Tenses

[kertasputih 1]

Many students have problems with tenses. Most of them do not have even the faintest idea how to use them. So, I would like to share note on tenses with all of my dear friends.

As Perfect tenses are the most troublesome, I may start with them. The word perfect refers to an action that is perfected or completed .

The action could have been completed in the present, past or future. Hence, we have Present, Past and Future Perfect Tense.

i) The Present Perfect Tense and The Simple Past Tense

The Present Perfect tense is used for actions that have already taken place but their effects are still felt up to the present moment. Look at the sentence below:

He is working in the company for fiffteen years and is still working there.

The sentence above is wrong because the present continuous tense verb--> is working has been used instead of the present perfect tense verb--> has worked. Has worked will tell one that he started work in the company some time in the past and is still working there. The correct way to write the sentences is:

He has worked in this company for fiffteen years and is still working there.

Now, look at the following sentences:

I have done my work last night.

My mother has ironed my clothes just now.

I have repaired the torchlight yesterday.

Using the present perfect tense in the three sentences aboves makes them wrong. When one wants to write or talk about when someone did some thing, the simple past tense has to be used. The sentences should be written as:

I did my work last night.

My mother ironed my clothes just now.

I repaired the torchlight yesterday.

So, have you seen the differences between the Present Perfect Tense and the Simple Past Tense?

ii) The Future Perfect Tense and The Simple Future Tense

-She will wash the clothes by tomorrow.

The use of the simple future tense verb--> will wash in the first sentence is wrong. We are not interested in when she will start washing the clothes. We are only interested when she will finish washing them. So, the correct tense to use here is the future perfect tense which tells us when a certain action will be completed in the future.

The correct way to write the sentence is:

She will have washed the clothes by tomorrow.

Another examples are:

1)I will write the letter tonight (simple future tense)

I will have written the letter by 10.00 pm. (Future Perfect Tense)

2) My mother will cook the crabs this evening (simple future tense)

My mother will have cooked dinner by then.(Future Perfect Tense)

iii)The Past Perfect Tense

You just go ahead. I had eaten just now.

Just leave me out. I had seen the film last night.

Both of the sentences are wrong because the use of the past perfect tense verb--> had eaten and had seen.

The simple past tense is more appropriate for them. For the first sentence, ate or have eaten can be used correctly.

For the second sentence, saw or have seen would be correct.

Many students do not know that the past perfect tense can be used ONLY for the first of two past actions. With reference to the two sentences above, it would be correct to say:

You just go ahead. I had eaten before I came here.

Just leave me out. I had seen the film last night before you asked me.

The second circumstances under which the past perfect tense can be used is when we are writing about a past action in Indirect or Reported Speech. Look at the examples below:

-He said that his father had gone to Canada.

(Indirect Speech for : He said, "My father went to Canada")

The third circumstances under which the Past Perfect Tense may be used is for Impossible Conditions. Look at the example below:

If you had gone to the stadium, you would have seen the famous film star.

The used of the past perfect tense in the above sentences means that you did not go to the stadium and you did not see the famous film star. Furthermore, since the whole thing has already taken place, it is impossible to change anything. This is why the Past Perfect Tense used in this manner is sometimes called the Past Impossible Tense.

Another example is:

If the teacher had spoken more loudly, we would have heard him.

The used of the past perfect tense in the above sentence on the other hand means that the teacher did not speak loudly and they did not hear his speech. Since everything has already taken place, it is impossible to change anything.

Last but not least, I hope all of you will find this note helpful!

p/s:I'm not excel in English either.Do correct me if I were wrong.

[Hmir 0]

Very useful note indeed..So,congrats!!!

[LanoV 22]

I still remember when my teacher ask me about what is a different between past tense and present tense. I can't answer her question and as a result, I am standing on the chair. That was 20++ years ago.....

[Slvrchair 0]

good stuff...keep them posted

very good notes, i think a lot of people can benefit from this notes

p/s: my teacher (Teacher Misza) said, "once you dream about talking/speaking or even discuss in english then you are really into english"....and it happen to me a week before my spm 1998...hehehe

[kasyfi 0]

good stuff...keep them posted

very good notes, i think a lot of people can benefit from this notes

p/s: my teacher (Teacher Misza) said, "once you dream about talking/speaking or even discuss in english then you are really into english"....and it happen to me a week before my spm 1998...hehehe

hey, my teacher( madam Azrina) said so too..

and it happens to me almost in every dream I have.. though I think I really need even more improvement to be a native English speaker.... not really good at speaking..but I just loved English..

[kertasputih 1]

Here are some general mistakes in the use of tense :

1)The Present Tenses

-Every day she is going to school

-He counts his money noe

-My mother goes out and has not come back.

The three sentences above are all wrong because all of them have been written with the wrong tense.

The first sentence shows habitual action that takes place in the present. So, the simple present tense verb goes should be used. The sentence should be written as:

-Every day she goes to school.

The second sentence shows an action that is still taking place at the time of writing or speaking. So, the present continous tense verb, is counting, should be used. The sentence should be written as:

-He is counting his money now.

As for third sentence, the perfect tense verb, has gone should be used to show that an action was completed in the past and its effect is still felt up to the present moment. So, the sentence should have been written as:

-My mother has gone out and has not come back.

[kasyfi 0]

good notes..

keep posting up more ....

let others know, we share our knowledge with all...

[abedahmatusin 0]

I still remember when my teacher ask me about what is a different between past tense and present tense. I can't answer her question and as a result, I am standing on the chair. That was 20++ years ago.....

my teacher (Teacher Misza) said, "once you dream about talking/speaking or even discuss in english then you are really into english"....

hey, my teacher( madam Azrina) said so too..

When i was a little girl in school, my English language teacher, Mrs Llavsniakova said this...a few times...

"Be fluent orrr be dhettt!! I dhhon't tollerrrate vviklings in hierr klaazzz..!!"

(Be fluent or be dead!! I dont tolerate weaklings in this class!!)

She then died about 2 months after. Goddd i was so happy !!

She wasnt fluent...dhuhhh.... (cause of death )

Cik Bedah

Temerloh

[polyfuze_4336 0]

When i was a little girl in school, my English language teacher, Mrs Llavsniakova said this...a few times...

"Be fluent orrr be dhettt!! I dhhon't tollerrrate vviklings in hierr klaazzz..!!"

(Be fluent or be dead!! I dont tolerate weaklings in this class!!)

She then died about 2 months after. Goddd i was so happy !!

She wasnt fluent...dhuhhh.... (cause of death )

Cik Bedah

Temerloh

now that's funny.

[dragonaga 0]

p/s:I'm not excel in English either.Do correct me if I were wrong.

thanks for the explanation about tenses. it's very useful indeed.

but I would like to highlight your last remark which I quoted above.

Is it supposed to be like this? > "I'm not excel in English neither. Do correct me if I was wrong.

I'm a little bit doubt to say that I'm correct so could anyone who is more expert in English give some explanation for these matter.

Edited March 14, 2007 by dragonaga

[o0rked 0]

i have problems with my grammar.

i'm a bit c0nfuse on when to use have, has and had.

do c0rrect me if i'm wr0ng :

~ HAVE is use on plural nouns such as we,they and also I.

~ HAS is use on singular nouns, he,she.

but what about HAD? Do we use it when we 'dah buat sesuatu'?

i'm also confuse on when to add S in my sentences.

~ A dog barks

~ Dogs bark

am i right?

# keep up the g0od work hijaulaut!

Edited March 15, 2007 by o0rked

[dragonaga 0]

i have problems with my grammar.

i'm a bit c0nfuse on when to use have, has and had.

do c0rrect me if i'm wr0ng :

~ HAVE is use on plural nouns such as we,they and also I.

~ HAS is use on singular nouns, he,she.

yes, you are right. 'Have' and 'has' are used in Present Perfect Tense.

For example : Ali has eaten.

but what about HAD? Do we use it when we 'dah buat sesuatu'?

HAD is used in Past Perfect Tense.

For example : Ali had eaten.

To distinguish between Present Perfect and Past Perfect, I recommend this site for your reading; http://modena.intergate.ca/personal/gslj/p...#PRESENTPERFECT

i'm also confuse on when to add S in my sentences.

~ A dog barks

~ Dogs bark

am i right?

# keep up the g0od work hijaulaut!

yes, you are right.

A dog (a singular because just one dog) barks (because the noun is a singular so the verb that is 'bark' needs to be added with 's' ).

Dogs (a plural because 's' mentioning more than one dog) bark (because the noun is a plural so the verb does not need to be added with 's').

Need to be reminded that the both sentences above is in the simple present tense.

p/s If there is any mistake, I apologize in advance.

Edited March 16, 2007 by dragonaga

[kertasputih 1]

Is it supposed to be like this? > "I'm not excel in English neither. Do correct me if I was wrong.

either (adverb,with negative) used to indicate a similarity or link with a statement just made.

neither is used to introduce a further negative statement

The use of neither with another negative, as in--> don't like him neither or not much much good at reading neither is recorded from the 16th century onwards, but it is not thought to be good English.

This is because it is an example of a double negative which though standard in some other languages such as Spanish and found in many dialects of English, is not acceptable in standard English.

So, in the two sentences either should be used instead.

Based on this explanation, i concluded that either is the suitable word in the sentence I'm not excel in English either.

about the sentence--->

Do correct me if I were wrong I am not sure how to explain it but you may refer to this notes:-

If I am a millionaire, I will help all the poor in my town. (wrong)

If I were a millionaire, I would help all the poor in my town. (correct)

It is unlikely that you will become a millionaire and help all the poor in your town. In the sentences showing unlikely conditions, all the verbs-to-be (am,is,are) in the if clause must be replaced with were. The verbs in the other part of the sentence should be accompanied by modals which show unlikelihood such as would, might, could, etc.

hijaulaut_08,

p.s:Double negative used to express a single negative, such as I don't know nothing (rather than I know anything), is incorrect. The rule dictate that the two negative elements cancel each other to give an affirmative statement, so that I don't know nothing would be intrepreted as I know something..

In practice this sort of double negative is widespread in dialect and other non-standard usage and rarely gives rise to confusion as to the intended meaning.

Edited March 19, 2007 by hijaulaut_08

[hairulfadly 27]

For more information, you guys can refer this tutorial about tenses. It really help us : ( it's rights ?)

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

Edited July 29, 2007 by hairulfadly