Unit II Verbs 2023

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática Inglesa
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFÍA Y LETRAS UNIT 2 - VERBS
UNIT Nº 2: VERBS
Theory Section
A full verb is a word (e.g. run) which expresses the existence of a state (e.g. love, seem) or
the doing of an action (e.g. take, play).
The term verb is used in two senses:
■ The verb (V) is one of the elements in the sentence, like the subject (S) and the object (O).
E.g.
➜ The girl found her doll.

S V O
■ A verb is a part of speech or word class, like a noun and an adjective. As a word class,
verbs can be divided into three major categories:
○ The open class of full or lexical verbs.
○ Primary auxiliary verbs (BE, HAVE, DO).
○ Modal auxiliary verbs (e.g. can).
The full verb may occur alone, or with other verbal elements in a verb phrase, e.g. “have
been eating.” If there is only one verb in the verb phrase, it is the main verb, and the verb
phrase is simple. If there is more than one verb, the final one is the main verb, and the ones
that come before are auxiliaries. This type of phrase is called complex. E.g.
➜ They have been playing.

P.Aux.V. P.Aux.V Full V.
Of the three classes of verbs, full verbs can act only as main verbs, modal auxiliaries can act
only as auxiliary verbs, and the primary can act either as main verbs or as auxiliary verbs. E.g.
➜ You didn't do your homework.

P. Aux. V. Full V.
➜ I haven't had my breakfast yet. Can you wait?

P. Aux. V. Full V.
➜ Carl isn´t coming today. He is in a meeting.

P. Aux. V. Full V.
Cuadernillo Anual - 2023

AUXILIARY VERBS
Auxiliaries have an important syntactic function in common: they become the operator when
they occur as the first verb in the verb phrase. The main verb be and the main verb have
(sometimes, especially in BrE) are also operators when they are the only verb in the verb
phrase. On the other hand, only the auxiliary do is an operator, not the main verb do, when it
is the first verb in a verb phrase. Operators have the following functions:
○ They form negative sentences when they precede the word “not”.
➜ Sorry but I cannot (can’t) help you
○ They form interrogative sentences when they occur in front of the subject.
➜ She won’t be here tomorrow. Will she come on Friday?
○ They emphasize positive meaning when they are stressed in a positive declarative
sentence.
➜ You must finish your work. I hàve finished it.
○ They form elliptical answers when the rest of the predication is omitted.
➜ Will you phone me? Yes, I will
No, I can’t
If there isn’t an operator in a positive declarative sentence, i.e. if no auxiliary verb is present
in the verb phrase, we introduce the dummy operator do.
➜ She answered the phone. She did not (or didn’t) answer the phone.
➜ They wrote a love poem. Did they write a love poem?
➜ You never arrive on time. But I dìd arrive on time today.
➜ You never read the newspaper. Yes, I do.

No, I don’t.

Functions of operators
Example Negative Interrogative Emphatic Elliptical answer

meaning
She is an honest She isn’t an honest Is she an honest She ‘is an honest Yes, she is.
person. person. person? person. No, she isn’t.
He has come early. He hasn’t come Has he come early? He ‘has come early. Yes, he has.
early. No, he hasn’t.
You should stay You shouldn’t stay Should you stay You ‘should stay Yes, you should.
longer. longer. longer? longer. No, you shouldn’t.
They love They don’t love Do they love They do love Yes, they do.
strawberries. strawberries. strawberries? strawberries. No, they don’t.
They do exercise They don’t do Do they do exercise They ‘do do exercise Yes, they do.
every day. exercise every day. every day? every day. No, they don’t.
TENSE AND ASPECT
Verbs are used to express distinctions in time through tense. Tense is a grammatical category
realised by verb inflection. An inflection can be defined as a morphological change in verbs
(e.g. trying), nouns (e.g. offices), and some other word classes, that expresses a grammatical
meaning such as number or tense. Time is a universal, nonlinguistic concept with three types
of reference: past, present, future. Tense is understood as the correspondence between the
form of the verb and our concept of time. There are two tenses in English: present tense and
past tense. Since there is no inflection to indicate future time, we speak about future time
expressions but not “future tense” in the English language.
Aspect is a grammatical category that concerns the way in which the speaker experiences
the action implied by the verb as completed or in progress. Aspect is normally realised by
means of the use of auxiliaries: be followed by present participles expresses progressive
aspect (E.g. Lizzy is cleaning the floor); have followed by past participles expresses perfective
aspect (E.g. I have already finished). There are then three Aspect distinctions: the simple
(non-progressive and non-perfective), the progressive and the perfective ones.
Auxiliary verbs are used with full verbs to give other information about actions and states.
For example, be may be used with the present participle of a full verb to say that an action
was or is going on (‘in progress’) at a particular time (e.g. I was swimming); have may be

used with the past participle of a full verb to say that an action has present results or is
completed (e.g. I have finished).
The combination of the different tenses and aspects results in eight different verb tenses:
Present Simple I travel
Past Simple I travelled
Present Progressive I am travelling
Past Progressive I was travelling
Present Perfect I have travelled
Past Perfect I had travelled
Present Perfect Progressive I have been travelling
Past Perfect Progressive I had been travelling
Verbal Forms
Many English verbs have six forms:
■ Base form
○ The modal auxiliary verbs: can, may, must, will and shall E.g. I will study hard.
➜ My dad can play the piano very well.
➜ I may visit my family in August.
➜ You must visit the doctor during pregnancy.
➜ Shall I open the door for you?

○ Imperatives E.g. Study hard!

➜ Pay attention please!
➜ Come here!
➜ Follow the instructions to assemble the game.
○ Present Tense (I – you – we – they) E.g. I miss you.

➜ You stay here and we cook dinner.
➜ They prefer London to Paris.
Am and are are called PRESENT FORM
○ The auxiliary “do” and “have” E.g. People don’t usually read between the lines.
➜ I have never tried sushi.
■ Infinitive
○ bare infinitive E.g. Let me go!
➜ I saw you leave.
➜ The teacher made them copy the examples.
➜ We heard him sing aloud.
➜ I was watching them play the violin last week.
➜ My mum helps me study when I don’t understand.
After modal auxiliary verbs and after the auxiliaries “do” and “does”
➜ Paula could ride a bike at three.
➜ Do classes start early?
○ to infinitive E.g. She wants to go with you.

➜ I decided to start a new career.
➜ I can't afford to own a car.
➜ We all agreed to cancel next week's meeting.

➜ He will attempt to break the national record for the 1,500 metres.
➜ Why did you choose to study arts?
■ –s form E.g. She studies really hard.

➜ He is tired.
➜ Our pet doesn’t eat meat.
➜ My mum has a new purse.
■ Past form or V-ed1

➜ They forgot their appointment.
➜ He phoned me yesterday.
The modal auxiliary verbs: could, would, should and might.
■ Present participle (or -ing participle)

➜ I’m listening to you.
■ Past participle (or -ed participle) / V-ed2

➜ I’ve never answered that.
➜ She’s already told you.
There are morphological rules that explain the spelling of verbal forms, i.e. the ways in
which a verbal form is predicted from its base. Also, there are phonological rules that explain
the ways in which those forms are pronounced. For example:
■ Morphological or spelling rule: The present participle form is derived by adding –ing to
the base form, e.g. play ~ playing.
■ Phonological or pronunciation rule: The past form is pronounced as / id / after bases
ending in /d/ or /t/, e.g. pad ~ padded
Some verbs called regular verbs have the same –ed ending or inflection for the past simple
and the past participle. They are called regular because the past and past participle forms
can be predicted from the base form. Some other verbs are called irregular because the past
and past participle forms cannot be regularly predicted from the base.

USES OF VERB TENSES
Present Tenses
The Simple Present Tense
1. Unrestrictive use.
a. Statepresent: if you want to talk about your thoughts and feelings at the present
moment or refer to a settled state of affairs which includes the present moment, you
use the simple present.
➜ God, he looks awful.

➜ My stomach hurts.
➜ He is a very good brother. We love him.
b. Universal statements and eternal truths: if you want to say that something is always or
generally true, you use the simple present.
➜ Near the equator, the sun evaporates greater quantities of water.

➜ A chemical reaction occurs in the fuel cell.
2. Iterative or habitual use: if you want to talk about something that a particular person or
thing does regularly or habitually, you use the simple present.
➜ Do you smoke?
➜ I get up early and eat my breakfast listening to the radio.
3. Simple present with reference to imaginary present time: you usually use the simple
present when you are discussing what happens in a book, play, or film.
➜ The criminal justice system, the author says, has failed to keep pace with the drug
problem.
➜ The Bible says love of money is the root of all evil.
The Present Progressive Tense
1. Present progressive with stative verb senses: some stative verbs can be used in the
progressive to indicate temporary states at the moment of speaking.

➜ I am already feeling tense.

➜ My head is aching.
➜ The child is being naughty.
2. Event present progressive: if you want to talk about something that is happening at the
moment you are speaking or to indicate that a situation is temporary, you use the present
progressive.
➜ I’m working as a British Council Officer.

➜ We’re having a meeting. Come and join in.
➜ Only one hospital is functioning.
3. Habitual or iterative use of the present progressive: if you want to talk about a habitual
action that takes place regularly, especially one which is new or temporary, you use the
present progressive.
➜ Do you know if she’s still playing these days?

➜ I’m working at an office for the time being.
4. Habitual progressive conveying disapproval: if you want to talk about a persistent or

continuous activity that is annoying or upsets the speaker, you can use the present
progressive.
➜ My father is always getting into trouble with the law.

➜ James is forever leaving his clothes scattered all over the place.
5. To talk about developing and changing situations: you also use the present progressive to
indicate changes, trends, development, and progress.
➜ The village is changing but it is still undisturbed.

➜ His handwriting is improving.
The Present Perfect Simple Tense
1. The state present perfect: if you want to talk about a situation or state that started at
some time in the past, continued and still applies to the present, you use the present
perfect.
➜ She’s always felt that films should be entertaining.

➜ They’ve been very hardworking since they were little.
2. The event present perfect: if you want to mention something that happened in the past
but you do not want to state a specific time (general indefinite past), or if you want to talk
about an event that took place in a recent past (recent indefinite past), you use the
present perfect.
➜ I have noticed this trait in many photographers.

➜ I’ve just missed the bus.
3. The habitual present perfect: if you want to talk about a situation that has occurred
repeatedly over a period of time up to the present, you use the present perfect.
➜ She has worked for him for ten years.

➜ They have been back every year since 2000.
4. The resultative use: if you want to talk about a past event to imply that the result of that
event is still operative at the present time you use the present perfect simple.
➜ I’ve drunk too much. I feel dizzy.

➜ The girl’s taken a bath. She’s clean now.
The Present Perfect Progressive Tense
1. A situation, event or habit: if you want to talk about a situation, event or habit that
started at some time in the past (recent or distant), continued, and is still happening now
(and will probably continue into the future) you use the present perfect progressive.
➜ Timothy has been mowing the grass all afternoon.

➜ My father has been working for the same company for twenty years.
➜ I’ve been feeling numb since this morning.
2. The resultative use: if you want to talk about the current evidence of something observed
over time you use the present perfect progressive.
➜ She’s been crying. Look at her eyes.

➜ Peter is exhausted because he’s been studying all night.

Past Tenses
The Simple Past Tense
1. Event past: if you want to say that an event occurred or that something was the case at a
particular time in the past, you use the simple past.
➜ The doctor gave her medication to help her relax.

➜ Soviet troops marched into Prague in 1968.
If two past events occur following a chronological order, we talk about time sequence.
This relationship is often marked by conjunctions.
➜ The driver hit the dog and ran away in the middle of the night.
➜ After she made dinner, she took a bath.
2. State past: if you want to say that a situation existed over a period of time in the past, you
also use the simple past.
➜ She suffered from asthma all her life.

➜ They seemed to be interested in my plans.
3. Habitual past: if you want to talk about an activity that took place regularly or repeatedly
in the past, but which no longer occurs, you use the simple past.
➜ We read a lot in our boyhood.

➜ She worked as a secretary in 2000.
The Past Progressive Tense
1. Event past progressive:

a. Action in progress: if you want to talk about an action in progress at some time in the
past which is not necessarily complete, you use the past progressive.
➜ My mother was baking some scones last night.

➜ The editor was reading my manuscript this morning.

b. Temporal Frame: if you want to contrast a situation with an event which happened just
after that situation existed, you use the past progressive to describe the first situation.
You then use the simple past to describe the event which occurred after it.
➜ We were waiting for the bus when Penny passed by and offered to give us a lift.
➜ While I was having lunch, he arrived with a big smile on his face.
c. Parallel or simultaneous actions: if you want to describe two actions in progress in the
past happening at the same time, you use the past progressive.
➜ I was combing her hair while John was polishing her boots.
➜ The teacher was taking notes while the student was giving her presentation.
The Past Perfect Simple Tense
1. Event past perfect: if you want to refer to an event that took place at a definite or
indefinite time in the past before another past time, you use the past perfect simple.
➜ Tim had lost his passport before so he knew what to do.

➜ They had never argued before the wedding.
The Past Perfect Progressive Tense
1. A situation, event or habit: if you want to talk about a situation, event or habit taking
place over a period of time in the past prior to some other past event or time, you use the
past perfect progressive.
➜ She had been living in New York when she was offered a job in Paris.
➜ She had been teaching children before she got married.
Ways of Expressing Future Time
1. Will/shall + infinitive: if you want to say that something is planned to happen, or that you
think it is likely to happen in the future, you use the future simple (will/shall + infinitive).
➜ What do you think Sally will do?

➜ Nancy will arrange it.

2. Future perfect (will + have + v-ed2): if you are referring to something that has not
happened yet but will happen before a particular time in the future, you can use the
future perfect.
➜ By the time you arrive, the game will have started.

➜ I will have obtained my degree by 2020.
3. Future progressive (will + be + v-ing): if you are sure that something will happen because
arrangements have been made, you can use the future progressive.
➜ I’ll be seeing my friends this afternoon.

➜ John will be waiting for you outside.
4. Future perfect progressive (will + have been + v-ing): if you want to indicate the duration
of an event at a specific time in the future, you can use the future perfect progressive.
➜ My subscription will have been running for a year next June.

➜ I will have been working in that company when you come back.
5. Be going to + infinitive: if you think the event you are referring to will happen quite soon
or if you are stating your intention that it will happen, you can use ‘be going to’ followed
by the infinitive of a verb.
➜ I’m going to explore the neighbourhood.

➜ You’re going to fall off the chair if you don’t sit properly.
6. Present progressive with future meaning: if you want to talk about a firm plan,
programme or arrangement for the future, you can use the present progressive.
➜ I’m leaving at the end of this week.

➜ He’s going to the doctor tomorrow afternoon.
7. Simple present with future meaning: if you want to make statements about the calendar
or talk about immutable events like timetables, schedules or programmes, you can use
the simple present.
➜ My last train leaves at 11.30.

➜ Tomorrow night we exchange packages.

8. Be to + infinitive: if you want to refer to public meetings, formal arrangements, future

plans, requirements or intentions, you can use be to + infinitive.
➜ You are to remain quiet until I return.

➜ The President is to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow morning.
9. Be about to + infinitive or be on the point of + -ing: if you want to talk about a future
action that will take place in the near future, you can use be about to + infinitive or be on
the point of + -ing.
➜ The girl was on the point of crying after her mother told her off.
➜ Another 385 people are about to lose their jobs.
10. Be due to: if you wish to make statements about planned future events like
timetables and itineraries that you expect to happen soon, you can use be due to +
infinitive.
➜ She is due to start as a spokesperson shortly.

➜ The demolition is due to start next week.
****************
BIBLIOGRAPHY
■ Alexander L. G.(1999). Longman English Grammar. Longman. 17th Edition.
■ Biber D., Conrad, S., Leech, G. (2003). Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written
English. (Student’s Book and Workbook) . Longman. Essex: England.
■ Cotton D., Falvey D., Kent S. (2008). Language Leader Coursebook Intermediate. Pearson
Longman.
● Foley M., Hall D (2010). MyGrammarLab Intermediate. Pearson.

■ Hughes, John (2008) Language LeaderWorkbook Intermediate. Pearson Longman
■ Quirk R., Greenbaum S. and Leech G. (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language. Longman.
■ Vince M. (2003) First Certificate Language Practice with key. Macmillan. 2nd Edition.

UNIT Nº 2: VERBS
Practice Section
⏩ Task Nº 1. Classify the underlined verbs into full verbs,

primary auxiliary verbs by ticking in the correct box.
modal auxiliary verbs and
The deadliest virus in modern history, perhaps of all time, may1 have2 been3 the 1918 Spanish
Flu. It killed4 about 20 to 50 million people worldwide, perhaps more. The total death toll is
unknown because medical records were not kept in many areas. Soldiers were5 fighting6
World War I when the pandemic hit and devastated military troops. The pandemic started7
mildly, in the spring of 1918, but was8 followed by a much more severe wave in the fall of
1918. The war likely contributed to the devastating mortality numbers. Poor nutrition and
the unsanitary conditions of war camps had9 an effect. A third wave occurred in the winter
and spring of 1919, and a fourth, smaller wave occurred in a few areas in spring 1920. Initial
symptoms of the flu were10 typical: sore throat, headache, and fever. The flu often
progressed rapidly to cause severe pneumonia and sometimes haemorrhage in the lungs and
mucus membranes. Modern medicine such as vaccines, antivirals, and antibiotics for
secondary infections were not available at that time, so medical personnel couldn't11 do12
much more than try to relieve symptoms. The flu ended when it had13 infected14 enough
people so that those who were susceptible had either died or developed immunity.
Full Modal Primary Full Modal Primary

Verb Auxiliary Auxiliary Verb Auxiliary Auxiliary
Verb Verb Verb Verb
1. may 8. was
2. have 9. had
3. been 10. were
4. killed 11. couldn’t
5. were 12. do
6. fighting 13. had
7. started 14. infected

⏩ Task Nº 2. Read the following text and classify all the underlined verb phrases as
simple or complex. Analyse type of verb and verbal form.
Who will be Britain's next King?
Very few people alive in Britain today remember the time when Britain last had1 a king.
Elizabeth II has been2 Queen of England since 1952, so only the oldest people remember the
last king, her father George VI.
Queen Elizabeth has marked life and times in Britain for the past seven decades, and when
she dies, Britain will change3.
There will be a moment of national trauma when she dies; it will not be4 as massive as the
national trauma that came5 with the death of Princess Diana, but who knows? At the time of
her death, Diana was6 popular more as a celebrity than as "a royal". The Queen is not7 just "a
royal", she is the Queen, part of national life, a British institution.
By historic tradition, after the death of a monarch, the crown passes to the "next in line"; this
is the Queen's eldest son, Prince Charles. Yet Prince Charles does not have to become8 King.
He could decide to let the crown pass to the next in line after him, his elder son Prince
William. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the next British head of state will therefore be
either King Charles III or King William V. However a king does not have to use9 the same
name as a prince. Like many people, both Charles and William have10 several given names
(first names); they both have the name Arthur, so either could chose to become King Arthur
II.... though that could cause11 problems, as the original "King Arthur", however famous he
may be12, is a legendary character who may not have really existed13, and may not have been
a real king even if he did exist14.
⏩ Task Nº 3. Identify the operators in the following sentences and state the functions
that they play.
1. She is not working in a bar at the moment.

2. - Can you see the TV or should I move? - Yes, I can. Don’t worry.
3. Will they arrive tomorrow night?
4. - I’ve lived here for twenty years. – I have, too.

5. My boss ‘is going to go to Italy this summer.

6. Sullivan’s music does have a certain charm.
7. She didn’t understand, did she?
⏩ Task Nº 4. Look at each pair of sentences and decide which one is correct according to
the right use of OPERATORS.
1. a) Mum did remove part of the patient's liver during surgery.

b) Mum did removed part of the patient's liver during surgery.
2. a. Jennifer was not clean the house yesterday.

b. Jennifer did not clean the house yesterday.
3. a. Have your parents arrived from their trip to Mexico? Yes, they have arrived.
b. Have your parents arrived from their trip to Mexico? Yes, they have.
4. a. Has he been seeing a psychiatrist?

b. Been he has seeing a psychiatrist.
5. a. Her mother doesn’t trust her but Joan does does all her homework.
b. Her mother doesn’t trust her but Joan does do all her homework.
⏩ Task Nº 5. Rewrite the following sentences applying the four basic features of
Operators.
1. It would be nice to see you there.
2. We have been trying to contact you for a long time.
3. Teachers usually work long hours at home.
4. The interview took longer than I had expected.

5. They do their best in every competition.
6. John will see you at five.
7. Cait appears on TV from time to time.
8. The Greys have two boys and a girl.
⏩ Task Nº 6. Consider the underlined verbs and choose the appropriate option to classify
them according to their form.
1. He wrote1 an amazing story. a. past participle b. past form c. present participle
2. The school was1 rebuilt2. 1. a. past participle 1. b. past form 1. c. -s form
2. a. past participle 2.b. past form 2. c. present participle
3. It is1 awful to lie2. 1. a. base form 1. b. -s form 1. c. present form
2. a. bare infinitive 2. b. to infinitive 1. c. base form
4. She should1 be2 back soon. 1. a. base form 1. b. past form 1. c. present form
2. a. base form 2. b. bare infinitive 2. c. present form
5. Respect1 the elderly. a. base form b. bare infinitive c. present form
6. My parents live1 in Dallas. a. base form b. bare infinitive c. present form
7. The actor was performing1. a. past participle b. past form c. present participle
8. I saw her leave1 the house. a. base form b. bare infinitive c. present form

⏩ Task Nº 7. Complete the spaces below with the correct verb form(s) and meaning(s) of
the following verbs. In each case, justify the changes in spelling.
present past past

base form -s form participle form participle meaning(s)
1 bid
2 creep
3 kneel
4 lay
5 burst
6 prove
7 saw
8 bend
9 flee
10 dwell
11 sink
12 swear

⏩ Task Nº 8. Decide if the forms given are correct. If not, provide the right ones. Indicate
the spelling rules applied in every case.
base form -s form present participle past form past participle
1. oversee oversees oversing oversaw oversaw
2. draw draws drawing drawed drew
3. lay lais laying laid laid
4. catch catchs catching catched caught
5. realize realizes realizing realized realizen
6. sting stinges stinging stang stang
7. seek seekes seeking seeked sought
8. dye dies dying died dyen
⏩ Task Nº 9. Write down the definitions of the verbs in the box below.
Verb Definition
Singe
Bar
Mow
Dread
Slink
Forsake
Spin
Bear

Shrink
Wed
strew
Hew
Cleave
⏩ Task Nº 10. Identify the tense-aspect combinations/verb tenses in the sentences below.
The following chart reminds you of the verbal forms used in the different verb tenses.
Present Simple Pres. Progressive Pres. Perfect Simple Present Perf.

Progressive
base form be + present participle have in its base form or have in its base form or
-s form form in the -s form + the past in the -s form + be in the
participle form past participle + present
participle form
Past Simple Past Progressive Past Perfect Simple Past Perf. Progressive
past form be in either past form + have in the past form + have in the past form +
present part. past part. be in the past part. form
+ present part.
1. Are you working on any special projects at work?

2. They hadn't been speaking to each other before the divorce.
3. They never went to school, they always skipped class
4. Kristine had never been to an opera before last night.
5. What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?
6. Where do you come from?
7. We were still working at 10 o’clock last night.
8. Have you ever had a surprise party?
9. He is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.
10. Light travels at almost 300,000 kilometres per second.

⏩ Task Nº 11. Present tenses. Indicate Verb Tense or future time structure and their uses
in the underlined verb phrases.
1. I don’t remember anything about the night of the accident.

2. A: You look fitter! B: Yes, I have been working out at the gym for the last few months.
3. Why are you driving so fast? Please, slow down!
4. We have lived in this house since we got married.
5. Are you going to watch the game tonight?
6. A: I'm late for my flight! B: Don't worry. I 'll drive you to the airport.
7. The baby hasn’t slept since yesterday. She looks tired.
8. A: Are you going to the concert next week? B: Yes, I have already bought the tickets!
⏩ Task Nº 12. Past Tenses. Choose the right use of the underlined verb phrases.
1. That ring belonged to my mother.
● Past Simple to indicate a situation which occurred at a definite past time.
● Past Simple to indicate a situation which existed over a period of time in the
past.
2. Fortunately, the plane landed on time.

past.
● Past simple to indicate a situation which took place at an indefinite past time.
3. In summer, we took trips to the country.

past.
● Past simple to indicate a situation which took place repeatedly in the past.
4. I was feeling dizzy all morning long.

● Past Progressive to indicate a situation that is happening at the moment of
speaking.
● Past Progressive to indicate continued states in the past.
● Past Progressive to indicate repeated actions in the past.
5. My granny was knitting when I arrived.

● Past Progressive to indicate a situation in progress.
● Past Progressive to indicate that a situation was in progress in the past when
something else happened.

6. We went to his office but he had left.

● Past Perfect Simple to indicate that an action occurred right after another past
action.
● Past Perfect Simple to indicate an action which took place before another past
action.
● Past Perfect Simple to indicate two actions happening at the same time.
7. I had been thinking about that before you mentioned it.

● Past Perfect Progressive to indicate a continuous activity in the past.
● Past Perfect Progressive to indicate an action in the past that happened prior
to another action.
8. Monica didn’t graduate when she had wished.

● Past Perfect Simple to indicate an action in the past that happened prior to
another action.
● Past Perfect Simple to indicate a past wish prior to another time in the past.
⏩ Task Nº 13. Write an example for each of the following uses of the FUTURE using the
correct form or construction.
1. State your intentions and plans for this subject:

____________________________________________________________________
2. Tell about an event which will already be completed before a certain time in the
future:
____________________________________________________________________
3. Express an already made arrangement for the future which is certain to happen:
____________________________________________________________________
4. Write about an event in the calendar scheduled or timetabled to happen in the
future:
____________________________________________________________________
5. Tell about an action which will be in progress in the immediate or distant future:
____________________________________________________________________
⏩ Task Nº 14.Read the following text and state the structure and use of the underlined
verb phrases that express future time.
Netflix is to release1 the upcoming fourth season of the American science fiction horror
drama television series Stranger Things, titled Stranger Things 4.
The first set is going to be2 available on May 27, 2022, and the second five weeks later on
July 1, 2022. The fourth season will have3 nine episodes and has continued to be

produced by the show's creators the Duffer Brothers, along with Shawn Levy, Dan
Cohen, and Iain Paterson.
You will be seeing4 again Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby
Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer,
Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson and Cara Buono with Brett
Gelman promoted to series regular status.
1. Structure:________________________ Use:_________________________
2. Structure:________________________ Use:_________________________
3. Structure:________________________ Use:_________________________
4. Structure:________________________ Use:_________________________
⏩ Task N° 15. Complete the following sentences with the correct forms of the verbs in
brackets and indicate tense and use in each case.
1. Babies ________________(cry) when they are hungry.

Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
2. It was a huge explosion and we ____________(feel) the vibrations 5 kilometers
away.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
3. A clever web designer ______________(create) this user-friendly website.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
4. She ______________________ (teach) her students about personal relationships
this semester.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
5. When her mom opened the bedroom’s door, she ................................. (slip) out
of bed already.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
6. By the year 2050, scientists ______________________ (collect) enough data
about the recently discovered virus.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
7. They _____________________ (tidy up) the remains of their picnic when the
storm _____________________ (break out).

Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________

8. ‘Now we’re here alone, I _________________ (tell) you the truth about my
daughter.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
9. In this city, the bakery _____________________ (open) at 7 a.m. every day
except Mondays.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
10. He _____________________ (serve) in the army for the past 20 years.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
11. Until 2000, Mary _____________________ (film) her documentary in France. In
2001 she moved to England.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
12. When you finish your rehearsal, I _____________________ (wait) for you
outside.
Tense: __________________________ Use: ______________________
⏩ Task N° 16. Discuss the differences in meaning in the following sentences. Identify
verb tenses and provide a paraphrase.
1.
a. He wrote about politics during his youth.
b. He has written about politics since his youth.

2.
a. She takes her dog for a walk every morning.
b. She’s taking her dog for a walk in the mornings this month.
3.
a. Tom is always watching TV when I need to sleep.
b. Tom always watches TV when I need to sleep.
4.
a. The child has sprained his ankle; call an ambulance, please.
b. The child sprained his ankle, so we called an ambulance.
5.
a. I’m emailing my boss so don’t disturb me.
b. I’m emailing my boss a lot more these days.

6.
a. While the drummer was playing, one girl in the audience was clapping her hands.
b. When the drummer was playing, one girl in the audience clapped her hands.
⏩ Task N°17. Match the beginnings and endings of the following statements.
1. If there isn’t an operator in a a. of the use of auxiliaries be and have.
positive declarative sentence…
2. If there is more than one verb in a b. in eight different verb tenses.

VP, the final one…
3. Aspect is usually realized by c. we introduce the dummy operator

means… do.
4. The combination of the different d. the Past Progressive tense.

tenses and aspects results…
5. To describe a background e. is the main verb, and the ones that

situation in the past, you use… come before are auxiliaries.
⏩ Task N°18. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate terms.

1. As a word class, verbs can be divided into three categories:
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
2. Verbs that have the base form:
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
3. The three aspect distinctions in the English language:
_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
4. The four uses of the Present Perfect Simple tense:
________________ ________________ ________________ ________________
5. The four functions of operators:
________________ ________________ ________________ ________________

6. Three examples of structures expressing future time:

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
⏩ Task Nº 19.Say if the following statements are true or false. Justify in any case.
1. A modal verb expresses the existence of a state or the doing of an action.
2. Primary auxiliary verbs can act as either main verbs or modal auxiliaries.
3. Primary auxiliaries and modal auxiliaries become the operator when they occur as the
only verb in the VP.
4. Aspect is a grammatical category that expresses the correspondence between the
form of the verb and our concept of time.
5. Time is a universal, non-linguistic concept with three types of reference: past, present
and future.
6. If you want to talk about a past action that has a result in the present, you use the
Past Simple tense.
⏩ Task N°20. Provide a definition and exemplify.

a. Aspect
b. Regular and irregular verbs
⏩ Task N°21. Answer the following question in detail.

Which of the verb tenses studied express habitual meaning?
List and develop each one. Provide examples of each verb tense.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática Inglesa

FACULTAD DE FILOSOFÍA Y LETRAS UNIT 2 - VERBS

The term verb is used in two senses:

➜ The girl found her doll.

○ The open class of full or lexical verbs.

○ Primary auxiliary verbs (BE, HAVE, DO).

○ Modal auxiliary verbs (e.g. can).

➜ They have been playing.

➜ You didn't do your homework.

➜ I haven't had my breakfast yet. Can you wait?

➜ Carl isn´t coming today. He is in a meeting.

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➜ They wrote a love poem. Did they write a love poem?

➜ You never arrive on time. But I dìd arrive on time today.

➜ You never read the newspaper. Yes, I do.

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Example Negative Interrogative Emphatic Elliptical answer

TENSE AND ASPECT

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Present Simple I travel

Past Simple I travelled

Present Progressive I am travelling

Past Progressive I was travelling

Present Perfect I have travelled

Past Perfect I had travelled

Present Perfect Progressive I have been travelling

Past Perfect Progressive I had been travelling

Many English verbs have six forms:

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○ Imperatives E.g. Study hard!

○ Present Tense (I – you – we – they) E.g. I miss you.

Am and are are called PRESENT FORM

○ to infinitive E.g. She wants to go with you.

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■ –s form E.g. She studies really hard.

■ Past form or V-ed1

■ Present participle (or -ing participle)

■ Past participle (or -ed participle) / V-ed2

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USES OF VERB TENSES

The Simple Present Tense

➜ God, he looks awful.

➜ Near the equator, the sun evaporates greater quantities of water.

The Present Progressive Tense

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➜ I am already feeling tense.

➜ I’m working as a British Council Officer.

➜ Do you know if she’s still playing these days?

4. Habitual progressive conveying disapproval: if you want to talk about a persistent or

➜ My father is always getting into trouble with the law.

➜ The village is changing but it is still undisturbed.

The Present Perfect Simple Tense

➜ She’s always felt that films should be entertaining.

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➜ They’ve been very hardworking since they were little.

➜ I have noticed this trait in many photographers.

➜ She has worked for him for ten years.