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English Tense Forms

Unit 2: English Tense Forms

Verbs
Verbs are easy to recognise in the English language. They are “doing” words or “action” words. Here are
some examples of verbs in their various forms:

 play - being - eaten - painting - have - sleep - would

There are many different types of verbs, which we will deal with in this module.

Verb Forms

As you learned in module 1, English verbs take one of these four forms:

- present simple form, e.g. live, go

- past simple form, e.g. lived, went

- present participle form, e.g. living, going

- past participle form (used after ‘have’ in perfect tenses or ‘be’ in passive voice), e.g. lived, gone

There are various ways of expressing a future time, but there is no future verb form. We will deal with
this in more detail later.

In addition, there is the infinitive form of verbs. It is ‘to + verb’, e.g. to live, to go.

The infinitive form of verbs

With the exception of modal verbs (more on these later), you can place the word to in front of any verb.
For example:

 to be - to go - to sleep - to eat - to taste

Verbs in this form are called infinitive. However, there are two main types of infinitive verb: The to-
infinitive and the bare infinitive. Look at the following examples:

 Jason prefers to buy a house, rather than to rent one.

 Elizabeth prefers to buy a house, rather than rent one.

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There is no difference in meaning between these two sentences. However, in the second part of each
sentence, the first sentence uses the to-infinitive (“to rent”), while the second sentence uses the bare
infinitive (“rent”).There are some verbs and structures in the English language that allow you to do this.
However, on most occasions you can only use one of the two . Look at the above examples again. You
cannot say, “Jason prefers buy a house.” The sentence requires that you use the to-infinitive, not
the bare infinitive clause.
Look at the following examples:

 Jason asked Elizabeth to put her clothes in the wash last Saturday.

 Jason asked Elizabeth put her clothes in the wash last Saturday.

The first sentence uses the to-infinitive clause and this is the correct form. The second sentence uses
the bare infinitive clause and this is not the correct form. Look at the following examples:

 They let the children to leave school early last Friday.

 They let the children leave school early last Friday.

The first sentence uses the to-infinitive clause and this is not the correct form. The second sentence
uses the bare infinitive clause and this is the correct form.

Remember that these infinitive clauses have a main verb that precedes it. In the first example, the main
verb is prefer. In the second example, the main verb is asked. In the third example, the main verb is let.
Another verb which is followed by a bare infinitive is ‘make’, as in Mike’s mother made him clean the
room. The verb ‘help’ may be followed by either a full or a bare infinitive. For example, ‘My sister helped
me do (to do) my homework.’

More on Primary auxiliary verbs

We have already seen from Module One that main verbs are often supported by auxiliary verbs. These
verbs help to form verb phrases.
The primary auxiliary verbs are:

 be

 have

 do

Look at the following examples:

 I’m warning you now. Give me that book. (Using the auxiliary verb be.)

 Elizabeth has gone to bed now. (Using the auxiliary verb have.)

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  Do you want to play squash on Thursday? (Using the auxiliary verb do.)

Sometimes these verbs are used as main verbs. For example:

 I’m Jason.

 Edward has the ball.

 I do crosswords.

Be
This verb uses present forms: is ~ am ~ are. It uses past forms: was~ were. It uses the present participle
form of the verb: being. It also uses the past participle form of the verb: been.
The auxiliary verb be is used particularly in continuous tense constructions and in passive constructions.

Have
This verb uses present forms too: have / has. It too uses a past form: had.
The auxiliary verb have is used particularly with perfect tenses.

Do
This verb uses the present forms: do / does. It uses the past form: did. As an auxiliary verb, it does not
use its present participle form doing or its past participle form done.
It is used to form questions, negatives and to emphasise what we say. These are shown in the following
examples:

 Do you play squash?

 No, I don’t want to play squash.

 I do like to play squash.

Modal auxiliary verbs

Generally speaking, there are eleven modal auxiliary verbs in the English language. Unlike the primary
auxiliary verbs (be, have and do), which have mainly a grammatical function, modal verbs
carry meaning, that is, they carry the mood or the opinion of the speaker. With modal verbs you can
express many things such as ability, advice, obligation and possibility.

Modal verbs are different from other verbs in the English language for a number of reasons. They are:

1. Can

2. Could

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3. Will

4. Would

5. Shall

6. Should

7. May

8. Might

9. Must

10. Ought to

11. Used to

Look at these five rules and see how they apply to modal verbs.
1. You can’t put an -ed form on the end of them (e.g.‘shoulded’) or form an irregular plural. (Although
there are three exceptions to this - see below.)

2. You can’t put an –ing form at the end of these verbs (e.g. ‘mighting’)

3. You can’t put an -s or an -es at the end of these verbs (e.g. ‘musts’)

4. They can’t stand alone as main verbs (e.g. ‘I can magic card tricks’). You need to follow them with a
main verb.

5. You cannot create an infinitive form with modal verbs. That is, you can’t place the word to in front of
them (e.g. ‘to shall’)

There are three exceptions to the first rule listed above. The verbs ‘can’(when used to describe ability)
and ‘will’ (when used to describe a habit or tendency) as well as its negative form ‘won’t’ (when used to
describe a refusal to do something) have the past forms ‘could’, ‘would’ and ‘wouldn’t’ respectively.

Compare:

I can speak Thai. – present

When I was living in Bangkok, I could speak Thai. – past

Whenever you invite him, he will always come on time. – present

Whenever you invited him, he would always come on time. – past

I talk to her, but she won’t listen. – present

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I talked to her, but she wouldn’t listen. – past

Some modal verbs often work with other auxiliary verbs to support the main verb. For example:

 I should have talked to her. (The primary auxiliary verb is “have”.)

 I must be getting off now. (The primary auxiliary verb is “be”.)

 I ought to have tried harder. (The primary auxiliary verb is “have”.)

Sometimes need and dare are considered modal verbs but these do not fit the same pattern as the
other eleven as they have a past tense form and they work as infinitive forms. The primary auxiliary
verb have (followed by the to-infinitive form of the main verb) is also considered by some a modal verb.

For example:

 I dared to question my teacher openly in class. (The main verb is “question”.)

 I need to do my homework. (The main verb is “do”.)

 I have to explain this to my friend. (The main verb is “explain”.)

There is argument among grammarians as to what to call these verbs when they are used in this way.
Sometimes they are called Secondary Modal Verbs. The main thing to realise is that these operate as
auxiliary or supporting verbs within the sentence.

The Present Simple Tense and the Past Simple Tense

Most of the English tenses are formed by combining one or more primary auxiliaries with one main verb.
The only two tenses which do not use any auxiliaries in affirmative sentences are the Present Simple and
the Past Simple.

For example:

I work as a tour guide. Jason works as a tour guide. (Present Simple)

Elizabeth worked as a tour guide. (Past Simple)

The only verb in these sentences is the main verb. However, the auxiliary verb do is required for the
interrogative and negative forms of these tenses, for example:

Do you work as a tour guide?

Does Jason work as a tour guide?

Did Elizabeth work as a tour guide?

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I don’t work as a tour guide.

Elizabeth doesn’t work as a tour guide.

Shawn didn’t work as a tour guide.

The Present Continuous Tense and the Past Continuous Tense

Present Continuous

When we want to talk about something which is continuing (or progressing) as we speak, we use
the present continuous tense (also called the present progressive tense).

When we use the present continuous tense form, –ing is put at the end of the main verb, and the main
verb is preceded by the appropriatepresent form of the auxiliary verb be: am, are or is.

Look at these examples:

 I’m speaking with my friends

 They’re walking in the mountains.

 She’s studying music at university.

Past Continuous

When we want to talk about something that was ongoing at a definite moment in the past, we use
the past continuous tense. It is also called the past progressive tense.

When we use the past continuous tense form, –ing is put at the end of the main verb, and the main verb
is preceded by the appropriate past form of the auxiliary verb be: was or were .

Look at these examples:

 I was speaking with my friends (at 7 o’clock last night).

 They were walking in the mountains (when they discovered the missing plane).

 She was studying music at Leeds University (when I first met her).

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Regular and Irregular Verbs
Most verbs are regular, that is, when they become past simple or past participle forms we put a simple –
ed at the end. Look at the following examples:

 talk becomes talked

 listen becomes listened

 watch becomes watched

However, there are some verbs that are not formed this way. These verbs are called irregular verbs.
Look at the following examples:

 eat becomes ate (past simple) and eaten (past participle)

 drink becomes drank (past simple) and drunk (past participle)

 sleep becomes slept (past simple & past participle)

As you can see, the past simple and past participle forms of a verb can be either different or the same.
They are the same with all regular verbs and many irregular verbs, e.g. ‘slept’, ‘bought’, ‘put’, ‘made’,
‘sat’, ‘felt’, ‘stood’, ‘won’. With such verbs the only way to tell whether a sentence uses the past simple
or past participle is by checking whether the main verb is preceded by a form of ‘have’ or ‘be’. It is
preceded by a form of ‘have’ in perfect tenses (e.g. ‘He has always admired her’) and by a form of ‘be’ in
the passive voice (for example, ‘He was admired by everyone’). If it is preceded by either ‘have’ or ‘be’,
the main verb is in its past participle form. If it is not preceded by either of these verbs, the main verb is
in its past simple form.

Here are two more examples:

He saved $1,000 – past simple. He has saved $1,000 – past participle. $1,000 was saved by him – past
participle.

We spent $1,000 – past simple. We have spent $1,000 – past participle. $1,000 was spent by us – past
participle.

The Present Perfect Tense and the Past Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense
Look at the following sentences:

 I have travelled to Japan.

 We have eaten sushi.

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  He has learned to speak Japanese.

These sentences use the auxiliary verb have or has, which is followed by the past participle form of the
main verb. This tense construction is called the Present Perfect tense. Sometimes it is called the Present
Perfect Simple tense. (Any tenses that are not continuous tenses can be called simple.) We often use
this tense to talk about things we did at an unspecified time in the past, our experience as of today and
something that started in the past but hasn’t been completed.

The Past Perfect Tense

When we want to emphasize that something in the past happened before another action in the past, we
can use the past perfect for the earlier action. For example:

 When I got to Hyde Park, the concert had started.

 After he had served his time, the criminal was released.

 By the time John arrived at the party, everyone had left.

Please note that the past participle form of the main verbs (started / served / left) is preceded by the
past form of the auxiliary verb have (had).

The Present Perfect Continuous Tense and the Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Present Perfect Continuous
It is possible to combine two constructions and create a new one. For example:

 I have been living here in Bangkok since June.

In this sentence there are three verbs: have, been and living.
1. Have is the present form of the auxiliary verb ‘have’.
2. Been is the past participle of the auxiliary verb ‘be’.
3. Living is the present participle of the main verb ‘live’.

We use this tense when we talk about something that started in the past and continues down to the
present.
This tense is called Present Perfect Continuous (sometimes called Present Perfect Progressive).

Past Perfect Continuous

This tense is similar in construction to the last one but uses the past tense form of the auxiliary
verb had. For example:

 It had been snowing all day and the streets were wet and slippery.

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In this sentence there are three verbs: had, been and snowing.
1. Had is the past form of the auxiliary verb ‘have’.
2. Been is the past participle of the auxiliary verb ‘be’.
3. Snowing is the present participle of the main verb ‘snow’.

We use this tense when we talk about something that was happening for a period of time in the past
and was completed by or still going on at a specified time in the past.

This tense is called the Past Perfect Continuous (sometimes called the Past Perfect Progressive).

The Future Forms

There are a number of ways to talk about the future. We will look at four of them:
1. The Future with “Going To”
2. Future Simple (Will)
3. Present Continuous with a Future meaning
4. The Future using Modal Verbs

The Future with ‘Going To’

When we want to describe our plans, intentions or things we have decided to do, we precede the main
verb with the structure going to. This is sometimes referred to as a verb idiom, yet though it functions
as an auxiliary verb, it should be treated simply as a two-word structure or phrase that precedes the
main verb indicating a future time. For example:

 I’m going to teach my new students tomorrow.

 She’s going to visit her mother next week.

 We are going to go to the cinema tonight.

In these sentences, going to is the future structure followed by the present tense of the main verb
(teach / go / visit). Notice too that going to is preceded by the verb be (am / is / are).
This structure is also used when we predict future events based on present evidence.

For example:

 Look at those clouds. It’s going to rain.

 At this rate, they are not going to finish the construction by next year.

The going to structure looks like this:

Auxiliary verb “be” + “going to” + infinitive of main verb

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The Future Simple (Will)
Sometimes when we refer to the future, we precede the main verb with the modal verb will. We often
refer to this structure as Future Simple. For example:

 I will accept your proposal.

 Elizabeth will go to the Ball.

 I won’t see that film again! (The negative form of will)

In these sentences the modal verb will is the future indicator followed by the bare infinitive form of the
main verbs (accept / go / see).
Will is often used when we make decisions on the spur of the moment, often to make an offer. For
example:

 Okay, I’ll go to the cinema with you.

 Oh, go on then, I’ll do it!

 Ok, I’ll do the washing up.

At other times, you can use will to make predictions or general statements about the future. For
example:

 It will rain tomorrow.

 Shawn will finish this book by next week.

 There’ll be 12 people turning up for dinner tonight.

The will structure looks (very simply) like this:

Modal verb "will" + bare infinitive of main verb

Present Continuous with a Future Meaning

The Present Continuous form describes what we are doing at the present moment. For example:

 I’m watching television.

 Edward is driving to Scotland.

 My friends are having a party.

However, we can use this same structure to talk about the future. For example:

 I’m watching television tonight.

 Edward is driving to Scotland tomorrow.

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  My friends are having a party next week.

The inclusion of the adverbs tonight, tomorrow and next week indicates that you are speaking about an
activity that will be in progress in the future. It’s almost as if you can imagine seeing yourself watching
television at a future time.
We use this form when we talk about future plans or arrangements. For example:

 I’m going out with my friends for dinner later.

 Sorry, I can’t come round now - I’m seeing Michelle tonight.

 We’re watching Avatar on Friday.

The structure is therefore:

Present tense form of auxiliary verb “be” + present participle of main verb

The Future Using Modal Verbs

Of the eleven modal verbs, six can be used to predict a possible future:

1. I may be able to help you.

2. Deon might just give me a raise.
3. I could do it if you gave me a chance.
4. My friend Warren has a car. He can take you home.
5. Lorna would climb Mount Everest if she had the chance.
6. The parcel should arrive by the end of the week.

There is a modal verb that can be used to substitute will, and that is shall. The use of shall seems to
indicate a determination on the part of the user. However, shall is falling out of use these days. Look at
these examples:

 Elizabeth shall go to the ball.

 Shall we go to the beach?

 I shall do some studying tonight.

We can also use different tense constructions by mixing the continuous and the perfect with the future.
For example:

The Future Continuous

 We’ll be waiting for your call.

 Every breath you take. Every move you make. I’ll be watching you.

 She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes.

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This structure uses the following structure:
modal verb “will” + auxiliary verb “be” + present participle of main verb

The Future Perfect

 I’ll have started work by the time you get up.

 I will have taught all my classes by 4.00pm tonight.

 At this rate you’ll have eaten all the sandwiches by the time the guests arrive.

This structure uses the following structure:

modal verb “will” + auxiliary verb “have” + past participle of main verb

The Future Perfect Continuous

 I’ll have been cleaning my house for three hours by lunchtime.

 By the end of this year, we’ll have been playing together in this band for five years.

 Jason will have been teaching for almost twenty years next year.

This structure uses the following structure:

modal verb “will” + auxiliary verb “have” + past participle of auxiliary verb “be” + present participle of
main verb

The Active and Passive Voices

Aside from having different tenses, verb phrases have two voices. These are the active voice and
the passive voice.
When we use the active voice, the ‘doer’ of the action is the subject of the sentence. The ‘doer’ of the
action is sometimes called the agent. For example:

 Manchester University employs people. (Present simple tense)

 People in India export cars. (Present simple tense)

 The dog bit the man. (Past simple tense)

 The girl in the green dress asked the tall man to dance with her. (Past simple tense)

In the active voice the structure of the sentence is:

The subject (the “agent”) + the verb + the object
However, when we use the passive voice, the object of the sentence becomes the subject. For example:

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  People are employed by Manchester University. (Present simple tense – passive voice)

 Cars are exported from India. (Present simple tense – passive voice)

 The man was bitten by the dog. (Past simple tense – passive voice)

 The tall man was asked to dance with the girl in the green dress. (Past simple tense – passive
voice)

In the passive voice the structure of the sentence is this:

The subject (which is the former object, NOT the“agent”) + a form of auxiliary verb be + past participle
of main verb
When we make active sentences passive, the focus of the sentence shifts from the agent (the original
subject) to the object. In fact, the agent often becomes unimportant and is sometimes unknown. For
example, look at the following sentence:

 Someone stole my car yesterday.

We don’t know who that “someone” is. Notice what happens when we use the passive -we don’t even
refer to the person who stole the car. The focus is on the stealing.

 My car was stolen yesterday.

Now look at the following sentence:

 People build houses using a variety of materials.

We don’t know exactly who builds houses in this sentence and it is not that important. The focus is on
the building of the houses using a variety of materials, so the people who build them are not even
mentioned.

 Houses are built using a variety of materials.

Passive forms are often used in quiz shows. Look at the following examples:

 The famous cathedral La Sagrada Familia is found where?

 JFK was assassinated when?

 The first man to travel to outer space was born in which country?

The Conditional Forms

We are now going to look at structures called the conditional forms. There are two clauses in these
structures. These clauses are usually called the conditional clause or if-clause (the cause) and the main
clause (the effect).

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Sometimes they are called the if-conditionals or if-structures, because the sentences contain the
word if.

There are basically four conditionals which will be dealt with in the following units.

The Zero Conditional (The Logical Conditional)

This is sometimes also called the present conditional because the first and the second clauses use
the present simple tense most of the time. We use this conditional to talk about a fact or convey a
logical conclusion. For example:

 If you mix yellow and blue, you get green.

 If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.

 If you fall off your motorcycle, it hurts.

The structure looks like this:

If + present tense clause + present tense clause
You can substitute the word when for the word if in many sentences and it will mean the same.

 When you mix black and white, you get grey.

 When you heat oil, it starts to smoke.

 When you read books, you learn things.

Occasionally we use the past simple in both the if-clause and the main clause as shown in the following
examples:

 If Peter was at home, he didn’t answer the phone.

(When we make assumptions)

 If ever I was bored, I hung around with my mates.

(When we talk about the way things used to be in the past)

As a rule, we don’t teach zero conditionals. Our non-native learners seem to pick this up as they go
along as it is not a structure we use very much.

The First Conditional (The Probable Future Conditional)

In this conditional the if-clause generally uses the present simple tense while the main clause uses
the future simple tense. The first conditional can be used for a variety of functions including: to give
warnings, to make threats, to make promises, to give advice and give directions. We use this structure to
talk about a probable future. For example:

 If you study this book, you’ll have a much better understanding of grammar.

 If you come near me again, I’ll call the police.

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  If you put your hand in the lion’s cage, it will bite your arm off.
(Not the cage, the lion, you fool)

The structure looks like this:

If + present tense clause + future simple tense clause
However, there are occasions when we can use a continuous tense in the first clause and other future
structures (such as modal verbs) in the second clause as shown in the following examples:

 If it rains, we might go to the cinema.

 If my ex-girlfriend should happen to turn up, I’ll probably leave.

 Sometimes, if I’m working hard in my office, I won’t answer the door.

As a rule, we introduce the first conditional structure to lower intermediate students.

The Second Conditional (The Hypothetical Conditional)

In this conditional, the first clause uses the past simple tense and the second clause uses
the bare infinitive form preceded by the modal verb would. We use the second conditional form to talk
about an unreal or hypothetical present or future. For example:

 If I won the lottery, I’d buy a big house on the south coast of France.

 If I were you, I’d write her a letter and explain my feelings.

 If Elvis were alive, he would have something to say about today’s music.

The structure looks like this:

If + past tense clause + modal verb ‘would’ + infinitive clause
However, sometimes other modal verbs can be used instead of would, such as could or might. Here are
some examples which you will see in the main clause.

 If I went to see that film again, I could take my friend Catherine.

 If she ever talked to me again, I would do a little dance in the street.

 If I saw him again, I ought to break his neck.

As a rule, we introduce the second conditional structure to lower intermediate or intermediate

students.

The Third Conditional (The Past Conditional)

In this conditional, commonly called the past conditional, the first clause uses the past perfect tense
and the second clause uses the past participle preceded by the modal verb would and the auxiliary
verb have. We use the third conditional form when we want to express regret or to express what might
have been.

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  If I had run faster, I would have caught the bus.

 If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

 If I had been kinder to my girlfriend she wouldn’t have left me.

The structure looks like this:

If + past perfect tense clause + modal verb “would” + auxiliary verb “have” + past participle
Again, sometimes other modal verbs can be used instead of would, such as could or might. Here are
some examples which you will see in the main clause.

 If Jason hadn’t met Elizabeth, he might have been single all his life.

 If Shawn hadn’t been nasty to his girlfriend, he could’ve still been with her.

 If you had told me you were coming, I might’ve asked you to get some milk.

As a rule, we introduce the third conditional structure to intermediate or upper-intermediate students.

Mixed Conditionals
This structure mixes the if-clause from the third conditional and the main clause from the second
conditional. For example:

 If I had listened to my mother, I wouldn’t be here now.

 If I hadn’t wasted my life on drink and drugs, I would have a good job and lots of money.

 If Mike had only planned ahead, she wouldn’t be stuck in a war torn country.

Occasionally, this structure mixes the if-clause from the second conditional and the main clause from
the third conditional. For example:

 If he really wanted to do it, he would have done it before now.

 If James thought about it, he would have come to the same conclusion.

 If Deon were rich, he would have shared his money with me.

Variations of Conditional Structures

The conditional clauses can change places in a sentence. The “if” word appears in the middle of the
sentence, as shown in the following sentences:

 You get green, if you mix blue and yellow.

 You’ll get a much better understanding of grammar, if you study this book.

 I’d pay off all my debts, if I won the lottery.

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Also, you can do away with the “if” word altogether in certain structures.

 Had I known it was you, I wouldn’t have answered the door.

 Were we to offer you more money, would you do it?

 Should anyone call, tell them I’m busy.

There are even certain expressions in the English language where you only need one clause in a
conditional as shown in the following spoken phrases:

 Jason, if you could shut the door, please.

 Elizabeth, if you could do me a favour.

 Michelle, if you wouldn’t mind.

If + not in the first conditional is sometimes replaced by unless, e.g. I won’t pay you if you don’t do your
job properly – I won’t pay you unless you do your job properly.

As a rule, we introduce mixed conditional structures to upper intermediate students

Review
The Tense Structures

A. Present Simple:
Present simple form : I go to the cinema every week. He goes to the cinema every week.

B. Past Simple:
Past simple form : I went to the cinema last week. I liked the film.

C. Future Simple:
Will + bare infinitive : I ’ll go to the cinema with you.

D. Present Continuous:
Am/are/is + present participle : I ’m watching a film.

E. Past Continuous:
Was/were + present participle : I was watching a film earlier.

F. Future Continuous:
Will be + present participle : I will be watching a video tonight at eight o’clock.

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G. Present Perfect:
Have/has + past participle : I have seen Babel three times.

H. Past Perfect:
Had + past participle : By the time I arrived at the cinema, the film had finished.

I. Future Perfect:
Will have + past participle : I will have finished watching season two of THE SOPRANOS by the end of
the day.

J. Present Perfect Continuous:

Have/has + been + present participle : I have been sitting in the cinema for two hours now.

K. Past Perfect Continuous:

Had+ been + present participle : I had been waiting in the queue for twenty minutes, when we were told
to go home.

L. Future Perfect Continuous:

Will have + been + present participle : By ten o’clock tonight I will have been watching season two of
THE SOPRANOS for half a year.

M. Future with “Going To”:

Am/are/is + going + infinitive : I am going to watch a film at the cinema tonight.

As you may have observed, all continuous tenses use a form of the verb ‘be’ and a present participle,
whereas all perfect tenses use a form of the verb ‘have’ and a past participle.

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