Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke Wacky World of Verb Tenses Or, why does english need to be so complicated? This presentation will describe:  why it is really easy to make verb tense mistakes  why simple definite verb tenses are the best to use  what specific situations require more complicated tenses  how you can recognize and fix verb tense shift mistakes

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke Why tense mistakes are common There are LOTS of verb tenses in english  twelve “simple” verb tenses  three additional “conditional” tenses  even more specialized tenses (infinitives, etc)  different tense forms (depending on who’s counting)  even MORE ways to use verbs (adverbs, linking verbs, etc) As a result, there are literally HUNDREDS of ways to use verbs incorrectly in english writing

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke therefore why make things more complicated than they need to be? REDUCE the chances of making a verb tense mistake by sticking to SIMPLE tenses  easier to edit  easier to read and understand  harder to make mistakes

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke Common tenses are best We generally talk about one thing at a time Each of these things generally are definitely happening, have definitely happened, or will definitely happen Therefore, this covers MOST ALL situations:  it happened, it was happening (past definite)  it happens, it is happening (present definite)  it will happen, it will be happening (future definite)

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke why make things complicated ? SIX basic “definite” verb tenses cover MOST ALL situations  it happened (occurred in past, complete)  it was happening (occurred in past, maybe still going on)  it happens (occurs now, isolated event)  it is happening (occurs now, ongoing event)  it will happen (occurs in future, isolated event)  it will be happening (occurs in future, ongoing event) If you want to be really clear, then stick to using just THESE SIX DEFINITE TENSES !

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke simple tense rules are easy ! Simple present: “I run to you.” Progressive present: “I am running to you.” Simple past: “I ran to you.” Progressive past: “I was running to you.” Simple future: “I will run to you.” Progressive future: “I will be running to you.” To use these tenses correctly, just decide if the thing is complete or still going on (still progressing)

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke When to use complicated tenses Situation ONE: perfect tenses You are talking about more than one occurrence in a single sentence  must indicate the order of the occurrences  “perfect tense” makes order of occurrence perfectly clear Example:  I began to feel fit, so I began to exercise. (what happens first?)  I had begun to feel fit, so I began to exercise.

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke perfect tenses -- definition They’re called “perfect” because they make the order of occurrences PERFECTLY clear This is pretty intuitive:  I exercised, so I felt tired But this is sometimes easier to understand:  I had exercised, so I felt tired And sometimes the info is counterintuitive:  I had been feeling tired, so I exercised. (I felt tired, so I exercised.)

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke perfect tenses -- the forms there are SIX forms, and some can be confusing  it had begun (occurred in past, complete)  it had been beginning (occurred in past, maybe still going on)  it has begun (occurs now, isolated event)  I have begun (doing it now, isolated event)  it has been beginning (occurs now, ongoing event)  I have been beginning (doing it now, ongoing event)  it will have begun (occurs in future, isolated event)  it will have been beginning (occurs in future, ongoing event) If you MUST talk about two actions in one sentence, then perfect tenses can help make the order of occurrences clear

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke perfect tenses -- examples using perfect tenses can be tricky -- they require THINKING  I had begun to run, so I began to get fit  I had been beginning to run, so I was beginning to get fit  I have begun to run, so I am beginning to get fit  I have been beginning to run, so I have begun to get fit  I will be beginning to run, so I will have begun to get fit  I will have been beginning to run, so I will begin to get fit In general, stick to SIMPLE DEFINITE PERFECT tenses if you must use them at all -- perfect progressive can be sticky

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke When to use complicated tenses Situation TWO: conditional tenses You are talking about an occurrence that is not definite -- it might be real but might not, or might be entirely hypothetical  must indicate that the occurrence is conditional  “conditional tense” makes this uncertainty clear Example:  I study, therefore my grade is high  I should study, because my grade could be higher

Copyright 2012 by Art Fricke conditional tenses -- the forms Use “could”, “would”, “should”, or “might” modifiers before the verb  it should have happened (should have occurred in past, did not)  it might have happened (might have occurred in past, maybe did)  it would be happening (could have occurred now)  it could be happening (could have occurred now)  it should happen (should occur in future, might not)  it might happen (might occur in future, perhaps won’t)