A presentation on the 12 tenses of the English verb system. An abridged version of a PBET 1103 (Introduction to the Grammar of English) lecture to the TESL Programme students at the Faculty of Education, Universiti Malaya KL.
1. ENGLISH VERB SYSTEM
Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, PhD
TESL PROGRAM
University of Malaya
14 February 2011
2. verbs
main aux
dynamic/ static/state
action of being be, do, have,
modals
cognition, perception, Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program
emotion, relation Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
3. TENSE
TIME ASPECT
PAST SIMPLE
FUTURE PERFECT
PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
RUBRICO, Jessie Grace/PBET 1103 2011
4. TIME
FUTURE
PRESENT
PAST
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
5. ASPECT
SIMPLE
CONTINUOUS
PERFECT
PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
6. TENSES IN ENGLISH
TIME
ASPECT PAST PRESENT FUTURE
SIMPLE Simple Past Simple Pres Simple Fut
CONTINUOUS Past Cont Pres Cont Future Cont
PERFECT Past Perf Pres Perf Future Perf
PERFECT Past Perfect Pres Perf Future Perf
CONTINUOUS Continuous Continuous Contunuous
Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, PhD
Source: Master, P. (1996), p.48. TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL
7. Inflections of verbs
Ø
-s
SUFFIXES -ing
-ed
-en
Inflection: number (Subj-V agr); tense
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
9. Simple Present Tense
Usage
• habitual action; recurring action
Structure: Verbbase -S
-Ø
> adverbs of frequency: often, always, frequently,
usually, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, etc.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
10. Simple FutureTense
Usage: action/states in a future time
Structure will + Verbbase
be going to
Simple Pres + future time expression:
We leave for Kelantan tomorrow.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
11. Will or Be going to?
Making prediction
• will : for general prediction
> It will rain tomorrow
• be going to: linking prediction to present
circumstance
> They are going to find it difficult to get
tickets to Manila.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
12. Will or Be going to?
Making decisions
• will: in the process of making
> When will you get the ticket?
• be going to: decisions are already made
> I’m going to drive up North tomorrow.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
13. Simple Past Tense
Usage: actions that happened in the past that
has no connection to the present
Structure: Verbbase -ed (regular)
-irregular
Subject-Verb Agr > NIL, except for BE
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
14. Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
15. Present Continuous Tense
• STRUCTURE:
– BE {am, is, are} + Verb-ing
• USAGE: ongoing actions
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
16. Past Continuous Tense
• STRUCTURE:
- BE {was, were} + Verb-ing
USAGE: V1 was happening when
V2 happened
V2 > simple past: reference time
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
17. We came to Malaysia on 27 June 2009. Our
friend was waiting for us when our plane
touched down at KLIA. It was raining when we
arrived but the sun was still up at 7PM. We were
hungry, so we went to a restaurant near the
Hilton. While we were ordering, our friend called
my boss to let him know that we were here. As
we were leaving the restaurant, we saw a friend
in a taxi but he did not see us. We were going
back to the Hilton when we met another friend
and we went for coffee.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
18. Notes: PCT
PCT is generally NOT used in English
unless there are TWO verbs present:
PAST CONTINUOUS
SIMPLE PAST - reference time
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
19. Future Continuous Tense
• STRUCTURE:
WILL
BE { is, am, are} going to + be Verb-ing
• USAGE: X will be happening when
Y takes place
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
20. Kevin is very excited because next year he is going to be
working for the Peace Corps in Sudan. The plan is as
follows: When he arrives, he will be living in Khartoum for
a short while until he becomes accustomed to the life and
culture of this desert nation. After two weeks, he will be
moving into a house with other volunteers in a village
near Juba. There they will be helping the local population
to learn new techniques of growing cotton. He will also be
teaching an English class in the village school because he
has an MA degree in teaching English. Later he will be
training young adults to work in a food processing plant.
Of course, while he is there he will be learning Arabic. It
will be a difficult assignment, but he knows that he and
his colleagues are going to be experiencing a completely
different culture, and he knows the rewards will be
tremendous. (Source: Master, 1996; p65).
21. PERFECT TENSES : completed action
• Present Perfect: Action is completed vis-à-vis
the present. > I have read it.
• Past Perfect: Action is completed vis-à-vis the
past. > I had read it.
• Future Perfect: Action is completed vis-à-vis
the future. > I will have read it.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
22. Present Perfect Tense
Structure : {has/have} + Verben
• actions that occurred sometime in the past
but have relevance in the present
• Verben - past participle of the verb
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
23. USAGE -
1. To talk about experiences.
• Examples
I have been to Spain.
She has never visited us.
Have you ever tried crabs?
• never and ever -often used with the Present
Perfect Tense to talk about experiences.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
24. 2. To talk about an action which started in the
past and continues up to now.
Examples
I have been a teacher for more than ten years.
We haven't seen the President since Friday.
How long have you been in UM?
• since and for
- express how long the action has lasted.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
25. 3. To talk about a past action that has
an effect in the present.
Examples
• I have lost my card.
> I don't have it now.
• June has gone to London.
> She isn't here now.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
26. Present Perfect & Past Simple tenses
Past Simple tense - definite finished time in the
past. For example: yesterday, last week, when I
was abroad, then, after etc.
• Examples
I finished college twenty years ago.
Where did they first meet?
I didn't study Mandarin then.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
27. Present Perfect tense - time references that
refer to the time up to now.
For example: today, this week, this month,
ever, never, already, recently, yet, etc.
• Examples
I haven't seen Tom today.
Have you ever smoked a cigar?
I have never been abroad.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb2011
28. Past Perfect Tense
Structure: had + Verben
Usage: X had happened
before Y happened
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
29. When the professor finally showed up, the students had
waited for more than twenty minutes. He apologized and
told them that he had misplaced his watch. He asked one
of the students for the time, but the student replied that he
had misplaced his watch, too. Another student announced
that she had seen Big Ben the summer before if that was
any help. By the time the students had really settled down,
it was almost a quarter to four. The professor proceeded to
ask the students some questions which he had prepared for
them. When he had finished, he asked them to turn in a
composition which he had assigned two weeks earlier. After
he had given them another assignment for the week, he
dismissed the class right on time. Most of the students were
used to this because they had the same professor the
previous semester.
Source: Master, P. (1996), p.73.
30. Future Perfect Tense
Structure:
will have + Verben
Usage: V1 will have happened
before V2 happens
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
31. Going to a Conference in Japan
By the time they get to Tokyo, the doctors will have flown for
more than 14 hours. They will have crossed six thousand miles of
ocean and have eaten at least four meals. They will not have
taken a shower since they left Chicago, so they are bound to
make their presence known. Hopefully, before they attend the
conference, they will have had time to bathe, to rest, and to
recover from jetlag. They will also have met the hosts and will no
doubt have introduced themselves to the other members of the
international panel, which is the highlight of the conference and
their principal reason for coming to Japan. The leader of this
group says that, when it is over, this will have been the third
conference he has participated in this year, although it is the first
one at which he will have presented a paper. The Japanese hosts
say that, at the conclusion of this meeting, it will have been the
second conference in as many years that has taken place in
Tokyo, and they hope to host many more such meetings in the
future. (Master, 1996; p. 76)
32. PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSES
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
33. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
STRUCTURE
have {has, have} + been + Verb-ing
USAGE :
X began happening and
has continued until NOW
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
34. Examples: Present Perfect Continuous
• They have been waiting at the Café for
over an hour.
• I have been working here for two years.
• She has not been reporting to work since
Monday.
• Peter and Nona have been quarreling
over money lately.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
35. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
STRUCTURE
had been + Verb-ing
USAGE
X (past perfect continuous) started
happening and continued to happen
before Y happened (simple past)
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
36. Examples: Past Perfect Continuous
• Joni and John had been discussing the
problem for three hours before Cindy arrived.
• They failed PBET 1103 because they had not
been attending class.
• The customers had been waiting for three
months before their orders were finally
shipped.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
37. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
STRUCTURE: will have been + Verb-ing
USAGE:
X will continue to happen until
Y happens at a particular future time
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
38. Examples: Future Perfect Cont
• When you get to Kelantan, you will have
been driving for over five hours.
• By the time we finish the semester, we shall
have been meeting continuously for 14 weeks.
• If the runner finishes within the next five
minutes, he will have been running for 2
hours.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011
39. References
• Carter, R. Hughes, R. & McCarthy, M. 2002
(2007, 8th printing). Exploring Grammar in
Context. NY: Cambridge University Press.
• Master, P. 1996. Systems in English Grammar:
An Introduction for Language Teachers. NJ:
Prentice Hall Regents.
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011