VERB TENSES

Presenter: Duc Simon

VERB TENSES
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Simple present Present progressive Simple past Past progressive Present perfect Present perfect progressive Past perfect Past perfect progressive Future Future progressive Future perfect Future perfect progressive

SIMPLE PRESENT
Use
To express habitual actions To express general truths To report what is in print e.g. academic writing.

now

Examples
I usually wake up early The Earth revolves around the Sun. Peter indicates in his research that radioactive spiders bites cause genetic mutation.

Formation Infinitive / Base form of the verb (with -s or -es for third person singular).

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Use To express that an action/ activity is happening. To express that an action happening at present is temporary. To express that an action is already in progress at a specified point of time in the present. Examples

now

The students are sleeping The students are taking a test at the moment.

At 9.30, most of the students are falling asleep at their desks.

Formation am/ is/ are + present participle (-ing).

SIMPLE PAST
Use To indicate a completed action To indicate that an action took place at a specific time in the past. Examples

now

She lived in a haunted house She died yesterday.

Formation:

Regular verbs: base form + d/-ed

PAST PROGRESSIVE
Use
To show an action/activity was still happening in the past

now

Examples
He was smoking.

To show that an action happening at the past was temporary. To show that an action was already in progress at a specified point of time in the past.

He was playing video games at that moment. At 17.00, he was going home.

Formation was/ were + present participle (-ing)

PRESENT PERFECT
Use To express an action or state that began in the past and continues to the present. Examples

now

I have not been to school for 2 years.

To show that an event occurred They have gone to Africa for a in the past. The exact time is not long time. specified or important.

PRESENT PERFECT
Use To express an action or state which happened in the very recent past. Examples

now

Oh god, Ive finished my homework.

To indicate that an event has occurred more than once in the past (specific times are not given or important).

The students have called the ambulance several times because of health issues.

Formation: has/ have + past participle

PAST PERFECT
Use To indicate an event that was completed by a definite time or before another action was completed in the past. Examples

now

The vigilante had taken down the thug before the police arrived.

Formation: had + past participle

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

now

Use

Examples

To stress the duration of an activity that was completed before another action or time in the past.

The students had been struggling with the exam for an hour before they quitted.

Formation: had + been + present participle (-ing)

FUTURE
now

Use

Examples

To express an action, event or state It will rain tomorrow. that will occur in the future.

Formation: will + base form (no -s or -es) Note: Future time can also be expressed in am/is/are + going to + base form simple progressive or present progressive

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE
now

Use

Examples

To express an action that will occur over a duration at some specific point in the future.

He will be talking with the Dean at 10 a.m tomorrow.

To emphasize the duration of an The students will be going home action in the future. during the midterm break.

Formation: will + be + present participle

FUTURE PERFECT
now

Use

Examples

To indicate that an activity will be completed before another event or time in the future.

The students will have finished all assignments before the deadline.

Formation: will + have + past participle

FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

Use To indicate that an activity has been in progress for a period of time before another event or time in the future. Examples

now

By August next year, I will have been a student in NUS for two years.

Formation: will + have + present participle

THANK YOU

SOURCES
Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly: An Editing Guide (2nd ed.). USA: Heinle and Heinle Publishers.
Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic English (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, 3-25. Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide for Student Writers (3rd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press, 4145.