This is Lesson 20 of our Basic English Series.
Parts of Speech 3.3 – Verbs –
The Six Basic Tenses of Verbs
A verb tense is a form of a verb that shows a time of action or a state of being. There are twelve (12) tenses of verbs. In this lesson, we will cover the six basic tenses. In another lesson, we will cover the other set of six. Let us take a closer look at them.
Present Tense –
The present tense shows an action presently or habitually happening, or a fact or general truth. We briefly covered this in Lesson 19.
Examples:
– The girl sings very well. (Current or ongoing action)
– The students play baseball every afternoon. (Habitual action)
– The simplest way is still the best way. (Generally accepted fact or truth)
Past Tense –
The past tense shows past action or a state or condition that occurred in the past. Regular verbs form their past tense by adding d or ed. Irregular verbs form their past tense in a different way as discussed in Lesson 19.
Note: If the regular verb ends in a consonant, we add ed to form the past tense. If it ends in letter e, we add d only.
Examples:
– The girl sang yesterday.
– The students played baseball last week.
– The simplest way was the best way and still is.
Future Tense –
The future tense shows that something will happen or will be done in the future. It is formed by combining the auxiliary verbs shall or will with the present tense form of the verb.
Examples:
– The girl will sing at the graduation next week.
– The students will play baseball against the parents tomorrow.
– The simplest way was the best way and will still be.
Here is another ELGR to remember in connection with the future tense of verbs.
ELGR29: In forming the future tense of a verb, use the auxiliary verbs shall or will with the present tense form of the verb. Use shall in the first person (I, we) and will in the second and third person (you, he/she, they).
Examples:
– I shall sing at the graduation next week.
– I shall see to it that the policy will be implemented.
– The students will play baseball against the parents tomorrow.
– The simplest way was the best way and will still be. (The third person referred to is the simplest way)
Note on ELGR29: It was noticed that the use of shall is no longer strictly applied. Most speakers seldom use shall in their conversations. It is not a violation.
Present Perfect Tense –
The present perfect tense denotes action that is completed at the time of speaking or writing. It may also indicate action that is continuing into the present. It is formed by combining the auxiliary have or has with the past participle of the verb.
Here is a rule to keep in mind regarding the use of the auxiliary verbs have and has.
ELGR30: In forming the perfect tenses, the auxiliary has is always used in the third person singular.
Examples:
– I have done everything I can to make things work for us. (I – First person singular)
– You have seen how the policy was implemented. (You – Second person singular)
– The students have played baseball against the parents. (Third person plural)
– She has just played that piece. (The third person singular)
– He has won multiple awards. (The third person singular)
Past Perfect Tense –
The past perfect tense denotes action that was completed before some definite time in the past. This is done by combining the auxiliary had with the past participle of the principal verb.
Examples:
– He had completed everything before he left.
– You had already seen how the policy was implemented before it was discontinued.
– The students had played the game before they were recalled.
– She had played that piece before you arrived.
– He had won multiple awards last year.
Future Perfect Tense –
The future perfect tense denotes action that will be completed at some definite time in the future. It is formed by combining the auxiliaries shall have or will have with the past participle of the principal verb. It is seldom used in informal speaking or writing.
Here is the rule to remember for the future perfect tense.
ELGR31: In forming the future perfect tense, the auxiliary shall have is used in the first person while the will have in the second and third persons.
Examples:
– By next week, I shall have completed everything.
– You will have completed all your requirements by then.
– The students will have played their 50th game by the end of the season.
– She will have played that piece before the awarding ceremony tomorrow.
– He will have won multiple awards when he retires next year.
You have just completed the six basic tenses of verbs. The other set of six are the progressive forms. But before we proceed, you need to be thoroughly acquainted with the verb to be. It is one of the essential part of mastering the English language. Carefully study and be familiar with it the way you learn and memorize the chemistry elements table and formulas. The next lesson will be focused on this important verb.
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