This is an odd subject, because in a way you don\u2019t want to teach most students anything about time and tense, except how to use them. But teachers need to know what they mean and how they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Put simply, time<\/em> is what clocks and calendars are about; tense<\/em> is about verb forms. The grammatical tense of a verb may be the same as the time to which it refers, but equally, it may not be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overview<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n English verbs only have two tense forms, present and past. There are several ways of talking about the future, but no verb tense as such.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We often use the present tense to talk about actions centred around the present time, but which may stretch a long way into the past and the future. We use the past tense mostly to talk about past time. But it\u2019s more complicated than that, but I\u2019ll start with the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each tense form also has four aspects:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simple: I go<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Progressive: I\u2019m going<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfect: I have gone<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfect progressive: I have been going<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The same is true of the past tense, which makes a total of eight tense forms altogether. Today I\u2019ll talk about simple and progressive; next week, the four perfect aspects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each of these aspects tells us something more about the timing<\/strong>, but the name of the tense<\/em> is no guarantee of the time<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paradigms and tables are useful for teachers (who already speak the language), but they are usually not useful for students, who learn better piecemeal, \u2018a bit at a time\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However – and just to contrast what I said -, most learners are curious (the best ones are very curious), and if they meet a verb form out there which doesn\u2019t fit what you\u2019ve been telling them, they may want to know why. And why not? Sometimes it\u2019s right to step out from the basic area into intermediate (or even advanced) for a little while, and then return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Present tense, two aspects<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are two aspects of the present tense: simple and progressive (also called continuous). We use the simple forms for permanent<\/strong> activities, and the progressive forms for temporary<\/strong> activities. \u201cPermanent\u201d includes statements of fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McLeod works<\/strong> at the main plant.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (simple: no time limit)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two and two make<\/strong> four.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (simple: always true)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alicia is working<\/strong> flat out these days.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (progressive: this is temporary)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sue is making<\/strong> heavy weather of her sums.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (a temporary condition – we hope)<\/p>\n\n\n\n So we find a \u201ctemporary v. permanent\u201d distinction which works well at this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Past tense, two aspects<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the same two aspects of past tense; the distinction between them is different from the present tenses. We use the simple forms for activities which are finished<\/strong>, and the progressive forms for activities which are interrupted<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simon and Martin closed<\/strong> the office at 6 pm..<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (simple: the action is finished)<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were leaving<\/strong> when the phone rang.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n (progressive: the action was interrupted)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here you can see that the distinction is \u201cfinished v. interrupted\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve left the perfect aspect for the next week. It can be tricky to handle, not least because native speakers vary quite a lot in the ways they use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More Complicated Stuff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Verbs of bodily sensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can use both simple and progressive aspects without much change in meaning. Again, this is probably because the meaning of the verb is a continuous state, whatever aspect you use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are the main ones, with an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n ache, feel, hurt, itch, tickle<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My throat hurts<\/strong>. <\/em>(it hurts now)<\/p>\n\n\n\n My throat is hurting<\/strong>. <\/em>(it hurts now)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Being polite, or tentative<\/p>\n\n\n\n We use the past tense<\/em> to be polite in present time<\/em>, especially in questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who did<\/strong> you want to speak to?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When were<\/strong> you thinking of going?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I was<\/strong> wondering whether you could help me today<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 3 Stative verbs<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stative verbs are better described as verbs used statively; many (perhaps all) of them can also be used dynamically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, I\u2019m understanding<\/strong> him rather better than I was.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m hoping<\/strong> you\u2019ll be able to help me out tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lovin\u2019 it! <\/em><\/strong> <\/em>(Advertisement for a famous soft drink)<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we use an unusual form of language, it is because we want to insert an extra shade of meaning: In the first example, \u2018I\u2019m understanding<\/em>\u2019, it emphasises the changing nature of the understanding; in the second one, \u2018I\u2019m hoping\u2019<\/em>, it adds a polite, tentative feeling. In the third one, \u2018Lovin\u2019 it<\/em>\u2019, creates a sense of immediacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4 Past-as-present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to make the past event more vivid to the reader, some writers (and especially writers of newspaper headlines) use the present tense for past events. This is a special use, so treat it with care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my mother asks<\/strong> me about my day with a curiosity that pains me \u2013 she almost never gets invited<\/strong> to the Steiners\u2019 -, I only tell<\/strong> her what a wonderful time I had.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This little narrative clearly happened in the past, but by using the present tense, the writer creates a sense of dramatic immediacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Girl, 16, dies<\/strong> in fire.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, this newspaper headline brings the event to life, and makes it feel present in our lives. That\u2019s all for now!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a9 Shepherd School of English<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is an odd subject, because in a way you don\u2019t want to teach most students anything about time and tense, except how to use them. But teachers need to know what they mean and how they work. Put simply, time is what clocks and calendars are about; tense is about verb forms. The grammatical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","omw_enable_modal_window":"enable","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,263,280],"tags":[851,921],"class_list":["post-7036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eltweekly","category-eltweekly-volume-11","category-eltweekly-volume-11-issue-24","tag-elt-newsletter","tag-eltweekly","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7036\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltweekly.humbeestudio.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}