Wacky World of Verb Tenses

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Wacky World of Verb Tenses

• Or, why does english need to be so complicated?
• This presentation will describe
• why it is really easy to make verb tense mistakes
• why simple definite verb tenses are the best to
  use
• what specific situations require more complicated
  tenses
• how you can recognize and fix verb tense shift
  mistakes

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Why tense mistakes are common

• There are LOTS of verb tenses in english
• twelve simple verb tenses
• three additional conditional tenses
• even more specialized tenses (infinitives, etc)
• 18-26 different tense forms (depending on whos
  counting)
• even MORE ways to use verbs (adverbs, linking
  verbs, etc)
• As a result, there are literally HUNDREDS of ways
  to use verbs incorrectly in english writing

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therefore . . .

• . . . why make things more complicated than they
  need to be?
• REDUCE the chances of making a verb tense mistake
  by sticking to SIMPLE tenses
• easier to edit
• easier to read and understand
• harder to make mistakes

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Common tenses are best

• We generally talk about one thing at a time
• Each of these things generally are definitely
  happening, have definitely happened, or will
  definitely happen
• Therefore, this covers MOST ALL situations
• it happened, it was happening (past definite)
• it happens, it is happening (present definite)
• it will happen, it will be happening (future
  definite)

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why make things complicated ?

• SIX basic definite verb tenses cover MOST ALL
  situations
• it happened (occurred in past, complete)
• it was happening (occurred in past, maybe still
  going on)
• it happens (occurs now, isolated event)
• it is happening (occurs now, ongoing event)
• it will happen (occurs in future, isolated event)
• it will be happening (occurs in future, ongoing
  event)
• If you are talking about one action at a time
  that definitely occurs, USE THESE SIX DEFINITE
  TENSES !

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common tense rules are easy !

• Simple present I run to you.
• Progressive present I am running to you.
• Simple past I ran to you.
• Progressive past I was running to you.
• Simple future I will run to you.
• Progressive future I will be running to you.
• To use these tenses correctly, just decide if the
  occurrence is complete or still going on (still
  progressing)

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When to use complicated tenses

• Situation ONE perfect tenses
• You are talking about more than one occurrence in
  a single sentence
• must indicate the order of the occurrences
• perfect tense makes order of occurrence
  perfectly clear
• Example
• I began to feel full , so I began to eat. (what
  happens first?)
• I had begun to feel full , so I began to eat.

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perfect tenses -- definition

• Theyre called perfect because they make the
  order of occurrences PERFECTLY clear
• You can understand this
• I ate, so I felt full
• But this is sometimes easier to understand
• I had eaten, so I felt full
• And sometimes the info is counterintuitive
• I had been feeling full, so I ate. (I felt full,
  so I ate.)

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perfect tenses -- the forms

• there are SIX forms, and some can be confusing
• it had begun (occurred in past, complete)
• it had been beginning (occurred in past, maybe
  still going on)
• it has begun (occurs now, isolated event)
• I have begun (doing it now, isolated event)
• it has been beginning (occurs now, ongoing event)
• I have been beginning (doing it now, ongoing
  event)
• it will have begun (occurs in future, isolated
  event)
• it will have been beginning (occurs in future,
  ongoing event)
• If you MUST talk about two occurrences in one
  sentence, then perfect tense can help make the
  order of occurrences clear

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perfect tenses -- examples(compare to table on
p.658)

• using perfect tenses can be tricky -- they
  require THINKING
• I had begun to run, so I began to get fit
• I had been beginning to run, so I was beginning
  to get fit
• I have begun to run, so I am beginning to get fit
• I have been beginning to run, so I have begun to
  get fit
• I will be beginning to run, so I will have begun
  to get fit
• I will have been beginning to run, so I will
  begin to get fit
• In general, stick to SIMPLE DEFINITE PERFECT
  tenses if you must use them at all -- perfect
  progressive can be sticky

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When to use complicated tenses

• Situation TWO conditional tenses
• You are talking about an occurrence that is not
  definite -- it might be real but might not, or
  might be entirely hypothetical
• must indicate that the occurrence is conditional
• conditional tense makes this uncertainty clear
• Example
• I study, therefore my grade is high
• I should study, because my grade could be higher

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conditional tenses -- the forms

• Use could, would, should, might, etc
  modifiers before the verb
• it should have happened (should have occurred in
  past, did not)
• it might have happened (might have occurred in
  past, maybe did)
• it would happen (might occur now or in future,
  maybe not)
• it should happen (should occur now or in future,
  might not)
• it perhaps will happen (might occur in future,
  might not)
• it maybe will happen (might occur in future,
  maybe not)