VERB TENSES (Aspects) This handout is created by Kristina Yegoryan

Starting 2011 new linguistic books claim that there are only 2 tenses: present and past all the rest are called Aspects

Verb tense is used to designate when an action takes place in time in relation to the subject of the sentence. The verbs denote whether the action refers to the present, past or future. There are four main categories of tense: simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive, which can have their present, past, future, and past future form to express different time relationships. (Here are the most common used tenses).

I. SimpleTenses

The simple form of the verb is the base form, with no endings.

Simple Present

Use the Simple Present tense to describe actions that occur on a regular basis, usual activities or habits:

Example: I ride my bike to school everyday. We always celebrate New Year with our friends.

Use the Simple Present tense to describe general facts or truths:

Example: The earth revolves around the sun. Light travels at a speed of 186,282.397 miles.

Note: When using 3rd person singular, regular verbs in the simple present tense end in “s.” Example: Tom reads a story to his son every evening.

1

Hinting Words The following words are used with Simple Present tense to emphasize that the action is repeated. Always, never, seldom, often, usually, every day, sometimes.

Simple Past

To form the simple past tense with regular verbs, add “ed” to the end of the regular verbs. Irregular verbs have their own form of the past participle. (See Irregular Verb List at the end of this handout.)

Use the Simple Past tense to express that an action was completed at a specific time in the past:

Example: Yesterday, I studied all day. Tom graduated from High School in 2001.

Hinting Words The following words and phrases are used with Past Simple tense to express a

succession of past action.

yesterday, the other day, on Sunday (weekdays), an hour (a week, year…) ago, in 1995 (or any year), at six (any hour prior to present), last summer ( week…)

Simple Future

To form the simple future tense, use will + the simple present form of the verb.

Use the Simple Future tense for actions that will take place in the future:

Example: Tomorrow, I will study all day.

or to predict an outcome:

Example: She will fail her exam if she does not study

2

Note: In the future tense, 3rd person singular of the Simple Present does not keep its “s” ending. Example: He takes time to study every day. (present) He will take his exam tomorrow. (future)

Attention:

Simple Future is not used in the adverbial clauses of time and condition after these words: if, when, till, until, before, after, as soon as, unless, while. Simple Present is

used instead.

Example: “I will introduce you to my sister as soon as she comes.” If we study hard, we will pass the test.

The following sentences have two clauses and express future actions; however, the clause which starts with the above mentioned words uses Simple Present tense of the verb, whereas the other clause keeps its Simple Future tense:

If we study hard (1st clause with simple present), we will pass the test (2nd clause simple future)

Simple Future in the Past

To form this tense, use would + the simple present form of the verb.

Use the Simple Future in the Past to express an action which was future from the point of view of the past:

Example: Yesterday morning Tom told me he would meet Anna at 5pm. I thought Jack would come in time.

II. Progressive Tenses

The present, past and future progressive tenses are used to express actions that are in progress. The verbs in progressive tenses are formed by adding “ing” to the end of the verb.

Present Progressive

To form the present progressive tense, use the corresponding forms of the verb be (am for I, is for he, she, it, and are for we, you, they) + -ing endingadded to the main verb. Ex. I am singing.

3

Use the Present Progressive tense to describe actions that are currently in progress, that are taking place right now.

Example: I am practicing my verb tense so that I can write good sentences.

Use the Present Progressive tense to express duration of an action that takes place in present.

Example: The boys are watching TV (every day) from 3 to 5.

Use Present Progressive tense to express planned near future action.

Example: We are meeting Tom tomorrow. They are moving to a new house this weekend.

Note: There are some verbs that are not used in progressive tenses.The Non-progressive verbs are: hear, see, believe, understand, know, be, exist, own,

possess, belong, need, want, prefer, like, love, hate, forget, remember, think (believe), have (as possess). Simple Present tense is used instead with these verbs.

Example: Now I hear (not am hearing) a strange sound.

* Some of the verbs from the above list can be used in Progressive; however in that case they gain another meaning.

I think (believe) that English grammar is easy. Non-progressive I am thinking about my tests right now. Progressive

Past Progressive

To form the past progressive tense, use was or were + -ing.

Use the Past Progressive tense to describe actions that were in progress at a definite moment in the past.

Example: Last night the students were studying verb tenses until 10:00 p.m.

Use the Past Progressive tense to express duration of an action that took place in the past.

Example: Yesterday, he was working on his project from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Future Progressive

4

To form the future progressive tense, use will be + verb with -ing ending.

Use the Future Progressive tense to describe actions that will be in progress or happening at some point in the future.

Example: I will be going to the Writing Center for tutoring at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Future Progressive in the Past

To form the future progressive in the past, use would be + verb with -ing ending.

Use the Future Progressive in the Past to express actions going on at a time a definite moment which was future from the point of view of the past.

Example: They were sure that she would be talking for at least another three hours.

III. Perfect Tenses

The present, past, and future perfect tenses all use the past participle form of the verb.The past participle form of regular verbs is the same as the simple past: simply add “ed” to the end of the regular verbs. Irregular verbs have their own form of the past participle (See Irregular Verb List at the end of this handout).

Present Perfect

To form the present perfect tense, use have or has + the past participle (regular verbs with “ ed” ending.)

Use the Present Perfect tense for an action that occurred in the past at an unknown time, and the result of that completed action is connected with the present.

Example: They have finished their homework for English 101. (you can see the result of the finished homework.)

or for an action that began in the past, continues through the present and is uncertain when exactly it will finish.

Example: She hasn’t seen Tom yet.

5

Hinting Words

The following words are used with Present Perfect to express a completed action connected with the present.

Already, ever, never, yet, often, just, lately.

Example: He has never failed any test. Today, I have already seen a tutor at the Writing Center.

Attention:

When a question begins with the question word “when” Simple Past is used instead of Present Perfect.

Example: “I have lost my book.” “When did you lose it?”

*Note: The difference between Simple Past and Present Perfect:

Example: Tom wrote a letter last night. (Simple Past is used because the action is finished at a certain point in the past, last night.

Tom has just written a letter. (Present Perfect is used because the completed action is connected with the present.)

Past Perfect

To form the past perfect tense, use had + the past participle.

Use the Past Perfect tense for an action already completed before the time of another action that occurred in the past:

Example: He had walked several blocks before realizing he was on the wrong street.

When we arrived (simple past), the train had already left (past perfect asthis action occurred first, before we arrived.)

6

Hinting Words

Past Perfect is used with the following words or adverbial expressions to show acompleted action before a given past moment.by six o’clock, by that time, by the end of the week ( day, year…), after, before.

Example: She had submitted her assigned essay by the due date.

Future Perfect

To form the future perfect tense, use will + have(has) + the past participle.

Use the Future Perfect tense to indicate an action that will be completed in the future before or by a specific future time.

Example: By the time of the exam, I will have learned all the verb tenses.I think he will have finished all his midterm exams before the

Spring Break.

Future Perfect in the Past

To form the future perfect in the past, use would + have (has) + the past participle.

Use the Future Perfect in the Past to indicate an action completed before a definite moment which is future from the point of view of the past.

Example: I thought I would have finished the work before your arrival.

*Note: The perfect tenses also have progressive forms. The Perfect Progressive

forms describe how long an action is, was, and will be in progress.

Combine the perfect and progressive forms to form the perfect progressive: have, has, had + been + -ing.

Examples: I have been studying since morning. (Present Perfect Progressive which shows an action that began in the past, has been continuing for some time, and is still in the progress at the present moment or very recently finished.)

She had been studying until she fell asleep. (Past Perfect Progressive which expresses an action that began before a definite moment in the past, and was still in progress at that moment or had very recently finished.)

7

He will have been studying for five hours by 5:00 p.m. (Future Perfect Progressive which shows an action that will begin before a definite moment in the future, and will be continuing at that moment.)

They would have been studying for five hours when we called them for the second time. (Future Perfect Progressive in the Past which shows an action that will begin before a definite moment in the future, will continue, and that moment is viewed from the past.)

Common Problems with Verb Tense

Shifting from one tense to another

Incorrect Shifts – Do not shift tense if actions or states occur at the same time.

Example: In the morning, the Writing Center opened its doors, welcomed students, and will tutor all day. (Opened and welcomed are in the past tense. Will tutor is in the future tense and is inconsistent with the time frame of the other actions.) Corrected: In the morning, the Writing Center opened its doors, welcomed students, and tutored all day.

Correct Shifts – Shift tense if there is a change in time between actions or states.

Example: Jane arranges flowers and makes bouquets, a job she began three years ago. (Arranges and makes are in present tense referring to what she currently does. Began is past tense referring to a job she started in the past.)

VERB TENSE CHART

Simple Present Tense

Singular Regular / irreg. / be Plural Regular / irreg. / beIyouhe/she/it

talk, give, amtalk, give, aretalks, gives, is

weyouthey

talk, give, aretalk, give, aretalk, give, are

8

Simple Past Tense

Singular Regular / irreg. / be Plural Regular / irreg. / be

Iyouhe/she/it

talked, gave, wastalked, gave, weretalked, gave, was

weyouthey

talked, gave, weretalked, gave, weretalked, gave, were

Simple Future

Singular Regular / irreg. / be Plural Regular / irreg. / be

I, you, he/she/it will talk, will give, will be

we, you, they will talk, will give, will be

Present Perfect Regular / Irregular / beI, you, we, theyhe/she/it

have talked, have given, have beenhas talked, has given, has been

Past PerfectRegular / Irregular / be

I, you, he/she/it, we, they had talked, had given, had been

Future PerfectRegular / Irregular / be

I, you, he/she/it, we, they will have talked, will have given, will have been

Present ProgressiveRegular / Irregular / be

Ihe/she/ityou, we, they

am talking, am giving, am beingis talking, is giving, is beingare talking, are giving, are being

Past ProgressiveRegular / Irregular/ be

I, he/she/ityou, we, they

was talking, was giving, was beingwere talking, were giving, were being

Future ProgressiveRegular / Irregular/ be

I, you, he/she/it, we, they will be talking, will be giving, will be being

9

10

PRACTICE

Fill in the blanks with appropriate verb tenses.

I can't believe I (get) that apartment. I (submit) my application last week, but

I didn't think I had a chance of actually getting it. When I (show) up to take a look around,

there were at least twenty other people who (arrive) before me. Most of them (fill, already)

out their applications and were already leaving. The landlord said I could still apply, so I

did.

I (try) to fill out the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions. They (want)

me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous landlord because I (have)

some problems with him in the past and I knew he wouldn't recommend me. I (end)

up listing my father as a reference.

It was total luck that he (decide) to give me the apartment. It turns out that the landlord and

my father (go) to high school together. He decided that I could have the apartment before

he (look) at my credit report. I really lucked out!

This handout was based on the following texts:

Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006.Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. West Lafayett, IN

<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/grammar/g_tensec.html>Schrampfer Azar, Betty. Chartbook: A Reference Grammar. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Regents, 1995.

All of the above texts are available in The Writing Center at LAVC

11