What is a Tense?

There are 12 tenses in English.

Right answer: Technically speaking, there are only 2: The Present Simple &

the Past Simple.

How are the remaining Time Aspects formed?

What does ‘Simple’ mean before a tense name?

What does ‘Continuous’ mean before a tense name?

What does ‘Present’ mean before a tense name?

What does ‘Past’ mean before a tense name?

What does ‘Perfect’ mean before a tense name?

What’s the connection between Simple & Continuous Tenses?

Why are the 3 Perfect Continuous Tenses the most difficult to grasp and use?

How do the 3 Perfect Continuous Tenses work?

SIMPLE PRESENT PRESENT CONTINUOUS

1. Routines. 1. One action in progress at the time of speaking.

2. Permanent states. 2. Temporary situations.

3. Generally accepted facts/ natural phenomena.

3. Changing situations.

4. Oral narrative/ historical present (jokes, personal stories, plots, sports commentaries, procedures, newspaper headlines, exclamations).

4. Oral narrative supplement, setting the scene and stressing duration.

5. Habitual actions (esp. with Frequency Adverbs).

5. An irritating, interesting, unbearable, etc. habitual action, with always, forever, constantly, continually, continuously.

The 2 Present Tenses

Both Present Tenses have ‘future’ uses.

Present Simple: Actions programmed by an external authority (timetables).Present Continuous: Pre-arranged personal plan/ appointments (diary tense).

Name the time expressions of the 2 Present Tenses.

SIMPLE PAST PAST CONTINUOUS1. Routines/ Habitual actions in the past. (Imperfect use 1)

1. One action in progress at or around a certain point in the past.

2. Permanent states in the past. (Imperfect use 2)

2. Temporary situations in the past.

3. An action completed at a specific time point in the past.

3. An incomplete action that had a certain duration in the past.

4. Formal narrative/ main events/ historical facts.

4. Formal narrative supplement, setting the scene and stressing duration. (Temporal Frame)

5. Complete, successive past actions.

5. Simultaneous progress for 2 or more past actions.

The 2 Past Tenses

Both Past Tenses have ‘polite’ uses.

Past Simple: e.g. Excuse me, Miss, did you want to see me?Past Continuous: e.g. I was wondering whether I could ask for a small favour.

Name the time expressions of the 2 Past Tenses.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

PRESENT PERFECT CONT.

1. State begun in the past and still going on (state verbs use).

1. Action begun in the past and still going on (linking past to present – triple information).

2. Completed past action with obvious results now (interest in the result itself and/ or the quantity – how much/ how many times).

2. Long action which began in the past, has just finished and has obvious results now (interest in the action that produced the result and/ or the duration).

3. Action completed in the past at an unspecified time point (recent indefinite) OR that has(n’t) happened throughout one’s lifetime (experience).

3. (No equivalent)

4. (No equivalent) 4. Stating annoyance, interest, complaint, puzzlement.

The 2 Present Perfect Tenses

We use the Pres. Perf. Cont. to announce a recent event & Past Tenses for the details.

Right answer: we use the Present Perfect Simple.

We use the Present Tenses when the information extends into the past.

Right answer: we use the Present Perfect Continuous, NOT the Present Tenses.

Name the time expressions of the 2 Present Perfect Tenses.

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE PAST PERFECT CONTIN.

1. State begun in the far past (i.e. BEFORE sth else) and reaching the past (state verbs use).

1. Action that began in the far past (i.e. BEFORE sth else), had a certain duration and was still going on in the past (linking far past to past – triple information).

2. Action completed in the far past with obvious results in the past (interest in the result itself and/ or the quantity – how much/ how many times).

2. Long action which began in the far past, had just finished in the past and had obvious results then (interest in the action that produced the result and/ or the duration).

3. In Reported Speech, replacing the Present Perfect or Past Simple.

3. In Reported Speech, replacing the Present Perfect or Past Continuous.

The 2 Past Perfect Tenses

We use the Simple Past rather than the Past Perfect when the order of events is clear from the time expressions used.

The Past Perfect Cont. is translated with the Imperfect tense in Greek, like the Past Cont. and the Present Perfect Cont.

Name the time expressions of the 2 Past Perfect Tenses.

1. PRESENT SIMPLE 2. PRESENT CONTINUOUS

a) Timetablesb) In certain Clauses

a) Pre-arranged personal planb) In certain Clauses

3. FUTURE SIMPLE 4. GOING-TO FUTURE

a) Personal Intention (on-the-spot decision)

b) Prediction (unspecified–wishful thinking)

c) Future as factd) Special uses of ‘will’

a) Personal Intention (Pre-meditated)

b) Prediction (based on evidence)

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5. FUTURE CONTINUOUS 6. FUTURE PERFECT CONTIN.

a) Part of future plan b) Sth that will happen as a

matter of course c) Action in progress at, or

around, a future time pointd) Asking about sb’s future

plans because we need a favour

a) Action in progress for some time before sth else in the future

7. FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE

a) Action completed before sth else in the future

The 7 Future Tenses

The Greek Imperfect Tense has no equivalent in English.

That’s why it’s rendered by 6 different forms. Which & how?

The 3 Perfect Continuous Tenses are the most difficult for Greek students.

So, how are they translated?

What are Frequency Adverbs?

And which are the Frequency Adverbs?

What is the position of Frequency Adverbs in a sentence?

Are there any exceptions to this rule?

What are State Verbs?

What categories do State Verbs fall into?

Are there exceptions to the State Verbs use?

Name some such examples.

What is the rule concerning ‘when’/ ‘if’/ Wh- Relative & ‘-ever’ clauses?

Apart from the Future Tenses, how else can we express ‘futurity’?

What is special about ‘shall’?

How do we express the ‘Future in the Past’?

What are some special constructions with Perfect Forms?

The Verb ‘Have been/ gone’ (to)i) Have been (to) = have visited (now I’m back)ii) Have gone (to) = have left (for) (I’m on the way there OR there already)

It is/ has been + time phrase + since + S. Paste.g. It’s three years since I saw my cousins ALSO I haven’t seen my cousins for three years

After Superlativese.g. It’s the best meal I’ve had in years!

After the phrase: it’s the first/ second/ etc timee.g. It’s the second time I’ve driven a van. (switch!

Negatives with ‘yet’/ ‘still’e.g. We haven’t seen anyone yet. (‘yet’ normally at the end of a negative ‘perfect’ sentence) BUT - We’ve yet to see someone!- We still haven’t seen anyone! (Both emphatic)

Are Time Markers important for tenses?