Summary Of Verb Tenses 104o5r

SUMMARY OF ENGLISH VERB TENSES There are three basic tenses: present, past, and future. Each has a perfect form, indicating completed action; each has a progressive form, indicating ongoing action; and each has a perfect progressive form, indicating ongoing action that will be completed at some definite time. Here is a list of examples of these tenses and their definitions. Simple Forms

Progressive Forms

Perfect Forms

Present

take/s

am/is are taking have/has taken

Past Future

took will take

as/were taking will be taking

had taken will have taken

Perfect Progressive Form have/has been taking had been taking will have been taking

Simple Forms •

Present Tense Present tense expresses an unchanging, repeated, or reoccurring action or situation that only exists now. It can also represent a widespread truth.

Example The trees are tall. Every year, new students enroll at UNL. Pb is the chemical symbol for lead. •

Meaning Unchanging action Reoccurring action Widespread truth

Past Tense Past tense expresses an action or situation that was started and finished in the past. Most past tense verbs in –ed. The irregular verbs have special past tense forms which must be memorized.

Example The student revised her essay. She wrote a new draft. •

Form Regular –ed past Irregular form

Future Tense Future tense expresses an action or situation that will occur in the future.

The student will set an appointment at the WAC. The student is going to revise his essay.

This tense is formed by using will with the simple form of the verb. The future tense can also be expressed by

using am, is, or are, with going to. We can also use the present tense form with an adverb or adverbial phrase to show future time.

The student writes tomorrow.

•

Progressive Forms

Present Progressive Tense: A past action which was happening when another action occurred.

This tense is formed by The student is writing a new using am, is, or are with the draft of her essay. verb form ending in –ing.

Past Progressive Tense: A past action which was happening when another action occurred.

This tense is formed by using was or were with the verb form ending in –ing.

The student was explaining that she had difficulty with transitions.

An ongoing or continuous This tense is formed by action that will take place in using will be with the verb the future. form ending in –ing.

The student will be working on her essay in the WAC.

Future Progressive Tense:

•

Perfect Forms

Present Perfect Tense: *An action that happened at an indefinite time in the past.

This tense is formed by using has or have with the past participle of the verb. Most past participles end in *An action that began in the –ed. Irregular verbs have past and continues in the special past participles that present. must be memorized.

*The student has rewritten her draft since her visit to the WAC. *Writers have visited the WAC all semester long.

Past Perfect Tense: An action which took place in the past before another past action.

This tense is formed using had with the past participle of the verb.

By the time the student had revised her opening, she already had plans for the conclusion.

Future Perfect Tense: An action that will occur in This tense is formed using the future before some other will have with the past action. participle of the verb. •

By the student writes a new essay, she will have learned many new rhetorical skills.

Perfect Progressive Forms

Present Perfect Progressive: An action that began in the past, continues in the present, and may continue in the future.

This tense is formed by using has / have been and the present participle of the verb (the verb form ending in –ing).

He has been writing his essay in the WAC.

This tense is formed by using had been and the present perfect of the verb (the verb ending in –ing).

Before coming to the WAC, the student had been having difficulties getting started on his resume.

This tense is formed by using will have been and the present participle of the verb (the verb ending in –ing).

By the next time he starts an essay, he will have been thinking about the topic for some time.

Past Perfect Progressive: A past, ongoing action that was completed before some other past action. Future Perfect Progressive: A future, ongoing action that will occur before some specified future time.