Verb Tenses:

Common Problems & Self-help Strategies

Two common problems with verb tenses
O Choosing an incorrect verb tense
O $hifting verb tenses inappropriatelv
ays to solve the problems
1. earn the uses of verb tenses .
|Click verb tense charts Ior a review|
2. e aware of the sequences of verbs within a paragraph and within "the big picture."
|Click Test your understanding oI verb-tense sequencing to test your awareness|
3. ote that shifts are often signaled bv a time expression.
|Click relationships between time expressions and verb tenses Ior a review|
4. xamine verb tenses in scientific and technical articles and text books.
|Keep points 1-3 in mind while doing this activity.|

Verb Tense Charts: An overview of English verb tenses follows:
This diagram is used in the tense descriptions below:
now
past ----------------------------'---------------------------~ Iuture

The Non-continuous Tenses
TENSE EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS
SIMPLE PRESENT
--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--
X a point in time, a regular
or habitual activity,
a) The cell cycle repeats itselI.
b) Water covers three-Iourths
oI the earth's surIace.
The simple present expresses events that occur regularlv,
like habits. They exist now, have existed in the past, and
probably will exist in the Iuture.
SIMPLE PAST
-------X-----------------'-------------
X a point in time in the past
c) T cells plaved a role in immunity in our tests.
d) Charles Darwin was the Iirst person to pay attention
to the origin and evolution oI communication signals.
The event happened at one particular point in time in the
past. It began and ended in the past.
SIMPLE FUTURE
-------------'---------------------X----
X a point in time in the Iuture
e) Cell division will repeat itselI as long as cells live.
This event will happen at one particular point in time in
the future.

The Continuous Tenses: be + ing (present participle)
&sage: The continuous tenses express the duration oI an event or activity at a particular time. It means that the action starts before. continues during. and after another time
or action.
TENSE EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS
PRESENT CONTINUOUS
-----X1----------X2------------~X3-------
X1 8:00
X2 8:15
X3 later on
a) The cell is dividing right now.
The event began at 8 a.m. (X1) It is now 8:15 a.m.(X2)
and the cell is still dividing. It's division began in the
past. is in progress at the present time. and probablv
will continue (X3).
PAST CONTINUOUS
----X1-----X2-----~X3------'--------------
X1 9:00 yesterday
X2 9:15 yesterday
X3 later on yesterday
b) The cell was dividing when I looked in the
microscope.
It began to divide at 9:00 a.m. (X1) I looked at 9:10
a..m. (X2) and it was still in the process oI dividing. Its
division began before I looked and probablv still
continued after I looked (X3).
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
---------------'------X1-----X2------~X3
X1 9:00 tomorrow morning
X2 10:00 tomorrow morning
X3 later on tomorrow morning
c) The cell will be dividing when I start the experiment.
It will start to divide at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning
(X1). I will arrive at 10:00 a.m. (X2) The action oI
dividing will begin beIore I arrive and it will be in
progress when I arrive and will probablv continue after
that (X3).
Note: The continuous tenses are also called the progressive tenses: present progressive. past progressive, and future progressive.

The Perfect Tenses: ave + past participle
&sage: The perIect tenses are used to show that one event happens before another time or event.
TENSE EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS
PRESENT PERFECT
----Iinish---------'---------------
(time?)
a) The cell as already finised the process oI dividing.
The cell finished dividing sometime before now. We
don't know exactly when.
PAST PERFECT
----X----Y-----'-------------
X died
Y looked
b) The cell ad already died beIore I had a chance to
look at it.
The cell died. Later I looked at it. oth activities in the
past but at different times - one activitv happens before
the other.
FUTURE PERFECT
-------------'-----X------Y-------
X divide
Y Iinish test
c) The cell will already ave divided beIore I Iinish my
test.
The cell will divide. Later I will Iinish my test. The
division oI the cell will be finished before I finish mv
test. (oth activities in the future but at different times).

The Perfect Continuous Tenses: ave + been + ing (present participle)
&sage: The perIect continuous tenses show that one event is happening. immediatelv before. up to. until another time or event. The continuous tense is used to express the
duration oI an event.
TENSE EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
X---2 months---~'-----------
a) The cell as been dividing Ior two months.
The event started in the past and is still in progress. How
long? For two months.
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
X----2 months----~X--------'------------
b) The cell ad been dividing Ior two months beIore it
Iinally split.
The cell began to divide at some point in the past and
continued to divide up to the point oI the next event: the
split. The division lasted how long? Two months.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
--------------'------X--2 hrs---~X-----
c) The cell will ave been dividing Ior two hours by the
time you arrive.
We will meet at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow. BeIore we meet,
the cell will begin to divide and will probably continue
to divide even aIter you arrive. ne event happens
before another event in the future.
How long? For two hours.



Test Your &nderstanding of Verb-tense Sequencing
Test Yourself on Verb-tense Sequencing
First. find the shifts in verb tense in the following paragraph Then determine whether or not the shift is appropriate
Energy oIIicials claim that energy produced by wind power in the year 2020 will be only a small percent. However, these oIIicials were
incorrect. Attitudes changed since energy companies in provinces are interested in wind energy. Pure, clean electricity stirred an interest in many
Finnish companies. These companies have started to build wind power plants.
Click here to compare your answer




Relationships between Time Expressions and Verb Tenses
ADVERB EXAMPLES EXPLANATIONS
after
a) fter the cell splits, the cycle will repeat itselI.
b) fter the cell (had) split, the cycle repeated itselI.
Present tense, not Iuture tense, is used in an adverb clause oI time. Notice
examples (b) and (d).
before
c) The cell will split before the cvcle is complete.
d) The cell (had) split before the cvcle was complete.
when
e) en I looked in the microscope, the cell was splitting.
I) en I looked, the cell had already split.
g) en it began to split, I watched intensely.
h) en I was in the lab. I broke a test tube.
i) en I see the results tomorrow, I will know the answer.
wen at that time
(Notice the diIIerent time relationships expressed by the tenses.)
while
as
i) ile the cell was stretching, it began to split.
k) s the cell was stretching, it began to split.
wile, as during that time
bv the time
l) Bv te time the cell divided. we had already leIt.
m) Bv te time the cell divides, we will already have leIt.
bv te time one event is completed before another event
(Notice the use oI the past perIect and Iuture perIect in the main clause.)
since n) I haven't seen it since I left this morning.
since from that time to the present
(Notice: The present perIect tense is used in the main clause.)
until
till
o) We stayed there :ntil we finished our work.
p) We stayed there till we finished our work.
:ntil, till to that time and then no longer (%ill is used primarily in speaking
rather than writing.)
as soon as
once
q) s soon as the cell stops dividing, we will leave.
r) nce the cell stops dividing, we will leave.
as soon as, once when one event happens. another event happens soon
afterwards
as long as s) I will never take chemistry again as long as I live. as long as, so long as during all that time. from beginning to end
so long as t) I will never take chemistry again so long as I live.
whenever
everv time
u) enever I see mv phvsics teacher, I say hello.
v) verv time I see mv phvsics teacher, I say hello.
wenever everv time