7/29/2019 Distinction Between Tense and Time

1/1

Distinction between Tense and Time

Time is a universal, semantic notion: past time, present time, future time

Tense is a linguistic device varying from language to language. It is the verb form(s)

used to express certain time relations. The reference time is usually the time of

speaking. Actions and events times are considered in relation to the time of speaking.

For example, in sentence (1)

(1) I drove to Rabat (yesterday).

the action of driving is understood to have taken place some time before the moment

of speaking (as indicated by the time adverb "yesterday"). That is, the time of driving

is prior to the time of speaking. The time of driving is past and it is expressed by thelinguistic device the 'simple past tense'.

In the same way, the time of driving in sentence (2) will happen some time after the

moment of speaking.

(2) I will drive to Rabat again (next week).

In (2), the action of driving will happen some time after the time of speaking. The

time when the driving will take place is future with respect to the time of speaking.

This time relation between the time of speaking and the time of driving is expressed

by the 'future tense'. Schematically, these two time relations, past and future, can be

represented as in (3)

(3) ------------------------|------------------------------> time axis

past future

time of speaking

Time and Tense do not always correspond. The present tense is used in the sentences

given in (4) but the time reference is not specifically present time.

(4) a. I speak Arabic, French and English.

b. When you see him tomorrow, tell him to come.

(I'm not speaking the three languages now.)

While the present continuous tense usually indicates that the event or action is taking

place at the moment of speaking (present time), as in (5)

(5) We are studying grammar (now).it may be used to express future time as in (6), (i.e., actions or events to take place in

the future).

(6) I'm meeting him tomorrow.

(The meeting is not taking place at the moment of speaking.)

In the same way, in (7), the tense of the underlined verbs is past but the time

expressed is present.

(7) a. It's high time we started doing some work.

b. If I trusted him, I would lend him the money.

c. I'd rather you told him yourself.

In English, we can distinguish between two types of tenses: the simple and the

complex (compound) tenses. In the simple tenses (the simple present and the simplepast) only the verb form shows this tense contrast as shown in (8).

(8) a. I speak, he speaks (simple present tense)

b. I spoke, he spoke. (simple past tense)

In the complex tenses, two or more words and other suffixes are used to express

different time relations. This is illustrated in the table below.

Simple Continuous Perfect Perfect continuous

Present I speak I am speaking I have spoken I have been speaking

Past I spoke I was speaking I had spoken I had been speaking

Future I will speak I will be speaking I will have spoken I will have been speaking

Note the auxiliary be(in the active voice) is used with a verb in the ing form(called the present participial form), the auxiliary have is used with the verb in the edform (called the past participial form) and the modal will is used with the verb in its

bare form (the infinitive form without to).