English verb system

ENGLISH VERB SYSTEM

Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, PhD
TESL PROGRAM
University of Malaya
14 February 2011

verbs

main aux

dynamic/ static/state
action of being be, do, have,
modals

cognition, perception, Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program
emotion, relation Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011

TENSE

TIME ASPECT

PAST SIMPLE

FUTURE PERFECT

PRESENT
CONTINUOUS

RUBRICO, Jessie Grace/PBET 1103 2011

TIME

FUTURE
PRESENT

PAST
Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb 2011

ASPECT

SIMPLE

CONTINUOUS

PERFECT

PERFECT CONTINUOUS


TENSES IN ENGLISH

TIME
ASPECT PAST PRESENT FUTURE

SIMPLE Simple Past Simple Pres Simple Fut
CONTINUOUS Past Cont Pres Cont Future Cont
PERFECT Past Perf Pres Perf Future Perf
PERFECT Past Perfect Pres Perf Future Perf
CONTINUOUS Continuous Continuous Contunuous

Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, PhD
Source: Master, P. (1996), p.48. TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL

Inflections of verbs

Ø
-s
SUFFIXES -ing
-ed
-en

Inflection: number (Subj-V agr); tense

Simple Tenses
•SIMPLE PRESENT
•SIMPLE PAST
•SIMPLE FUTURE


Simple Present Tense
Usage
• habitual action; recurring action

Structure: Verbbase -S
-Ø

> adverbs of frequency: often, always, frequently,
usually, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, etc.

Simple FutureTense
 Usage: action/states in a future time

 Structure will + Verbbase
be going to

Simple Pres + future time expression:
We leave for Kelantan tomorrow.

Will or Be going to?
Making prediction
• will : for general prediction
> It will rain tomorrow
• be going to: linking prediction to present
circumstance
> They are going to find it difficult to get
tickets to Manila.

Will or Be going to?
Making decisions
• will: in the process of making
> When will you get the ticket?

• be going to: decisions are already made
> I’m going to drive up North tomorrow.


Simple Past Tense
 Usage: actions that happened in the past that
has no connection to the present

 Structure: Verbbase -ed (regular)
-irregular

Subject-Verb Agr > NIL, except for BE


Present Continuous Tense

• STRUCTURE:
– BE {am, is, are} + Verb-ing

• USAGE: ongoing actions


Past Continuous Tense
• STRUCTURE:
- BE {was, were} + Verb-ing

USAGE: V1 was happening when
V2 happened

V2 > simple past: reference time

We came to Malaysia on 27 June 2009. Our
friend was waiting for us when our plane
touched down at KLIA. It was raining when we
arrived but the sun was still up at 7PM. We were
hungry, so we went to a restaurant near the
Hilton. While we were ordering, our friend called
my boss to let him know that we were here. As
we were leaving the restaurant, we saw a friend
in a taxi but he did not see us. We were going
back to the Hilton when we met another friend
and we went for coffee.

Notes: PCT
PCT is generally NOT used in English
unless there are TWO verbs present:

 PAST CONTINUOUS
 SIMPLE PAST - reference time


Future Continuous Tense
• STRUCTURE:
WILL
BE { is, am, are} going to + be Verb-ing

• USAGE: X will be happening when
Y takes place


Kevin is very excited because next year he is going to be
working for the Peace Corps in Sudan. The plan is as
follows: When he arrives, he will be living in Khartoum for
a short while until he becomes accustomed to the life and
culture of this desert nation. After two weeks, he will be
moving into a house with other volunteers in a village
near Juba. There they will be helping the local population
to learn new techniques of growing cotton. He will also be
teaching an English class in the village school because he
has an MA degree in teaching English. Later he will be
training young adults to work in a food processing plant.
Of course, while he is there he will be learning Arabic. It
will be a difficult assignment, but he knows that he and
his colleagues are going to be experiencing a completely
different culture, and he knows the rewards will be
tremendous. (Source: Master, 1996; p65).

PERFECT TENSES : completed action
• Present Perfect: Action is completed vis-à-vis
the present. > I have read it.

• Past Perfect: Action is completed vis-à-vis the
past. > I had read it.

• Future Perfect: Action is completed vis-à-vis
the future. > I will have read it.

Present Perfect Tense

 Structure : {has/have} + Verben

• actions that occurred sometime in the past
but have relevance in the present

• Verben - past participle of the verb


USAGE -
1. To talk about experiences.

• Examples
I have been to Spain.
She has never visited us.
Have you ever tried crabs?

• never and ever -often used with the Present
Perfect Tense to talk about experiences.

2. To talk about an action which started in the
past and continues up to now.

 Examples
I have been a teacher for more than ten years.
We haven't seen the President since Friday.
How long have you been in UM?

• since and for
- express how long the action has lasted.

3. To talk about a past action that has
an effect in the present.

Examples
• I have lost my card.
> I don't have it now.
• June has gone to London.
> She isn't here now.


Present Perfect & Past Simple tenses
Past Simple tense - definite finished time in the
past. For example: yesterday, last week, when I
was abroad, then, after etc.

• Examples
I finished college twenty years ago.
Where did they first meet?
I didn't study Mandarin then.

Present Perfect tense - time references that
refer to the time up to now.

For example: today, this week, this month,
ever, never, already, recently, yet, etc.

• Examples
I haven't seen Tom today.
Have you ever smoked a cigar?
I have never been abroad.

Dr. Jessie Grace U. Rubrico, TESL Program Universiti Malaya KL/feb2011

Past Perfect Tense

 Structure: had + Verben

 Usage: X had happened
before Y happened


When the professor finally showed up, the students had
waited for more than twenty minutes. He apologized and
told them that he had misplaced his watch. He asked one
of the students for the time, but the student replied that he
had misplaced his watch, too. Another student announced
that she had seen Big Ben the summer before if that was
any help. By the time the students had really settled down,
it was almost a quarter to four. The professor proceeded to
ask the students some questions which he had prepared for
them. When he had finished, he asked them to turn in a
composition which he had assigned two weeks earlier. After
he had given them another assignment for the week, he
dismissed the class right on time. Most of the students were
used to this because they had the same professor the
previous semester.
Source: Master, P. (1996), p.73.

Future Perfect Tense
 Structure:
will have + Verben

 Usage: V1 will have happened
before V2 happens


Going to a Conference in Japan
By the time they get to Tokyo, the doctors will have flown for
more than 14 hours. They will have crossed six thousand miles of
ocean and have eaten at least four meals. They will not have
taken a shower since they left Chicago, so they are bound to
make their presence known. Hopefully, before they attend the
conference, they will have had time to bathe, to rest, and to
recover from jetlag. They will also have met the hosts and will no
doubt have introduced themselves to the other members of the
international panel, which is the highlight of the conference and
their principal reason for coming to Japan. The leader of this
group says that, when it is over, this will have been the third
conference he has participated in this year, although it is the first
one at which he will have presented a paper. The Japanese hosts
say that, at the conclusion of this meeting, it will have been the
second conference in as many years that has taken place in
Tokyo, and they hope to host many more such meetings in the
future. (Master, 1996; p. 76)

PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSES

 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS


PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 STRUCTURE
have {has, have} + been + Verb-ing

 USAGE :
X began happening and
has continued until NOW


Examples: Present Perfect Continuous

• They have been waiting at the Café for
over an hour.
• I have been working here for two years.
• She has not been reporting to work since
Monday.
• Peter and Nona have been quarreling
over money lately.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense
 STRUCTURE
had been + Verb-ing

 USAGE
X (past perfect continuous) started
happening and continued to happen
before Y happened (simple past)

Examples: Past Perfect Continuous
• Joni and John had been discussing the
problem for three hours before Cindy arrived.
• They failed PBET 1103 because they had not
been attending class.
• The customers had been waiting for three
months before their orders were finally
shipped.


Future Perfect Continuous Tense

 STRUCTURE: will have been + Verb-ing

 USAGE:
X will continue to happen until
Y happens at a particular future time


Examples: Future Perfect Cont
• When you get to Kelantan, you will have
been driving for over five hours.

• By the time we finish the semester, we shall
have been meeting continuously for 14 weeks.

• If the runner finishes within the next five
minutes, he will have been running for 2
hours.

References
• Carter, R. Hughes, R. & McCarthy, M. 2002
(2007, 8th printing). Exploring Grammar in
Context. NY: Cambridge University Press.

• Master, P. 1996. Systems in English Grammar:
An Introduction for Language Teachers. NJ:
Prentice Hall Regents.

English verb system

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