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TENSE CONSISTENCY

•Expressing Time through Tense


Uses of Tense in the Present Time
• The preset and the present progressive show
present actions and conditions as well as
various continuing actions or conditions.
FORMS EXPRESSING PRESENT TIME

Present He walks.

Present Progressive He is walking.


USES OF THE PRESENT
Present Action: There he goes.

Present Condition: The apples are rotten.

Regularly occurring My sister chews her nails.


action:
Regularly occurring They are never ready.
condition:
Constant action: The sun radiates energy.

Constant condition: Human blood is red.


USES OF PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Continuing Action: He is working on a novel.

Continuing Condition: The baby is being very


difficult this week.
Exercise A: Identifying the Uses of
Tense in Present Time.
1. I leave for school at 7:30 each
morning.
2. Gasoline is flammable liquid.
3. My friends and I race home from
school every afternoon.
4. The entire meal is delicious.
5. I hear a television in the other room.
Exercise A: Identifying the Uses of
Tense in Present Time.
6. My brother is doing his homework
now.
7. Gravity pulls all objects forward.
8. My father is building a stereo
cabinet.
9. He reads mostly biographies.
10. My sister Judy generally travels to
work on the train.
Uses of Tense in the Past Time
• The six forms that express past time show
actions and conditions beginning in the past.
FORMS EXPRESSING PAST TIME
Past He walked.
Present Perfect He has walked.
Past Perfect He had walked.
Past Progressive He was walking.
Present Perfect Progressive He has been walking.
Past Perfect Progressive He had been walking.
USES OF THE PAST PERFECT
Action completed I had left before she did.
before another:
Completed Condition Ken had been healthy before
(indefinite time): he caught pneumonia.
Uses of the Progressive Forms that
Express Past Time
Continuous completed action:
Past Progressive He was working on a ranch
that summer.
Continuous completed
condition:
Mimi was being agreeable last
week.
Present Perfect Progressive Louisa has been reading
mysteries for a month now.

Past Perfect Progressive I had been sleeping when you


called.
Exercise B: Using Past, Present Perfect
and Past Perfect
1. Father (grew, has grown) tomatoes last year.
2. I (called, have called) her three times on
Tuesday.
3. Carol (has waited, had waited) an hour
before she left.
4. We (postponed, have postponed) our trip
yesterday.
5. Ken (rode, has ridden) the bus to work since
he moved.
Exercise B: Using Past, Present Perfect
and Past Perfect
6. Sue (visited, had visited) her sister at college
last week.
7. I (was, have been) terribly sleepy lately.
8. My sister (has arrived, had arrived) before I
did.
9. I (finished, have finished) my report at three
o’ clock.
10.He (has swum, had swum) across the river
before I started.
Forms Expressing Future Time
Future He will walk.

Future Perfect He will have walked.

Future Progressive He will be walking.

Future Perfect He will have been walking.


Progressive
Exercise C: Using Tenses in Future Time
1. My aunt (travel- future progressive) in Brazil for
a month.
2. The department store (open- future) in an hour.
3. By tomorrow, we (receive- future perfect) our
grades.
4. I (leave- future) for Toronto at noon.
5. When I return from Puerto Rico in August, I
(speak- future perfect progressive) Spanish for
two months.
Exercise C: Using Tenses in Future Time
6. Max (open- future progressive) a new store in
Phoenix sometime next year.
7. Before I leave, I (practice- future perfect) for an
hour.
8. They (polish- future perfect progressive) their
act for six months by the time they appear on
stage.
9. She (recover- future perfect) by the time we are
able to visit her next week.
10.I probably (see- future) you later tonight.

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