Luka Angin

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Tenses: The Simple Tenses

What is The Simple Tenses? How many kinds of these tenses? What do they express for? And how do we use these tenses? Hmmm... Let's study about it!

There are three kinds of The Simple Tenses. They are The Simple Past Tense, The Simple Present Tense, and The Simple Future Tense. To make easier in remembering The Tenses, look at the Tenses Table below!

There are three kinds of The Simple Tenses. They're The Simple Past Tense, The Simple Present Tense, and The Simple Future Tense. To make easier in remembering The Tenses, look at the Tenses Table below!

*Default: Active Voice

# The Simple Past Tense

Let’s see the time diagram below!

1. At one particular time in the past, this is happened. It began and ended in the past.
Example:
a. It snowed yesterday.
b. Tom watched television last night.

2. The Simple Past Tense also expresses (an) action(s) in the past and it was probably done repeatedly or frequently.
Example:
a. His mother wrote to him everyday (now, she doesn’t do it anymore).
b. I often sent him letters last year (now, I don’t do it anymore).

# The Simple Present Tense

Let’s see the time diagram below!

1. In general, The Simple Present Tense expresses event(s) or situation(s) that exist always, usually, habitually; they exist now, have existed in the past, and probably will exist in the future.
Examples:
a. It snows in Alaska
b. Tom watches television everyday.
c. They play every time.

2. The Simple Present Tense usually expresses (a) fact(s) that truistic or general truth.
Examples:
a. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west
b. The plane flies in the sky

3. The Simple Present Tense also can express the event(s) that has (or “have”) been planned or scheduled.
Examples:
a. She leaves for Bandung next week (it has been planned)
b. Our basketball team plays in Senayan next month (it has been scheduled).

**You need give “s” or “es” in the end of verb when the subject is “He”, or “She”, or “It”, or single. But, don’t give “s” or “es” when the subject is “They”, or “We”, or “I”, or “You”, or plural subject.

# The Simple Future Tense

Let’s see the time diagram below!

***sometimes we can use "shall"

1. At one particular time in the future, this will happen.
Example:
a. It will snow tomorrow.
b. It is going to snow tomorrow.
c. Tom will watch television tonight
d. Tom is going to watch television tonight

2. To express (an) event(s) or (an) action(s) that will happen according to prediction or speaker’s hope(s).
Example:
a. I hope you will succeed
b. Perhaps my father will come to see me tomorrow.

3. To express (a) strong intention to do (a) particular action(s).
a. I shall go home if you are still doing that.

4. To express (a) promise(s). For this case we can call it “Conditional Sentences”
a. If you pass the exams, I will give you a new bicycle.

5. To express a strong plan, usually it uses “to be going to”.
a. We are going to have fun in Miami next week.
b. The police are going to investigate the case of murder tomorrow.

That's all for this session. I hope we can share knowledge one another.
You have any comments or critics for me? Just give it to me.
Don't give up to learn something. Where there's a will, there's a way...