Title: Using Phrases
1Language Network
Language Network
Using Phrases
Using Verbs
2Using Verbs
Heres the Idea Using Simple Tenses Using
Perfect Tenses
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply
3Heres the Idea
Verb Tense
A tense is a verb form that shows the time of an
action or condition.
4Heres the Idea
English verbs have six tenses.
Simple Tenses Present, Past, Future
Perfect Tenses Present Perfect, Past Perfect,
Future Perfect
5Heres the Idea
Use tenses to indicate whether an action or
condition is in the past, the present, or the
future, and to indicate how events are related
in time.
6Heres the Idea
The present tense shows that an action or
condition
is occurring in the present
occurs regularly
is constantly or generally true
I like to read about real-life adventures.
7Heres the Idea
The past tense shows that an action or condition
occurred in the past.
Yossi Ghinsberg explored the rain forests near
the Tuichi River.
8Heres the Idea
The future tense shows that an action or
condition will occur in the future.
When you get to the part where Yossi has been
left in the rain forest, you will be eager to
find out what happens to him.
9Heres the Idea
The present perfect shows that an action or
condition
was completed at one or more indefinite times
in the past
began in the past and continues in the present
So far, I have learned that Yossi is a young
Israeli man who is on an adventure through the
rain forests of Bolivia.
10Heres the Idea
The past perfect shows that an action or
condition in the past preceded another past
action or condition.
After the men had experienced difficult travel
for several weeks, two of them gave up and headed
back to civilization on foot.
11Heres the Idea
The future perfect shows that an action or
condition in the future will precede another
future action or condition.
You may wonder if any wild animals will have
attacked Yossi before he reaches the nearest
village.
12Why It Matters
Choosing the correct verb tense allows you to be
clear about when events occur in time.
13Practice and Apply
Replace the underlined verb with the correct
tense.
14Practice and Apply
Replace the underlined verb with the correct
tense.
15Practice and Apply
Replace the underlined verb with the correct
tense.
16Practice and Apply
Replace the underlined verb with the correct
tense.
17Using Verbs
Heres the Idea
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply
18Heres the Idea
Switch tenses only as needed for clarity or
style. Improper or unnecessary shifts will make
your writing awkward and confusing.
19Heres the Idea
Stick with one tense when describing actions
related to a single period or event or when
writing about a series of events.
Michiko finished her history assignment and
turned on a public television channel.
20Heres the Idea
When you are describing an event as a point of
reference for another event, you can shift from
a perfect tense to a simple tense.
Michiko had been at the library for an hour when
she found a book about Alaska.
21Why It Matters
Keep verb tenses consistent unless you have a
good reason not to.
Mixing verb tenses unnecessarily can confuse your
readers.
22Practice and Apply
Choose the correct form of the verb in
parentheses.
23Practice and Apply
Choose the correct form of the verb in
parentheses.
24Practice and Apply
Choose the correct form of the verb in
parentheses.
25Practice and Apply
Choose the correct form of the verb in
parentheses.
26Using Verbs
Heres the Idea
Why It Matters
Practice and Apply
27Heres the Idea
When a verbs subject performs the action
expressed by the verb, the verb is in the active
voice.
PERFORMER OF ACTION
VERB
A group of 16 countries constructed the
International Space Station.
28Heres the Idea
When a verbs subject receives the action
expressed by a verb, the verb is in the passive
voice.
RECEIVER OF ACTION
VERB
The International Space Station was constructed
by a group of 16 countries.
29Heres the Idea
Use the passive voice only when you want to
emphasize the receiver of the action or when the
performer of the action is not known.
30Heres the Idea
Heres how to change passive voice to active
voice
The space station is being visited by astronauts.
31Heres the Idea
Astronauts is visiting the space station.
32Heres the Idea
Astronauts are visiting the space station.
33Why It Matters
If you use the passive voice too often, it can
make your writing vague and lifeless.
34Practice and Apply
Rewrite the sentence to change the verb from the
passive voice to the active voice.
35Practice and Apply
Rewrite the sentence to change the verb from the
passive voice to the active voice.
36Practice and Apply
Rewrite the sentence to change the verb from the
passive voice to the active voice.
37Practice and Apply
Rewrite the sentence to change the verb from the
passive voice to the active voice.