TENSES

BY: CHE ZAITON SALEH

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

In exclamations beginning with here and there to show what is happening now. e.g. Here comes the bus. To show a habitual action - an action we do every day, sometimes, usually, often or always e.g. Mr. Zhu drives to work every day

To show a future action, when an event is planned. e.g. The train leaves at two oclock this afternoon

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

with these verbs: see, hear, smell, notice, look, seem, appear, have, think, believe, mean, know, wonder, feel, wish, hope e.g. I have a headache. (NOT I am having a headache)

To state general truths or facts e.g. The moon is a satellite

To give directions and instructions e.g. Turn right at the junction. First, boil the water.

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

We add s or es to present tense verbs when we use them with he, she, it and the name of a person or thing. (singular nouns)
He watches television every day. She visits her grandmother every Saturday. Emily lives at Jalan Merbuk. It eats fish all the time. The aeroplane hits the ground. The boy plays football every evening with his friends. Note: When a verb ends with y, the y is sometimes changed to ies bury - buries carry carries study studies try tries fry fries fly flies

The present tense of verb to be would be: is, are, am

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Complete the sentences using verbs in Simple Present Tense
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. My grandfather _____ oats for breakfast everyday. The sun ____ in the east and _____ in the west. There _____ the aeroplanes! We _____ you will get the scholarship. First, ____ the onions into rings. Then, _____ in the oil. All human beings _____ food and water to live. I have to take my brother to the dentist. He ____ a toothache. The bus ______ for Ipoh at 3 pm. I _____ I can go to Sunway Lagoon during the holidays. Coconut trees ____ well in sandy oil.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

To show actions which happened in the past. Words like yesterday, last week, just now and ago tell us we need to use the Simple Past Tense. E.g. I slept at 9.00 pm last night.

To show an unlikely happening. e.g. I wish I were a princess

with the expression, It is time... e.g. It is time you went to bed.

in the expression, You had better.. e.g. Your clothes are wet. You had better change into some dry ones.

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Write the simple past tense of these verbs. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. accept advise bake choose earn dig find grow hear help - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________ - __________

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE AND PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

10 p.m. (PAST)

NOW (PRESENT)

TOMORROW (FUTURE)

The baby is sleeping.

Ali is going to Penang tomorrow Siti was cooking at 10 p.m. While Siti was cooking, she was singing. Siti was cooking when the telephone rang.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE AND PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

The Past Continuous Tense is used to show:
an action that was going on for some time in the past but which is already over. an action was going on in the past when something suddenly happened. (often used with : while; as and when.) e.g. Siti was cooking when the telephone rang. While Siti was cooking, the telephone rang. The telephone rang as Siti was cooking. two things happening at the same time in the past. e.g. While Siti was cooking, she was singing.

The Present Continuous Tense is used to show:

an action that is happening at the time of speaking e.g. The baby is sleeping. Future action or an action that is going to take place soon. e.g. Ali is going to Penang tomorrow.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE AND PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Fill in the blanks with the correct continuous tense form of the verbs given in the bracket.
Guna is ill. He ________ to school today. (not go) It _____ all yesterday afternoon. (rain) I have bought a chess set. I ___ to my sister for her birthday. (give) The phone ______. Please go and answer it. (ring) Ai Ling _____ the garden at 6 oclock in the evening. (weed) The men usually drive to work but tomorrow they ___ the bus. (take) We ____ the project last night when Farid called. (discuss) Julian _____ the radio very loudly all morning. (play) When Sofia ____ television, Azam knocked on the door. (watch) The car hooted when I _____ the road. (cross)

SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

The Simple Future Tense is used to show an action or actions that will take place in the future. 1. shall and will + the verb is used e.g. will go; shall go e.g. I will go to Pulau Langkawi next week. Note: shall is used for I and we will is used for he, she, you, they and the name of the person. 2. verb to be + going to + verb e.g. They are going to see the film tonight. Note: Verb which comes after going to is always in the base form.

SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

Underline the correct answer 1. We (shall visit, will visit) Khairil in the hospital tomorrow. 2. Linda (be singing, will sing) at the hall this evening. 3. I (shall do, am do) my homework tonight. 4. Ramli (will, shall) come to my house later. 5. He (is going to, is) play scrabble with his brother and sisters after he has done his chores. 6. Anding (will have gone, will be going) to Tokyo next week. 7. My mother (will make, is make) sandwiches for our class picnic. 8. The children (will be, are going) asleep by then. 9. They (will try, will be trying) to help their father clean his car. 10. She (will, shall) look after the baby carefully.

PERFECT TENSE
The present perfect tense is used to show:
an action in the past ( the exact time of the action is not known) and the effect can be seen in the present.

we form the present perfect tense by: has / have + past participle
Example: Hassan has closed the gate. has + past participle of close

we often use just, already and yet with the present perfect tense
Example: We have just / already cooked dinner. We have not eaten dinner yet.

PERFECT TENSE
The past perfect tense is used to show:
an action that was completed further back in time

e.g.

I had done my homework when he called. Mother had cooked the dinner before I reached home.
an event that might have taken place.

e.g. If she had driven more carefully, she would not have had the accident.
Note: We formed the past perfect tense by: HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE.

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Fill in the blanks with the Present Perfect Tense of the verbs given in the bracket. 1. Mother ____ already ____ to the market. (go) 2. The children _____ never _____ in an aeroplane. (fly) 3. ____ you ____ the story about how the monkey got its tails? (hear) 4. A fierce lion ____ from the zoo. (escape) 5. He ____ the key, so he cannot unlock the door. (lost) 6. The train ____ the station. It left a minute ago. (leave) 7. We ____ not ____ the letter yet. (write) 8. The teacher ____ already ____ us the answers. (give) 9. Mr. Jerry Yan _____ just _____ the grass in his compound. (cut) 10. Im sorry. I ____ your vase. Erra told Puan Zarina. (break)