Communicative Function of Verb Tenses
TO TALK ABOUT THE PRESENT
VERB TENSE
Present simple
He, she, it eats
He, she, it teaches
I, we, you, they don’t travel
He, she, it doesn’t ask
Present Progressive or
Present Continuous
Be+Vbing
Present Perfect
Have+ Vb in past participle
Has+ Vb in past participle
VERB TENSE
Present simple
He, she, it +Vb-s
He, she, it + Vb-es
Future with “will”
Will + Vb
Won’t + Vb
Future with “be going to”
Be going to + Vb
Present progressive or
Present continuous
Be+Vbing
COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION
It describes general truths or
facts.
It describes habitual actions:
routines or habits.
It expresses opinions.
It describes actions happening
at the moment of speaking.
It describes situations in
progress.
It describes actions that
started in the past and
continue in the present.
It describes habitual or
continued actions.
TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE
COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION
It talks about the future.
It describes unplanned future
events, in the context of
making spontaneous decisions
or offers.
It talks about predictions that
aren’t based on present or
past evidence.
It describes planned future
events.
It describes predictions based
on present or past evidence.
It describes future actions or
situations.
EXAMPLE
Water boils at 100°C.
My graduate students work
from Monday to Friday.
Tamales from Colombia are
the best.
My classmates and I are
studying verb tenses.
Students are taking a blended
English course this semester.
Master students have written
their thesis for three
semesters.
I’ve taken Transmilenio since
it started.
He’s visited his grandmother
every weekend.
EXAMPLE
The first afternoon bus to
Medellin leaves at 2:30 pm.
We have time. We will go
with you to help you.
I think that they’ll invite more
people to the party.
First, we’re going to visit the
Eiffel Tower and then, the
Louvre.
The company made a lot of
profit this year. All the
employees are going to get an
extra pay.
Next holidays, some friends
and I aren’t travelling to
Leticia. We’re travelling to
Tayrona Park.
 TO TALK ABOUT THE PAST
VERB TENSE COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION EXAMPLE
Past Simple It describes an action or The university decided to offer
Vb-ed situation completed in the classes at 6:30 am.
Was/Were past. Jenny was the first student to
Other irregular verbs register for this class.

The German violinist was

It describes an action in
Past Progressive or progress in the past, in the
Past Continuous recent past, at a specific time,
Was/were + Vbing or when another event
occurred.
playing at 7 pm last Sunday.
Public university students
were protesting this morning.
My family and I were watching
TV when Charles arrived.

Present perfect It describes events that John and Daniela have

Have+ Vb in past participle occurred at an indefinite or travelled to Europe.
Has+ Vb in past participle unspecified time in the past. We have eaten snake.

The company had bought the

Past perfect
Had + Vb in past participle
It describes an action or
situation completed before
another event or time in the
past.
machine before the
committee gave its opinion
about it.
I had read “One Hundred
Years of Solitude” when I
graduated in engineering.

PASSIVE VOICE
VERB TENSE COMMUNICATIVE FUNCTION EXAMPLE
Passive voice Frito Lay products are fried in
Present: big containers.
Be + Vb in past participle It describes processes. Coffee beans were dried
Past: under the sun.
Was/were + Vb in past
participle Personnel selection is done at
Future: the beginning of the year.
Will + be + Vb in past participle It is used when the doer is
Present perfect: unknown. Tourists have been checked
Have/has + been + Vb in past three times.
participle
It is used when the doer is English will be taught using
unimportant. ICTs.