Slide 1 : Grammar Development Course Verb Tenses
True or False? : True or False? English has only 2 verb tenses True !
Overview : Overview Technically speaking English only has 2 tenses: The Present Simple and The Past Simple
A ‘tense’ means changing the base form of the verb
Verb forms created with ‘helping’ verbs however, create ‘Aspects’
There are 12 aspects/tenses in English
Slide 4 : 12 aspects/tenses
12 aspects/tenses : 12 aspects/tenses
Aspects/tenses: Simple + Progressive : Aspects/tenses: Simple + Progressive 6 tenses/aspects are called ‘simple’
Each aspect has a time label: present, past, future
Simple forms are used when we view an event as a complete whole
For example:
“Barak Obama is the President of the United States.”
“George W. Bush was the President of the United States.”
“Who will be the next President?”
Simple + Progressive : Simple + Progressive 6 tenses/aspects are called ‘progressive’
Each aspect has a time label: present, past, future
Used when we view an action as occupying a period of time –or being in some way incomplete
Very important to understand that the speakers choice of aspect/tense is not determined by the objective length of events in real time – but by the speakers perception of those events
Very important! : Very important! The speakers choice of aspect/tense is not determined by the objective length of events in real time – but by the speaker’s perception of those events.
Example:
I talked with John for 10 min. at the bus stop yesterday.
When I was talking with John at the bus stop, it started to rain.
Example: : Example: I talked with John for 10 min. at the bus stop yesterday.
When I was talking with John at the bus stop, it started to rain.
In both cases the speaker spent the same amount of objective real time talking with John. So clearly, the speakers choice cannot relate to real time.
Aspects/tenses: Perfect + Non-Perfect : Aspects/tenses: Perfect + Non-Perfect 6 aspects/tenses are called ‘perfect’
Perfect forms are used when we look back on events.
We use the Present Perfect when we look back on events with a present perspective.
Example:
He has lived here for 10 years.
He has been living here for 10 years.
Perfect + Non-Perfect : Perfect + Non-Perfect When we look back from a future perspective we use the ‘Future Perfect’
Example:
By next year, I will have been living here for 10 years
Perfect + Non-Perfect : Perfect + Non-Perfect We use the ‘Past Perfect’ when we look back from a past perspective
Example:
When I met her, she had lived there for ten years.
Slide 13 : EXERCISE A: FILL IN MISSING INFORMATION IN THE TABLE
EXERCISE B: Identify which verb tense the following sentences are… : EXERCISE B: Identify which verb tense the following sentences are… She went there yesterday.
I’ll be seeing them soon.
He’s working really hard.
She’s lived there for over 20 years.
He had been talking for hours.
He knows a lot of languages.
By next year, I will have lived here 10 years.
She’s been keeping very quiet lately.
They’ll have been waiting hours by then.
You’ll do a good job, I’m sure.
We will have finished by now.
You’ve done a good job!
EXERCISE C: Match up the verb tense name on the left with appropriate example sentence on the left : EXERCISE C: Match up the verb tense name on the left with appropriate example sentence on the left Present simple
Present progressive
Past simple
Future Perfect Progressive
Future progressive They saw him yesterday.
I will have been working.
He will be arriving Thursday.
She goes there every day.
He is walking
EXERCISE D:Fill in the missing helping verbs in the following sentences : EXERCISE D:Fill in the missing helping verbs in the following sentences They _____ leave tomorrow.
I _____ finished the work, but then I realized I wasn’t done yet.
We _____ ______ talking for hours, when my dad came into my room and told me to hang –up.
We _____ ______ seen him by then.
He _____ ______ arriving tomorrow.