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Tense SystemPrepared by:BUN Willy

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©2017 BUNWILLY

I. Past Tense

1. Past Simple:

Past tense expresses an action or situation that was

started and finished in the past. The past tense is used:

- to talk about the past,

- to talk about hypothesis-things that are

imagined rather than time,

- and for politeness.

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I. Past Tense

Uses:

• Things that happened once in the past. For examples:– I met my husband in 2015.

– We went to KomPong Soum on our holiday.

• Something that was true sometime in the past.– I lived in KomPong Spour ten years ago.

– She played regularly tennis when she was young.

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I. Past Tense

• Something that happened again and again in the past.– When I was 10, I walked a mile to school everyday.

– We swam a lot while we were on holiday.

• We often use phrase with “ago” in the past form,– I met my friend for a long time ago.

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I. Past Tense

Form:

• Positive: [S+ Past Verb+ Obj]– Tom lived in LA when he was a baby.

– He worked 12 hours a day when he was 20.

• Negative: We use “did + not” to make negative with past

tense: For examples:– They didn’t go to Spain last year.

– We didn’t get home until late night.

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I. Past Tense

• Question: we use “did” to form question: For

examples:– Did you live abroad in 2005?

– Who discovered Penicillin?

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I. Past Tense

2. Past Continuous:

The past continuous is a form of past tense of

“be” with “–ing” form of the verb.

Form:

[ S+ was/were+ verb-ing+ obj]

[ Was/Were+ S+ verb-ing+?]

[ S+ was/were+ not+ verb-ing]

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I. Past Tense

Uses:

• For something which interrupted anther action in the

past. – When I got home, the children were doing their homework.

• It’s also used to begin a story.– Last week as I was driving to work. It happened that…

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I. Past Tense

• For something that happened before and after a

particular time: – It was eight o’clock; I was writing a letter.

Compare:

– At eight o’clock, I wrote some letters.

• To show something that happening again and again– I was practicing everyday, three time a day.

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I. Past Tense

3. Past Perfect

Use:

• When we talk about something that happened before

something else in the past.– Mary rang John at 8:15 yesterday, but he had already left

home.

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I. Past Tense

3. Past Perfect

Compare:

– James had cooked breakfast when we got up.

– James cooked breakfast when we got up.

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I. Past Tense

4. Past Perfect Continuous [Englishpage.com]

Uses:

• Duration Before Something in the Past– They had been talking for over an hour before Tony

arrived.

– She had been working at that company for three years

when it went out of business.

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I. Past Tense

4. Past Perfect Continuous [Englishpage.com]

Uses:

• Cause of Something in the Past– Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

– Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

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I. Past Tense

4. Past Perfect Continuous [Englishpage.com]

Compare:

• Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous– He was tired because he was exercising so hard.

– He was tired because he had been exercising so hard.

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II. Present Tense

1. Present Simple [Englishpage.com]

Uses:

• Repeated Actions– I play football.

– She does not play tennis..

• Facts or Generalizations– California is not in the United Kingdom.

– Windows are made of glass.

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II. Present Tense

1. Present Simple [Englishpage.com]

Uses:

• Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)– She is not here now.

– He needs help right now.

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II. Present Tense

2. Present Continuous [M. Parrott (2000). Grammar for English Language

Teachers, page190]

Uses:

• Temporary events and actions:– Sssh, she is sleeping.

– Attention please! We are doing presentation.

• Changing and development states– Global temperature are increasing rapidly.

– Kids are growing so fast.

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II. Present Tense

• Irritating Actions– They’re forever asking me to visit them.

– She’s always asking questions.

• Near Future– I am not going to the party tonight.

– Is he visiting his parents next week.

• Thing happening now.– We’re studying Core English.

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II. Present Tense

3. Present Perfect Simple [M. Parrott (2000). Grammar for English

Language Teachers, page239]

Uses:

• Recently finished actions or Completed result.– I’ve already painted the wall blue.

• Something has done several times in the past and

continue to do [LearningEnglish]

– I’ve played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.

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II. Present Tense

3. Present Perfect Simple [M. Parrott (2000). Grammar for English

Language Teachers, page239]

Uses:

• After the (first, second, etc.) time– Is this the first time she has flown?

• Talk about experience up to the present [LearningEnglish]

– I’ve known about inspection for weeks

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II. Present Tense

4. Present Perfect Continuous [M. Parrott (2000). Grammar for English

Language Teachers, page237]

Uses:

• State verb (Like and want)– I’ve been wanting to have an opportunity to talk to you.

• It can refer to an action that has not finished. [English Grammar

Secret]

– I’ve been using the swimming pool since we moved into the

district.

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II. Present Tense

4. Present Perfect Continuous [M. Parrott (2000). Grammar for

English Language Teachers, page239]

Uses:

• We can use it to refer to an action that has finished

but you can still see evidence. – Oh, the kitchen is a mess. Who has been cooking?

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III. Future Tense [ Srin ChhengHouy]

1. Future Simple

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and

"be going to.”

Uses:

• "Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something

voluntarily.– I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.

– Will you make dinner?

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III. Future Tense

1. Future SimpleUses:

• "Will" to Express a Promise– I will call you when I arrive.

– I promise I will not tell him about the surprise party.

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III. Future Tense

1. Future SimpleUses:

• "Be going to" to express a Plan. It expresses the idea that

a person intends to do something in the future, and does

not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

– Michelle is going to begin medical school next year.

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III. Future Tense

1. Future SimpleUses:

• "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction.– The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.

– The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.

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III. Future Tense

2. Future Continuous

Future Continuous has two different forms: "will

be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike Simple

Future forms, Future Continuous forms are usually

interchangeable.

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III. Future Tense

2. Future Continuous

Uses:

• Interrupted Action in the Future– I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.

– I will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.

Notice: you cannot use future tenses in time clauses.

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III. Future Tense

2. Future ContinuousUses:

• Specific Time as an Interruption in the Future– Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be eating dinner.

– At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the

desert.

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III. Future Tense

2. Future ContinuousUses:

• Parallel Actions in the Future– I am going to be studying and he is going to be making

dinner.

– Tonight, they will be eating dinner, discussing their plans,

and having a good time.

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III. Future Tense

3. Future Perfect

Uses: [Englishpage.com]

• Completed Action Before Something in the Future– I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.

– By next November, I will have received my promotion.

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III. Future Tense

3. Future Perfect Uses: [Englishpage.com]

• Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-

Continuous Verbs)– I will have been in London for six months by the time I leave.

– By Monday, Susan is going to have had my book for a week.

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III. Future Tense

3. Future Perfect Continuous

Uses: [Englishpage.com]

• to show that something will continue up until a

particular event or time in the future (How long.) – They will have been talking for over an hour by the time

Thomas arrives.

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III. Future Tense

3. Future Perfect Continuous

Uses: [Englishpage.com]

• Cause of Something in the Future– Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have

been jogging for over an hour.

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Reference List

1. Englishpage.com: http://

www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfectcontinuous.html

2. Englishpage.com: http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureperfect.html

3. Englishpage.com: http://

www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentcontinuous.html

4. Englishpage.com: http://

www.englishpage.com/verbpage/simplepresent.html

5. Englishpage.com: http://

www.englishpage.com/verbpage/pastperfectcontinuous.html

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Reference List

6. Martine Parrott (2000). Grammar for English Language Teachers: The

Present, page 188. United Kingdom, University Press, Cambridge.

7. Martine Parrott (2000). Grammar for English Language Teachers: The

Present Perfect, page 235. United Kingdom, University Press, Cambridge.

8. LearnEnglish: (Present Perfect): https://

learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/present-tense/present-perfect

9. English Grammar Secret: Present Perfect Continuous: (

https://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/presentperfectcontinuous/menu.php

)