Verb Tense [t]
STEP 1: DEFINITION
English has three time frames: past, present, and future. Each of these is divided into simple, progressive, perfect, and perfect progressive. The regular verb TO MAKE is shown below:
| PAST | PRESENT | FUTURE |
|---|---|---|
| Simple = made | Simple = make/makes | Simple = will make |
| Progressive = was/were making | Progressive = am/is/are making | Progressive = will be making |
| Perfect = had made | Perfect = has/have made | Perfect = will have made |
| Perfect Progressive = had been making | Perfect Progressive = has/have been making | Perfect Progressive = will have been making |
Each of these aspects is controlled, or affected, by time markers (also called time expressions or signal words). These are some examples of time markers which are commonly used:
| PAST | PRESENT | FUTURE |
|---|---|---|
| Simple = yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week/month/year, a few minutes/two hours/five years ago | Simple = rarely, sometimes, regularly, always, every week/day/time/year, usually | Simple = tonight, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, later, next week/month/year, in 2005, for the next 2 years/days/months |
| Progressive = while, when, as, at that time/moment | Progressive = now, right now, at present, today, these days, nowadays, currently, presently | Progressive = in 2005, for the next 2 years/days/months |
| Perfect / Perfect Progressive = before, after, by the time, already | Perfect / Perfect Progressive =since, for, already, yet, just, so far, until now, several/four/many times | Perfect / Perfect Progressive = by (a future point in time), by this time next year |
Verb tense errors occur when students do not correctly match tense with time expressions and when they cause inappropriate verb tense shifts.
Incorrect: We are living there last year.
Correct: We were living there last year.
Incorrect: She raised her hand and gives the wrong answer.
Correct: She raised her hand and gave the wrong answer.
Practice 1 - Recognizing verb tense errors in sentences
Practice 2 - Recognizing verb tense errors in paragraphs
STEP 3: LEARNING MORE
For more information on verb tense, follow these links:
http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa122197.htm
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/linkingverb.htm
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/sequence.htm
http://www.lingolex.com/simplepast/allverbs.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs1.htm