LLD 107 Lecture 7 The Tense System

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LLD 107 Lecture 7The Tense System
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Tense

• In Systems of English Grammar, tense consists
  of two elements time and aspect.
• Time
• Past events or states occurring or of interest
  at some point prior to the moment of speaking
• Present events or states occurring or of
  interest at the moment of speaking
• Future - events or states occurring or of
  interest after the moment of speaking
• Aspect simple, continuous, perfect
• Simple activity completed or habitual
• Continuous activity that continues through time
• Perfect activity begun prior to the moment of
  speaking but has relevance only at that moment.

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Time

• Past
• He lied to the jury.
• He was trying to cover up his deception.
• He had told me he was going to lie.
• Present
• She works out on a regular basis.
• Right now, she is running in the park.
• She has worked out all of her adult life.
• Future
• They will vote for stem cell research.
• They will be applying for research funds.
• By next year they will have worked there ten
  years.

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Aspect

• Simple
• He lied to the jury.
• She works out on a regular basis.
• They will vote for stem cell research.
• Continuous
• He was trying to cover up his deception.
• Right now, she is running in the park.
• They will be applying for research funds.
• Perfect
• He had told me he was going to lie.
• She has worked out all of her adult life.
• By next year they will have worked there ten
  years.

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Inflectional Morphology for Verbs
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Simple Tenses Simple Present Tense

• Subject-verb agreement
• 3rd Person Singular (he / she / it) subject
  VERB s
• 1st Person (I / we), 2nd Person (you), and 3rd
  Person Plural (they) subject VERB Ø
• Time expressions generally, often, every day,
  sometimes, every time, etc.
• Shows habitual and recurring actions
• NOW
• every day-----------------o---------------------
  ?
• Simple present

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Simple Tenses Simple Past Tense

• No subject-verb agreement
• Regular verbs VERB -ed
• Irregular verbs came, was, taught, had, became,
  withdrew, set up, shot, broke, etc.
• Time expressions on May 2, 1945, almost two
  years ago, when he was young, at that time, in
  1865, soon after the election, during the war,
  yesterday, etc.
• Shows actions or states occurring in the past
• NOW
• back then-----o----//--------o------------------
  ----?
• simple past

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Simple Tenses Simple Future Tense

• Will future
• No subject-verb agreement
• I / he/ she / they will leave by plane tomorrow.
• Going to future
• Auxiliary verb must agree with the subject
• I am / He is / they are flying home tomorrow.
• Time expressions next year, tomorrow, in three
  hours, a few days later, when they get home, etc.
• Shows actions or states that occur in the future
  and have no connection to the present
• NOW
• next year----------------------o------------o---
  ----------?
• simple future

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The Continuous Tenses Present Continuous Tense

• Formed with be VERB ing
• Must agree with subject of sentence
• I am / He is / they are eating dinner as we
  speak.
• Time expressions at this moment, now, for the
  time being, normally, right now, etc.
• Shows actions that are occurring at the present
  which may be of temporary duration
• NOW
• right now-----------------o---------------------
  -----?
• Present continuous tense

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The Continuous Tenses Past Continuous Tense

• Formed with be VERB ing
• Must agree with subject of sentence
• I was / He was / they were / you were eating when
  the fire alarm went off.
• Time expressions on 11/2/08, when I arrived,
  while I slept, as we were leaving, etc.
• Shows an action that was occurring at the moment
  that another action took place.
• NOW
• X happened ------x-------------o------------------
  ---------?
• when Y was happening y
• Past continuous tense

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The Continuous Tenses Future Continuous Tense

• Formed with
• will
• be VERB ing
• be (is, are, am) going to
• No subject-verb agreement with will
• Be going to must agree with subject
• Time expressions next year, when he arrives, for
  a short while, later, after two weeks, etc.
• Shows an action that will be occurring at the
  moment that another action will take place.
• NOW
• W will happen----------------o------//--------x---
  ----?
• When y is happening future continuous tense

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Verbs that cannot be continuous

• Cognition
• I forget (am forgetting?) the recipe right now,
  so youd better come back next week.
• Perception
• We saw (were seeing) our cousin when we went
  back home.
• Emotion
• The conservatives will hate (will be hating) the
  new administration.
• Relation
• At present her parents own (are owning) several
  properties.

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The Perfect Tenses Present Perfect Tense

• Formed with have VERB -ed2
• Must agree with subject
• He has / I have / They have passed the WST.
• Time expressions for such a long time, since I
  arrived, so far, already, yet (negatives), etc.
• Shows actions or states that occurred at some
  time in the past but still have relevance in the
  present.
• NOW
• Present relevance ---o-----------o---------------
  ----?
• of a past event
• present perfect tense

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The Perfect Tenses Past Perfect Tense

• Formed with had VERB -ed2
• No subject-verb agreement
• By the time I arrived they / he had already left.
• Time expressions by the time, when , etc.
• Shows actions or states that occurred at some
  time in the past before another even or state in
  the past
• NOW
• X happened ----------x----------y----//-------o---
  ------?
• before y happened
• past perfect tense

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The Perfect Tenses Future Perfect Tense

• Formed with will have VERB -ed2
• Requires no subject-verb agreement
• I / He / They will have graduated by 2010.
• Time expressions by the time , since , when ,
  in the future, etc.
• Shows actions or states that will occur at some
  time in the future before another action or state
  in he future.
• NOW
• x will have happened---------o-----//--------x----
  -----y---?
• Before y happens
• future perfect tenst

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The Perfect Continuous Tenses

• Present perfect continuous tense
• I have been working at SJSU since 1988.
• FORM have / has been VERB ing
• Past perfect continuous tense
• We had been living in Hawaii before that.
• FORM had been VERB ing
• Future perfect continuous tense
• I will have been working here 20 years when I
  retire.
• FORM will have been VERB ing

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The Perfect Continuous Tenses

• 1988 NOW
• Past-------x----------------o---------------?Futur
  e
• ------------?
• have been working at SJSU
• 1988 NOW
• Past---x----------y------------------o-----?Futur
  e
• -------?
• had been living in Hawaii
• NOW retirement
• Past ---------o--------------------------x-----?Fu
  ture
• --------------------------------------?
• will have been working