VERB TENSES

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/eli/buswrite/verb_tenses.html

BBI 2409
English for Academic Purposes
Department of Social Sciences

What do you know about

tenses?
Watch this video and, in your own words,
write 5-10 sentences in the present, past
or future tense. (hint: there are plenty of
action verbs in there!)

The Simple Tense

The Continuous Tense
(also known as Progressive Tense)

Simple Present
Use the simple present to write or
talk
about:
habits and actions done every day
facts or general truths
events occurring in the definite
and close future

Simple Present

Examples:
I brush my teeth every day.
In December, it rains in Sarawak.
Snow crystallizes from water droplets.
Spring begins tomorrow.

Simple Past
Use the simple past to write or talk
about:
completed past actions
habitual past actions

Simple Past

Examples:
I went to bed late last night.
Last year I was always on time for
my classes.

The Continuous Tense

Try to understand this: The action
can
begin before another action
be in progress during another
action
continue after another time or
action.

Present Continuous
Use the present progressive to write
or
talk about:
present, on-going actions
actions occurring in the very near
future

And this is how you write it:

Subject + (am/is) +
(base form
+ -ing)...

Subject: Cat
Verb: ?
The cat is meowing.
The baby
Verb
The baby is crying.
The babies are cute.

Present Continuous

Examples:
The sun is shining, and the birds
are singing.
I am sitting in a chair, typing.
They are leaving in five days.

Past Continuous
Use the past progressive to write or talk
about:
Action #1 was in progress in the past
when Action #2 occurred or interrupted
Action #1.
Action #2 is written in the simple past
tense.
The words "when" and "while" are often
used with the past progressive.

And this is how you write it:

Subject + (was/were) +
(base form + ing)...,
(simple
past form)

Past Continuous

Examples:
While he was skiing (Action #1), Joel broke
(Action #2) his neck.
What were my parents doing (Action #1) when
they
heard (Action #2) the good news about Ahmad?

Subject: Ali
Verb 1: watching television
Verb 2(a) : heard a sound in the
bathroom.
Verb 2(B) : eating cookies (do this)
While Ali was watching television, he
heard a sound in the bathroom.

Present Tense (simple & continuous):

1) subject: The dragon
verb: sing
2) subject: Jackie Chan
verb: read
3) subject: I
verb: sit

Past tense (simple)

1)Subject: Computer
Verb: is
2) subject: Usain Bolt
verb: break a record
3) subject: fish
verb: swim in the lake

Past tense (continuous)

1)subject: Esmerelda
Verb 1: cast a spell
verb 2: a hero rescued the townspeople
2) subject: Bella Swan
verb 1: kiss the vampire
verb 2: a werewolf jumped from the bushes
3) subject: the kings men
verb 1: tend to Humpty Dumpty
verb 2: Humpty Dumpty told them to stop