LANGUAGE and TOOLS The English tense system: classes of verbs Silvia Roma

THE ENGLISH TENSE SYSTEM

There are 3 CLASSES OF VERBS IN ENGLISH:

AUXILIARY VERBS MODAL AUXILIARY FULL VERBS

DO, BE, HAVE VERBS
CAN, MUST, to WANT
FULL VERBS are all the other
The verbs DO, BE, HAVE are The Modal verbs CAN, MUST, to
verbs in the language, with a
used as Auxiliary verbs to form
WANT are auxiliary because they
“full” meaning. What we have
‘help’ other verbs, but unlike DO,
tenses. In this function they lose
to remember about them is:
their own meaning as “full verbs”.
BE, HAVE (which only help to form
tenses) modal auxiliaries have their
DO-BE-HAVE as auxiliaries are -Put the –s at the 3rd person of
own meaning. They express
used to form negative and the Simple Present
certainty, ability, possibility, advice,
question forms of the Present He goes, she walks, he
etc.
Simple and the Past simple: thinks, etc.
As auxiliary verbs they help forming
DO interrogative and negative -Add the auxiliary Do/does for
I don’t understand. sentences but unlike the auxiliaries forming negative and
She doesn’t eat meat DO-BE- HAVE maintain their interrogative forms, at the
I didn’t agree. meaning: Simple present and Simple
Do they like it?
Can you pass me the pen? Past.
What does he want?
Did they enjoy it? I cant’ see him.
BE Must she study maths?
He mustn’t say bad words.
-At the Simple Past/Past
We aren’t friends.
Participle, put
I wasn’t at home.
Is she an interpreter? “–ed” if the verb is regular,
They have an irregular behaviour: but if the verb is irregular
Were you busy?
HAVE -They don’t have “–s” at the 3° you must know the irregular
I haven’t got the car keys. person of the Simple Present: verb list.
She hadn’t any dictionary.
he must, she can, he wants
Has he got a computer? reg. verb
(exception)
Had they enough money? to walk – walked
-They don’t have “to” of the infinitive
BE as an auxiliary +” –ing” is used tense: irreg. verb
to form Continuous tenses: He must be at least sixty. (certainty) to go-went-gone
Alice is writing a book. I can’t swim. (ability)
We are going to the club.
-They don’t have some forms of the
BE + “-ed” is used to form Past and Future:
Passive sentences:
can- was able to- will be able to;
Paper is made from wood.
He was injured in a car accident. must- had to- will have to;
want- wanted-will like to
HAVE as an auxiliary +
“-ed” is used to form Perfect
tenses:
I’ve never been there before.