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1.

0 Introduction

Verb is a word or group of words that expresses on action, an event or a state. The
verb tense can be categorized according to time frame and aspect. To understand how
tense works in English, we first have to look at what tense and aspect are.
In some languages, verb tenses are not important or do not even exist. In
English, the concept of tense is very important. Tense is any of the forms of a verb that
may be used to show the time of the action or state expressed by the verb. (Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary, 2000). In other words, tense refers to time. English has
changing form for only two tenses, present and past (He jumps/He jumped. She
cooks/She cooked), but no future. The expression future tense is viewed as
inappropriate, since in English finite verb stems are not inflected to express future time.
In form, this is true, since to make a future tense, we must add a modal (will) or
periphrastic modal (be going to).
Aspect refers to the nature of the action described by the verb. Aspect is closely
related to tense but rather than indicating when something happened, it emphasizes that
the action happens once or repeatedly, is completed or still continuing. This is where the
terms progressive and perfect come in, to indicate whether an action is continuous,
habitual, repeated or completed.
In English, tense and aspect are closely connected, whereby, tenses can be used
by themselves as well as they are integrated with one or both aspects. Celce-Murcia &
Larsen-Freeman (1999) believe that the traditional 12 tenses are actually 12
combinations of tense and aspect. They are named by combining a tense with an aspect or

aspects, such as present perfect or past perfect progressive. The tense-aspect is illustrated
in the chart below.
Regular/Irregular Perfect

Progressive

Perfect

verb

Be + ing

Progressive

Have + en

Have + en
Present

Past

Future

cook/cooks

has/have

am/is/are

Be + ing
have been

eat / eats

cooked
has/have eaten

cooking
am/is/are

cooking
have been

cooked

had cooked

eating
was/were

eating
had been

ate

had eaten

cooking
was/were

cooking
had been eating

will cook

Will have

eating
will be cooking will have been

will eat

cooked
will have eaten will be eating

cooking
will have been
eating

Bache (1997) provides 16 tense-aspect forms in English. The 4 additional tense-aspect


forms are shown below:

Past Future

Past Future Perfect

would cook

would have cooked

would eat

Past Future

would have eaten

Past Future Perfect

Progressive
would be cooking

Progressive
would have been

would be eating

cooking
would have

been

eating
2.0 Forms of Tenses and Aspects
2.1 The Simple Tenses
The Simple Tenses express a fact or action at a given time as illustrated below:

SIMPLE

PAST

FUTURE

TENSE

(Adapted

from:

http://www.langservices.com/verb_tenses_made_visual.html)

2.1.1

The Simple Present


The Simple Present is used to express action that happens all the time, habitually,

in the past, present and future as well as statements that are always true. The Simple
Present remains in its base form with exception that the third person singular form, which
is made by adding s to the main verb.
Example: Sue cooks every Monday.

2.1.2

The Simple Past


The Simple Past is used to describe an action that occurs at a particular time in the

past. It began and ended in the past. The past tense is formed by adding ed to regular
verb and using its pass irregular form to irregular verb.
Example: It rained yesterday.
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I went there last week.

2.1.3

The Simple Future


The Simple Future is used to refer to actions that will take place at a particular

time in the future. The modal will is used to indicate an action to take place in the
future, since there is no future tense appears as a marking on the verb in English.
Example: They will meet us tomorrow.

2.1.4

The Past Future


The Past Future is used to tag on the past and then look ahead to a situation of

happening.
Like Simple Future, Past Future has 2 different forms in English, would and was going
to
Form:

would + verb

Example:

I said I would help him later.

Form:

was going to
was/were +

Example:

going to

+ verb

I knew Jack was going to meet her after lunch.

2.2 The Progressive Tenses


According to Azar, B. S. (1989), The Progressive Tenses refer to the idea that an
action is in progress during a particular time. The tenses say that an action begins before,
is in progress during, and continues after another time or action.

The Form:

be

present participle

(am,is,are) +

_ ing

(was.were)

_ing

FUTURE

Progressive
Tense

PAST

A Progressive Tense expresses duration or development at a given time.


(Adapted

from:

http://www.langservices.com/verb_tenses_made_visual.html)

2.2.1

The Present Progressive


The Present Progressive refers to an action that is in progress during a particular

time. It emphasizes the continuing nature of an action and has some connection to the
present.
Example:

2.2.2

He is sleeping now.

The Past Progressive


The Past Progressive is used to describe actions ongoing in the past. The actions

take place within a specific time frame and have no connection to the present. The

ongoing actions took place and were completed at some point before the time of speaking
or writing.
Example:

2.2.3

The cat was walking along the tree branch.

The Future Progressive


The Future Progressive refers to continuing actions that will occur in the future.

Example: Alan will be working on the computer system for the next two weeks.

2.2.4

The Past Future Progressive


The Past Future Progressive tags on the past, then look ahead to a posterior time

and finally look here at a simultaneously progressing situation of happening.


Form:

would be +

Example:

verb

ing (present participle)

I would be waiting for you when your plane arrived.

2.3 The Perfect Tenses


The Perfect Tenses give the idea that one thing happens before another time or event.
(Azar, B. S., 1989)

The Form: have

past participle
(en)

The Perfect Tense is formed with the verb have or has for third person singular and the
past participle (_en) for irregular verb but use the past tense form for regular verb.

P
E
R
F
E
C
T

PAST

S
I
M
P
L
E

FUTURE

A Perfect Tense expresses a fact or action at a time prior to that expressed by a simple
tense.
(Source:
http://www.langservices.com/verb_tenses_made_visual.html)

2.3.1

The Present Perfect


The Present Perfect describes an action that began in the past and continues into

the present or has just been completed at the moment of utterance. It suggests a past
action still has an effect in the present.
Example:

2.3.2

He has written two books this month.

The Past Perfect


The Past Perfect refers to actions that took place and were completed in the past.

It is used to emphasize that an action ended before another past action began.
Example:

2.3.3

When Siti arrived, Mr. White had closed the store.

The Future Perfect

The Future Perfect describes an action that will be completed sometime in the
future before another action takes place.
Example:

The surgeon will have operated on five patients before she attends a
luncheon meeting.

2.3.4

The Past Future Perfect


The Past Future Perfect tags on the past, then look ahead to a posterior time and

finally look back at a situation of happening.


Form: would have +

past participle

Example: I would have perfected my English by the time I came back from the U.S.

2.4 The Perfect Progressive Tenses


Azar, B.S.(1989) states that The Perfect Progressive Tenses express one event is
in progress immediately before, up to, until another time or event. It is to express the
duration of the first event.
The Form: have

+ been

+ _ing (present participle)

Perfect
Progressive

PAST

A Perfect Progressive Tense expresses duration or development

FUTURE

(Adapted

from:

http://www.langservices.com/verb_tenses_made_visual.html)

2.4.1

The Present Perfect Progressive


The Present Perfect Progressive is used to describe an action that has begun in the

past and continues into the present. It stresses the ongoing nature of that action.

Example:

The dog has been barking for three hours; I wonder if someone will call the
owner.

2.4.2

The Past Perfect Progressive


The Past Perfect Progressive indicates that a continuing action in the past began

before another past action began or interrupted the first action.


Example:

The children had been running in the garden for ten minutes before their
mother shooed them back inside.

2.4.3

The Future Perfect Progressive


The Future Perfect Progressive is used to indicate a continuing action that will be

completed at some specified time in the future.


Example:

I will have been studying for two hours by the time you arrive.

2.4.4

The Past Future Perfect Progressive


The Past Future Perfect Progressive tags on the past, then look ahead to a

posterior time, then look back at an anterior time and finally look at a situation of
happening progressing simultaneously with the posterior-anterior period.
Form:

would have been

+ verb

+ ing (present participle)

Example: I would have been waiting for 2 hours when the train finally arrived.

3.0 Meanings in the Tense Aspect System


Meaning is an essential element in facilitating learners dealing with the tenseaspect system in the English Language. It is an asset for the learners in learning to
manage with the difficulties in the tense-aspect system if the learners are capable of
building up a sense for the meanings suggested by components of the system. Thus, the
meanings of the tenses and aspects system will be dealt with comprehensively in the
following sections.

3.1 The Meanings of Tenses:


The tense systems are language precise and differ from one language to
another. Tenses are different in the manners that replicate temporal indication. In
English, it would be wrong to visualize that the Past Tense reveals absolutely to incidents
in the past time, that there is a Present Tense to refer solely to occasions in the present
time and a Future Tense to refer exclusively to events in the future time. The following is
a discussion of the meanings of the 3 tenses in English, namely the Present, Past and
Future Tenses.

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3.1.1

Meanings of the Present Tense

Meanings expressed by non-progressive Present

STATIVE AND DYNAMIC VERB


Determining whether a word is a stative verb or a dynamic verb can sometimes be
confusing. Martha Kolln offers help by suggesting the distinction lies with the idea of a
verb having either a willed or a nonwilled quality (Kolln 1994).

Stative verbs.
Stative verbs are those that do not describe an action but rather conditions or
situations. They express mental activities or observations. You cannot see the verb
happening with your eyes because it describes a mental state (action of the mind),
emotional state (feelings), possession, sense perception, or other existing states. These
verbs must be in the simple tense but never in the progressive:

Wrong

I am liking this food very much.

Right

I like this food very much.

Wrong

My sister is knowing my teacher.

Right

My sister knows my teacher.


Adapted from:
http://www.helsinki.fi/~mpalande/meaning_of_tense_and_aspect.html

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The only exceptions are the sense perception verbs when they describe an action rather
than a quality of something.

a. My mother is smelling the soup.


(I am describing my mother's action of putting her nose close to the
soup.)
b. My mother smells nice.
(I am describing my mother's condition. She has put some perfume on
and has a fragrant smell.)
Adapted from:
http://.www.answers.com/topic/grammatical-aspect

DYNAMIC VERBS
A verb forming the progressive tense is always an action, or dynamic, verb. Action verbs
possess the quality of change. For example, the following sentences contain action verbs
with the quality of change. Action verbs can form the progressive tense.

Simple Tense

Progressive Tense

I fish.

I am fishing.

She walks.

She is walking.

They ride.

They will be riding.


Adapted from:
http://www.englishonline.org.uk/adv2/verb2a1.htm

Present and timeless states

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Meanings of the Present stative verb can express timeless statements that is,
statements which apply to all time, including speech time. A "universal" verb is a verb
that is not related to time.
For example:
(i)

Fish live in water.

(ii) That car goes at 100mph

Repeated events in the present


A series of events which cover an unspecified time can be expressed by dynamic
verbs to show Present. Speech time it not necessarily included. However, such statements
are valid at speech time:
For example:
(i) He runs in the field.
(ii) Ali spends most of his time loitering.

Instantaneous events in the present


In certain situations the event coincides, or is presented as coinciding, with the
moment of speaking and without having any duration beyond speech time. The present is
used in such situations which are classified as specific types:
Performatives:
For example:
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I remind you that smoking is dangerous.


Exclamations with initial directional adverb:
For example:
Off they went!
Commentaries:
For example:
Salmah throws the ball and Siti hits the ball into the net!
Demonstrations:
For example:
I put the tea bag into the cup, add hot water and then stir gently.

Reference to past events


We have seen that we tend to use only stative verbs to describe the present with
the Present Simple. Other descriptions of the present are done with a different voice - the
Present Continuous. However, the Present Simple is used to describe the past. This is
usually done in two ways.
(a) Newspaper headlines
These usually use a Present Simple, mainly because the Simple is a compact form that
allows more words per headline.

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For example:
Prime Minister resigns.
Dog bites man.
(b) Relating incidents
Telling a part of a story in the present tense makes it seem more "real". A narrative
can move from past to Present Simple quite easily, especially in spoken English.
For example:
"So I went to the pub on Thursday, and there I saw Fred Bloggs. 'Hey Fred' I said 'didn't I
see you in here last night?' Well, Fred thinks about this for a minute, and then he says
'No, I didn't come here last night.' Then he said 'weren't you out of town last night?' I
realise that he is right - I was out of town. So I told him 'You are right. It must have been
two other people here in the pub."

Future actions.
We also use the Present Simple with the future, generally for actions which are
fixed in the future. This use is usually with an indication of time (a temporal indicator).
For example:
(i) "My holiday starts next week.
(ii) Next weekend is the end of the month.
Because of this, the Present Simple expression of the future is well suited to timetables.
For example:

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(i) The next train leaves at 7.54am.


(ii) Hurry up! The bus arrives in ten minutes - at 7.30.

Describing conditions.
The verb "to be" is a highly irregular verb. It is the only verb that never uses an
auxiliary (though it is sometimes itself an auxiliary). It is used only for identification and
description. When you find the verb "to be" in association with a noun, it is usually used
for identification.
For example:
(i) That man is a policeman.
(ii) You are my friend. He is not.
The verb "to be" is usually found in association with adjectives and adverbs.
For example:
(i) I am old.
(ii) It is usually found in association .
3.1.2

Meanings of the Past Tense

According Larsen- Freemen & Diane (1999) simple past tense states fact and events
that can be remote in time.
Meanwhile, Abdul Halim Ibrahim & Mariam Mohamed Nor(2006) says that past tense
explains remoteness or distancing from the moment of speaking, whether in time,
towards the past, or with regard to potential or hypothetical events which have not yet
occurred in the present or the future.

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The Past Simple Tense is used when:


1.
2.
3.
4.

The action happened in the past


The action/event is completed /finished at the time of speaking.
The time or/and place is stated or understood.
The length of the event/action is not important.

http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Past_Tense/Past_Simple_Tense.htm
How do we make the Simple Past Tense?
To make the simple past tense, we use:

past form only


or
auxiliary did + base form

Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and
regular verbs:
V1
base

V2
past

V3
past participle

regular
verb

work
explode
like

worked
exploded
liked

worked
exploded
liked

The past form for all


regular verbs ends in
-ed.

irregular
verb

go
see
sing

went
saw
sang

gone
seen
sung

The past form for


irregular verbs is
variable. You need to
learn it by heart.

You do not need the past


participle form to make the
simple past tense. It is shown
here for completeness only.

The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is:

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subject + main verb


past
The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb


did

base

The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is:

auxiliary verb + subject + main verb


did

base

The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he
did etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the
main verbs go and work:
subject

+
?

auxiliary verb

main verb

went

to school.

You

worked

very hard.

She

did

not go

with me.

We

did

not work

yesterday.

Did

you

go

to London?

Did

they

work

at home?

Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were,
he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and
question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these
examples:

subject

main verb

I, he/she/it

was

here.

You, we, they

were

in London.

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I, he/she/it

was

not there.

You, we, they

were

not happy.

Was

I, he/she/it

right?

Were

you, we, they

late?

http://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Past_Tense/Past_Simple_Tense.htm
How do we make the Simple Past Tense?
To make the simple past tense, we use:

past form only


or
auxiliary did + base form

Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and
regular verbs:
V1
base

V2
past

V3
past participle

regular
verb

work
explode
like

worked
exploded
liked

worked
exploded
liked

The past form for all


regular verbs ends in
-ed.

irregular
verb

go
see
sing

went
saw
sang

gone
seen
sung

The past form for


irregular verbs is
variable. You need to
learn it by heart.

You do not need the past


participle form to make the
simple past tense. It is shown
here for completeness only.

The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is:

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subject + main verb


past
The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb


did

base

The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is:

auxiliary verb + subject + main verb


did

base

The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he
did etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the
main verbs go and work:
subject

+
?

auxiliary verb

main verb

went

to school.

You

worked

very hard.

She

did

not go

with me.

We

did

not work

yesterday.

Did

you

go

to London?

Did

they

work

at home?

Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were,
he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and
question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these
examples:

subject

main verb

I, he/she/it

was

here.

You, we, they

were

in London.

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I, he/she/it

was

not there.

You, we, they

were

not happy.

Was

I, he/she/it

right?

Were

you, we, they

late?

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verb-tenses_past_s.htm
Definite events in the past
Non- progressive past tense is used to refer to a past event. Therefore, it contains
two semantic features which are to visualize the event as having occurred at some
specific time in the past and to show the event was completed in the past and a gap in
time separates its completion from the present.
Examples:
1. I went to supermarket yesterday.
2. David was born in Perak.

Secondly, there is a precise distinction in English between what can be expressed


by the past and what can be expressed by the Present Prefect. The meaning of specific
occurance, completed event and disconnectedness from present time are not normally
expressed by the Present perfect
Examples:
1. I have gone to supermarket yesterday.
2. David has been born in Perak.

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Thirdly, specific time such as yesterday and in 2002 combines well with the Past
but not with Perfect because it specifically signal the past moment in time explicitly.
1. Did you see that man coming down?
2. Did Kamal remember to buy the books?

The events referred to in these examples are situationally definite , the


definiteness of the event being in many cases confirmed by the definiteness of the
participants.
Next,the definiteness of the event expressed by the past does not require that the
time in question be specified, only that it is mentioned. For this reason some
unspecific adverbs such as once, when and conjunctions such as while and as soon as
can introduce past tense verbs.
Examples:
1. Latif knew a football from the KL club.
2. When did you learn Chinese?

3.1.3

Meanings of the Future Tense

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In English, there are many ways of talking about events in the future.
Many students find it difficult to decide which form to use in a particular
situation. This page explains the differences between four main forms which we
use when talking about future time.

Basic meanings of the four forms


Most students know that "will" and "going to" are used to talk about future time
in English. However, we also use the present progressive ("be" + ING) and the
present simple tense. Here are the basic rules:
Form

Meaning / Usage

Example

volunteering to do
something

Munir: I need a pencil.

deciding at the time of

Sarah: I'll lend you mine.

"Will"
speaking to do something
Munir: Have you
registered for the class
talking about something
"Going to"

yet?
that is already decided
Sarah: Not yet. I'm going
to register tomorrow.

Present

talking about something

Munir: Do you want to go

Continuous

that is already arranged

to the movies tonight?


Sarah: Sorry, I can't. I'm

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playing soccer.

Munir: What time does


talking about a schedule,
Present simple

the next bus leave?


timetable or program
Sarah: It leaves at six.

Predicting the future


When you are predicting what you think will happen in the future, you should
choose the form based on how certain you are. If you're not too sure, it's fine to
use "will", but if you're nearly certain about something, it's best to use "going
to":
I think it will rain.
(I'm not sure, but it looks like it might.)
It's going to rain.
(I'm sure it's going to rain -- I can see black clouds in the sky.)
http://www.learnenglishchamp.grt.edu/53%#.edu.ng.
FUTURE FORMS
Introduction

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There are a number of different ways of referring to the future in English. It is


important to remember that we are expressing more than simply the time of the action or
event. Obviously, any 'future' tense will always refer to a time 'later than now', but it may
also express our attitude to the future event.
All of the following ideas can be expressed using different tenses:
a. Simple prediction
b. Arrangements
c. Plans and intentions
d. Time-tabled events
e. Prediction based on present evidence
f. Willingness
g. An action in progress in the future
h. An action or event that is a matter of routine
i. Obligation
j. An action or event that will take place immediately or very soon
k. Projecting ourselves into the future and looking back at a completed action.
The example sentences below correspond to the ideas above:
a. There will be snow in many areas tomorrow.
b. I'm meeting Jim at the airport.
c. We're going to spend the summer abroad.
d. The plane takes off at 3 a.m.

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e. I think it's going to rain!


f. We'll give you a lift to the cinema.
g. This time next week I'll be sun-bathing.
h. You'll be seeing John in the office tomorrow, won't you?
i. You are to travel directly to London.
j. The train is about to leave.
k. A month from now he will have finished all his exams.
It is clear from these examples that several tenses are used to express the future. The
sections that follow show the form and function of each of these tenses.
SIMPLE FUTURE
Simple future, form
The 'simple' future is composed of two parts: will / shall + the infinitive without 'to'

Subject

will

infinitive without to

He

will

leave...

will

go

shall

go

They

will not

see

They

won't

see

she

ask?

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative
Will
Interrogative negative
26

Won't

she

take?

Contractions:
I will

I'll

You will

We will
you'll

He,she, will

You will

he'll, she'll

They will

we'll
you'll
they'll

NOTE: The form 'it will' is not normally shortened.


Example: to see, simple future

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

I'll see

I won't see/

Will I see?/

*I will/shall see

I shan't see

Shall I see?

You'll see

You won't see

Will you see?

He, she, it will see

He won't see

Will she see?

We'll see

We won't see/

Will we see?/

*We will/shall see

We shan't see

Shall we see?

You will see

You won't see

Will you see?

They'll see

They won't see

Will they see?

*NOTE: shall is slightly dated but can be used instead of will with I / we.

Form of the Simple Future Tense


The Simple Future is formed with will + the base form of the verb.
Affirmative short form

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I will > I'll >


You will > You'll >
He will > He'll >
She will > She'll > stay.
It will > It'll >
We will > We'll >
You will > You'll >
They will > They'll >
Negative short forms
I will not > I'll not > I won't >
You will not > You'll not > You won't >
He will not > He'll not > He won't >
She will not > She'll not > She won't > stay.
It will not > It'll not > It won't >
We will not > We'll not > We won't >
You will not > You'll not > You won't >
They will not > They'll not > They won't >

Notes on the form of the Simple Future Tense


1. Shall and will

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Will is used with all persons, but shall can be used as an alternative with I and we in pure
future reference.
Shall is usually avoided with you and I:

You and I will work in the same office.

2. Contractions
Shall weakens to /S@l/ in speech, but does not contract to 'll in writing. Will contracts to
'll in writing and in fluent, rapid speech after vowels (I'll, we'll, you'll, etc.) but 'll can
occur after consonants. So we might find 'll used: e.g.
- after names: Tom'll be here soon.
- after common nouns: The concert'll start in a minute.
- after question-words: When'll they arrive?
3. Negatives
Will not contracts to 'll not or won't; shall not contracts to shan't:

We won't or shan't go. (I/We will not or shall not go).

In American English shan't is rare and shall with a future reference is unusual.
4. Future Tense

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When we use will/shall for simple prediction, they combine with verbs to form tenses in
the ordinary way:

Simple Future: I will see

Future Progressive: I will be seeing

Future Perfect: I will have seen

Future Perfect Progressive: I will have been seeing

Uses of the 'will/shall' future


1. 'Will/shall' for prediction briefly compared with other uses
Will and shall can be used to predict events, for example, to say what we think will
happen, or to invite prediction:

Manchesster will win on Saturday.

It will rain tomorrow. Will house prices rise again next year?

I don't know if I shall see you next week.

This is sometimes called 'the pure future', and it should be distinguished from many
other uses of will and shall: e.g.

I'll buy you a bicycle for your birthday. [promise]

Will you hold the door open for me please? [request]

Shall I get your coat for you? [offer]


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Shall we go for a swim tomorrow? [suggestion]

Just wait - you'll regret this! [threat]


Though all the above examples point to future time, they are not 'predicting'; they

are 'coloured' by notions of willingness, etc. Will/shall have so many uses as modal verbs
that some grammarians insist that English does not have a pure future tense.
2. 'Will' in formal style for scheduled events
Will is used in preference to be going to when a formal style is required, particularly in
the written language:

The wedding will take place at St Andrew's on June 27th. The reception will be at
the Anchor Hotel.

3. 'Will/shall' to express hopes, expectations, etc.


The future is often used after verbs and verb phrases like assume, be afraid, be sure,
believe, doubt, expect, hope, suppose, think:

I hope she'll get the job she's applied for.

The Present with a future reference is possible after hope:

I hope she gets the job she's applied for.

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Lack of certainty, etc. can be conveyed by using will with adverbs like perhaps, possibly,
probably, surely:

Ask him again. Perhaps he'll change his mind.

Time adverbials with the 'will/shall' future tense


Some adverbials like tomorrow are used exclusively with future reference; others
like at 4 o'clock, before Friday, etc. are used with other tenses as well as the Future:

I'll meet you at 4 o'clock.

Now and just can also have a future reference:

This shop will now be open on June 23rd. (a change of date)

I'm nearly ready. I'll just put my coat on

The Past tense with present and future reference


The Past tense can refer to time zone other than the past in the following three ways:

a) In reported speech or thought : after a reporting verb in the Past tense, the reported
verbs in the dependent clauses are also in the Past.This phenomenon is known as
backshift.(Downing et al. 1992).Present tense forms are optional as in She said she
would/will be glad to see us, as long as the situation is still valid, and are sometimes
preferred when a resulting temporal contrast would be undesirable, as in: 1 didnt realize
that you were/are the president of the tennis club.

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b)In polite requests and enquires the Past form distances the proposed action, so
making the imposition on the hearer less direct:

Would you just sit here, please.

Did you want to tell me now?

c)In hypothetical subordinate clauses expresses a counterfactual belief or expectation


on the part of the speaker.The Past in such expression was originally a subjunctive whose
only relic remains in the form were for all persons of be.

He speaks as if he owned the house.

If only we had more time!

Referring to future events

Future events cannot be reffered as facts, as part and present situations, since events in
the future have not yet happened.We can predict with more or less confidence what will
happen, we can plan for events to take place, express our intentions and promises with
regard to future events.

Here was simply outline the main syntactic means of referring to future events as seen
from the standpoint of present time.

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Safe predictions
These are predictions which do not involve the Subjects volition, and include cyclical
events and general truths.Will + infinitive is used, shall by some speakers for T and we:

Jamila will be nineteen tomorrow.

The best will soon be with us.

Prediction of generalities can include speech time:


If people have the opportunity,theyll take it.
Will/shall + Progressive combine the meaning of futurity with that of limited duration, at
the same time avoiding the implication of promise associated with these modals when the
subject is I or we:

Ill be seeing him tomorrow at about ten.

We shall be studying your application shortly.

Proggrammed events
Future events seen as certain because they have been programmed can be expressed by
the Present + time Adjunt or by be due to + infinitive:
-

Our holidays start next Saturday.

The sun sets at 20.15 hours tomorrow. C. She is due to retire in two months time.

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Intended events
Intended events can be expressed by be + going to + infinitive, or simply by the
Present Progressive + time Adjunt:

I am going to try to get more information about this.

Pete says hes changing his job next month.

Imminient events
An event which is seens as occurring in the immediate future is expressed by be +
going to or by be about to + infinitive:

It looks as if theres going to be a storm.

This company is about to be taken over by a multinational.

A prediction or expection oriented to past time is expressed by these same forms in the
past:

Its not what I thought it was going to be.

She looked as if she was about to collapse.

Future anterior events


A future event anterior to another event is expressed by the Future Perfect:
-

The program will have ended long before we get back.

By the time he is twenty-two, hell have taken his degree.

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Otherwise, the Future Perfect exspress the duration or repetition of an event in the
future.The addition of the Progressive emphasizes the stretching out of the sequence.
-

Well have lived here for ten years by next July.

Well have been living here for ten years by next July.

Simple future
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:
a. to predict a future event: It will rain tomorrow.
b. (with I/we) to express a spontaneous decision: I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
c. to express willingness: I'll do the washing-up. He'll carry your bag for you.
d. (in the negative form) to express unwillingness: The baby won't eat his soup. I won't
leave until I've seen the manager!
e. (with I in the interrogative form) to make an offer: Shall I open the window?
f. (with we in the interrogative form) to make a suggestion: Shall we go to the cinema
tonight?
g. (with I in the interrogative form) to ask for advice or instructions: What shall I tell the
boss about this money?

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h. (with you) to give orders: You will do exactly as I say.


i. (with you) to give an invitation: Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?
NOTE: In modern English will is preferred to shall.
Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an offer or suggestion (see examples (e) and
(f) above, or to ask for advice (example (g) above).
With the other persons (you, he, she, they) shall is only used in literary or poetic
situations, e.g.
"With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she
goes."
FUTURE PERFECT
Future perfect, form
The future perfect is composed of two elements: the simple future of the verb to have
(will have) + the past participle of the main verb:

Subject

will have

past participle

He

will have

finished

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Affirmative
I will have left
Negative
They won't have gone
Interrogative
Will we have seen?
Interrogative negative
Won't he have arrived?
Example: to arrive, future perfect

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

I'll have arrived

I won't have arrived

Will I have arrived?

You'll have arrived

You won't have arrived

Will you have arrived?

He'll have arrived

She won't have arrived

Will it have arrived?

We'll have arrived

We won't have arrived

Will we have arrived?

You'll have arrived

You won't have arrived

Will you have arrived?

They'll have arrived

They won't have arrived

Will they have arrived?

Future perfect, function


The future perfect 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

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that will be completed some time later than now.


It is often used with a time expression using by + a point in future time.
Examples:
a. I'll have been here for six months on June 23rd.
b. By the time you read this I'll have left.
c. You will have finished your work by this time next week
..
FUTURE WITH GOING TO
1. Future with Going to - form
This form is composed of three elements: the appropriate form of the verb 'to be' + going
to + the infinitive of the main verb:

Subject

'to be'

going to

infinitive

She

is

going to

leave

2. Future with Going to - function


The use of 'going to' to refer to future events suggests a very strong association with the
present. The time is not important - it is later than now, but the attitude is that the event
depends on a present situation, that we know about. So it is used:
a) to refer to our plans and intentions:
We're going to move to London next year. (= the plan is in our minds now.)

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b) to make predictions based on present evidence:


Look at those clouds - it's going to pour with rain! (= It's clear from what I can see now.)
Note: In everyday speech, 'going to' is often shortened to 'gonna', especially in American
English.
More examples:
Plans and intentions:
a. Is Freddy going to buy a new car soon?
b. Are John and Pam going to visit Milan when they are in Italy?
c. I think Nigel and Mary are going to have a party next week.
Predictions based on present evidence:
a. There's going to be a terrible accident!
b. He's going to be a brilliant politician.
c. I'm going to have terrible indigestion.
NOTE: It is unusual to say 'I'm going to go to...'
Instead, we use 'going to' + a place or event:

Examples:

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We are going to the beach tomorrow.


She is going to the ballet tonight.
Are you going to the party tomorrow night?
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
Future continuous, form
The future continuous is made up of two elements: the simple future of the verb 'to be' +
the present participle (base+ing)
Subject
You

simple future, 'to be'


will be

base+ing
watching

Affirmative
I will be asking
Negative
She won't be leaving
Interrogative
Will they be retiring?
Interrogative negative
Won't we be staying?
Example: to stay, future continuous

Affirmative

Negative

Interrogative

I will be staying

I won't be staying

Will I be staying?

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You will be staying

You won't be staying Will you be staying?

He, she, it will be staying He won't be staying

Will she be staying?

We will be staying

We won't be staying

Will we be staying?

You will be staying

You won't be staying Will you be staying?

They will be staying

They won't be staying Will they be staying?

Future continuous, function


The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a
time later than now. It is used:
a. to project ourselves into the future and see something happening: This time next week
I will be sun-bathing in Bali.
b. to refer to actions/events that will happen in the normal course of events: I'll be seeing
Jim at the conference next week.
c. in the interrogative form, especially with 'you', to distinguish between a simple request
for information and an invitation: Will you be coming to the party tonight? (= request for
information) Will you come to the party? (= invitation)
d. to predict or guess about someone's actions or feelings, now or in the future: You'll be
feeling tired after that long walk, I expect.
More examples:
a. events in progress in the future:
When you are in Australia will you be staying with friends?
This time next week you will be working in your new job.
At four thirty on Tuesday afternoon I will be signing the contract.
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b. events/actions in normal course of events:


I'll be going into town this afternoon, is there anything you want from the shops?
Will you be using the car tomorrow? - No, you can take it.
I'll be seeing Jane this evening - I'll give her the message.
c. asking for information:
Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?
Will Jim be coming with us?
d. predicting or guessing:
You'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.
He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
You'll be missing the sunshine now you're back in England.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Future perfect continuous, form
This form is composed of two elements: the future perfect of the verb to be (will have
been) + the present participle of the main verb (base+ing):
Subject
We

Affirmative
I
Negative
I
Interrogative

will have been


will have been

base+ing
living

will have been

working

won't have been

working

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Will
I have been
Interrogative negative
Won't
I have been

working?
working?

Example: to live, Future Perfect continuous


Affirmative
Negative
I'll have been living I won't have been living

Interrogative
Will I have been

You'll have been

You won't have been

living?
Will you have been

living
He'll have been

living
living?
He won't have been living Will she have been

living
We'll have been

We won't have been

living?
Will we have been

living
You'll have been

living
You won't have been

living?
Will you have been

living
They'll have been

living
They won't have been

living?
Will they have been

living

living

living?

Future perfect continuous, function


Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project ourselves forward in time and
to look back. It refers to events or actions in a time between now and some future time,
that may be unfinished.
Examples:
a. I will have been waiting here for three hours by six o'clock.
b. By 2001 I will have been living here for sixteen years.
c. By the time I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty

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years.
d. Next year I will have been working here for four years.

4.0 The Meaning of Aspect:


Verbs exhibit various changes in human languages; some tongues inflect their
verbs to indicate tense; some inflect verbs to indicate the person and number of subject
and / or object; and some has special forms to indicate moods such as commands
(imperatives), conditional or hypothetical statements. An element of verb mechanics that
seem to be neglected by many language designers is aspects (Harrison, 2006).
According to Kaplan (1995), aspect is the grammatical expression of the internal
time structure of an event or situation. It refers to the internal temporal constituency of an
event, or the manner in which a verbs action is distributed through the time-space
continuum (Harrison, 2006).
Aspects thus encode such features of event or situations as progressiveness,
habituality, boundedness, duration and instantaneousness. Aspects differs from tense in
that tense deals with the external time relations between two events, while aspects deals
with the way the internal time structure of a single event is represented.(Kaplan, 1995).
Traditional grammar of English usually make no mention of the term aspect,
but it is well indicated in traditional grammars of other languages, for example Slavic
languages (Russian, Polish, etc.), where aspect is a prominent part of the grammar of
verbs (Kaplan, 1995).
The English verb aspects can be divided into the Perfective and Imperfective
aspects.

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4.1 Perfective and Imperfective Aspects


The perfective treats a situation as a single shapeless whole, similar to the
concept of a point in geometry, while the imperfective looks at a situation from the
inside out and admits the possibility that the situation has a temporal shape. Situation
refers to anything that can be expressed by a verb; a state (a static situation that will
remain the same unless something changes it), an event (a dynamic situation
considered as a complete, single item), or a process (a series of dynamic transactions
viewed in progress).
In the sentence she was singing when I entered, the verb entered presents its
action as a single event with its beginning, middle and end included; this is an example of
the perfective aspect. The verb was singing on the other hand, refers to an internal
portion of her singing, without any reference to the beginning or the end of her singing;
this is an example of the imperfective aspect (Harrison, 2006).
The imperfective aspect can be further sub-divided into habitual and progressive
aspects.

4.2 Habitual and Progressive Aspects


The habitual aspect refers to a situation that is prolonged over a long period of
time, or a situation that occurs frequently during an extended period of time, to the point
that the situation becomes the characteristic feature of the whole period. An example of
the habitual aspect in the past tense is the neighbours dog used to wake me up by

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barking every morning. A present-tense example would be I usually ride the bus home
from work.
Discontinued habit or state can also be referred to by using used to. It is
particularly useful to be able to express, without any accompanying time indication, that
the state or habit no longer takes place. For example, I used to live in Ipoh (Abdul
Halim Ibrahim & Mariam Mohamed Noor, 2006). However, habitual does not necessarily
imply that the condition is no longer true; it is perfectly reasonable to say Erik used to
be a member of the school football team, and he still is (Harrison, 2006).
The progressive aspect is signaled by the discontinuous morpheme be.ing, by
which meaning can be expressed as be in process. It is a special type of imperfectivity
which emphasizes that an action is in progress; often this is mentioned to provide a
background or frame of reference for some other situation. An example of the progressive
aspect in English is John is singing (Harrison, 2006). This aspect will be discussed
more comprehensively in a later section.

Verb Aspects

Perfective

Imperfective

Habituality

Progressiveness

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4.3 Perfect and Prospective Aspects


Another verb aspect of the English Language is the perfect aspect. Unlike most
aspects, the perfect does not tell us anything about the internal temporal constituency of a
situation. Instead, it indicates the continuing relevance of a past situation. In other words,
the perfect expresses a relation between two points on the continuum of events.
Linguists are not unanimous in classifying the perfect as an aspect rather than as a
tense. An example of the perfect, from English; I have lost the book (perfect) versus I
lost the book (non-perfect). The perfect can indicate a relation between a state in the past
and an even earlier event, e.g. John had read the book can express a relation between a
past event and the present state and an event that occurs prior to it, e.g. John will have
read the book.
The English Language often uses the perfect to express a situation that started in
the past and continues into the present, e.g. we have lived here for a long time. Many
other languages use the present tense in such sentences.
The perfect verb form expresses a relation between a situation and some event
that happened before it. In some languages, we also find a prospective form which relates
a state to some event that happens after it. In English, the prospective is indicated by
phrases such as to be about to and to be on the point of, as in John is about to resign
from his job(Harrison, 2006).

4.4 Inherent Aspect


4.4.1

Duration

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Duration involves a distinction among verb subclasses: instantaneous verbs like


shatter, arrive and find, durative verbs like work, read and stay, and stative verbs
like love, resemble and have. Verbs in the instantaneous subclass can be identified
by their possibility of occurrence with expressions like at ten sharp in contexts
like the following. Non-instantaneous verbs sound strange in such contexts
(Kaplan, 1995).
Examples:
a. Instantaneous Verbs:
I. The time that Mr. Staples arrived was at ten sharp.
II. The time that Ellen broke the piece of chalk was at six minutes after
three.
b. Non-instantaneous Verbs: (Strange Structures)
I.
II.

The time that Ellen lived on Pine street was at six pm sharp.
The time that Jim worked hard was at 12:15.

On the other hand, instantaneous verbs cant co-occur with expressions such as
for two hours or for two years, while non-instantaneous verbs can.
Examples:
a. Instantaneous Verbs:
I.

Greg arrived for two hours.

II. Ellen broke the piece of chalk for half an hour.

b. Non-instantaneous Verbs:

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I. Max lived on Chestnut Street for 12 years.


II. Jane worked hard for a solid six weeks.

Non-instantaneous verbs divide into stative and durative (dynamic)


verbs. Stative verbs denote non-volitional states, with no change over time;
durative verbs can (but need not be) volitional, and often indicate or assume
some change through time. Stative verbs include love, resemble, have, hear,
believe, want, guess, know, etc. Durative verbs include (among others), read, stay,
listen, sing and play (Kaplan, 1995).

Durative verbs can occur with the progressive be.ing aspect marker, but stative
verbs cant, at least in simple sentences.
Examples:
a. Stative Verbs: (Wrong Structures)
I. Max was resembling Uncle Martin.
II. Next year Ill be having a Volvo.
c. Durative Verbs: (Correct Structures)
I. Max was working.
II. Uncle Martin was staying here.

Statives also do not easily serve as antecedents for do so, while duratives can.
Examples:
a. Stative Verbs: (Wrong Structures)

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I. Lou had a Volvo before anyone else did so.


II. Maxed liked Sandy before Peter did so.
c. Durative Verbs: (Correct Structures)
I. Lou worked at Freds Market before anyone else did so.
II. If Beth plays like her sister, she does so because she practices an hour a
day.

Stative verbs generally cannot occur imperatively.


Example:
I. Resemble your uncle.
II. Have a house.

In complex sentence for instance, some stative can occur with the progressive
Example:
I. More and more , Max is resembling his uncle.
II. Wendy seems to be wanting some candy.

The instantaneous versus non-instantaneous verbs distinction is fairly well


founded. However, even it can be overruled by sentence structure. For example,
inherently instantaneous verbs like arrive can be made to occur with durative
expressions by being given plural subject noun phrases.

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Example:
The guests arrived all evening long.
Verb Aspects

Instantaneous

Non- Instantaneous

Stative

Durative

According to Kaplan (1995), this subclassification is justified by co-occurance


possibilities in simple sentences withat a moment,..for a period, being, and
do so.

4.4.2

Boundedness versus Unboundedness


Another inherent aspect distinction exists between boundedness and

unboundedness. The durative verbs walk, read, draw and smoke are inherently
unbounded because they do not require an end point of action. Unlikely though,
you can say She will walk forever. In contrast, the instantaneous verbs arrive,
explode, break and shatter involve an end point of action, one which is almost
identical with the beginning point of action, since these verbs encode
instantaneous events. Consequently, the statement She will arrive forever is
impossible. So, instantaneous verbs are inherently bounded (Kaplan, 1995).

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The bounded-unbounded distinction is not just a matter of inherent aspect.


Some durative unbounded verbs like walk can be made bounded by certain
limiting expressions like destination in She will walk to school.

The connection between the duration dimension (instantaneousdurative-stative) and the boundedness dimension is as follows: All instantaneous
verbs are bounded; durative verbs can be either bounded or unbounded. On the
contrary, all stative verbs are unbounded.

4.5 The Progressive Aspect


The main aim of the English progressive aspect is to signify a dynamic action in
the process of happening. Nevertheless, the progressive is only applicable in certain types
of verbal situations.
Durative verbs accept the progressive aspect easily. For example; Max is
sleeping, Sue is cooking, Jane will be painting the garage, We were reading poetry. The
use of the progressive with durative verbs which have an end-point is to stretch out the
durative phase of the process before the end point. For instance; He is turning out to be
very responsible.
Stative verbs cant be in progress, since the states they report on are static. So,
stative verbs do not easily occur with the progressive. For instance, She is knowing the
answer, I am owning a car, You are resembling your uncle, They are hearing the music,
are all stative verb forms which are grammatically incorrect when constructed in the

53

progressive. However, the progressive be.ing can co-occur in some stative verbs, with
the presence of some additional expression to make the situation reported in the sentence
less of a state and more of a process, such as more and more. For example, More and
more, little Bobby is resembling his father (Kaplan, 1995).
Besides that, Kaplan (1995) also posits that instantaneous verbs do not usually
occur with the progressive either. This is because the events they signify do not take long
enough for us to be able to talk about them in progress. For example, it is grammatically
incorrect to state The window was shattering as I watched. The domain of the
progressive then, is a middle range of verbs on the duration scale that is the durative
verbs.

5.0 Conclusion
The tense-aspect system is an important ingredient in the process of learning the
English Language. Thus, it is a vital for ESL learners to understand the overall concept
of the verb tenses and aspects in order to reduce the difficulty of learning the grammar of
the language. By comprehending the form and meaning of the three tenses (in their
simple form) and two aspects (perfect and progressive), ESL learners will be able to
improve their language development to greater heights and become more proficient users
of the English Language.

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