Tense of Verbs

The tenses of a verb are the forms that help to show time. There are six
tenses in English: present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect and future
perfect.

Present Tense
The present-tense form of a verb is the same as the verb’s base form, except
for the third-person singular, which adds -s or -es. Exception are the verbs be and
have.

The present tense expresses a constant, repeated, or habitual action or

condition. It can also express a general truth.

Example: Molly puts horseradish on ham sandwiches. (Not just this ham sandwich
but every ham sandwich; a repeated action)

Example: The Yazoo River flows in to the Mississippi River. (Always; habitual action)

Example: Ice melts at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit. (A general truth)

The present tense can also express an action or a condition that exist only now.

Example: Mindy has a headache. (Not always but just now)

Example: The fireplace wall feels dangerously hot. (At this very moment)

The present tense is sometimes used in historical writing to express past

events and more often, in poetry, fiction, and journalism (especially in sports
writing) to convey to the reader a sense of “being there”. This usage is sometimes
called the historical present tense.

Example: Though he is aware of the danger, Benjamin Franklin decides to risk

electrocution to verify his theory.

Example: The runner on his first base inches toward second.

Past Tense
 Use the past tense to express an action or a condition that was started and
completed in the past.

Example: General Lee shook General Grant’s hand.

Example: T he Confederate troops unloaded their supplies.

Future Tense
Use the future tense to express an action or a condition that will occur in the
future.

You form the future tense of any verb by using the auxiliary verb shall or will
with the base form: I shall wait; you will telephone. Note: in modern American
English, shall is very seldom used except for question in which I or We is the
subject: Shall I meet you there? Shall we have lunch now?

Example: Ignacio will mask the woodwork.

Example: Elaine will paint the room.

There are three other ways to express future time besides using the future tense.
They are as follows:

1. Using going to with the present tense of be and the base form of a verb.
Example: Ignacio is going to mask the woodwork.
2. Use about to with the present tense of be and the form of the verb.
Example: Ignacio is about to mask the woodwork.
3. Use the present tense with an adverb or an adverb phrase that shows future
time.
Example: Elaine paints the room tomorrow.
Example: Elaine paints the room next Tuesday morning.

Perfect Tenses
Present Perfect Tense
Use the present perfect tense to express an action or a condition that occurred
at some indefinite time in the past. Do not be confused by the word present in the
name of the present perfect tense. This tense expresses past time. The word
present refers to the tense of the auxiliary verb has or have.

You form the present perfect tense by using has or have with the past participle
of a verb: has studied, have known.

Example: The cake has fallen in the oven.

Example: I have promised to bring cakes for the bake sale.

The present perfect tense can refer to completed action in past time only in
an indefinite way. Adverbs such as yesterday cannot be added to make the time
more specific.

Example: WE have seen this movie.

Example: The beans have grown taller.

To be specific about completed past time, you would normally use the simple
past tense.

Example: We saw this movie during spring break.

Example: The beans grew a foot taller over the weekend.

The present perfect tense can also be used to express the idea that an action
or a condition began in the past and still happening. To communicate this idea,
you would normally add adverbs (or adverb phrases or clauses) of time.

Example: Lionel has studied ballet for two years.

Example: Beth Ann has hit three home runs in a row.

Past Perfect Tense

Use the past perfect tense to indicate that one past action or condition began
and ended before another past action or condition started.

You form the past perfect tense by using the auxiliary verb had with the past
participles of a verb: had painted, had sung.

Example: Frank won the race in the car whose carburetor he had rebuilt. (First
Frank rebuilt the carburetor; the rebuilding was complete; then he won the race.)

Example: La Verne had perfected her dance routine before she entered the
contest. (She practiced until her routine was perfect; the perfecting was
complete; then she entered the dance contest.)

Future Perfect Tense

Use the future perfect tense to express one future action or condition that will
begin and end before another future event starts.

You form the future perfect tense by using will have or shall have with the past
participle of a verb: will have rested, shall have won.

Example: By August you will have learned how to swim. (Learning to swim will
be complete by the time another future event, the arrival of August, happens.)

Example: Before she has paid all her debts, she will have paid hundreds of
dollars in interest. (The interest will already have been paid by the time another
future event, the paying of all her debts, is reached.)