Verb Tenses

EG1471 AY 2008/09/10 JChan

Forms of Verb Tenses

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

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Uses of Verb Tenses

Use tense shifts or time signals to indicate the tense

Use the correct tense according to the context

Use different verb tenses for different meanings but be consistent

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Simple Present

Use Examples

To express habitual actions or a condition that is true at any time

To express general truths

Everyone reports early for work.

The campus is quiet during the vacation.

The sun sets in the west.

now

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Simple Present

Use Examples

To report what is in print e.g. academic writing.

In her article, Vicky claims that renewable energies are viable alternatives in the long run.

now

Formation

1. Base form of the verb. 2. Add -s or -es for third person singular.

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Present Progressive

Use Examples

To express that an action or activity that is currently happening or is still happening.

To express that an action is happening at present and is temporary.

To express that an action is already in progress at a specified point of time in the present.

The student is preparing for her final year project.

The trainees are undergoing training now.

At 8:30am, most of the employees are working at their desktops.

now

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Present Progressive

Formationam/ is/ are + present participle (-ing).

I am writing an academic essay for this module.They are doing some research on nanotechnology.He is preparing the lab set up for the next class.

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Simple Past

Use Examples

To indicate that an action took place at a specific time in the past.

To indicate that an action occurred in the past and is no longer true in the present

The students did this project last semester.

He majored in engineering in NUS.

Formation:

Regular verbs: base form + d/-ed

now

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Past Progressive

Use Examples

To express that an activity was in progress at a specific point in time in the past.

To show that an activity lasted for a period of time in the past (emphasis on the duration).

The professor was lecturing when the alarm went off.

The auditors were checking the accounts while the assets were being tagged.

now

Formationwas/ were + present participle (-ing)

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Present Perfect

Use Examples

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

To show that an event occurred in the past although the exact time is not specified or important.

The twins have worked in the same company for four years now.

They have already completed their calculation.

now

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Present Perfect

Use Examples

To express an action or state has happened in the very recent past.

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

The mathematician has just proven a complicated theory.

The students have approached their tutor several times for assistance.

now

Formation:has/ have + past participle

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Past Perfect

Use Examples

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

By the time the rescue team arrived at the scene, the waters had reached 1.5 metres.

Nobody had dreamt that cloning was possible in the 1900s.

now

Formation:had + past participle

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Past Perfect Progressive

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 problem for an hour before they found a solution.

now

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

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Future

Use Examples

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

They will complete their assignment tonight.

now

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

See Lane and Lange (1999) p. 14 for

examples.

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Future Progressive

Use Examples

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

To emphasize the duration of an action in the future.

The final year students will be doing their internship overseas for the month of December.

The professor will be going on sabbatical during the long vacation.

now

Formation:will + be + present participle

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Future Perfect

Use Examples

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

The postgraduate students will have finished their thesis by the end of this semester.

The experts will have discovered the cause of the explosion in a week’s time.

now

Formation:will + have + past participle

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Future Perfect Progressive

Use Examples

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

By March next year, the engineers will have been working on the project for three years.

now

Formation:will + have + present participle

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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, 41-45.