Different verb tenses indicate the time in which events take place. To use verb tenses correctly, it is helpful to consider verb form and use.

Transcription

1 ESL Handout 030 Verb Tenses: An Overview 030 Different verb tenses indicate the time in which events take place. To use verb tenses correctly, it is helpful to consider verb form and use. 1. Form, which is how a verb tense is put together, includes elements such as helping verbs. For example, for the present progressive tense, the form is be (is/are/am) + verb (ing), as in Alan is running a race. 2. Use refers to when a particular verb tense should be used. For example, the present progressive tense is used for events that are happening right now (Alan is running a race) whereas the present tense describes events that habitually happen (Alan runs many races every year). 3. The most common verb tenses in English are as follows: a. Present tense b. Present progressive c. Past progressive d. Simple past e. Present perfect f. Past perfect g. Future ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 1

2 Present Tense Form: Use the present tense form of the verb. Add an s or es to verbs with subjects that are (or can be replaced with) the pronouns he, she, or it. Example: Jane likes her teacher. Jane can be replaced with she, so like has an s added to it. Irregular verbs in the present tense are be, have, and do. These verbs also follow the pattern of having an s (or es ) added when their subjects are (or can be replaced with) the pronouns he, she, or it. Examples: He is a teacher. (be) She has a dog. (have) It does not matter. (do) o PS: Johnny likes apples. o NS: Johnny doesn t like apples. o Q: Does Johnny like apples? Note that in negative statement and questions, the helping verb do agrees with the subject, and the main verb like does not change. Present Tense Use: Present tense is used to discuss habitual activities. Example: Michiko walks her dog every morning. Present tense is also used for statements of fact. Example: The ASC helps students achieve success. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 2

3 Present Progressive Form: Use the verb be (is, are, am) plus the verb + -ing. The helping verb must agree with the subject. Examples: The clock is ticking very loudly. My friends are walking towards the river. o PS: Allen is doing his homework. o NS: Allen is not doing his homework. o Q: Is Allen doing his homework? Present Progressive Use: Present progressive is used to describe activities or events that are happening now. Example: The band is playing very loudly. Most verbs can be used with progressive tenses, but some cannot. Non-progressive verbs, called stative verbs, employ the present tense (see above) in circumstances that would otherwise require the use of present progressive. Stative verbs often refer to states of being rather than actions. Some stative verbs are be, believe, belong, exist, forget, hate, have, hear, know, like, love, need, own, prefer, possess, remember, see, think, understand, and want. Example: Now I remember where I saw that man before! Sometimes present progressive is used to express future actions that are to occur at a specified time. Example: Elaine is going to Orlando after work. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 3

4 Past Progressive Form: Use the past tense of be (was or were, depending upon the subject) + the verb + -ing. Example: Maria s family was waiting for her when she arrived in Houston. Positive Statements, Negative Statements, and Questions PS: Tran and Jim were eating dinner when I called them. NS: Tran and Jim were not eating dinner when I called them. Q: Were Tran and Jim eating dinner when I called them? Past Progressive Use: Past progressive is used with an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past. Example: The meeting was starting when I arrived. Sometimes, two ongoing actions in the past occur at the same time. Example: While I was trying to sleep, my neighbors were playing their music at top volume. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 4

5 Simple Past Form: Regular past tense verbs end in ed. Example: Juan rocked the little baby to sleep. A large number of past tense verbs are irregular see list in Verb Usage handout. o PS: The professor liked Lin s paper. o NS: The professor did not like Lin s paper. o Q: Did the professor like Lin s paper? Simple Past Use: Past tense is used when an action (or state of being) both began and ended in the past. Example: Jane was tired when she arrived at the party. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 5

6 Present Perfect Form: The present perfect is formed with is/are/am + past participle. Example: Benito has been to Italy several times. PS: Heline has lived in Florida since she was six months old. NS: Heline has not lived in Florida since she was six months old. Q: Has Heline lived in Florida since she was six months old? Present Perfect Use: Present perfect is used to describe past events in which the time is not specified. Example: John has fished at Lake Okeechobee. What one cannot do is to add a specific time to this type of sentence. For example, one can t say, John has fished at Lake Okeechobee yesterday, since adding a specific time frame makes the sentence incorrect. Present perfect is also used to discuss events which began in the past and continue into the future, especially with for and since. Examples: This college has existed for more than thirty years. This college has existed since Fort Pierce was a very small town. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 6

7 Past Perfect Form: Past perfect is formed with had + past participle Example: Lena had been married for seven years when the judge granted her divorce. o o o PS: Elaine had already eaten by the time Jim arrived. NS: Elaine had not eaten by the time Jim arrived. Q: Had Elaine eaten by the time Jim arrived? Past Perfect Use: Past perfect is used to express the first of two or more events that happened in the past. Example: John had studied Japanese for four years when he moved to Japan. In this example, the first event was John s Japanese study, and the second event was his moving to Japan. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 7

8 Future Tense Form: will + basic form of verb Example: He will study for his test tomorrow. o PS: Elaine will eat dinner with us tonight. o NS: Elaine will not eat dinner with us tonight. o Q: Will Elaine eat dinner with us tonight? The future tense can also be stated using is/are/am + going to + the basic form of the verb Example: I am going to eat lunch after class. Future Tense Use: The future tense is used for actions that will occur in the future or that are predictable. Example: I think the next president of the U.S. will be female. or If you are not careful, you will hurt yourself. Will is also used to indicate willingness. Example: If you need any help with your homework, I will help you. ESL Verb Tense Overview Handout 030 (February 2012; ASC Eng/Read) Page 8