Learn English 2000

Tense

Tense is the term used to show relationship between time and other conditions and the form of the verb. Not all changes in the verb form are directly related to time. The way the action is understood to take place also affects verb forms. in addition to showing time, different forms show conditions such as certainty, definiteness, possibility, and whether or not the action is completed. Mood and aspect are grammatical terms that show how the verb expresses ideas that go beyond yesterday/today/tomorrow divisions. You do not need to know all the grammatical terms to express yourself clearly, but you must learn the exact verb forms to use to express your ideas if you want your readers to understand your writing.
Most of the conjugations in this section are with walk, an intransitive verb that does not need a complement. Sometimes another verb must be used to illustrate differences in meaning. For a complete conjugation of to be, see Be. See Voice for examples of transitive verbs in active and passive forms. Passive forms are not shown in this section.
Although contractions are common in speech, avoid them in formal writing. See Contractions for contracted forms if you need to use them in direct quotations.

The Present Tense

Add -s to make the third person singular. Remembering to add -s in the present tense is very important in academic and technical writing, since a large part of it is done in the present tense.

The Present Tense

Add -s to make the third person singular. Remembering to add -s in the present tense is very important in academic and technical writing, since a large part of it is done in the present tense.

Walk

SINGULAR
I walk
you walk
he, she, it walks PLURAL
we walk
you walk
they walk

The present tense can be used in several ways. It does not always show what is happening now, as you would think from its name. (The present continuous/progressive tense more often shows what is actually happening now; see below.)
1. Use the present tense to show present state or condition, particularly with stative verbs.

ADVERBS:
now
at this time/moment
today
tonight
this minute/morning
noon/evening Ben is hungry.
I believe (that) you are right.
That cake smells good.
Do you realize what you are saying?
Harold lives in Rome now.
Caroline attends college in Canada.

2. Use the present tense to show an eternal truth or natural law.

ADVERBS:
always/never
Inevitably
without fail
at all times
Invariably The moon affects the tides.
Man proposes but God disposes.
Parallel lines never meet.
Hydrogen and oxygen combine to make water.
Subjects and verbs agree in number.
Hot air rises.

3. Use the present tense to show habitual action--repetition or non-repetition of the same act.

ADVERBS:
always/never
usually/seldom
sometimes
rarely
not ever
occasionally
often/not often
every
each Beverly drinks coffee every morning.
We always celebrate my birthday with a family party.
The Browns do not wash their windows every week.
The Andersons plant tomatoes every year.
Sometimes we go to a soccer game on Sunday afternoon.

4. Use the present tense to show the historical present in criticism to discuss writing, drama, music, and art, and in research that quotes or paraphrases what other people have said or written in the past.

ADVERBS OF VALUE
JUDGMENT RATHER
THAN TIME-A FEW OF MANY POSSIBILITIES
skillfully, cleverly
(in) correctly
clumsily, brilliantly
well, poorly,
(in) adequately,
properly, rightly,
wrongly In the short story "The Lottery," Shirley Jackson writes an allegory of the injustices of life.
Darwin presents evidence for the development of life from lower to higher forms.
Looking at all the evidence, one agrees with the critic who calls the play a success.
The author of this textbook explains the problems clearly.

5. Use the present tense for definitions and explanations.

ADVERBS:
always/never
then
next
after that Gross National Product means the total value
of all goods produced and services performed
in one country in one year.
The screw is Inserted in the lower right-hand
corner of the frame.
Plate B replaces Plate A in the old model, as
shown in Diagram 2.

6. Use the present tense to show future possibility in conditional and time clauses.

Uncle Robert will give you fifty dollars if he likes your work. (condition)
Uncle Robert will give you fifty dollars when he sees yon. (time)

7. Use the present tense to show future events that are considered certain to happen.

The plane leaves at 9:25 tonight.
The term is over on December 16.

The Present Perfect Tense

Make the present perfect tense from have (has in the third person singular) + past participle (-ed form) of the main verb.

Walk

SINGULAR
I have walked
you have walked
he, she, it has walked PLURAL
we leave walked
you have walked
they have walked

The present perfect tense usually shows an action that began in the past and goes on to the present or to an indefinite time closely related to the present.
1. Use the present perfect tense to show an action that began in the past and is still going on.

Do not use ago with

any meanings. Shirley has lived in Chicago for six years. (still living in Chicago)

ADVERBS:
for + period of time
since + specific date They have waited since ten o'clock. (still waiting)
During the last century, many people have moved from rural to urban areas. (the movement continues)

or time I have not finished that problem yet. (still unfinished)

in or during the last or
past hour, day, week,
month, year, decade,
century yet, so far
up to now

2. Use the present perfect tense to show an action that began it, the past and was finished at an indefinite time but is closely related to the present and/or future.

ADVERBS:
already, not yet
early, late, just
this minute, today
this month/year
recently, lately I have already finished those exercises.
You have been absent a great deal lately. (I expect that you will be absent again.)
The players have come early.
The players have just arrived.
Paul has rebuilt the engine of Ms car. (Although the project is finished, he is capable of doing the work again.)
They have recently announced their engagement. (They are still engaged.)

The Present Continuous/Progressive Tense

Make the present continuous from the present tense of to be and the -ing form of the main verb (present participle).

Walk

SINGULAR
I am walking
you are walking
he, she, it is walking PLURAL
we are walking
you are walking
they are walking

NOTE: Many verbs do not occur in the continuous forms in their usual meanings.

A meaning similar to that of the continuous/progressive tense can be made with keep on or go on + -ing form.

He keeps on walking. He goes on walking.
She keeps on talking. She goes on talking.

The present continuous/progressive tense shows action as a process that is incomplete now but will end. With an adverb of frequency the continuous can show habitual action and in certain situations it can show future action.

1. Use the present continuous/progressive tense to show action as a process that is going on now.

ADVERBS:
now, today
this minute, this
month, this year
at the moment Our dog is chasing your cat.
The children are playing outside.
It is raining/snowing/sleeting.
This winter we are seeing a weather pattern that is different from last year's pattern.

2. Use the present continuous/progressive tense to show habitual action, often with the idea of showing dislike or disapproval.

ADVERBS:
always, usually
most of the time
more often than not The dog is usually chasing the cat.
They are always asking for special factors.
That little girl is always biting her fingernails.
Tracy is always eating too much.

3. Use the present continuous/progressive tense to show future action that you are looking forward to now.

ADVERBS:
Use an adverb of the future appropriate to the time the event will take place, such as this afternoon, tonight,
tomorrow, next week, soon, next month. My father and mother are arriving from New York at 2:15 tomorrow afternoon.
A storm is coming tonight.
They are going to a concert tomorrow night.
We are repeating the experiment next month.

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Make the present perfect continuous from the present tense of have + been + -ing (present participle) from of the main verb.

Walk

SINGULAR
I have been walking
you have been walking
he, she, it has been walking PLURAL
we have been walking
you have been walking
they leave been walking

Be sure to keep subject-verb agreement correct by using has in the third person singular.

The present perfect continuous shows incompleteness or indefiniteness very close to the present time, often contrasted with now. just shows that the activity is very recent.

ADVERBS:
just
just now
recently He bas been washing his car, but lie isn't now.
She has been feeling ill, but she feels better now.
Our car has been giving us trouble recently, but it is running
better now.
He has been looking everywhere for you, and be still is.
She has just been asking about you.

The Past Tense (sometimes called the simple past)

Make the past tense in regular verbs by adding -ed to the simple present.

I, you, he, she, it, we, they walked.

1. Use the past tense for events that happened at a specific time in the past. Use the past tense for a single event or for events that took place over a period of time if that period is finished. Phrases with ago (two weeks ago, ten years ago, two thousand years ago) can be used with all the past tenses. Do not use already with past tenses.

ADVERBS:
a minute, hour, day,
week, year, century ago
for + period of time
at + specific time
in + specific year
on + day of week
or date, yesterday, in
the morning/evening
last week/month/year/
century
when... Gerald was in Australia twenty years ago.
They came at 2:30 this afternoon.
Jean started kindergarten two weeks ago.
Winifred came here yesterday.
Tom and I worked in the same office for two years.
Last year the Dumber of children in School in this city increased two percent.
When we heard about the eclipse, we wanted to see it.

Use the past tense as above to tell a story or to discuss history.
2. Use the past tense when changing from direct to reported speech if the verb in the dialogue guide is in the past

present

past

DIRECT QUOTATION:
"Is
Joyce at home?" Susan
asked.

past
present

Francis said, "I understand this problem now."

past
past

REPORTED SPEECH: Susan asked if Joyce
was
at home.

Francis said that she understood this problem.

3. Use the past tense after if to write about events that are not true or that are not likely to happen. Use would in the independent clause.

If Michael ran a red light, he would be to blame for the accident.
If Arthur wore a blue tie with that jacket, it would look better.
Unless a miracle happened, I would never make the honor roll.
If you loved me, you would not leave now.

The implication is that these events are not likely to happen.

NOTE: Using the past instead of the present makes a statement very tentative and polite. "I Wanted to tell you about the problem" can mean "I want to . . . ."

The Past Perfect Tense

Make the past perfect tense with had + past participle of the main verb.

I, you, be, she, it, we, they bad walked.

The past perfect tense shows action in the past that happened before some other action in the past shown by a past tense verb.

past

past perfect

ADVERBS: Before Karen
came
here, she
had studied
in Paris

already and all for two years.

adverbs that can be
past perfect

past

used with the After Philip had failed twice, he finally passed his test

past tense for his driver's license.

past

past perfect

past

When Philip
found
out that he
had failed
again, he gave

up.

If the meaning of "past before past" is clear from an adverb in the sentence, such as before and after in the sentences above or from the context, the past tense is often used for both verbs.

past

past

Before Karen
came
here, she
studied
in Paris for two years.

past

past

After Philip
failed
twice, he finally
passed
his test for his driver's license.

The Past Continuous Tense

Make the past continuous tense with the past tense of be (was/were) + -ing form (present participle) of the main verb.

Walk

SINGULAR
I was walking
you were walking
he, she, it was walking PLURAL
we were walking
you were walking
they were walking

Use the past continuous tense to show the temporary duration or incompletion of an action in the past, particularly in contrast to a specific act shown in the past tense.
1. Use the past continuous tense to show duration, with emphasis on the length of time, of an act that is no longer going on.

ADVERBS:
the same as for the
past tense Betsy was training her horse for five years.
They were waiting to buy a house for three years.
We were waiting for my mother's plane to arrive for six hours.

2. Use the past continuous tense for an action in the past that was not completed in the time period mentioned.

I was trying to clean house last week. (I did not complete the cleaning.)
They were looking for an apartment yesterday. (They did not find one.)
We were doing a difficult experiment in the lab this morning. (We did not finish it.)

3. Use the past continuous tense for an action that was going on at a time in the past when something else happened.

James and I were watching television when lightning struck the house.

or

While James and I were watching television, lightning struck the house.

While means during the time. While often introduces the clause showing duration. When means at that time. When often introduces the clause showing the intervening action. Do not use both while and when in the same sentence. After or before can replace when.

The driver of the car was not paying attention when he ran off the road.
The cook was not watching the pot when the sauce boiled over.

The Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Use the past perfect continuous tense to show that an action in the remote past was temporary or that the time it lasted was important or that an action was going on when something else happened.

Walk

I, you, he, she, it, they had been walking.
No one knew that Mr. Allen had a wig because he had been wearing it secretly.
John had been trying to meet Mary for three months before he finally succeeded.
Jane had been looking for a new roommate r six weeks before she finally found one.
Women had been demanding the right to vote for many years before they finally got it.
The Chinese had been using gunpowder for centuries before its use was known in Europe.

The Future Tense

Make the future tense by using will or shall + the infinitive (simple present) form of the main verb.

Walk

I, you, be, she, it, we, they will walk

In the United States, will is commonly used in all forms of the future. In England, shall is used with I and we, but the usage is reversed in an emphatic statement. (I, we will and he, she, it, they, you shall are emphatic in this usage.) For other meanings of will and shall besides showing the future, see Modals.
Avoid the contracted 'll and won't form in formal writing.

Other verb forms can also show the future.

Is Going to as Future

Use the present tense of Be + going + to + base infinitive (simple present) of the main verb to show the future.

I am going to walk two miles every day.
You (we, they) are going to walk two miles every day.
He (she, it) is going to walk two miles every day.

The is going to future is more informal and wordy than the will future. Do not overuse it. Both the will and is going to futures can be used with both personal and inanimate subjects.

The art class will visit the museum tomorrow.
The art class is going to visit the museum tomorrow.
The weather report predicts that it will rain tonight.
The weather report predicts that it is going to rain tonight.

Three additional verb constructions can be used to show future events. Use these three constructions mainly with events, states, or statements that are subject to human control.

Present of Be + Infinitive as Future

New students are to register at two o'clock this afternoon.
Our dog is to get a rabies shot next week.

This construction shows obligation or regulation. It is similar in meaning to have to.

Present Tense as Future

You can use the present tense to show future events that are fixed or certain, whether personal or impersonal, after if, unless, and whether and after relative adverbs of time.

If the price is reasonable, Steve will buy a new car.
The sun sets at 6:05 this evening.
Our train leaves at 9:07 a.m. tomorrow.
The cost of first-class mail increases after January 1.
When you find the answer to that problem, you can go.

The Present Continuous Tense as Future

The present continuous tense can show action that will happen in the future.

We are having dinner at seven this evening.
My parents are coming to visit me next month.
Our soccer team is not playing in the regional championship games this year.

The Future Perfect Tense

Make future perfect forms with will + have + past participle (-ed form) of the main verb. English speakers in the United States use will in all persons.

Walk

I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have walked.

Use the future perfect to show an action that will be completed in the future.

ADVERBS:
by phrase
at that time
(by) tomorrow
(by) this afternoon
(by) tonight
(by) next week,
month, year,
specific time or date in
the future, before . . . This obedience school will have trained fifty dogs by the end of the year.
By the end of the winter season, more tourists will have visited the island than ever before.
I left several letters unfinished on my desk, but I will have finished them before noon tomorrow.

The Future Continuous Tense

Make the future with will + be + -ing form.

Walk

I, you, he, she, it, we, they will be walking.

Use the future continuous to show duration, intention, or a temporary condition in the future.

I will mail that package for you since I will be walking by the post office this afternoon.
As long as we live next to you, our dog will be chasing your cat.
Sometimes I think I will be studying English the rest of my life.
Our salesman will be calling you soon to confirm your order.

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Make the future perfect continuous with will + have + been + past participle (-ed form) + -ing form.

Walk

I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have been walking.

Use the future perfect to combine the ideas of completeness and duration of time in the future.

By the end of this year, the Anderson family will have been living in the same house for a hundred years.
Soon he will have been studying here six months.
He started out biking at sunrise this morning; by eight o'clock he will have been walking for three hours.

The Future Time in the Past

Several constructions can be used to show future time as viewed from a point in the past.

would + INFINITIVE

past

Finally the time
came
to leave; later he would remember how everyone stood

waving goodbye.

past

Sam
bought
Dew tires so that his car would pass the safety inspection.

was/were going to + INFINITIVE

past

past

We
hurried
because we
knew
that we were going to be late.

past

Jane
was
happy because she thought she was going to pass the examination.

The Past Continuous Tense

See Reported speech for back-shift after reporting Verbs in the past tense.

They knew that we were having a party the next day.
Carl said that he was never climbing that mountain again.

The Past Tense of Be + Infinitive to Show Expectation

The president was to open the new building the next day.
The winner was to receive a trophy at the banquet later that night.

Sequence of Tenses

Do not make unnecessary shifts in tense in your writing. Often you can choose to use a framework in the present or you can rise a framework in the past, but be consistent and do not change back and forth without a reason for the change.

IN REPORTED SPEECH

You must change from the present to the past tense when you change direct speech to reported speech if the reporting verb is in the past.

STATEMENT: "Literature courses are difficult for me," Henry said.
Henry said that literature courses were difficult for him.

QUESTION: "Why do you want to work while you are in school?" the interviewer asked Sue.
The interviewer asked Sue why she wanted to work while
she was in school.

IN TIME CLAUSES

In a sentence that has a dependent clause beginning with

when (ever)
as soon as
after before
until, till
the moment (that) the day (that)
the week (that)
the year (that)

if you use the future tense in the independent clause, use the present tense in the dependent clause.

Mr. Johnson will read Your report
after
when
as soon as
he comes in.

I will look for your book
whenever
as soon as
I have time.

The doctor will not examine patients before they fill out these forms.