Tenses
Tense are a form of verb in
language structures that show the time of events or actions happen and the
steps of finishing. There are sixteen types of tenses in English language. Now,
let’s learn about it.
1. Simple Present Tense
In general, the simple present expresses events or
situations that exist always, usually habitually. It is used to express habitual everyday
activities.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
not verb (nomial)
Subject + verb 1 (es/s)
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
not + not verb (nomial)
Subject + do/does + not + verb
1
|
?
|
Tobe (is, am, are) + Subject +
not verb (nomial)?
Do/does + Subject + verb 1?
|
Note : For subject He, She, It, verb is added by es or
s.
S for verb which ending with consonant y.
Ex: Buy become Buys.
Es for verb which ending with consonant
y become i. Ex: Try become Tries.
Simple Present
tense is used to talk about:
a.
A
current activity
Ex: - He studies at Vocational
School.
-
I
don’t have a job yet.
-
Does
your father work here?
b.
A
habitual or repeated activity
Ex: - I work six day a week from
Monday through Saturday.
-
She
types latters and handles guests.
-
Do
you take a bus to work?
c.
An
event in a time table, schedule, or program
Ex: - The train to Jakarta
leaves in the morning.
-
Does
the plane fly to Tokyo?
-
What
time does the store open?
d.
General
truth
Ex: - The sun rises in the east,
- The earth rotates around the sun.
- Tigers eat meat.
Note : The uncountable nouns are added s for
every verb.
Adverb of times or frequencies
are used in Simple Present Tense.
Adverb of times is in the morning, at night, last week,
yesterday, everyday. It normally comes at the beginning or at the end of
sentence.
Ex
: - I have lunch in the canteen everyday.
-
Everyday,
I have lunch in the canteen.
Adverb of Frequencies is prepared actions such as routines, habits, jobs, hobbies,
and things that always happen. They are always, often,
generally, occasionally, normally, usually, seldom, rarely, hardly, and never.
The others adverb of frequencies is once a day,
twice a week, three times a years and etc.
For Adverb of frequency that
used always, often, generally, occasionally, normally,
usually, seldom, rarely, hardly, and never normally comes between subject
and verb.
Ex
: - I always go to school by motorcycle.
-
She
never studies hard.
In the sentence without verbs,
they come between modals and verbs or tobe.
Ex
: - The man is often in his office.
-
I
am never late.
In the sentence with modals,
they come between modals and verbs or tobe.
Ex
: - I will always love you.
-
He
should never come here.
In Present, Past Perfect and
Passive Voice
Ex
: - She has never met the man before
-
We
had hardly seen movie when we were young.
-
She
has already finished her chores.
-
The
man is often invited to the meeting.
-
The
letters were never delivered to the
computer.
For Adverb of frequency that
used once a day, twice a week, three times a year usually
comes after the verb or object.
Ex
: - He takes the medicine twice a day.
-
The
meeting is held three times a year.
Note : We have to add comma (,), if it is in front of the sentence.
Ex
: - Twice a day, he takes the medicine.
-
Three times a year, the meeting is held.
2. Simple Present Continuous Tense or Present Progressive Tense
Simple Present Continuous Tense expresses events or
situations that is happening and has not finished now.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
verb ing
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
not + verb ing
|
?
|
Tobe (is, am, are) + Subject +
verb ing?
|
Exception:
Begin ~ Beginning
Give ~ Giving
Cut ~ Cutting
Slip ~ Slipping
Tie ~ Tying
Swim ~ Swimming
Occur ~ Occurring
Die ~ Dying
Lie ~ Lying
-
Now
-
Right
now
-
At
present
-
Today
-
This
moment
-
Tonight
-
Tomorrow
-
This
morning
-
In
a few days
-
Everyday
at 7 o’clock
-
Ect.
Example:
-
I
am listening to the radio.
-
We
aren’t studying math now.
-
Is
he watching TV right now?
3. Simple Present Perfect Tense
Simple Present Perfect Tense expresses the events or
situations that has finished now and happen in the past.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + have/has + been +
not verb (nomial)
Subject + have/has + verb 3
|
-
|
Subject + have/has + been +
not + not verb (nomial)
Subject + have/has + not +
verb 3
|
?
|
Have/has + subject + been +
not verb (nomial)?
Have/has + subject + verb 3?
|
Note : For the
subject I, You, We, They, the tobe that used is Have.
And for the subject He, She, It, the tobe
that used is Has.
It usually use “How many/ much”
Exception (Irregular Verbs) :
Sing ~ Sung
Go ~ Gone
Do ~ Done
Sleep ~ Slept
Be ~ Been
Kept ~ Kept
Win ~ Won
Wear ~ Worn
Hide ~ Hidden
Write ~ Written
Drink ~ Drunk
Etc.
-
Once
-
Twice
-
Many
times
-
Several
times
-
This
week
-
Already
-
Just
-
For
(short time)
-
Just
now
-
Not
yet
-
As
yet
-
So
far
-
Lately
-
Recently
- Finally
-
At
least
-
Since
-
Never
Example :
-
Mrs.
Yessy has come here alone.
-
I
haven’t seen you for a long time.
-
Haven’t
you sung this song?
4. Simple Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Present Perfect Continuous Tense is an action
that continuous for an action over a period of time leading up to the present.
The action can be continuing in the present. We can use this tense for the
series of repeated actions.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe (has, have) +
been + verb ing
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (has, have) +
not + been + verb ing
|
?
|
Tobe (has, have) + Subject +
been + verb ing?
|
Note : it
usually use “How long”
Time signals:
-
For
-
Since
-
How
long
-
All
the morning
-
The
whole day
-
Etc.
Example:
-
He
has been teaching us since last year.
-
I
have not been working there for two weeks.
-
Have
I been reading since morning?
5. Simple Past Tense
Simple Past Tense indicates that an activity or
situation began and ended at a particular time in the past.
Patterns:
+
|
Subject + tobe (was, were) +
not verb (nomial)
Subject + verb 2
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (was, were) +
not + not verb (nomial)
Subject + did + not + verb 2
|
?
|
Tobe (was, were) + Subject +
not verb (nomial)?
Did + Subject + verb 2?
|
Exeption:
Buy ~ Bought
Come ~ Came
See ~ Saw
Sleep ~ Slept
Send ~ Sent
Keep ~ Kept
Go ~ Went
Etc.
-
Yesterday
-
Last
Monday
-
Two
days ago
-
In
1992
-
Last
night
-
Last
year
-
A
hour ago
-
Etc.
Example:
-
He
played football yesterday.
-
I
didn’t go out last night.
-
Did
you see Rudi yesterday?
6. Simple Past Continuous Tense
Simple Past Continuous Tense expresses the events that
occurs or is happening in the past.
Patterns:
+
|
Subject + tobe (was, were) +
verb ing
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (was, were) +
not + verb ing
|
?
|
Tobe (was, were) + Subject +
verb ing?
|
Time signals:
-
When
-
While
-
As
-
Yesterday
morning
-
Last
year on July
-
Yesterday
night
-
All
day yesterday
-
The
whole day last Monday
-
Last
summer in August
-
Etc.
Example:
-
I
was watching TV when you came.
-
I
wasn’t watching TV when you phoned me.
-
Were
you watching TV when I phoned you?
7. Simple Past Perfect Tense
Simple Past Perfect Tense expresses the events in the
past and ended in the past too.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + had + been + not
verb (nomial)
Subject + had + verb 3
|
-
|
Subject + had + been + not +
not verb (nomial)
Subject + had + not + verb 3
|
?
|
Had + subject + been + not
verb (nomial)?
Had + subject + verb 3?
|
Time signals:
-
Before
-
After
-
Until
-
As
soon as
-
The
day before
-
Ever
-
Never
-
Already
-
Just
-
Not
____ yet
-
Etc.
Example:
-
We
had walked for an hour when he met us.
-
She
had not been at home.
-
Had
you been there a long day?
8. Simple Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Past Perfect Continuous Tense expresses the
events that were happening in the past and also is ending in the past too
before the others events happen.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe (had) + been +
verb ing
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (had) + not +
been + verb ing
|
?
|
Tobe (had) + Subject + been +
verb ing?
|
Time signals:
-
For
_____ when
-
By
last ________
-
________by
yesterday
Example:
-
I
had been working for two hours when I met you.
-
I
had not been swimming when Ita come yesterday.
-
Had
you been singing a new song when I come?
9. Simple Future Tense
It shows an action or event in the future.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
going to + Verb 1
Subject + Will/Shall + Verb 1
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
not + going to + Verb 1
Subject + Will/Shall + not +
verb 1
|
?
|
Tobe (is, am, are) + subject +
going to + Verb 1?
Will/Shall + Subject + verb 1?
|
Note : Shall ~
I, We (British English)
Will ~ All (American English)
The use of “Will”
It is to predict the future and decided to do something
at the moment of speaking.
The use of “Be going to”
It is to talk about something in the future which can
see as a result of something in a present. It is to talk what we intend to do
in the future we use it when we have already decided to do something.
Example :
A: Oh my dear, I have split some wine on my jacket.
B: Don’t worry; I will clean it for you.
A: Why have you moved all the furniture out of this
room?
B: I am going to clean the carpet.
Time
signals:
-
This
morning
-
Tomorrow
-
Tonight
-
If
-
Before
-
After
-
Immediately
-
Soon
-
Next
week
-
When
-
While
-
As
soon as
-
Until
-
Later
-
Etc.
10. Simple Future Continuous
Tense
Simple Future Continuous Tense expresses the events is
happening in the future and will happen or occur in future.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
be + going to + Verb ing
Subject + Will/Shall + Verb
ing
|
-
|
Subject + tobe (is, am, are) +
not + be + going to + Verb ing
Subject + Will/Shall + not +
be + verb ing
|
?
|
Tobe (is, am, are) + subject +
be + going to + Verb ing?
Will/Shall + Subject + be +
verb ing?
|
Time signals:
-
At
this time tomorrow
-
At
the same time tomorrow
-
At
this time next year
Example:
-
They
will be working when you return tomorrow.
-
I
shall not be sleeping on the matters.
-
Will
you be playing pinpon tomorrow morning?
11. Simple Future Perfect Tense
Simple Future Perfect Tense is begun in the past and
will be ended in the future soon.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe
(is, am, are) + be + going to + Verb 3
Subject +
Will/Shall + Verb 3
|
-
|
Subject + tobe
(is, am, are) + not + been + going to + Verb 3
Subject +
Will/Shall + not + have + verb 3
|
?
|
Tobe (is, am,
are) + subject + been + going to + Verb 3?
Will/Shall +
Subject + have + verb 3?
|
Time signals:
-
By
the end of this week
-
By
next week
-
By
7 o’clock tomorrow
-
In
a week
Example:
-
I
will have finished this work by next year.
-
They
will not have gone to school next year.
-
Shall
I have gone to Surabaya tomorrow?
12. Simple Future Perfect
Continuous Tense
Simple Future Perfect Continuous Tense is the action
maybe happen or occurred in the future.
Patterns
+
|
Subject + tobe
(is, am, are) + have + been + going to + Verb ing
Subject +
Will/Shall + have + been + Verb ing
|
-
|
Subject + tobe
(is, am, are) + not + have + been + going to + Verb ing
Subject +
Will/Shall + not + have + been + verb ing
|
?
|
Tobe (is, am,
are) + subject + have + been + going to + Verb ing?
Will/Shall +
Subject + have + been + verb ing?
|
Time signals:
-
By
the end of
Example :
-
He
will have been studying English for two years by the end of this year.
-
He
will not have been writing by next year.
-
Will
you have been living in this village for two years by next July.
The writer
Liya ILmiasih, S.Pd.
