Transcript Formation

Verb Tenses
Forms of Verb Tenses
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Simple present
Present progressive
Simple past
Past progressive
Present perfect
Present perfect progressive
Past perfect
Past perfect progressive
Future
Future progressive
Future perfect
Future perfect progressive
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Uses of Verb Tenses
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Use tense shifts or time signals to indicate
the tense
Use the correct tense according to the
context
Use different verb tenses for different
meanings but be consistent
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Simple Present
Use
now
Examples
To express habitual actions or a Everyone reports early for work.
condition that is true at any time The campus is quiet during the
vacation.
To express general truths
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The sun sets in the west.
Simple Present
now
Use
Examples
To report what is in print e.g.
academic writing.
In her article, Vicky claims that
renewable energies are viable
alternatives in the long run.
Formation
1. Base form of the verb.
2. Add -s or -es for third person singular.
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Present Progressive
now
Use
Examples
To express that an action or
activity that is currently
happening or is still happening.
The student is preparing for her
final year project.
To express that an action is
happening at present and is
temporary.
The trainees are undergoing
training now.
To express that an action is
already in progress at a
specified point of time in the
present.
At 8:30am, most of the
employees are working at their
desktops.
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Present Progressive
Formation
am/ is/ are + present participle (-ing).
I am writing an academic essay for this module.
They are doing some research on nanotechnology.
He is preparing the lab set up for the next class.
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Simple Past
now
Use
Examples
To indicate that an action took
place at a specific time in the
past.
The students did this project last
semester.
To indicate that an action
occurred in the past and is no
longer true in the present
He majored in engineering in
NUS.
Formation:
Regular verbs: base form + d/-ed
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Past Progressive
now
Use
Examples
To express that an activity was
in progress at a specific point in
time in the past.
The professor was lecturing
when the alarm went off.
To show that an activity lasted
for a period of time in the past
(emphasis on the duration).
The auditors were checking the
accounts while the assets were
being tagged.
Formation
was/ were + present participle (-ing)
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Present Perfect
now
Use
Examples
To express an action or state
that began in the past and
continues to the present.
The twins have worked in the
same company for four years
now.
To show that an event occurred
in the past although the exact
time is not specified or
important.
They have already completed
their calculation.
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Present Perfect
Use
now
Examples
To express an action or state
The mathematician has just
has happened in the very recent proven a complicated theory.
past.
To indicate that an event has
occurred more than once in the
past (specific times are not
given or important).
Formation:
has/ have + past participle
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The students have approached
their tutor several times for
assistance.
Past Perfect
now
Use
Examples
To indicate an event that was
completed by a definite time or
before another action was
completed in the past.
By the time the rescue team
arrived at the scene, the waters
had reached 1.5 metres.
Nobody had dreamt that cloning
was possible in the 1900s.
Formation:
had + past participle
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Past Perfect Progressive
now
Use
Examples
To stress the duration of an
activity that was completed
before another action or time in
the past.
The students had been
struggling with the problem for
an hour before they found a
solution.
Formation:
had + been + present participle (-ing)
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Future
now
Use
Examples
To express an action, event or state They will complete their assignment
that will occur in the future.
tonight.
Formation:
will + base form (no -s or -es)
See Lane and Lange
(1999) p. 14 for
examples.
Note:
Future time can also be expressed in
• am/is/are + going to + base form
• simple progressive or present progressive
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Future Progressive
now
Use
Examples
To express an action that will
occur over a duration at some
specific point in the future.
The final year students will be
doing their internship overseas
for the month of December.
To emphasize the duration of an The professor will be going on
action in the future.
sabbatical during the long
vacation.
Formation:
will + be + present participle
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Future Perfect
now
Use
Examples
To indicate that an activity will
be completed before another
event or time in the future.
The postgraduate students will
have finished their thesis by the
end of this semester.
The experts will have
discovered the cause of the
explosion in a week’s time.
Formation:
will + have + past participle
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Future Perfect Progressive
now
Use
Examples
To indicate that an activity has
been in progress for a period of
time before another event or
time in the future.
By March next year, the
engineers will have been
working on the project for three
years.
Formation:
will + have + present participle
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Sources
Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly: An
Editing Guide (2nd ed.). USA: Heinle and Heinle
Publishers. Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006).
Writing Academic English (4th ed.). New York:
Pearson Education, 3-25.
Raimes, A. (2006). Grammar Troublespots: A Guide
for Student Writers (3rd ed.). New York: Cambridge
University Press, 41-45.
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