1. Tenses
A distinction of form in a verb to express distinctions of
time or duration of the action or state it denotes.
2. The simple present tense is used to describe habits, unchanging situations,
general truths, and fixed arrangements. The formula is as follows:
Subject + V1 (Main verb) + Object
Simple Present
Here are some examples for using simple present:
I smoke (habit); I study at Darma Agung(unchanging
situation); Medan is a big 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
Note: In the third person singular the verb always ends in -s: he wants, she needs, he gives,
she thinks.
3. Verbs ending in -y : the third person
changes the -y to -ies:
fly --> flies, cry --> cries
Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
play --> plays, pray --> prays
Add -es to verbs ending in:-ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes
4. The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that
happened in the past. In other words, it started in the past and ended in
the past. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant
past and action duration is not important.
Here is the formula for simple past:
Subject + V2 (Past Verb) + Object
Simple Past
Examples:
I talked to him in two days ago.
Doggy, my pet, died last year.
We lived in Medan in 2021.
Margareth and I bought a bar of soap yesterday.
5. Simple past always be used
to mention when something
happened, so it is associated
with certain past time
expressions
Frequency (often, sometimes,
always, etc):
I sometimes walked home at
lunchtime.
A definite point in time (last week,
when I was a child, yesterday, six
weeks ago, etc):
We saw a good film last week.
An indefinite point in time: the other
day, ages ago, a long time ago:
She played the piano when she was a
child.
Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing
the distance into the past. It is placed after the
period of time: a week ago, three years ago, a
minute ago.
6.
7. The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or
certainty. It is generally marks the event described by the verb as not
having happened yet, but expected to happen in the future.
The formula is as follows:
Subject + Will/shall + V1 (Main Verb) + Object
Simple Future
Examples:
I will talk to him tommorow.
Doggy will walk at the park this afternoon.
We will live in Medan in 2023.
Margareth and I will buy a bar of soap next week.
8. 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.
In the negative form, to express
unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
With I in the interrogative form using
"shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
Note: In modern English will is preferred to shall.
Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an
offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice
9. The simple future is used:
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?
Note: In modern English will is preferred to shall.
Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an
offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice
10.
11. I WILL BUY TWO HOUSES NEXT
YEAR
I am GOING TO BUY TWO HOUSES
NEXT YEAR
SHE is GOING TO BUY TWO HOUSES
NEXT YEAR
WE are GOING TO BUY TWO
HOUSES NEXT YEAR
12. 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.
Here is the formula:
Subject + Have/Has + V3 (Past Participle) + Object
Present Perfect
Examples:
I have talked to him.
Doggy has walked in the park with me.
We have lived in Medan since 2021.
Margareth and I have bought the soap.
13. The present perfect is used
to express:
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.
Note: When we want to give or ask details about
when, where, who, we use the simple past.
14. The present perfect is used
to express:
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)
Note: When we want to give or ask details about
when, where, who, we use the simple past.
15.
16. Exercise
1. She (writes/write) a poem on her paper.
2. They didn’t (come/came) visit me here yesterday.
3. My friends and I (come/will come) tommorow.
4. Our lecturer (has/have) not taught us about the course.
5. Before taking a shower, I rarely do not (brushed/brush) my teeth.
6. Tupac, the artist who (is/was) killed by robbers (is/was) a great rapper in 1999.
7. Russia (had/have/has) declared war against Ukrine.
8. In 2021, the scientist (invent/invented) some vaccines for COVID-19.
9. The cloud is so dark, it (will/will not) rain soon.
10. Amazon River (was/is) the longest river in America continent, it (flows/flow) to
the Pacific Ocean.
Choose the correct word:
