Quote of the dayQuote of the day• Seven Deadly Sins

Wealth without workPleasure without conscienceScience without humanityKnowledge without characterPolitics without principlesCommerce without moralityWorship without sacrifice

(Mahatma Gandhi)

Module 02Module 02The Verb Phrase: Tenses

and Aspects

Salengke, Ph. D.Agricultural Engineering, Hasanuddin University

Tenses and AspectsTenses and Aspects of Tenses of Tenses• Simple present – They eat rice every day.• Simple past – They ate rice yesterday.• Present progressive – They are eating rice right

now.• Past progressive – They were eating rice when

we visited them.• Present perfect – They have eaten rice very

often.• Past perfect – They had eaten rice before taking

naps.

Simple PresentSimple Present• S + V1 + C + M

Simple present is used to indicate a regular or habitual action.She studies English in the evening.He exercises every day to loose some weight.They always go to the movie every weekend.Bill Gates reviews his company’s performance regularly.

• Present tense can also be used to indicate present time (now) with stative verbs such as:

know believe hear see smell wishunderstand hate love like want soundhave need appear seem taste own

Examples:

They understand the problem now.We want to leave now.The coffee tastes delicious.My cough sounds bad.The bread smells fresh.I hate cigarettes.

Present ProgressivePresent Progressive

• S + {am/is/are} + ving + ….

• The present Progressive is used to indicate present time and future time.

• All verbs can be used EXCEPT the stative verbs listed previously.

• Examples:John is eating dinner now. (present)We are leaving for the concert at eight o’clock. (future)George is leaving for French tomorrow. (future)President Megawati is trying to win the election.(present)The students is protesting tuition increase tomorrow.We are going to a fishing trip next week.

Simple Past TenseSimple Past Tense• S + VII + …..• Is used for a completed action that

happened at a specific time in the past.

Examples:

Former President Habibie visited Unhas two weeks ago.Our department bought new computers last year.We watched a movie on television last night.They went to sleep right after dinner.I came early this morning.

Past ProgressivePast Progressive• S + {was/were} + Ving + ….

• Used to indicate: An action which was occurring in the past and was interrupted by another action.

The general rule is:

eprogressiv past s past simple s when 21

past simple s when eprogressiv past s 21

• Examples:I was driving home when a thunderstorm came.When a thunderstorm came, I was driving home.

He was sleeping when a stranger knocked on his door.When a stranger knocked on his door, he was sleeping.

They were walking in an alley when a group of thugs approached them.When a group of thugs approached them, they were walking in an alley.

• Past progressive is used when two actions occurring at the same time in the past.

eprogressiv past S while eprogressiv past s 21

eprogressiv past s eprogressiv past S while 21

• Examples:

Tenri was working on his class assignment while others were playing Play Station games.While others were playing Play Station games, Tenri was working on his class assignment.

I was reading news paper while my daughter was working on her homework.While my daughter was working on her homework, I was reading news paper.

• Past progressive is used to indicate an action which was occurring at some specific time in the past.

Examples:

The candidates for president were debating their plans at seven o’clock last night.

What were you doing last weekend?

Present PerfectPresent Perfect

• S + {has/have} + VIII + ….

• Present perfect is used to indicate:- An action that happened at an indefinite time in the past.- An action that happened more than once in the past.- An action that began in the past and is still occurring in the present.

• Examples:The students have completed their project.Mankind has traveled to the moon.The presidential candidates have made a lot of promises.I have tried skiing several times.He has failed the driving test three times.He has worked on his thesis for two years.He has worked on his thesis since 2002.They have been at the shopping mall all day.You have enrolled at Unhas for 3 years.

Yet & already with present perfect

• Already is used in affirmative sentences. It usually appears between the auxiliary and the main verb; however, it can appear at the beginning or end of the sentence.

S + {has/have} + already + VIII + …..

• Yet is usually used in negative sentences and questions and appears at the end of the sentence.

S + {has/have} + not + VIII + …. + yetAnother possible use

S + {has/have} + yet + Vinf + ….

• Examples:We have already written our reports.We have not written our report yet.We have yet to write our report.

Gabriel has already read the entire book.Gabriel has not read the entire book yet.Gabriel has yet to read the entire book.

The president has already decided what to do.The president has not decided what to do yet.The president has yet to decide what to do.

Present Perfect ProgressivePresent Perfect Progressive• Is used to indicate an action that began in

the past and is still occurring in the present (See also the Present Perfect rule #3).

s + {has/have} + been + Ving + …..

• Examples:My professor has been teaching at the university for thirty years.The police has been trying to solve the mysterious case since 1990.The parents have been trying to negotiate with school officials for a lower tuition.The thugs have been terrorizing a small community in the suburb.You have been studying at Unhas for three years.

Past PerfectPast Perfect

• S + had + VIII + ….• The past Perfect is used to indicate:

– An action that happened before another action in the past; there usually are two

actions in the sentence. It is usually used with the words before, after, or when.

– An action that continued for a time in the past, but stopped before now.

• Some formulas:S + past perfect + before + S + simple past

S + simple past + after + S + past perfect

before + S + simple past + S + past perfect

after + S + past perfect + S + simple past

• Examples:John had gone to the store before he went home.John went home after he had gone to the store.Before John went home, he had gone to the store.After john had gone to the store, he went home.Jack told us yesterday that he had visited England in 1970.Tenri had worked non stop on his thesis for five months before he took a break.They had lived abroad for ten years before they decided to come back home.

Past Perfect ProgressivePast Perfect Progressive• S + had + been + Ving + ….• It can be used to convey the same concept as the past

perfect.

Examples:He had been living in Makassar for twenty years before he moved to Bogor.He had lived in Makassar for twenty years before he moved to Bogor.The professor had been working at the university since 1975.The professor had worked at the university since 1975.David had been trying to fix the problem for weeks before he decided to give up.David had tried to fix the problem for weeks before he decided to give up.He had been eating his lunch for two hours.He had eaten his lunch for two hours.