LAS Input Session 2: Grammar – Time & Tenses

What Is Grammar?

Verb Tenses in English

Time & Tenses: Task 1

For each tense, think of a sentence using that tense.

  • Present Simple
  • Present Continuous
  • Present Perfect Simple
  • Present Perfect Continuous
  • Past Simple
  • Past Continuous
  • Past Perfect Simple
  • Past Perfect Continuous
  • Future Simple
  • Future Continuous
  • Future Perfect Simple
  • Future Perfect Continuous
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________

Key Questions

What is a tense?

Technically, tense is a change to a verb to indicate time.

In which situations do we change the base form of a verb in English to indicate time?

In English, we only have two situations in which the base form of a verb is changed to indicate time:

Base form: talk
Present: talk(s)
Past: talked

How many aspects are there in English?

There are four aspects in English:

Simple: expresses single actions, habits and routines

Continuous (or progressive): expresses incomplete/temporary actions or actions in progress at the time of speaking

Perfect: expresses the results of previous actions or states

Perfect Continuous: expresses incomplete/temporary actions or states that began before a specified or implied time

What’s the difference between tense and aspect?

Tense tells us when something happens.

Aspect gives us information about how:

  • Is it a single event?
  • Is it a series of events over time?
  • Is it an action that is ongoing and likely to remain so?

Time & Tenses: Task 2

Aspect:SimpleContinuousPerfect (Simple)Perfect (Continuous)
Tense
Past:1. _______________I was speaking English.I had spoken English.2. _______________
Present:I speak English. I’m speaking English. 3. _______________I have been speaking English.
Future:I will speak English. 4. _______________I will have spoken English. I will have been speaking English.

Time & Tenses: Task 3

Where do you live?(a) “I live in Spain.”(b) “I’m living in Spain.”

Both of these answers are correct. What’s the difference?

Time & Tenses: Task 4

What do these sentences have in common?
  1. I’m staying at Mary’s place until I move into my new house.
  2. She was talking on the phone when I came in.
  3. I’ve been working on my assignment this afternoon.
  4. Stop making all that noise – I’m watching the news!
  5. Whenever I see him, he’s always standing outside smoking a cigarette.
Which of these concepts explain the use of the progressive?

(a) Repetition

(b) Duration

(c) Synchronicity

(d) Being Temporary

Time & Tenses: Task 5

Which of these examples are incorrect?

(a) She’s working really hard this month.

(b) Someone from history I’m really admiring is the Roman Emperor, Hadrian.

(c) He can’t come to the phone because he’s having a shower.

(d) How long have you been knowing Dan?

(e) She’s been cutting her finger with the kitchen knife.

(f) We’re having a small holiday home on the coast.

(g) The car has been hitting the lamp post.

(h) I’m just admiring your beautiful new vase.

(i) He is resembling his father a lot.

(j) They were all jumping up and down with excitement.