TENSEs

TENSE denotes the distinction form of a verb to indicate the time of the action or state. Tenses are classified in to
three time divisions.

❖ These are:

• Present Tense,

• Past Tense and

• Future Tense.

❖ THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Form: Subject + V1 + s/es + Object (Singular)
Subject + V1 + Object (Plural)
USES:
A. To express general truth, scientific ideas and discoveries

• When we throw up a stone, it falls down due to gravity.[Scientific facts]

• The Earth revolves around the Sun. [Universal truth]

B. To express habitual or repeated actions

• The doctor visits the patients every morning before he starts his work.
• I like to drink water as soon as I wake up every day in the morning.

C. To express fixed arrangements, present or future

• The train leaves the station at 8 a.m. and reaches Dire Dawa at 12 p.m. afternoon..
• The match between Arsenal and Man. City starts at 2 p.m. this

D. It is used in subordinate time clauses.

• The simple present tense is used to talk about the future in subordinate time clauses introduced by conjunctions
such as when, before, after, as soon as etc.
• I will give you a call when I am ready. (NOT when I will be ready.)
• You will have to finish that report before you leave. (NOT before you will leave.)
• We will dispatch the material as soon as we receive the payment. (NOT as soon as we will receive the
payment.)

E. To give instructions or directions

• Go straight ahead for about one kilometer until you reach the traffic lights. Cross the traffic lights straight
and You’ll see the Ambassador Cinema in front of you.
F. In the If-clause of likely condition

• If he keeps misbehaving in the classroom, he will be punished.

• If she appears early, she will attend the meeting.

G. To describe the action of a play and to comment events in sport

• When the curtain rises, Juliet is writing at her desk. Suddenly the window opens and a masked man enters.

H. To refer to historical facts

Gandhi says truth and non-violence are the most powerful weapons.

❖ THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form: Subject + be (is, am, are) + Verb+ -ing + Object
USES:
Form: Subject + be (is, am, are) + Verb+ -ing + Object
USES:
A. To express something that is happening at or around the time of speaking- The action is not finished.

• Listen to those people. what language are they speaking?

• Please don’t make so much noise I am studying for the final exam.

B. For a temporary situation

• I am living with some of my friends until I find my own flat.

C. For a definite arrangement in the near future (the most usual way of expressing one’s immediate plans)

• Are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon? Yes, I am playing tennis with my friends.

D. When we talk about changes happening around now

• The population of Ethiopia is increasing very fast.

• My English result is getting better and better.

E. To express planned action in the future

• I am visiting northern Ethiopian historical places next week.

• Selam and Sofonyas are getting married in January next year.

TENSEs
❖ THE PRESNT PERFECT TENSE
Form: Subject + Has/have + Verb (v3)
USES:
A. To express recently completed action-with just-‘a short time ago’
• ‘Would you like something to eat?’ ‘No, thanks. I have just had.’

Already is used to say that something happened sooner than expected.

• Don’t forget to send the letter, will you?’ ‘I have already sent it.’

Yet- until now-is used in questions and negative sentences.

• I have written the letter but I haven’t sent it yet.

B. When the speakers are talking about a period of time that continues until now

• I am very hungry. I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. (from breakfast until now)

C. Is used with since, for, how long, so far

• I have seen this film five times since last year.

• She has used her left hand for ten years now.

• How long have you worked in this company?

D. Is used with ever and never

• Have you ever been to Paris?

• I have never seen such kind of interesting film before.

E. Is often used in letters.

• We have carefully considered the report which you sent us on 28 June, and I have decided to take the
following action.

❖ THE PRSENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form: Subject + Has/have + been + Verb(+-ing)
USES:
A. For an activity or action that began sometime in the past and that has recently completed or just stopped

• ‘Why are your clothes so dirty?’ ‘What have you been doing?’ ‘I have been cleaning my room.’

B.Is often used especially with ‘how long, for….and since….The activity is still happening.

• ‘How long have you been learning English?’ ‘I have been learning English since grade one.’( I am still learning
English)

❖ THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Form: Subject + Verb (v2) or irregular verb
A. To tell an action or activity happened or occurred in the past.

• John grew a beard but now he has shaved it off.(so he doesn’t a beard now)

B. To express past habit –using used to

• He used to play with mud when he was a child.(He is old enough so he doesn’t play with it any more).

Tesfaye used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day when he studied at AAU. He stopped smoking two years ago. He
doesn’t smoke any more now.

❖ THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form: Subject + was/were + Verb(+ing)
A. To express longer action in the past

• The Ethiopian patriots were fighting the Italian aggressors during those five years.

B. We often use the past simple and past continuous together to say that something happened in the
middle of something else.

• We were watching film together when the light went out.

C. To express two longer actions taking place simultaneously in the past

• She was feeding her baby while her husband was ironing the clothes..

❖ THE PAST PERFECT TENSE

Form: Subject + had + Verb (v3)
A. When we want to talk about things that happened before past time.

• Henock didn’t want to come to the cinema with us because he had already seen the film.

• At first I thought I had sent the letter to her, but soon I realized that I had put it in the drawer.

B. Whenever two actions happened in the past. We use the past perfect to show the earlier action and the
past simple to show the later action.

• ‘Was Mahilet at the party when you arrived?’ ‘No, she wasn’t there.’ ‘She had already gone home.’

❖ THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form: Subject + had + been + Verb(+-ing)
USES:

• It is used to express the duration of a past action up to the time of some other past action happened.
• The farmers had been looking for new method of farming before they visited the state farms.

• Ato Tesfaye had been working as a shopkeeper before he started his own business.

• When we met Senait a year before, she had been studying engineering in city college.

❖ THE SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE.

Form: Subject+ will/shall+ verb(v1)
USES:
A. To express the speakers assumptions, opinions, speculations about the future.

• They will probably stay with us.

• Perhaps you will find him at home.

B. To express promise, order ,determination etc.

• I will finish all the assignments by tomorrow.(determination)

• I will help you, come what may.(promise)

❖ THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form: Subject + will be/shall be + verb(+-ing)

A. It is normally used with a point in time, and expresses an action which starts before that time and
probably continues after it.

❖ THE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

Form: Subject + will have + verb(v3)
A. This tense is used to describe an action which will be completed at some point of time in the future.

• They will have reached home by now.

• I shall have reached the school before the bell rings.

B. It is normally used with a time expression beginning with by.

• By the end of this June he will have finished writing his second book.

C.Is used to say that something will already be completed.

• We are late. The film will already have started by the time we get the cinema.

❖ THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

Form: Subject + will have been + verb(+-ing)
• At noon Tesfaye will have been singing songs for an hour.

• I will have been working in the company for twenty-two years next April.

On Saturday there is no class. So they will not be sitting in the classroom. They will be doing other things.
It describes an action that will be in progress over a period of time that will end in the future.