TOPIC: TENSES

TUTORIAL (2 hours)

Activity 1.0

Given below are sentences written in 12 different tenses.

(a) Using your understanding about tenses, categorize the sentences according to
their respective tenses.

1. By, 10 tomorrow, I shall have been travelling for 12 hours. (Future Perfect
Continuous Tense)
2. He likes black coffee. (Present Simple Tense)
3. These children were very naughty. (Past Continuous Tense)
4. Someone has stolen my handphone. (Present Perfect Tense)
5. I am leaving for Australia for my studies. (Present Continuous Tense)
6. He took his breakfast at 7 o’clock. (Past Simple Tense)
7. The pupils are reading in the library. (Present Continuous Tense)
8. I was working in the garden the whole morning. (Past Continuous Tense)
9. We have all finished the coursework. (Present Perfect Tense)
10. They were having their dinner at 8 p.m. (Past Continuous Tense)
11. We shall be visiting the school. (Future Continuous Tense)
12. The teachers had told us the news. (Past Perfect Tense)
13. Siti had been in the class for ten minutes. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense)
14. My mother has been to London before. (Present Perfect Continuous Tense)
15. The students will be sitting for the exam in December. (Future Continuous
Tense)
16. I have been waiting for you since yesterday. (Present Perfect Continuous
Tense)
17. The lecturers have been working very hard. (Present Perfect Continuous
Tense)
18. The robbers had been hiding in the jungle. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense)
19. I shall inform you of the results as soon as possible. (Future Simple Tense)
20. They appear very excited. (Present Simple Tense)
21. Peter is the candidate for the post. (Present Continuous Tense)
22. My neighbour will help you with the cleaning. (Future Simple Tense)
23. He will have forgotten everything by Tuesday. (Future Perfect Tense)
24. No one will be using the hall this week. (Future Continuous Tense)
25. I am the teacher in the school. (Present Simple Tense)
Activity 1.1
Complete each text with the verb groups in their correct tenses using the verbs in the
brackets. For some verbs, more than one tense is possible.

1. Trishaw riders in big towns like in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya no longer
earn a good living nowadays. Public transport in these places (be) now very
efficient and commuters (find) it very convenient to use it instead of trishaws.
Only tourists (consider) the trishaws as a novelty. The future of the trishaw
riders (be) indeed bleak and uncertain.

Trishaw riders in big towns like in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya no longer
earn a good living nowadays. Public transport in these places is being now very
efficient and commuters have found it very convenient to use it instead of
trishaws. Only tourists considered the trishaws as a novelty. The future of the
trishaw riders is being indeed bleak and uncertain.

2. When I (see) her yesterday, she (lie) on her bed. She (groan) in pain because
she (have) a terrible toothache. She (go) to see the dentist earlier, her
condition (improve).

When I saw her yesterday, she was lying on her bed. She groaned in pain
because she had a terrible toothache. She went to see the dentist earlier, her
condition was improved.

3. David and Henry were late for school this morning. The bell (ring) when they
(reach) the school. All their classmates (enter) the class. Worst still, their
English teacher (start) teaching already.

David and Henry were late for school this morning. The bell had rung when they
reached the school. All their classmates had entered the class. Worst still, their
English teacher had started teaching already.

4. When we (come) home last night, we (know) at once that something

(happen). The house (be) in a mess. We (suspect) that someone (break) into
the house. We quickly (check) our valuables in the bedroom. To our dismay,
the bugler (steal) all of them.

When we came home last night, we knew at once that something happened.
The house was being in a mess. We suspected that someone broke into the
house. We quickly checked our valuables in the bedroom. To our dismay, the
bugler had stolen all of them.

5. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bandung Tour. Before you (take) you rest,
allow me to tell you about our programmes for tomorrow. Breakfast, as usual,
(be) from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. Then, at 8.30 a.m., the coach (drive) you to
Lake Ansar. You (visit) the place for about 2 hours. Then we (go) to the Cini
waterfall. After that, we (have) lunch at the Rasa Saya Restaurant. “

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bandung Tour. Before you have taken you
rest, allow me to tell you about our programmes for tomorrow. Breakfast, as
usual, will be from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. Then, at 8.30 a.m., the coach will
drive you to Lake Ansar. You will visit the place for about 2 hours. Then we will
go to the Cini waterfall. After that, we will have lunch at the Rasa Saya
Restaurant. “

6. I (be) sorry I can’t help you. I (type) the invitation cards for the college annual
party. So far, I (type) 100 cards but there (be) still a lot more to be done. I
(think) I (finish) typing the cards tomorrow.
 I am being sorry I can’t help you. I will type the invitation cards for the college
annual party. So far, I had type 100 cards but there will be still a lot more to be
done. I think I will finish typing the cards tomorrow.

7. Beng, Muthu and Amran are good friends. They (know) each other since
childhood. They (go) to the same schools and (graduate) from the same
university in 1996. When they (start) working after graduation, they (get) the
same job in the same company. They (work) together in the company since
then. Beng (hope) that their friendship (last) forever.

Beng, Muthu and Amran are good friends. They have been knowing each other
since childhood. They had gone to the same schools and graduated from the
same university in 1996. When they started working after graduation, they got
the same job in the same company. They have been working together in the
company since then. Beng hopes that their friendship will last forever.

8. I (start) my teaching career in 1990 and (retire) in 2024. By then, I (teach) for 34
years. After my retirement, I still (hope) to continue teaching because I (like) the
profession very much. Unfortunately, none of my children (be) keen to take up
teaching as a career.

I started my teaching career in 1990 and will retire in 2024. By then, I will be
teaching for 34 years. After my retirement, I still hope to continue teaching
because I like the profession very much. Unfortunately, none of my children is
being keen to take up teaching as a career.

9. As Hassan (walk) to town last Sunday, he (witness) a fatal hit-and-run accident.

A red car (knock) down an old man while he (cross) the road. The driver did not
stop his car but (speed) away. While the victim (lie) unconscious on the ground,
he (bleed) profusely. Hassan quickly (call) the hospital. Unfortunately, when the
ambulance (arrive), the man (pass) away.

As Hassan walked to town last Sunday, he had witnessed a fatal hit-and-run

accident. A red car had been knocked down an old man while he was
crossing the road. The driver did not stop his car but sped away. While the
victim was lying unconscious on the ground, he was bleeding profusely.
Hassan quickly called the hospital. Unfortunately, when the ambulance arrived,
the man had passed away.

10. When Mak Minah came home, she (discover) that her Children did not study.
They (play) hide-and-seek in the house. She (know) that because they (break)
some cups and glasses. The broken pieces (be) still on the floor.

When Mak Minah came home, she discovered that her Children did not study.
They were playing hide-and-seek in the house. She knew that because they
had broken some cups and glasses. The broken pieces were being still on
the floor.
Activity 1.2
In the following, there is an error in tense.
(i) Identify the error
(ii) Explain why it is an error
(iii) Correct the error.

a. Jane can’t come to class because she is having a fever.

i) can’t
ii) because Jane is absent in present and future.
iii) will not

b. We have been trying to call him many times, but each time we called, there was
no reply from him.
i) have
ii) because the situation happens in the past
iii) had

c. I promise I don’t smoke anymore.

i) don’t smoke
ii) because it will happen in the future.
iii) will be not smoking

d. We have discussed the problem with manager yesterday and he agreed to look
into it immediately.
i) have
ii) because the situation happens in the past.
iii) had

e. The stranger was loitering around here since 5.00 p.m. I suspect he is up to
something. Why don’t we inform the police?
i) was
ii) because in the sentence has express the duration of the situation.
iii) had been

f. Look, It rains again.

i) rains
ii) because it is currently happening.
ii) is raining