Chapter II
Division of Tenses
A. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
This tense is usually not used to indicate present time. However, it is used to indicate present time (now) with the following stative verbs
| Appear | know | owe | Taste |
| Belong | Like | Prefer | Understand |
| Believe | Love | Realize | Want |
| Forget | Mean | Remember | Wish |
| Hear | Mind | Seem | |
| Hate | Need | See | |
| Have | Own | Smell | |
NOTE: the verbs listed above are almost never used in the present or past progressive (continuous), although it is possible in some cases.
Simple present is used to indicate a regular or habitual action
· John walks to school every day.
Examples of simple present tense:
· They understand the problem now (stative verb)
· Henry always swims in the evening (habitual action)
· We want to leave now (stative Verb)
· The coffee tastes delicious. (stative verb)
· Mark usually walks to school (habitual action)
B. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS)
Use the following rule to form the present progressive
| Subject + am/is/are + Verb + ing.. |
The present progressive is used to indicate present time (now) with all but the stative verbs listed previously.
· John is eating dinner now
It also used to indicate future time
· We are leaving for the theater at seven o’clock.
Examples of present progressive:
· George is leaving for France tomorrow (future time)
· The president is trying to contact his advisors now (present time)
· We are flying to Venezuela next month (future time)
· The secretary is typing the letter now (present time)
C. Simple Past Tense
The simple past is used for completed action that happened at one specific time in the past. The italicized words in the previous sentence are important because they show that simple past is not the same as past progressive or present perfect
· John went to Spain last year.
· Bob bought a new bicycle yesterday.
· Maria did her homework last night.
· Mark washed the dishes after dinner
D. PAST PROGRESSIVE (CONTINUOUS)
Use the following rule to form the past progressive.
| Subject + was/were + (V-ing)… |
The past progressive is used to indicate:
1. An action which was occurring in the past and was interrupted by another action. In this case, the general rule is:
| When + subject 1 + simple past tense + subject 2 + past progressive... |
Or
| Subject 1 + past progressive + when + subject2 + simple past tense… |
· When Mark came home, Martha was watching television
· Martha was watching television when Mark came home
2. Two actions occurring at the same time in the past. In this case, the following rules usually apply.
| Subject1 + past progressive + while + subject2 + past progressive... |
Or
| While + subject1 + past progressive + subject2 + past progressive... |
· Martha was watching television while John was reading book.
· While John was reading a book, Martha was watching television
NOTE: the following construction is also possible, but it is not as common as the preceding two
| While + subject1 + past progressive + subject2 + simple past... |
· While Martha was watching television, John read a book.
3. An action which was occurring at some specific time in the past.
· Martha was watching television at seven o’clock last night.
· What were you doing at one o’clock this afternoon?
Examples of past progressive:
· John was walking to class when he lost his pen
· The Student was reading while the professor was speaking
· George was watching television when his brother called
E. PRESENT PERFECT
Use the following rule to form the present perfect.
| Subject + has/have + verb in the past participle… |
The present prefect is used to indicate:
1. An action that happened at an indefinite time in the past.
· John has traveled around the world. (we don’t known when)
2. An action that happened more than once in the past.
· George has seen this movie three times
3. An action that began in the past an still occurring in the present
· John has lived in the same house since 1975. (He still lives there) or
· John has lived in the same house for twenty years. (He still lives there)
 |
Since 1975 for 20 years 2010 (now)
FOR/SINCE
Use for + duration of time: for five hours, for thirty years, for ten minutes. Use since + beginning time: since 1975, since five o’clock, since January.
YET/ALREADY
The adverb yet and already are used to indicate that something has happened (or hasn’t happened) at a specific time in the past. These adverbs are often used with present perfect.
| Already-affirmative sentence Yet-negative sentence and questions |
NOTE: already usually appears between the auxiliary and the main verb; however, it can appear at the beginning or and the main sentence. Yet appears at the end of sentence.
| Subject + has/have + already + (verb in past participle)… |
Or
| Subject + has/have + not + (verb in past participle)…+ yet… |
Examples or yet and already:
· We have already written our reports.
· We haven’t written our report yet
· Gabriel has already read the entire book
Note: Another opinion with the use of yet is sometimes possible. In this case, the verb is positive and the adverb yet does not appear at the end of the sentence.
| Subject + has/have + yet + (verb in infinitive)… |
· John has yet to learn the material. = John hasn’t learned the material yet.
· We have yet decided what to do with the money. = we haven’t decided what to do whit the money yet.
This use of yet should not be confided with the coordinating conjunction yet, which means but.
· I don’t have the money, yet I really need the computer.
· My neighbor never has the time, yet they always want to do something on Saturday nights.
F. PRESENT PERFECT PROGESIVE (CONTINOUS)
For an action that began in the past and is still occurring in the present (present perfect rule, third item), it is also possible to use the present perfect progressive (continuous). Use the following rule to form this aspect.
| Subject + has/have + been + (verb + ing)… |
· John has been living in the same house for twenty years. = john has lived in the same house for twenty years.
Examples:
· John has already walked to school (indefinite time)
· He has been to California three times (more than one)
· Mary has seen this movie before (indefinite time)
· They have been at home all day (not yet complete)
G. PAST PERFECT
Use the following rule to form the past perfect.
| Subject + had + (verb in past participle)… |
1. An action that happened before another action in the past; there usually are two actions in the sentence.
· John had gone to the store before he went home
· Jack told us yesterday that he had visited England in 2003
 |
Past perfect simple past now
1st action 2nd action
The past perfect is usually used with before, after, or when. Study the following formulas.
| Subject + past perfect + before + subject + simple past tense. |
· John had gone to the store before he went home.
| Subject + simple past tense + after + subject + past perfect. |
· John went home after he had gone to the store.
| Before + subject + simple past tense + subject + past perfect. |
· Before John went home, he had gone to the store
| After +subject + past perfect + subject + simple past tense |
· After John had gone to the store, he went home
NOTE: The adverb when can be used in place of before or after in any of these four formulas without change in meaning. We still know which action happened first because of the use of the past perfect.
2. A state which continued for a time in the past, but stopped before now. Note that three is not connection with the present.
· Abdul had lived in New York for ten years before he moved to California.
 |
Ten years moved now
H. PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (CONTINOUS)
This past perfect concept can also be conveyed by the past perfect progressive (continuous). Study the following rule.
| Subject + had + been + (verb + ing)… |
· Abdul had been living in New York for ten years before he moved to California.
Examples:
· George had work at the university for forty-five years before he retired. Or
· George had been working at the university for forty-five years before he retired
I. SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE
Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.
FORM “ Will”
| Subject + will/shall + V1 |
USE 1 "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action
"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.
Examples:
o I will send you the information when I get it.
o Will you help me move this heavy table?
o I won't do all the housework myself!
USE 2 "Will" to Express a Promise
Examples:
- I will call you when I arrive.
· I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.
Don't worry, I'll be careful.
FORM Be Going To
| Subject + is/am/are + going to + V1 |
USE 3 "Be going to" to Express a Plan : "Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not. Examples:
- He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.
- She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.
- A: When are we going to meet each other tonight?
- B: We are going to meet at 6 PM.
USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction
Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning. Examples:
- The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.
- The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.
- John Smith will be the next President.
- John Smith is going to be the next President.
NOTE: In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning.
No Future in Time Clauses : Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present is used. Examples:
- When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Not Correct
- When you arrive tonight, we will go out for dinner. Correct
J. FUTURE CONTINUOUS
Future Continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Continuous forms are usually interchangeable.
FORM Future Continuous with "Will"
| Subject + will be + Verb + ing.. |
Examples:
- You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.
- Will you be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?
- You will not be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.
FORM Future Continuous with "Be Going To "
| Subject + is/am/are + going to + present participle.. |
Examples:
- You are going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.
- Are you going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight?
- You are not going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.
REMEMBER: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Continuous with little difference in meaning.
USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Future : Use the Future Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
Examples:
- I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.
- I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.
- I am going to be staying at the Madison Hotel, if anything happens and you need to contact me.
- He will be studying at the library tonight, so he will not see Jennifer when she arrives.
Notice in the examples above that the interruptions (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.
USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption in the Future
In USE 1, described above, the Future Continuous is interrupted by a short action in the future. In addition to using short actions as interruptions, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.
Examples:
- Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner.I will be in the process of eating dinner.
- At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the desert.We will be in the process of driving through the desert.
REMEMBER : In the Simple Future, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin or end. In the Future Continuous, a specific time interrupts the action.
Examples:
- Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to eat dinner. I am going to start eating at 6 PM.
- Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner. I am going to start earlier and I will be in the process of eating dinner at 6 PM.
USE 3 Parallel Actions in the Future :When you use the Future Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. The actions are parallel. Examples:
- I am going to be studying and he is going to be making dinner.
- Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.
- While Ellen is reading, Tim will be watching television. Notice "is reading" because of the time clause containing "while."
USE 4 Atmosphere in the Future :In English, we often use a series of Parallel Actions to describe atmosphere at a specific point in the future. Example:
- When I arrive at the party, everybody is going to be celebrating. Some will be dancing. Others are going to be talking. A few people will be eating pizza, and several people are going to be drinking beer. They always do the same thing.
REMEMBER No Future in Time Clauses: Like all future tenses, the Future Continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Continuous, Present Continuous is used. Examples:
- While I am going to be finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner. Not Correct
- While I am finishing my homework, she is going to make dinner. Correct
K. FUTURE PERFECT
Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect forms are usually interchangeable.
FORM Future Perfect with "Will"
| Subject + will have + past participle… |
Examples:
- You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
- Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?
- You will not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S
FORM Future Perfect with "Be Going To"
| Subject + is/am/are + going to have + past participle.. |
Examples:
- You are going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
- Are you going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.?
- You are not going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.
NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning.
USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Future : The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future. Examples:
- By next November, I will have received my promotion.
- By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.
- I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.
- Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing?
Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.
USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs) : With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future. Examples:
- I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave.
- By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week.
Although the above use of Future Perfect is normally limited to Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT Non-Continuous Verbs
L. FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Future Perfect Continuous has two different forms: "will have been doing " and "be going to have been doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect Continuous forms are usually interchangeable.
FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Will"
| Subject + will have been + present participle.. |
Examples:
- You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
- Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
- You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives
FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Be Going To"
| Subject + is/am/are + going to have been + present participle… |
Examples:
- You are going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
- Are you going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives?
- You are not going to have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.
NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect Continuous with little or no difference in meaning.
USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Future : We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future. Examples:
- They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives.
· How long will you have been studying when you graduate?
· A: When you finish your English course, will you have been living in New Zealand for over a year?
· B: No, I will not have been living here that long.
Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because these future events are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.
USE 2 Cause of Something in the Future : Using the Future Perfect Continuous before another action in the future is a good way to show cause and effect. Examples:
- Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.
- Claudia's English will be perfect when she returns to Germany because she is going to have been studying English in the United States for over two years.
Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous
If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous rather than the Future Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future. Study the examples below to understand the difference.
Examples:
- He will be tired because he will be exercising so hard. This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will be exercising at that exact moment in the future.
- He will be tired because he will have been exercising so hard. This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will have been exercising for a period of time. It is possible that he will still be exercising at that moment OR that he will just have finished.
References
1. Heldin Manurung, 2001. Masterig Verb Usage in English. Jakarta: PT Abadi Tandur
2. Pyle, Michel A. 2005. TOEFL Prepratoin Guide. Delhi: Wiley Dreamtech
3. Djuharie, Setiawan. 2002. Bimbingan Pemantapan Bahasa Inggris. Jakarta: CV Yrama Widya
4. Jauhar, Mohammad. 2010. Buku Pintar English Grammer. Jakarta: AV Publisher
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