1. VERB TENSE

2. Definition of Tense
TENSE indicates the time of action or state of being indicated by the verb.
English has 6 tenses
3 basic tenses
3 perfect tense
Each tense also has progressive form
Each tense is used to express time in a specific way

3. Three Basic Tenses
Past
Present
Future

4. Basic tenses - Why do I use them?
Present: an action or state of being that is occurring right now at the present AND
to show a habitual action or state of being
I walk to school every day.
to state a general truth
Two plus two equals four.
to summarize literary action.
In Chapter 3, Nick meets Gatsby.
to express basic future time
School ends in June.
Past: an action or state of being that occurred at a definite point in the past AND did not continue into the present.
Future: an action or state of being that will occur; usually formed with helping verb will or shall + the base form.

5. Basic Tenses: How do I use them?
Person
Present (Base)
Past
Future
1st person singular: I
walk
walked
will walk
2nd person singular: you
3rd person singular: he, she, or it
walks
1st person plural: we
2nd person plural: you
3rd person plural: they

6. Three Perfect Tenses Past Present Future Past Perfect Present Perfect
Future Perfect

7. Perfect tenses - Why do I use them?
Present perfect: expresses an action or state of being that occurred at an indefinite time in the past OR an action that began in the past and continues into the present.
formed: have/has + past participle
She has visited New York several times.
I have walked to school since freshman year.
Past perfect: expresses an action or a state of being that ended BEFORE another past action.
formed: had + past participle
Mr. Smith had driven a taxi before he became a teacher.
Future perfect: expresses an action or state of being that will end before another future action
formed: will or shall + have/has + past participle.
By the time you receive this postcard, I will have returned home from my vacation.

8. How do I form perfect tenses?
Person
Present Perfect
Past Perfect
Future Perfect
1st person singular: I
have walked
had walked
will have walked
2nd person singular: you
3rd person singular: he, she, or it
has walked
1st person plural: we
2nd person plural: you
3rd person plural: they

9. Remember in Slide #2, I referred to a progressive form?
The progressive form is used to express continuing action or state of being
Walk ==> walking (present participle)
present progressive: am/are/is + present participle
past progressive: was/were + present participle
future progressive: will/shall + be + present participle
present perfect progressive: have/has + been + present participle
past perfect progressive: had + been + present participle
future perfect progressive: will/shall + have/has + been + present participle

10. Consistency of Tense Do not change tense unnecessarily.
When describing events that occur at the same time, use verbs in the same tense.
When describing events that occur at different times, use verbs in different tenses to help indicate the sequence of events.

11. What about these helping verbs (called modals)?
CAN and COULD --> indicate ability to do something
MAY --> expresses permission or possibility
MIGHT --> also expresses possibility, but less likely than MAY
MUST --> indicates a requirement or an explanation
OUGHT --> expresses an obligation or likelihood
SHOULD --> indicates a recommendation, an obligation, or a possibility
WOULD --> expresses the conditional form of a verb;
used with IF
future time
a repeated action in the past
an invitation or offer
a polite request