Grammar Tenses: Two-Word Verb Forms versus One-Word Verb Forms Prof. Myrna Monllor English 112

One Word Verb Forms The Simple Present Tense and the Simple Past Tense only have one word forms when you use them in the affirmative.

Simple Present Tense Is used for situations that happen every day or habitually For example: I drink coffee every morning. We visit our grandmother every month. He studies for English class every day. She calls her boyfriend often.

Notice that when the subject refers to he, she, or it you need to add S or ES to the verb. She walks 3 miles every morning. He chats all night. She washes the dishes. The program begins at 9:00. It starts at 9:00.

To form the negative of a verb in the simple present tense, you will use the auxiliary verbs do and does. You use don’t when the subject of the sentence is I, we, you, or they. You use doesn’t when the subject of the sentence is he, she, or it.

For example: She doesn’t like to clean her room. It doesn’t begin early. We don’t work every day. They don’t eat junk food. I don’t like vegetables. Notice that the verb appears in its simplest form when you use don’t or doesn’t.

To form a question using the present tense, you will also use do or does at the beginning of the question. Do you come to class every day? Does she cook? Notice that 1.Again the verb is in the basic form 2.Does is used with the subjects he, she, it

Exception The Verb Be The verb BE is the exception to all the rules, you do not use do or does to form the negative or the question form. I am young. I am not young. Am I young? You are pretty. You aren’t pretty. Are you pretty? She is lovely. She isn’t lovely. Is she lovely?

Simple Past Tense Is used to show actions that have already finished. I took a test. She drove to the university. We worked hard.

To form the negative of a verb in the past tense, you need to use the auxiliary verb did. She didn’t drive to work. We didn’t watch TV. Notice that when you form the negative, the main verb is in the base or simplest form.

To form the question in the past tense, you need to use did as the auxiliary verb. Again the main verb will be in its simplest or base form. Did you work yesterday? Did the professor come to class? Did she wash the car?

Group Exercise: One-Word Verbs Where did you study high school? How do you get to the university every day? What courses does your professor teach? Where did you buy your clothes? Where does your best friend live? What do your parents do for a living?

Two-Word Verb Forms The following tenses are composed of two verb forms Present progressive Past Progressive Present Perfect Past Perfect Simple Future

It is easy to write negatives and questions with verbs composed of two verb forms because the first verb is always the auxiliary or helping verb. You do NOT need to add anything to the verb form.

Progressive or Continuous BE + -ing Present Progressive Am + -ing form Is Are She is singing. 1 2 Past Progressive Was + -ing form Were They were singing. 1 2

Perfect Tenses Have + past participle Present Perfect Have/Has + past participle They have left. 1 2 She has finished. 1 2 Past Perfect Had + past participle We had finished at 3: He had seen her before. 1 2

Simple Future will + base form of verb She will go to the party. 1 2

You are not swimming./ Are you swimming? He was not singing./ Was he singing? She has not eaten./ Has she eaten yet? They had not arrived./Had they arrived? We will not leave./ Will we leave?

Group Exercise Two-Word Verbs What are you studying? Where have you worked? What were you doing last night? How many courses are you taking at USC? What clothes have you bought recently? What job position would you like to have in the future? What courses will you take next semester?

Exercise 2 Change to negative and to question. 1.She will buy a new dress. 2.William has visited his family every week. 3.They would prefer to travel another day. 4.We were eating at the cafeteria. 5.They had finished all their work.

Exercise 3 1. Where would you like to go for an internship? 2. Where have you traveled? 3. What has been your best experience in life? 4. What will you do the next summer? 5. In what room are you taking English 112?