Time, Tense and Aspect in English

1. Time, Tense and Aspect in English Outlining verb phrase constructions and uses

2. Introduction

3. Aspect • Can indicate time • Gives info about speaker’s attitude towards events • Simple: Usually uses only the lexical verb Does not indicate time • Perfect : Uses the auxiliary verb ‘to have’ Used to indicate: Completed actions relevant to another point in time • Continuous/progressive : Uses auxiliary verb ‘to be’ Used to indicate: Actions that continue over a period of time

4. Present Tense – An Overview

5. Present Simple Formation Present form of lexical verb • Uses • Used for actions, states and thoughts • No particular reference to time Lesley, Mary and Jo at the pub live Future Past Present

6. Present Continuous Formation Present form of verb ‘to be’ + -ing participle of lexical verb • Uses • Actions happening now • Actions continuing into present • Arrangements are drinking in the pub Past Present Future

7. Present Perfect • Uses • Past actions relevant to present • Incomplete actions continuing into present • Giving news Formation Present form of ‘to have’ + past participle of lexical verb Lesley, Mary and Jo have drunk all of the wine Future Present Past

8. Present Perfect Continuous Formation Present form of ‘to have’ + past participle of ‘to be’ + -ing form of lexical verb • Uses • Repeated or continuous actions relevant to present Lesley, Mary and Jo on the tables have been dancing Past Future Present

9. Past tense – An Overview

10. Past Simple Formation Past form of lexical verb • Uses • Finished actions in past • Repeated actions in past • Telling stories Lesley, Mary and Jo this pub liked Past Future Present

11. Past Continuous Formation Past form of ‘to be’ + -ing form of lexical verb • Uses • Continuing actions in past • Temporary situation in past • Plans that didn’t happen • Setting the scene for a past event Because they themselves were enjoying Future Past Present

12. Past Perfect Formation Past form of ‘to have’ + -ed form of lexical verb • Uses • Referring to an earlier action in the past • Giving reasons for past actions or feelings their dance moves They had perfected Past Future Present

13. Past Perfect Continuous Formation Past form of ‘to have’ + -ed form of ‘to be’ + -ing form of lexical verb • Uses • Continuing past action before another action in the past in there after every RES lecture As they had been drinking Future Present Past Perfected our dance moves

14. Future Time – An Overview

15. Future Simple Formation Will or shall + bare infinitive of lexical verb • Uses • Predictions • Decisions or offers • Conditional and time clauses We happy because… will be Future Past Present

16. Future Continuous Formation Will or shall + bare infinitive of ‘to be’ + -ing form of lexical verb • Uses • Actions and events in progress at a time in the future to the pub after this presentation We will be going Future Past Present

17. Future Perfect • Uses • Events finished by a point of time in future • Referring to past from point in future • Usually used with time phrases Formation Will or shall + bare infinitive form of ‘to be’ + -ed form of lexical verb to a different pub by next semester We will have changed Future Past Present Next semester

18. Future Perfect Continuous Formation will/shall + bare infinitive form of ‘to have’ + -ed form of ‘to be’ + -ing form of lexical verb • Uses • Stresses duration of action up to a time in future the bar staff for too long As we will have been annoying Past Present Future Change pubs

19. Before we go: A note on using the present tense to express future time

20. Summary

21. References • Seely, J., 2009. Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press • Biber, D., Conrad, S., Leech, G., 2002. Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited • Carter, R., McCarthy, M., Mark, G., O’Keeffe, A., 2011. English Grammar Today: An A-Z of Spoken and Written Grammar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press