, which add more details about the duration or time an action takes. When you combine the four grammat...

VERB TENSES WHAT IS IT? Verb tenses are changes or additions to verbs to show when the action took place: in the past, present, or future. The phrase verb tense is also used for grammatical aspects, which add more details about the duration or time an action takes. When you combine the four grammatical aspects with the past, present and future, you end up with twelve main verb tenses in English. THE PRESENT TENSES THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE This tense is used to talk about the following: 1. Repeated actions or habits Examples: I drive to work every day. She stays at home and cooks dinner every evening. 2. Situations which are permanent Examples: We live in Cheras. Tom works in Vancouver. 3. General truths or facts Examples: The longest river in Malaysia is Sungai Rajang in Sarawak. Hindus consider the cow sacred. RULES: 1. Often the simple present is just the root verb with no changes or additions. 2. The main exception to this is when the subject is third person and singular. In this case you add the suffix –s. 3. If the verb ends in o, ch, sh, th, ss, gh, or z, you add –es. 4. If the verb ends in a consonant and y (and the subject is third- person singular), drop the y and add –ies. Eg. Today I feel like a million bucks! My brother carries the groceries while my sister stays on the couch. THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE/ PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE [am/is/are] + [present participle] This tense is used to talk about the following: Something which is in progress at the moment of speaking Examples: Where is Charles? He is mowing the lawn. You may turn up the radio. The children are not studying. THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE [have/has] + [past participle] Sentences in this tense connect the past with the present. This tense is used to talk about the following: 1. Something which started in the past and continues up to the present. Examples: I have studied in Spain for eight months. (= She is still studying in Spain now). Rajan and Jane have been friends for twelve years. (= They are still friends now). 2. Things which happened during a period of time that continues up to the present Examples: I have backpacked to Europe and Indochina. (= in my life, up to now) What's the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? (= in your life, up to now) THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE [have/has] + [been] + [present participle] Sentences in this tense also connect the past with the present. They often talk about the following: 1. Something which started in the past and has been in progress up to the present Examples: She has been waiting for her waiting for her parents for two hours. How long have you been working in this company? 2. An action which has been in progress up to the recent past, especially if it has results in the present. Examples: It has been raining. (It is not raining now, but there are puddles everywhere.) THE PAST TENSES THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE This tense is used to talk about actions and situations in the past. Examples: I swam yesterday evening. They didn't go to Phuket during the May holidays. They went to Pulau Redang instead. RULES 1. For regular verbs, you form the simple past tense by adding the suffix –ed to the end of the verb (or just –d if the past tense verb already ends in an e). 2. Irregular verbs don’t follow the normal rules and use their own unique forms for the past tense. For example, the past tense of the irregular verb go is went. Eg. Regular verbs: I picked up the glass, but it dropped from my hand. Irregular verbs: This morning I went to the store, but I forgot the milk. THE PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE / PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE [was/were] + [present participle] This tense talks about an action or situation that had started, but had not finished at a past time. Examples: We saw you talking to Jackie this morning. Were you playing hockey at 6pm yesterday evening. THE PAST PERFECT TENSE [had] + [past participle] This tense is used to refer back to an earlier past when talking about the past. Examples: They arrived at Suzie's house at 7pm, but she had already left. He hadn't studied for the exam, so he was very nervous. THE PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE / PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE [had] + [been] + [present participle] This tense is also used to refer back to an earlier past when talking about the past. Examples: They had been practicing football when the accident happened. Tim was very tired when he arrived at my house as he had been working all day. THE FUTURE TENSES THE SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE [will before the root form of the main verb] (Note that if the action will happen in the near future, you can use the present continuous instead.) This tense is used for the following functions: 1. To make predictions about the future Examples: That branch looks flimsy. It is going to break. It will rain today. Look at how dark the sky is. 2. To talk about what we plan to do in the future Examples: The room looks messy. I will clean it up. We are going to Singapore this weekend. I shall go shopping this evening. THE FUTURE PROGRESSIVE TENSE / FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE [will] + [be] + [present participle] This tense is used to talk about something that will be in progress at a time in the future. Examples: We'll be watching a movie tonight. What will they be doing tomorrow morning? Don't call him in the evenings. He will be sleeping. THE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE [will] + [have] + [been] + [present participle] This tense is used to talk about something that will be completed by (not later than) a certain time in the future. Examples: I'll have finished my homework by 3.00. We can meet then. They will have lived in Australia for three years next July. THE FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE / FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE [will] + [have] + [been] + [present participle] This tense is used to talk about actions being in progress over a period of time that will end in the future. Example: Anne and Tiong Hoon will have been working in Kuala Pilah for three years when they come back to Melaka next June.