1st Assignment Bahasa Inggris Bisnis 2

What are “Tense”?

Tense could be defined as “any of the form of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or an event or state expressed by the verb”.

Simple Present Tense

1.     We use the simple present tense for activities that happen again and again (everyday, sometimes, ever, never).

Ex: I sometimes go to school by bike. You don't speak Greek. Do they get up early?

2.     We use it for facts that are always true.

Ex: Our planet moves round the sun. 

3.     With a future time expression (tomorrow, next week) the present simple is used for planned future actions (timetables).

Ex: The train leaves at 8.15.

PATTERN

·       AFFIRMATIVE FORM : S + V1 + s/es + O.

                         Example: He always works very hard in the office.

·       NEGATIVE FORM : S + Do not/Does not+V1 + s/es + O.

                   Example: He does not work very hard in the office.

·       INTERROGATIVE FORM : Do/Does + S+ V1 + s/es + O + (?)

             Example: Does he work very hard in the office?

Present Continuous(Progessive) Tense

1.     The present continuous tense is used if we want to say that something is happening at the time of speaking. We often use it with time expressions such as now or at the moment.

Ex: I am doing housework at the moment. You aren't listening to me now!  Look at him! What is he doing

2.     For temporary activities that are true now, but maybe not happening at the time of speaking. Time expressions such as today, this week or these days are typical of this use.

Ex: I am in London. I am learning English here. 

3.     For planned future arrangements. The time of the action must be given in the sentence (soon, tomorrow, on Monday, next week), otherwise it is not clear that we talk about future.

Ex: I am coming soon. We are leaving on Monday

4.     With always to express the idea that something happens too often and it annoys the speaker.

Ex: I am always forgetting my keys. He is always smoking in the living room!

PATTERN

·       AFFIRMATIVE FORM : S + To be (is,am,are) + V-ing + O

             Example: I am watching a film.

·       NEGATIVE FORM : S +  To be (is,am,are) + not + Ving + O

             Example: She is not writing a letter.

·       INTERROGATIVE FORM : To be (is,am,are) + S + Ving + O

             Example: Are you waiting for me here?

Simple Past Tense

1.     We use the simple past for activities or situations that were completed in the past at a definite time.

a)     The time can be given in the sentence: I came home at 6 o'clock. 

When he was a child, he didn't live in a house.

2.      We use it for repeated actions in the past.

 Ex: We walked to school every day.

3.      It is used in stories to describe events that follow each other.     

Ex: Charles entered the hall and looked around. He took off his coat and put it on a chair. He was at home.

PATTERN

·       AFFIRMATIVE FORM : S + V2 + O

             Example: I went to the cinema last week.

·       NEGATIVE FORM : S + did + not + V1 + O

             Example: He did not write a letter.

·       INTERROGATIVE FORM : Did + S + V1 + O+ (?)

                   Example: Did you not watch tv last night?

Past Continuous(Progessive) Tense

1.     We use the continuous tense for actions or situations in the past that were not completed.  Ex: From 10 to 12 I was washing my car. I was in the garage.  (I did not finish my work. It was in progress. I started before.

2.     Both the simple past and the past progressive can be used to show actions that happened over time in the past. Because of this, there are many times when both tenses are okay.
Ex: While John studied for his history test, Ludwig watched TV. While John was studying for his history test, Ludwig was watching TV.
(These two sentences mean the same thing.)

3.     When we use past progressive with simple past (see point #2), we can use
either when or while to join the two clauses. When comes at the beginning of a
clause that uses simple past, and while comes at the beginning of a clause
that uses past progressive. Either clause can come first.

PATTERN

·       AFFIRMATIVE FORM : S + Was/Were + Ving + O

             Example: I was watching a film earlier.

·       NEGATIVE FORM : S + Was/Were + Not + Ving + O

             Example: She was not writing a letter.

·       INTERROGATIVE FORM : Was/Were + S + Ving + O

                   Example: Was he waiting for me here?

Source:

Davidsen, Niels. 1990. Tense and mood in English : a comparison with Danish. Berlin ; New York : Mouton de Gruyter.

Joshi, Manik. 2014. Using Tenses in English: Past, Present, Future.

Williams, Phil.2014. The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide.