The English Tense System - by Viv Quarry
(www.vivquarry.com)
The English tense system has three ASPECTS - Simple, Continuous and Perfect.
SIMPLE TENSES usually indicate that a state is PERMANENT or HABITUAL.
CONTINUOUS TENSES refer to performance on one specific occasion and indicate that an ACTIVITY is TEMPORARY. Continuous tenses can also show DURATION, REPETITION, INTERRUPTION or that an activity is INCOMPLETE.
PERFECT TENSES form a LINK BETWEEN THE PAST & THE PRESENT or between the PRESENT & THE FUTURE.
Perfect tenses are very common in spoken English, and usually talk about LIFE EXPERIENCE, UNFINISHED SITUATIONS and PAST EVENTS RELEVANT NOW.
The English Tense system also has two VOICES - ACTIVE AND PASSIVE.
Fill in this chart with the various tense forms of the verb 'to work'.
The ACTIVE VOICE.
TENSE |
Simple |
Continuous |
The Present |
She works |
|
The Past |
||
The Future (Will) |
||
The Present Perfect |
||
The Past Perfect |
||
The Future Perfect |
Now fill in the missing words in this text:
Continuous tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb ___________ + the __'______'___ form, which is also known as the present participle. Perfect tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb ___________ + the ___________ ___________ .
The PASSIVE VOICE.
Look at this sentence.
Renata speaks English very well.
Renata is the SUBJECT of the sentence, and English is the OBJECT of the sentence. This sentence is Active. THE FOCUS OF THE SENTENCE IS ON THE SUBJECT (the person or AGENT).
Now look at this sentence.
English is spoken all over the world.
In this sentence the OBJECT OF AN ACTIVE SENTENCE becomes the focus or SUBJECT.
The PASSIVE VOICE is more common in FORMAL WRITTEN ENGLISH.
Normally in passive sentences, The AGENT (person) is NOT STATED. This may be because they are:
UNKNOWN Eg. 'My car was stolen yesterday'. (We don't know who did it)
UNIMPORTANT Eg. 'The building was built in 1980'. (We aren't interested in who built it)
OBVIOUS Eg. 'He was arrested at 5pm today'. (Only the police can arrest people)
If it is necessary to mention the agent then BY is used. Eg. 'This book was written by my uncle'.
Now fill in the chart with the various passive tense forms for the verb 'to mend'.
TENSE |
Simple |
Continuous |
The Present |
It is mended |
|
The Past |
||
The Future (Will) |
NOT POSSIBLE |
|
The Present Perfect |
NOT POSSIBLE |
|
The Past Perfect |
NOT POSSIBLE |
|
The Future Perfect |
NOT POSSIBLE |
Now fill in the missing words in this text:
Passive tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb ___________ + the ___________ ___________ .