tenses writing creative writing tasks

16 TENSES IN
ENGLISH
BE DONE BY; LENA MAFALDA


SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Generally, we use present tense to describe the present
activities or to talk about routines or habits,
Facts, generalizations and universal truths, Schedule (
Habits and routines, timetables, official meetings),
Permanent situation, Events that are certain to happen,
State verbs (e.g. be, have, suppose, know) and
Narrations, instructions or commentaries.


SENTENCE PATTERN
Declarative/Positive (+)

: S + V1 (s/es) + O + Adverb of time/place

Negative (-)

: S + DO/DOES NOT + V1 + O + Adverb of time/place

Questions/interrogative

: DO/DOES + S + V1 + O + Adverb of time/place?

Short answer (+)

: Yes, S + Do/does

Short answer (-)

: No, S + Do/does + not


NOTES;



For the subject personal pronoun; I, You, He, They: DO and He/she/It:
DOES.



When the subjects are: I, You, We and They, we don’t need to add ‘S/ES’
to the end of the verbs.



However to form the verb infinitive (V1) + S/Es) for the third singular
personal pronouns (He, She, It), here are the ways:


Generally, the verbs in present tense we add with ‘S’
Work – works

read –reads

Begin – begins

Makes – makes

sing – sings

write – writes

Become – becomes

Look –looks

shine – shines

help – helps

Walk –walks

Keep – keeps

speak – speaks

eat – eats

Sleep – sleeps

Mean – means

set –sets

Sit – sits

Visit – visits

Meet – meets


The verbs which ending with the letter “ch, o, s, sh, x, z” add with
“-es”
pass – passes

go – goes

Watch –
watches

Match – matches

teach – teaches

finish – finishes

Touch – Touches

Miss – misses

reach – reaches

wish –wishes

Relax – relaxes

Catch – catches

fix – fixes

discuss – discusses

Wash – washes

Fish – fishes

do – does

kiss – kisses

Puss – pusses

Express –
expresses


The verbs which ending with the letter “-y” and begin with
a consonant, we change “-y” to “-i” and then add with “-es”.
study –studies

worry – worries

Dry – dries

Fry – fries

carry – carries

Vary – varies

reply – replies

 

fly – flies

Identify – identifies cry – cries

 


The verbs which ending with the letter “-y” and begin with a
vowel, we just add with ‘S’ to the end of the verbs.

lay – lays

Enjoy –
enjoys

play –
plays

Destroy –
destroys

buy – buys

Slay – slays

say –says

Pay – pays


If the verbs in simple present begin with the modal
verbs, we don’t need to add with ‘S/ES’.

can
open

must
work

Must must
go
close

can read


The Present Simple is often used
with the frequency adverbs:
Always

Nowadays

From time to
time

Frequently/o Never
ften

Every now and
then

Usually

Regularly

Every week/year

Seldom/rarel Sometimes/occasionally
y

Often


EXAMPLE
1. Declarative/Positive (+) : I eat corn every Monday.
Negative (-) : I do not (don’t) eat corn every Monday.
Questions/interrogative : Do I eat corn every Monday?
Short answer (+)

: Yes, you do

//

Short answer (-)

: No, you do not (don’t)

 
2. Declarative/Positive (+) : You eat corn every Monday.
Negative (-) : You do not (don’t) eat corn every Monday.
Questions/interrogative : Do you eat corn every Monday?
Short answer (+) : Yes, I do. //


 

Short answer (-)

: No, I do not (don’t).


SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS
TENSE

There are two main uses for the present
continuous tense. It is used: to talk about ideas
that are happening at the moment of speaking
(in the present) and to express a future
arrangement between people. It usually refers
to the near Future.

SENTENCE PATTERN
Declarative/Positive (+)

: S + AM/IS/ARE +Ving + O + Adverb of time/place

Negative (-)
Questions/interrogative

: S + AM/IS/ARE + NOT + Ving + O + Ad. of time/place
: AM/IS/ARE + S + Ving + O + Ad. of time/place?

Short answer (+)

: Yes, S + AM/IS/ARE

Short answer (-)

: No, S + AM/IS/ARE/ not


NOTE;


The way to use auxiliary verb (AM/IS/ARE):



Subject; I = Am



You/we/they = Are



He/She/It = Is


 
The way to form the verb in present participle or V1+ing

1. If the word ends in –e, drop the –e and add –ing.
Ex; hope = hoping, date = dating, injure = injuring, etc
 
2. Verbs that end in a vowel and a consonant, add the ending letter (double), and add
–ing.
One syllable:
Ex; stop = stopping, beg = begging, rob = robbing, etc. (1 vowel = 2 consonants)
Ex; rain = raining, fool = fooling, dream = dreaming, etc. (2 vowel = 1 consonants)
Two syllable:
Ex; listen = listening, open = opening, etc. (1 st syllable stressed)
Ex; begin = beginning, control = controlling, etc (2 nd syllable stressed)


3. Verbs that end in two consonants, just add the –ing to the ending
Ex; start = starting, fold = folding, demand = demanding, etc
 
4. Verbs that end –y, if –y preceded by a vowel/consonant, keep the –y

Ex; enjoy = enjoying, buy = buying, pray = praying, studying, trying,
replying, etc
 
5. Verbs that end in –ie, change –ie to –y and add with –ing
Ex; die = dying, lie = lying, tie = tying, etc.


Time expressions:
At the time of speaking
Now
At the

Future actions

 

This afternoon In numbers

 

(days)
In numbers

Tomorrow

moment
At this time

(weeks)
 

Later

In numbers
(months)


EXAMPLE
1. Declarative/Positive (+) : We are studying English grammar at the moment.
Negative (-) : We are not studying English grammar at the moment.
Questions/interrogative

: Are we studying English grammar at the moment?

Short answer (+) : Yes, we are.

//

Short answer (-) : No, we are not (aren’t)
 
2. Declarative/Positive (+) : Valeria is visiting her cousins this weekend.
Negative (-)

: Valeria is not visiting her cousins this weekend.

Questions/interrogative

: Is Valeria visiting her cousins this weekend?

Short answer (+) : Yes, she is.

 

//

Short answer (-)

: No, she is not (isn’t)