The Used of Verb Phrase

(verb phrase in tenses)

Noviana sari, M.A.
• Verb phrase is one or two auxiliary verbs
followed by a main verb.

examples:
He is reading a magazine.
They have been studying English.

• auxiliary verbs is also called helping verb, for

examples: is, am, are, was, were, have, has, had,
been, can, may, must, etc.
• There are 3 varieties of verb phrase:

1. Verb phrase in tenses

2. Modal + Verb
3. Passive Voice
 1. Verb phrase in tenses

• In order to understand the form and the

meaning of verb phrase in tenses, look at the
following diagram:
 FORM MEANING
S + is/am/are + Verb ing Saat ini sedang dikerjakan

S + has/have + Verb 3 Saat ini sudah dikerjakan

S + has/have + been + Verb ing Saat ini masih dikerjakan

S + will + Verb 1 Besok akan dikerjakan

S + will be + Verb ing Besok sedang dikerjakan

S + will have + Verb 3 Besok sudah dikerjakan

S + was/were + Verb ing Saat itu seedang dikerjakan

S + had + Verb 3 Saat itu sedah dikerjakan

S + had been + Verb ing Saat itu masih dikerjakan

• Referring to time, the tenses
sometimes need adverb of time as
shown in following diagram:
 FORM
S + is/am/are + Verb ing
S + has/have + Verb 3
S + has/have + been + Verb ing
S + will + Verb 1
S + will be + Verb ing
S + will have + Verb 3
S + was/were + Verb ing
S + had + Verb 3
S + had been + Verb ing
MEANING
Now, right now, at this moment
Since...., for...., all the...., the whole
day, already
For...., since....
Tomorrow, next...., the days after
tomorrow
Next, tomorrow at...., this time
tomorrow/next
By the time...., by the end of...., in 3
weeks/years/month, for, after
When + S + Verb 2, while
For...., when/after/before + S + V2
For...., after.... + S + Verb 2
 Examples:
1. They are discussing the current situation now.
2. She has listened to president’s speech for two hours.
3. He has been joining the organization since last year.
4. Didin will take a part in the organization next week.
5. Susi was singing when i arrived there.
6. They had read the books for three hours before i got there.
7. Nandi will be attending mandarin class tomorrow at 9 am.
8. Ana had been writing a love letter for an hour when i came.
• It also Important to explain the past and
present tense although both tenses are
not in the form of verb phrase. The form,
the meaning and the time signals can be
seen from the following diagram:
 FORM MEANING TIME SIGNALS
S + Verb 1 Habitual action/ Every, once, twice,
kebiasaan three times,
sometimes, often,
usually, always,
never, generally,
habitually, seldom.

S + Verb 2 Past action/ Yesterday, .... Ago,

pekerjaan yang previously, last ....,
dikerjakan pada the day before
waktu lampau atau yesterday, in 1999.
sedah terjadi
 Examples:

1. She never speaks Indonesian. She always

speaks English.
2. They went to the library yesterday.
3. The party leaders often give promises to the
people.
4. Zaini taught me some sign language
yesterday.
5. He used to sleep late at night.
 Writing exercise 1
• Write the answer of these questions.

• What are some things you

ALWAYS/OFTEN/SOMETIMES/SELDOM/RARELY/NE
VER do ............?

1. when you eat dinner

2. when you met a new person
3. when you are on vacation
4. when you wake up in the morning
 Reading exercise:
Underline the verb phrases of the tenses of the following text:

A Thirsty Ghost

A public house which was recently bought by Mr. Andy is up

for sale. Mr. Andy is going to sell it because it is haunted. He
told me that he could not go to sleep one night because he
heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. The next
morning, he found that the doors had been blocked by chairs
and the furniture had been moved. Thought Mr. Andy had turn
the lights off before he went to bed, they were on in the
morning. He also said that he had found five empty coke bottles
which the ghost must have drunk the night before.