Tenses and Aspect in EnglishVeniel Morgan

What are Tenses

•A set of forms taken by a verb to indicate the time (and sometimes also the continuance or completeness) of the action in relation to the time of the utterance. (Oxford Dictionary)

•These forms are present, past and future.

Present Tense- Expresses action or states at the time of speaking.•Simple Present- I sing. I dance.•We use to this to express:•An action is general- I live in Jamaica.•An action that happens all the time, or

habitually- The moon goes around the earth.

•An action that is not only happening now- Dane drives a bus.

• If the statement is always true- we meet every Thursday.

Present Tense•Subject + Auxiliary verb (do)+ Main

Verb .•Eg. I like sugar. Eg. I do not like sugar.•He does not likes sugar .•Present Continuous Tense- action

taking place at the moment of speaking.•How is it expressed?•Subject + auxiliary (be) + main verb- ing.•I am sleeping./ She is dancing with him./

You are reading.

•Present Perfect- Used to express actions

completed in the present.•Subject + have + past participle.• I have finished my pie./ she has finished her

pie./ We have eaten our dinner.•Present Perfect Continuous-used to

emphasize the duration of a recent past activity. It can also be used for actions that began in the past and are still going on now.

•Subject + auxiliary (have/has) + auxiliary (been) + main verb- ing.

•I have been singing ./ I am tired because I have been running.

Past Tense- Expresses action or state in the past.•Simple past-•How is it expressed?•We use past forms only or auxiliary (did) +

main verb. Eg. I worked there tow months ago.

•Past Continuous- expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment but has not finished at that moment.

• Subject + conjugated ‘be’ verb in simple past + main verb (present participle)- ing.

•Eg. I was watching TV./ She was listening to the radio./ We were eating dinner.

•Past Perfect- Expresses a past action in the past.

•Subject + had (simple past of have) + past participle.

•I had finished my work./ You had stopped before me.

•Past perfect continuous- Expresses an action that occurred over a period of time in the past.

•Subject+ had (simple past of have) + been(past participle of be) + present participle –ing.

•I had been working./ You had been playing tennis.

Future Tense

•Future Simple- Expresses actions that will happen.

•Subject + auxiliary (will) + main verb.• I will sing a song./ She will finish before

me.•Future continuous- express an action

that will be on-going in the future.•Subject + will + be + present participle-

ing.•Eg. I will be lying on the beach tomorrow.

• Future Perfect- describes an action that will be done in the future.

• Subject + will + have + past participle .• Eg. I will have finished working by 10 am./ I will

have sung.• Future Perfect Continuous-is used for actions

that will be unfinished, but have reached a certain stage.

• Subject + will + have + been + present participle –ing.

• I will have been working for four hours.