VERB TENSESYOU MUST KNOW and MUST USE!

Presented by:

Mr. Virgo Clemente Lopez

TENSE and ASPECT- Time of an event’s occurrence in the

present, past, or future.- May be in the past or present

- Whether or not the event has occurred earlier (perfect) or still in progress (progressive)

- Indicated by suffixes and auxiliary verbs.

Examples• Virgo taught his students.• Virgo teaches his students.

• Jessa has written her term paper.

• Now she is studying for her IELTS Examination.

TENSE USAGE

PRESENT TENSE

• Statement GENERALLY TRUE at the moment of speaking.

• The moon is made of the same materials as earth.

PRESENT TENSE• Habit or usual activity

• Bicolanos cook many dishes with coconut and chili.

PRESENT TENSE• Commentary about an

ongoing activity• The traffic light turns

yellow and drivers go even faster to beat the red light.

PRESENT TENSE• Stage directions and

synopses• Tiresisas turns away

from Oedipus and is led out.

PRESENT TENSE• Prearranged activity

• The space shuttle flies again next month for experiments in crystals.

PAST TENSE• Statement was TRUE

in the past

• The young Mozart was the darling of Europe.

PAST TENSE• Statement that became

TRUE in the past• An asteroid impacted in

the bay of Mexico at the close of the Jurassic period.

PAST TENSE• IF statement which is not real, yet

applies to the PRESENT 2nd CONDITIONAL (present-unreal)

• If he understood the staff’s sentiments, he would know whom to appoint as their director.

CONDITIONALSPROBABILITY CONDITIONAL EXAMPLE TIME

100 % Zero If you heat ice, it melts. Any time

50 % First If it rains, I will stay at home.

Future

10 % Second If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.

Future

0 % Third If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car.

Past

PAST TENSE• Tentative or POLITE statement,

with MODAL VERBS

• Could I record this interview?

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

• STATEMENT which was TRUE in the PAST and still RELEVANT to the PRESENT (or CONTINUING)

• Since 1992, the words “consultation,” and “empowerment,” have become popular, and often misused terms.

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

• STATEMENT with adverb JUST for a recently concluded action

• She has just eaten.

PAST PERFECT• Was true, action which was

completed before another past action or past time reference.

• The mail arrived right after you had gone.

PAST PERFECT• IF statement which is NOT

REAL (3rd CONDITIONAL past-unreal)

• If the tapes had been erased or destroyed, he would not have incriminated himself.

FUTURE PERFECT• Action to be completed

before another future action or future time reference

• Before the next term begins, these textbooks will have run out of copies.

PROGRESSIVE ASPECT

• indicate continuing action at given points in time

• Past, present (moment of speaking), or future.

• He was playing piano earlier.• He is playing piano now.• He is playing the piano later.

PROGRESSIVE OF THE VERB BE

• USED to indicate TEMPORARY or FANCIFUL state

• I am being a classroom teacher, I should really be guidance counselor.

SOME VERBS…• Cost, love, know, like, need, own,

understand, and want• DO NOT take PROGRESSIVE

ASPECT

• He has been knowing the answer.• He has known the answer.

IN A NUTSHELL…

SIMPLE/ BASIC TENSE

PRESENTUSES EXAMPLES

Repeated actions I play tennis.Facts or

generalizationsThe earth revolves around the sun.

Scheduled events in the near future

The party starts at 8 o’clock.

Now (non-continuous verbs)

He needs help right now.

PASTUSES EXAMPLES

Completed action in the past

I watched two movies yesterday.

A series of completed actions

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

Duration in the past I studied in Canada for two years.

Habits in the past They always skipped class.

Past facts or generalizations It was hard to download movies from the internet before.

FUTURE form 1: will + base form of the verbform 2: am/is are + going to + base form of verb

USES EXAMPLES

“will” to express a voluntary action

I will send you the information when I get it.

“will” to express a promise

I will call you later at 10 PM.

“be going to” to express a plan

He is going to spend his vacation in New York.

“will” or “be going to” to express a prediction

The year 2030 will be a very interesting year for them.

Present Perfectform: has/have + past participle

USES EXAMPLESUnspecified time before now I have seen that movie twice.

Experience I have been to France./ I have been to France three times.

Change over time He has grown since the last time I saw him.

Accomplishments My son has learned how to read.

Uncompleted action you are expecting

Ted has not finished his architectural design.

Multiple actions at different times She has spoken to several psychiatrists about her problems.

Duration from the past until now (non-continuous verbs)

I have had cold for two weeks.

Past Perfectform: had + past participleUSES EXAMPLES

Completed action before something in

the past

I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Hawaii.

Duration before something in the

past (non-continuous verbs)

We had had that car for ten years before it broke down.

Future Perfectform 1: will have + past participleform 2: am/is/are + going to have + past participle

USES EXAMPLES

Completed action before something in the future

By next November, I will have received my promotion.

Duration before something in the future (non-continuous verbs)

By Monday, Robin is going to have had my book for a week.

IN A NUTSHELL…

CONTINUOUS/ PROGRESSIVE TENSE

PRESENTform: am/is/are + present participle

USES EXAMPLESNow The baby is sleeping.

Longer actions in progress now

I am reading the book Ignorance.

Near future I am meeting some friends after work.

Repetition and Irritation with “always”

She is always coming to class late.

PASTform: was/ were + present participle

USES EXAMPLESInterrupted action in the

pastShe was writing a letter when I called her up.

Specific time as an interruption

Last night at 6 PM, I was knitting a sweater.

Parallel actions I was studying while my mother was making dinner.

Repetition and irritation with “always”

She was always coming to class late.

FUTUREform 1: will have + past participleform 2: am/ is/ are + going to have + past participle

USES EXAMPLESInterrupted action in the

futureI will be watching TV when she arrives at home tonight.

Specific time as an interruption in the future

Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner.

Parallel actions in the future Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, making final decisions for the company.

PRESENT PERFECTform: has/ have + been + present participle

USES EXAMPLESDuration from the past until

nowThey have been talking for the last hour.

Recently, lately Recently, I have been feeling tired. She has been watching action movies lately.

PAST PERFECTform: had + been + present participle

USES EXAMPLESDuration before something

in the past They had been talking for over an hour before Barney arrived.

Cause of something in the past

Lily gained weight because he had been overeating.

FUTURE PERFECTform 1: will have been present participleform 2: am/ is/ are + going to have been + present participle

USES EXAMPLESDuration before something

in the future They will have been talking for an hour by the time Marshal arrives.

Cause of something in the future

Stella will be tired when she gets home because she will have been jogging for over an hour.