Tenses

Tense is the grammatical realization of time by means of verbal

inflection. This simply means that in English, we can indicate time by
changing the shape of most verbs (sing becoming sang, run becoming
ran, fly becoming flew and so on).

There are three different manifestations of time:

• Present time
• Past time
• Future time

Over and above this threefold opposition, we speak of the progressive

forms (ing) and the perfective forms.

Simple Present and Present Progressive

At the outset, the simple present is used to indicate fact and habit,
things that are always true.

Facts:
We live in Freetown. [This means that Freetown is our permanent
residence. It is a fact.]

Jane likes doughnut. [It is an observable fact that Jane likes doughnut.]

It rains a lot in the provinces. [Because the provinces have densely

forested areas, it is true that it rains there a lot. This is a fact.]

Habits:
Abu visits his grandfather every Friday. [Every Friday indicates the
habitual state of the expression.]
She always drinks coffee in the morning. [The frequency adverb always
shows how regular she drinks coffee in the morning. Using ‘drinks, the
present simple, is correct, showing habit.]

To show habit, we normally use the simple present with frequency

adverbs such as always, every day, usually, once every two months, etc.

Note:
The simple present is used also to express the following notions:

The Instantaneous Present

The instantaneous present is used with dynamic verb senses to refer to

a single event with little or no duration. It is used only in in certain
restricted situations such as in commentaries and with performative
verbs that refer to speech acts performed by uttering the sentences.

Example
Musa passes the ball to Kei. [You hear this in match commentaries.]

The Historic Present

The historic present is used to refer to past time, and is characteristic of

popular narrative style. When we analyze literature texts, we use the
historic present chiefly to create immediacy.

Example

Yaremi weeps profusely upon the passing away of Ajumobi. [Lonley

Days]
 The Present Progressive

Formulation: The present progressive is formed with am, is, or are + the
ing form of the main verb.
The Present Progressive is used to indicate that an action is in progress
now, but will stop sooner or later.

Examples
You are listening to me. [The action doing with ‘listening’ is happening
now, but it will stop sooner or later. What is key is that it has to stop.]

It is raining. [It is raining now at this time.]

The school team is playing a match against a team from a rival school.
[The match is going on now. The act is bound to stop sooner or later.]

Common Mistakes
We run into mistakes when we use the present progressive instead of
present simple.

Examples
Permanent Residence
I am living in Bo. [This tense is wrong when someone really means that
Bo is their permanent residence, which will indeed indicate fact. If they
live and work in Bo, it will be wrong to use the present progressive, am
living. Using the present progressive in this circumstance means Bo is
their temporary residence, not their permanent residence. They are
there for a visit or for the purpose of schooling or some other
engagement, and they will get back home once that is done.]

But if in actual fact the speaker is referring to the fact that Bo is their
permanent residence, they should say:

I live in Bo. [This is referring to a permanent residence. This is a fact,

and we use the simple present tense to speak about facts.]

Established Product

Our company is producing rubber items. [This tense is wrong if the

company is established purely to produce rubber items, a situation that
will indicate fact. Using the present progressive ‘is producing’ means
that rubber is the company’s temporary product, not the established
one.]
But if they really mean that rubber is the company’s established
product, the following should be used instead:
Our company produces rubber items. [This refers to the company’s
established product. The company is established to produce rubber
items. Using the simple present to indicate fact is correct here.]

Now, let us look at situations where we use the Present Simple

instead of the Present Progressive

Examples
The economy grows again this year. [Using the simple present here is
wrong. The economy of a country rises and falls, which means it is
unstable. It does not remain in one position forever especially with the
current global uncertainties. It cannot hold a constant position.]

For that reason, the following should be used instead:

The economy is growing again this year. [This tense is correct. The
action is happening now, and it will stop sooner or later.]

Here is another example:

They build a house next to Freetown Mall. [This tense is wrong. The
building of a house can only last for some period, not forever.]

The following is the correct case:

They are building a house next to Freetown Mall. [The action is

happening now. It will stop sooner or later depending on the owner’s
financial strength.]

Simple Past and Past Progressive

The simple past expresses an action or a state of being that occurred in
the past and did not continue into the present. To indicate that an
action occurred in the past and ended there, we throw in a time-marker
such as ten minutes ago, yesterday, last year, etc.
Examples
In the last lap, the runner fell and injured his knee. [The acts of falling
and injuring occurred in the past and have no current relevance. The
time-marker ‘in the last lap’ helps provide an additional clue.]

Yesterday we swam in the pool. [The act of swimming occurred in past

and ended there. It has no current relevance. The time-marker
‘yesterday’ provides additional information that the idea about
swimming occurred in the past.]

Note:

When we refer more tentatively to a present state of mind, what is

called Attitudinal Past is optionally used.

Example

Did you want to see me now? [The past tense is used here to express
the present state of mind of the speaker.]

Past Progressive

Formulation: The past progressive is formed with was or were+ the ing
form of the main verb.

The past progressive is used in the following situations:

• When we have one relatively long action interrupted by a shorter

one.
Example
While I was watching TV, somebody suddenly knocked on the door.
[The act of watching TV was ongoing. It is a long action. It was
interrupted by the shorter action ‘knocked’.]

• When we have two relatively long actions happening at the same

time.

Example
While were cleaning the room, the children were playing. [The acts of
cleaning and playing were two long actions happening at the same time
in the past.]

• When we refer to a future action in the past.

Example
I thought he was coming back that evening, but unfortunately, he
didn’t. [We are referring to a future time in the past.]
Note: After WHEN, we usually use past simple and after AS and WHILE,
we use past progressive.

Some WASSCE past Questions on Tenses

The boys………………….football when the teacher entered the class.
[June. 2012]
A. Are discussing B. were discussing C. will be discussing D. will
discuss

The student complained that he…………the teacher. [June 2018]

A. Could not hear B. was not hearing C. does not hear D. is not
hearing

My brother…….in Lagos for the past ten years. [June 2018]

A. Is living B. has been living C. will have lived D. lived

No wonder Pabi is now in the national team; he……….very well since his
youth. [June 2007]
A. Is playing B. played C. has been playing D. had played
Since his swearing-in, the governor……..his hometown. [Nov. 2018]
A. Had to been visiting B. has not visited C. did not visit D. had not
visited

Our mother asked whether we……….our meal. [June 2007]

A. Will be having B. will have C. have had D. had had

……………………to school, it began to rain heavily. [2006]

A. Walking B. As I was walking C. I was walking D. when walking

As they……………………..the thieves broke into the house. [2011]

A. Had slept B. are sleeping C. have been sleeping D. were sleeping

The Simple Future ‘will’ and the ‘Be going to’ Future

The simple future ‘will’ is used to express possibility in the future

usually in conjunction with an expression of possibility such as I hope, I
think, maybe, probably.

Examples
It will probably rain tonight. [This is expressing ordinary possibility. It
may rain or it may not.]

I hope he will pass his test. [This is expressing simple possibility. He

may pass or not. There is no certainty.]

If we don’t hurry, we will miss the school bus. [‘Will miss’ is expressing
a possibility.]

Also, we can use the simple future in taking instant decisions at the
time of speaking, making offers and giving promises.

Examples

Speaker A: May I speak to Mr. Koroma please?

Speaker B: Hold on. I’ll put you through. [This is about making instant
decision.]

It’s hard to get a taxi at this hour. I will give you a ride home. [Here, we
are making an offer.]
Thank you for your letter. I will respond to it in two days. [This aspect is
indicating a promise.]

Additionally

We can use the simple future to make predictions.

Example

I think Mighty Blue House will win this year’s sport meet. [We are only
predicting the future.]

Note:

We can also use shall to indicate the simple future with the first person
singular (I) or plural (we).

Example

I shall play the piano tomorrow.

Shall is used mainly in British English in forms like shall I? Or shall we?

Examples
Shall I come tomorrow? [Do you want me to come tomorrow?]

What shall we do next? [What’s your opinion?]

Be Going to (‘Be’ means am, is, and are)

We use the ‘Be Going to Future’ in the following situations:

• To express something that is certain to happen in the future. We

are sure about it.

Example

Look at those black clouds. It is going to rain any minutes. [Here, we

are certain that it is going to rain since the phrase ‘black clouds’
provides a relevant proof.]

He has studied really hard. He is definitely going to pass his test.

[Studying hard and the word ‘definitely’ highlight the certainty of the
statement. We have to be sure that something is going to happen or
take place before using this tense.]

• The ‘Be Going to future’ is also used to talk about a decision or a

plan we have made before the time of speaking.
Example

Mr. Koroma isn’t here. I am going to put you through to his assistant.
[Somebody comes to the office and wants to see Mr. Koroma. He has
waited for some time. And I know he wants to see Mr. Koroma. In my
head I have decided that I should help, so I endeavour to do so by
saying ‘I am going to put you through to his assistant’. This is about
taking a decision before the time of speaking. I have planned it in my
head before saying it.]

Note:

The present progressive is also used for fixed arrangements in the

future.

Examples

I am having lunch with my parents on Thursday. [Fixed arrangement]

My uncle is flying to Monrovia the day after tomorrow. [Fixed
arrangement]

Do not confuse ‘Be going to’ future used to express a plan one has
made and the present progressive used to express fixed arrangement.

Examples

We are going to get married this year. [Plan]

We are getting married on June 29th. [Fixed arrangement]

The Future Progressive

Formulation: The future progressive is formed by will + be + the present

participle (the ing form of the verb)

The future progressive is a verb tense that indicates that something will
occur in the future and continue for an expected length of time.
Examples

Abu will be playing a piano this Sunday.

Festus will be competing against Abu.

I will be watching Abu and Festus’ competition.

The Present Perfect Tense

Formulation: The present perfect is formed by have/has + the past
participle form of the main verb.

The present perfect expresses an action or a state of being that

occurred at an indefinite time in the past. This is the reason we should
not use definite past time with the present perfect tense.

Examples
John and Mary have already entered the information into the
computer. [The act occurred in the recent past. No definite time is
stated.]

Musa has drunk some water.

[The act of drinking took place in the recent past. It must have some
signs in the present. In this sentence, we can assume that Musa has
some drops of water on his cheek and might be talking about the state
of the water although the drinking took place in the recent past. But if
the drinking act only occurred in the past and has no current relevance,
it is then wrong to use the present perfect tense to express this truth.
We should use the simple past tense instead like ‘Musa drank some
water’. The action took place in the past and ended there.]

The present perfect is also used to express an action or a state of being

that began in the past and that continues into the present.
Example

Mr. Kamara has taught school for twenty-one years. [The act of
teaching began in the past. Mr. Kamara is still a teacher and has been in
the profession for twenty-one years.]

Note:
Do not use the present perfect tense to express a specific time in the
past. Use the simple past.
Examples
They have eaten the food this morning. [This is wrong. We are not to
use the present perfect tense with a specific past time, in this case ‘this
morning’.]

They ate the food this morning. [This is correct. We use the simple past
to indicate that an action occurred in the past and ended there.
Definite time-markers can be used with this tense.]

The present perfect tense can be used with an unfinished time like
today or this week.

Examples

I have not seen Musa today. [The day has not ended yet, which speaks
to the idea of unfinished time.]

We have done a lot this week. [The week is still alive; it has not ended.]
When we speak about repeated action in the past, we use the present
perfect.

Example

I have watched this movie at least seven times.

The Past Perfect

Formation: The past perfect is formed by had + the past participle of the
main verb.

We use the past perfect tense for an action in the past that was
completed before a later one began. This tense is used to indicate that
two or more actions with one following the other took place in the past.
The first action should be expressed in the past perfect tense. The
remaining one (s) should be written in the simple past.

Examples

When I came to the station, the bus had left.

[‘Had left’ is the past perfect tense. In this sentence, two actions
occurred in the past. The activity doing with coming to the station and
the bus leaving are the actions involved. Of the two, the departing of the
bus happened first before the act of coming to the station. So we say the
bus had left to indicate the earlier of the two past actions. Coming to the
station was the second action. It is expressed in the simple past.]

The rain had stopped when we returned home.

[‘Had stopped’ is the past perfect tense. In this sentence, two actions
occurred in the past, the one doing with the rain stopping and the one
doing with returning home. Of the two, the action relating to the rain
happened before the act of returning home. We say we use the past
perfect tense for an action in the past that was completed before a later
one began, so the action relating to the rain occurred first and got
completed. We therefore use the past perfect tense ‘had stopped’ to
indicate this fact. The action ‘returned’ is put in the simple past tense to
show that it occurred later.]

When I came home, I saw that the robbers had broken into my house
and had stolen all my valuables.
[In this sentence, four actions took place in the past: coming home,
seeing something, the robbers breaking into the house, and the
valuables stolen. Of the four actions, two occurred first and two occurred
later. When we have several past actions, we need to place them
according to the ones that happened first and the ones that happened
later. All those that happened first should be expressed in the past
perfect tense whilst those that occurred later in the simple past tense. In
the sentence ‘When I came home, I saw that the robbers had broken into
my house and had stolen all my valuables’, the actions doing with the
robbers breaking into the house and stealing all the valuables occurred
first, so we indicated that by saying ‘had broken’ and ‘had stolen’,
putting them in the past perfect tense. The other two actions ‘came’ and
‘saw’ happened only later. We therefore indicated this fact by using the
simple past tense forms ‘came’ and ‘saw’.]

Past Perfect Progressive

Formulation: The past perfect progressive is formed by had + been + the
present participle of the main verb.
We use the past perfect progressive to show that something started in
the past and continued up until another time in the past.

Examples
They had been talking for over an hour before Alie arrived.
[‘Had been talking’ is the past perfect progressive. This tense is
indicating the fact that the act of talking began in the past and continued
for a specific period of time, in this case ‘for over an hour’, until another
past action came about. The action that began in the past should
continue for a specific time before another occurred. This should be
noted. In this sentence, had been talking went on for over an hour, being
the specific time until Alie arrived.]

She had been working at that company for three years when it went out
of business.
[The idea of working at the company started in the past and continued
for a period of three years (being the specific time) before the action of
going out of business came about.]

Osman wanted to sit down because he had been standing all day at
work. [‘Had been standing’ is the past perfect progressive. Here, it is
indicating that the act of standing began in the past and continued all
day (being the period of time) before the need to sit down arose.]

This pattern of using the past perfect continuous tense should be

noted.

The Future Perfect

Formulation: The future perfect simple is formed by will + have + past
participle of any verb

We use the future perfect tense for an action that will be completed
within a certain time in the future. When we use this tense, we should
indicate a definite time in the future to suggest that we will have
finished a certain task within such a period in the future when the point
of reference is from the present.

If the point of reference is in the present, use future perfect simple.

Example
I hope I will have improved my swimming by the end of the dry season.
[The reference is in the present. ‘By the end of the dry season’ is the
definite time in the future. It is within this period or at this period the
task of improving my swimming will have been done.]

If the point of reference is in the past, we use the future perfect

conditional (would + have + the past participle).

Example
I hoped I would have improved my swimming by the end of the dry
season, but I did not. I didn’t try hard enough. [The point of reference is
the past. I thought I could have done something within a certain period
in the past, but I could not.]

Note:
The future perfect usually comes in sentences with time expressions
starting with BY.
Example
By the time, ….
By January, ….
By then,……..

Past Question
By the time schools open, I……………………………here for eight years. [2006]
A. Worked B. will work C. will be working D. will have worked

Verbs and Expressions that attract Gerunds (ING words)

The following verbs and expressions are followed by gerunds (ing words):
Admit, adore, avoid, consider, delay, deny, detest, dislike, enjoy, finish,
imagine, involve, keep, mind, miss, notice, postpone, practise, busy,
resent, risk, can’t help, can’t stand, feel stand, feel like, it’s no use, it’s
worth, it’s worthless, it’s worthwhile, look forward to, object to, be
accustomed to, be committed to, etc

Examples
Umu admitted telling a false story.

Kadija delays going home.

I enjoy playing football.

 WASSCE Questions relating to Gerundive Expressions
When we visited the television studio, I was busy………acoustic devices.
[June 1991]
A. Admitting B. to admit C. in admiring D. to have admired

We are considering……….the meeting to next Friday. [Nov. 1991]

A. To postpone B. having postponing C. postponing D. in postponing

Would you mind…….this cheque for me? [June 1999]

A. Sign B. signing C. to signing D. to sign

I am not accustomed………on an empty stomach. [June 2002]

A. To sleep B. to have slept C. for sleeping D. to sleeping

The maid denied………her mistress’ money. [June 2002]

A. To stealing B. stolen C. to have stolen D. stealing

The group is committed to………….for international peace. [June 2003]

A. Work B. worked C. working D. be working

I enjoy…………………my grandson to school every day. [2009]

A. To drive B. to driving C. driving D. drive