TENSES AND EXERCISES

TENSES 

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The PRESENT TENSE uses the verb's base form (write, work), or, for third-person singular subjects, the base form plus an -s ending (he writes, she works).

The PRESENT TENSE indicates that an action is present, now, relative to the speaker or writer. Generally, it is used to describe actions that are factual or habitual -- things that occur in the present but that are not necessarily happening right now: "It rains a lot in Portland" is a kind of timeless statement. Compare that to the present progressive -- "It is raining in Portland" -- which means that something is, in fact, going on right now. "I use my bike to get around town." is in the present, but I'm not actually on my bike right now. An instantaneous sense of the present can be conveyed with either the simple present or the progressive: "Watch him now: he holds [is holding] down the control key at the same time that he presses [is pressing] the letter d."

The present tense is used to describe events that are scheduled (by nature or by people): "High tide is at 3:15 p.m. The Super Bowl starts at 6:15 p.m."

The present tense can be used to suggest the past with what is sometimes called the fictional (or historic) present: "We were watching the back door when, all of a sudden, in walks Dierdre." With verbs of communicating, the present tense can also suggest a past action: "Dierdre tells me that she took her brother to the dentist." Most oddly, the present tense can convey a sense of the future, especially with verbs such as arrive, come, and leave that suggest a kind of plan or schedule: "The train from Boston arrives this afternoon at two o'clock.

1.      he, she, it: in the third person singular the verb always ends in -s:
he wants, she needs, he gives, she thinks.

2.      Negative and question forms use DOES (=the third person of the auxiliary'DO') +the infinitive of the verb.
He wants. Does he want? He does not want.

3.      Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
fly  flies, cry  cries

Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
play  plays, pray  prays

4.      Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes

There are only two basic forms for the simple present tense; one ends with -s and the other doesn't. Here are the rules, using the example verb "sing":

Subject	Verb Form	Example
I	simple form	I sing
You	simple form	You sing
He	simple form + S	He sings
She	simple form + S	She sings
It	simple form + S	It sings
We	simple form	We sing
They	simple form	They sing

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

The simple past or past simple, sometimes called the preterite, is the basic form of the past tense in Modern English. It is used principally to describe events in the past, although it also has some other uses. Regular English verbs form the simple past in -ed; however there are a few hundred irregular verbs with different forms.

The term "simple" is used to distinguish the syntactical construction whose basic form uses the plain past tense alone, from other past tense constructions which use auxiliaries in combination with participles, such as the past perfect and past progressive.

The PAST TENSE indicates that an action is in the past relative to the speaker or writer.

when the time period has finished: "We went to Chicago last Christmas."

when the time period is definite: "We visited Mom last week."

with for, when the action is finished: "I worked with the FBI for two months."

Regular verbs use the verb's base form (scream, work) plus the -ed ending (screamed, worked). Irregular verbs alter their form in some other way (slept, drank, drove).

We make the past form of regular verbs‏‎ by adding -ed to the infinitive. There is no change for the third person singular‏‎:

{subject} + {past form}

I worked hard.

She walked to the supermarket.

They laughed at the joke

If the verb ends in a stressed vowel‏‎ + consonant then double the final consonant:

stop > stopped

tip > tipped

If the verb already ends in -e then just add the -d:

love > loved

pile > piled

If the verb ends in consonant + -y then take off the -y and add -ied:

pity > pitied

sully > sullied

SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

The FUTURE TENSE indicates that an action is in the future relative to the speaker or writer. There are no inflected forms for the future in English (nothing like those -ed or -s endings in the other tenses). Instead, the future tense employs the helping verbs will or shall with the base form of the verb:

• She will leave soon.
• We shall overcome.

The future is also formed with the use of a form of "go" plus the infinitive of the verb:

• He is going to faint.

FORM Will

[will + verb]

Examples:

·      You will help him later.

·      Will you help him later?

·      You will not help him later.

FORM Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]

Examples:

·      You are going to meet Jane tonight.

·      Are you going to meet Jane tonight?

·      You are not going to meet Jane tonight.

We use the future simple tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

• Hold on. I'll get a pen.
• We will see what we can do to help you.
• Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.

We often use the future simple tense with the verb to think before it:

• I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.
• I think I will have a holiday next year.
• I don't think I'll buy that car.

·         The structure of the future simple tense is:

subject	+	auxiliary verb WILL	+	main verb
		invariable		base
		will		V1

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

The PRESENT PERFECT TENSE is formed with a present tense form of "to have" plus the past participle of the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form). This tense indicates either that an action was completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the past or that the action extends to the present:

I have walked two miles already [but I'm still walking].

I have run the Boston Marathon [but that was some time ago].

The critics have praised the film Saving Private Ryan since it came out [and they continue to do so].

The choice between Present Perfect and Simple Past is often determined by the adverbial accompanying the verb. With adverbs referring to a period gone by, we would use the simple past:

I studied all night/yesterday/on Wednesday.

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a verb:

The present perfect continuous is formed with have/has been and the -ing form of the verb:

Use

We use the present perfect tense:

·         for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

Note: We normally use the present perfect continuous for this:

She has been living in Liverpool all her life.
It’s been raining for hours.

·          for something we have done several times in the past and continue to do:

I’ve played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
He has written three books and he is working on another one.
I’ve been watching that programme every week.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:

They’ve been staying with us since last week.
I have worked here since I left school.
I’ve been watching that programme every week since it started.

·         when we are talking about our experience up to the present:

Note: We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:

My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.

Note: and we use never for the negative form:

Have you ever met George?
Yes, but I’ve never met his wife.

·         for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of speaking:

I can’t get in the house. I’ve lost my keys.
Teresa isn’t at home. I think she has gone shopping.
I’m tired out. I’ve been working all day.

TUGAS

Exercises

1.   I spend my money

a)      I spent my money

b)      I will spend my money

c)       I have  spent my money

2.   They use that one 

a)      They used that one

b)      They will use that one

c)       They have used that one

3.   We study English together

a)      We studied English together

b)      We shall study English together

c)       We have studied English together

4.   They discuss their work

a)      They discussed  their work

b)      They  will discuss their work

c)       They have discussed  their work

5.  They have enough time

a)      They had  enough time

b)      They  will have enough time

c)       They have had  enough time

6.   I do all of the Jessons

a)      I did all of the Jessons

b)      I will do all of the jessons

c)       I have done  all of the Jessons

7.   He sits in that row

a)      He sat in that row

b)      He  will sit in that row

c)       He has sat in that row

8.   I drive my car

a)      I drove my car

b)      I will drive my car

c)       I had driven  my car

9.   She hides her money

a)      She hid her money

b)      She will hide her money

c)       She has hidden her money

10. We go to school

a)      We went to school

b)      We will go to school

c)       We have gone to  school

11.   He takes much time

a)      He took much time

b)      He will take much time

c)       He had taken much time

12.   Does he eat there?

a)      Did  he eat there?

b)      Will  he eat there?

c)       Has  he eaten  there?

13.   Do you enjoy that work?

a)      Did you enjoy that work?

b)      will you enjoy that work?

c)       have you enjoyed that work?

14.   Does he write many latters ?

a)      Did he write many latters ?

b)      Will  he write many latters ?

c)       has he written many latters ?

15.   Do you send many letters?

a)      Did you send  many letters?

b)      Will  you spend many letters?

c)       Have  you sent many letters?

16.   Do they explain everything?

a)      Did  they explain everything?

b)      Will  they explain everything?

c)       Have they explained everything?

17.   Does she attend that  class?

a)      Did she attend that  class?

b)      Will she attend that  class?

c)       Has  she attended that  class?

18.   Do you have enough time?

a)      Did you have enough time?

b)      Will  you have enough time?

c)       Have  you had enough time?

19.   Do they copy the sentences

a)      Did  they copy the sentences

b)      Will  they copy the sentences

c)       Have  they copied  the sentences

20.   Does she have much touble?

a)      Did  she have much touble?

b)      Will  she have much touble?

c)       Has she had much touble?

21.   Does she do good work?

a)      Did  she do good work?

b)      Will she do good work?

c)       Has  she done  good work?

22.   Do the students practice?

a)      Did  the students practice?

b)      Will  the students practice?

c)       Have the students practice?

23.   I don’t stay there?

a)      I didn’t stay there?

b)      I won’t  stay there?

c)       I haven’t  stayed  there?

24.   He doesn’t work hard

a)      He didn’t  work hard

b)      He won’t  work hard

c)       He hasn’t  worked  hard

25.   I don’t have any energy

a)      I didn’t  have any energy

b)      I won’t  have any energy

c)       I haven’t had any energy

26.   He doesn’t pay his bills

a)      He didn’t pay his bills

b)      He won’t  pay his bills

c)       He hasn’t  payed his bills

27.   We don’t see that fellow

a)      We didn’t see that fellow

b)      We won’t see that fellow

c)       We haven’t seen that fellow

28.   She doesn’t use this one

a)      She didn’t use this one

b)      She won’t use this one

c)       She hasn’t  used  this one

29.   They don’t remember it

a)      They didn’t  remember it

b)      They won’t remember it

c)       They haven’t remembered it

30.   I don’t do much work here

a)      I didn’t  do much work here

b)      I won’t do much work here

c)       I haven’t  done  much work here

31.   He doesn’t listen carefully

a)      He didn’t  listen carefully

b)      He won’t  listen carefully

c)       He hasn’t listened carefully

1.       Mr. Harris taught  English at this school for five years.

2.       I  writen three or four letters to that company.

3.       The students in this class done those two lessons already.

4.       I known professor moore for more than twelve years.

5.       Richard taken three courses in English at this school.

6.       These steps are dangerous. I fallen on them several times.

7.       Mr. Kramer been in the United States for three years.

8.       The janitor already shut the back door.

9.       The students read all the stories in that book.

10.   Marjorie choosen a pretty dress for the party.

11.   I spoken to my boss about the problem several times.

12.   That tree grown at least five feet since last year.

13.   Miss King spent over eighteen hundred dollars since May.

14.   Mr. and Mrs. Smith bought a new house in North Plains.

15.   The real estate agent sold the Smith’s house.

16.   Charless had a bad cold for a whole week.

17.   I’m sorry. I forgotten the name of that book.

18.   We already heard that new song several times.

19.   Mr. Wilson isn’t here. He gone out of town for the weekend.

20.   Mr. Kennedy worn his blue suit to the office only twice.

21.   I sat in this same seat since the first day of classes.

22.   The money isn’t in this drawer. Someone stolen it !

23.   Up to now, I understood every lesson in the book.

24.   We had absolutely no trouble with our car so far.

25.   No one found that girl’s purse and gloves yet.

26.   The weather been very warm ever since last Thursday.

27.   Mr. Anderson and Mr. Brown had lunch already.

28.   I seen the Empire State Building hundreds of time.

29.   We already spoken to thr director and given him the message.

30.   Grandmother never flown in an airplane before.

31.   You torn your shirt ! There’s a hole in the left sleeve.

32.   I already read the customer’s letter and written a reply to him.