TENSES

Azura Ameira
Fajriana Nurul Subhi
Shara Rosa Camelia

Biologi A 2016

STATE UNIVERSITY OF JAKARTA

 Simple Present Tense
The simple present tense is one of several forms of present
tense in English. It is used to describe habits, unchanging situations,
general truths, and fixed arrangements. The simple present tense is
simple to form. Just use the base form of the verb: (I take, you take,
we take, they take) The 3rd person singular takes an -s at the end.
(he takes, she takes)
THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE IS USED:
• To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging
situations, emotions and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation); London is a
large city (general truth)
• To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
• To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00
• To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when,
before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.
Formula of Simple Present Tense :

(+) : S + V1 + s/es + Object

(-) : S + do/does + not +V1 + Object

Examples :
• For habits
He drinks tea at breakfast.
• For repeated actions or events
We catch the bus every morning.
• For general truths
Water freezes at zero degrees.
• For instructions or directions
You take the No.6 bus to Watney and then the No.10 to
Bedford.
• For fixed arrangements
His mother arrives tomorrow.
• With future constructions
We'll give it to her when she arrives.
 Present Continuos Tense
It is used to express a continued or ongoing action at present time. It expresses an
action which is in progress at the time of speaking. For example, a person says, “I am writing
a letter”. It means that he is in the process of writing a letter right now. Such actions which
are happening at time of speaking are expressed by present continuoustense.
Present Continuous tense is also called Present progressive tense.
•
Rules. Auxiliary verb “am or is or are” is used in sentence. 1st form of verb or base verb + ing
(present participle) is used as main verb in sentence.

THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS IS USED:

• to describe an action that is going on at this moment: You are using the Internet. You are
studying English grammar.
• to describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend: Are you still
working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian.
• to describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or
prepared: We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are they
visiting you next winter?
• to describe a temporary event or situation: He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass
guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the moment.
• with "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasise a continuing series of repeated
actions: Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly complaining about your mother-
in-law!
Formula of Present Continuos Tense
• Positive Sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb-ing (Present
participle) + object
• Subject + am/is/are + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing)
+ object
Example : They are reading their lessons.

• Negative Sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb-ing (Present
participle) + object
• Subject + am/is/are + not + (1st form of verb + ing) +
object
Example : They are not reading their lessons.

• Interrogative Sentences
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + main verb-ing (Present
participle) + object
• Am/is/are + Subject + (1st form of verb or base verb +
ing) + object
Example : Are they reading their lessons?
 Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect is used to indicate a link between the
present and the past. The time of the action is before now but not
specified, and we are often more interested in the result than in the
action itself.
THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED TO DESCRIBE
• An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the
present. I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
• An action performed during a period that has not yet
finished. She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the
week isn't over yet.)
• A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and
now. We have visited Portugal several times.
• An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by
'just'. I have just finished my work.
• An action when the time is not important. He has read 'War and
Peace'. (= the result of his reading is important)
Formula of Present Perfect Tense
• Positive Tense :
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + Subject
• Subject + has/have + 3rd form of verb or past participle +
subject
Examples : I have eaten meal
John has left for home.
• Negative Sentence
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb (past participle) +
Subject
• Subject + has/have + NOT + 3rd form of verb or past
participle + subject
Examples : I have not eaten meal.
John has not left for home
• .Interrogative Sentences
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + main verb (past participle) +
Subject
• Has/have + Subject + 3rd form of verb or past participle +
subject
Examples : Have I eaten meal?
Has John left for home?
 Present Perfect Continuos Tense
The present perfect continuous is used to refer to an unspecified
time between 'before now' and 'now'. The speaker is thinking about
something that started but perhaps did not finish in that period of time.
He/she is interested in the process as well as the result, and this process may
still be going on, or may have just finished.
• THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOS TENSE IS USED TO
DESCRIBE :

• ACTIONS THAT STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUE IN THE

PRESENT
She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting now).
I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= and I still
haven't finished it).
They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not home yet).

• ACTIONS THAT HAVE JUST FINISHED, BUT WE ARE INTERESTED IN

THE RESULTS
She has been cooking since last night (= and the food on the table looks delicious).
It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).
Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them have gone).
Formula of Present Perfect Continuos Tense :
• Positive Sentence.
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (Present participle)
+ Object + Time reference
• Subject + has been/have been + (1st form of verb or
base verb + ing) + object + time reference
Example : I have been studying since 3 O’clock

• Negative Sentence.
• Subject +”Not” between the Auxiliary verb + main verb
(present participle) + Object + Time reference
• Subject + has not been/have not been + (1st form of
verb or base verb + ing) + object + time reference
Example : I have not been studying since 3 O’clock.

• Interrogative Sentence.
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb
(present participle) + object + time reference
• Has/have + Subject + been + (1st form of verb or base
verb+ing) + object + time reference
Example : Have I been studying since 3 O’clock?
 Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense, sometimes called the preterite, is used to talk about
a completed action in a time before now. The simple past is the basic form of past
tense in English. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant
past and action duration is not important.

THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE IS USED TO DESCRIBE :

• frequency: often, sometimes, always
I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.

• a definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
We saw a good film last week.
Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work atseven o'clock
I went to the theatre last night

• an indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago People lived in
caves a long time ago.
She played the piano when she was a child.
Formula of Simple Past Tense :
• Positive Sentence
• Subject + main verb (past simple) + object
• Subject + 2nd form of verb (past simple) + object
Examples : I killed a snake
She wrote a letter to him.

• Negative sentences
• Subject + (auxiliary verb + not) main verb (base form) +
object
• Subject + did not + 1st form of verb or base form +
object
Examples : I did not kill a snake
She did not write a letter to him.

• Interrogative sentences
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (base verb) + object
• Did + subject + 1st form of verb (or base verb) + object
Examples : Did she write a letter to him?
 Past Continuos Tense
The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now,
which began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking. In other
words, it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action in the past.

THE PAST CONTINUOS TENSE IS USED TO DESCRIBE :

• Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e.g. "The
sun was shining and the birds were singing as the elephant came out of the jungle.
The other animals were relaxing in the shade of the trees, but the elephant moved
very quickly. She was looking for her baby, and she didn't notice the hunter
who was watching her through his binoculars. When the shot rang out, she was
running towards the river..."
• to describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by another event or action,
e.g. "I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang."
• to express a change of mind: e.g. "I was going to spend the day at the beach but
I've decided to get my homework done instead."
• with 'wonder', to make a very polite request: e.g. "I was wondering if you could
baby-sit for me tonight."
Formula of Past Continuos Tense
• Positive sentences
• Subject + auxiliary verb + Main Verb (present participle) +
object
• Subject + was/were + (1st form of verb or base verb +ing)
+object
Examples : She was crying yesterday.
You waiting for him yesterday.
• Negative sentences
• Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + Main verb (present
participle) + object
• Subject + was/were + NOT + (1st form of verb or base verb
+ing) +object
Examples : She was not crying yesterday.
You were not waiting for him yesterday.
• Interrogative sentences
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb (present participle) +
object
• Was/were + Subject + (1st form of verb or base verb +ing)
+object
Examples : Was she crying yesterday?
Were you waiting for him yesterday?
 Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before
now. It is used to make it clear that one event happened
before another in the past. It does not matter which event is
mentioned first - the tense makes it clear which one
happened first.
Formula of Past Perfect Tense
• Positive sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) +
object
• Subject + had + 3rd form of verb or past participle +
object
Examples : A thief had stolen my watch.
The film had started before we reached cinema.
• Negative sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + main
verb (past participle) + object
•Subject + had + not + 3rd form of verb or
past participle + object
Examples : A thief had not stolen my watch.
The film had not started before we reached
cinema.

• Interrogative sentence
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (past
participle) + object
• Had + subject + 3rd form of verb or past
participle + object
Example : Had a thief stolen my watch?
Had the film started before we
reached cinema?
 Past Perfect Continuos Tense
The past perfect continuos corresponds to the present perfect continuous,
but with reference to a time earlier than 'before now'. As with the present
perfect continuous, we are more interested in the process.It is used to express a
continued or ongoing action that started in past and continued until sometime in
past. This form is also used in reported speech.
Formula of Past Perfect Tense
• Positive Sentence.
• Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (Present participle) + Object +
Time reference
• Subject + had been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object +
time reference
Example : I had been waiting for him for one hour.
• Negative Sentence.
• Subject +”Not” between the Auxiliary verbs + main verb (present participle)
+ Object + Time reference
• Subject + had not been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object +
time reference
Example : I had not been waiting for him for one hour.
• Interrogative Sentence.
• Auxiliary verb+ Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (present participle) +
object + time reference
• Had + Subject + been + (1st form of verb or base verb+ing) + object +
time reference
Example : Had I been waiting for him for one hour?
 Simple Future Tense
The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or
certainty. In this case there is no 'attitude'.
The simple future is used:
• To predict a future event:
It will rain tomorrow.
• With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
• To express willingness: I'll do the washing-up.
He'll carry your bag for you.
• In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
• With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
• With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
• With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money?
• With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
• With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?
Formula of Simple Future Tense
• Positive sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (present
participle) + object
•Subject + will + (1st form of verb or base form +ing)
+ object
Example : They will come here.
• Negative sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb+ not + main verb (present
participle) + object
• Subject + will +not + (1st form of verb or base form
+ing) + object
Example : They will not come here.
• Interrogative sentence
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (present
participle) + object
• Will + subject + (1st form of verb or base form +ing)
+ object
Example : Will they come here?
 Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When
we use this tense we are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking
back at an action that will be completed some time later than now. It is most
often used with a time expression.
Formula of Future Perfect Tense

• Positive sentence
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + object
• Subject + will have + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object
Example : You will have started a job.

• Negative sentence
• Subject + Not between auxiliary verbs + main verb (past participle) + object
• Subject + will not have + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object
Example : You will not have started a job.

• Interrogative sentence
• Auxiliary verb + Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + object
• Will + Subject +have + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object
Example : Will you have started a job?