Chapters 11, 12 Verb tense and

aspect

Chapters 11, 12 Verb tense and

1.Use of simple present p125
aspect

2.Use of present progressive p131

3.Simple present vs. present progressive
4.Simple past p128
5.Past progressive p134
6.Simple past vs. past progressive
7.Present perfective
8. Present perfective vs. simple past
9.Past perfective

Use of simple present p125

1. Timeless present
2. Habitual present
3. Momentary and instantaneous present
4. Referring to the future

Use of present progressive

1. To denote an action in progress at the moment of
p131

speaking
What are you doing?
Im writing a letter.

2. An action in progress at a period of time including

the present
He is studying law while her sister is dong physics.
I teach English at the college, but Im now teaching
in a middle school.

3. A future happening according to a definite

plan or arrangement.
He is leaving china in a few weeks.
Im going to Shanghai for the summer
holiday.

4. To denote other meanings

An action in the immediate past.
I dont know what you are talking about.
To make even politer requests
Im hoping youll give us some advice.
Im wandering if I may have a word with you.

Simple present vs.

present progressive

1. He lives in a big city. (p131)

He is living in a big city this year.
People try to sell their cars for a profit, but
generally this is not possible.
With the law calling for more tax from carowners coming into force, people are trying to
sell their cars for a profit these days.

She loves teaching.

He chose to take teaching in a primary school
at a remote Africa village. He will be there for
one for the volunteer project. And he is loving
it.
simple present to indicate sth general/
usual/ habitual;
Present progressive to indicate sth
happening at the time, usa, temporary.

2. He always complains about his new job.

He is always complaining about
Continually, constantly, for ever
present progressive to convey feeling of
annoyance or disapproval p131

3. I wonder if you can come to dinner.

Im/was wondering if you can come
progressive to be more polite/ indirect
p135

4. He is a good boy.
He is being a good boy tonight.
The camera costs 150 dollars.
The mistake is costing us dearly.
we see the chimney from the distance.
Were seeing a friend off at the railway station.

I think you make a mistake.

Im thinking of attending a lecture.
p112 stative to dynamic verbs
Simple present to indicate state
Progressive to indicate action

5. If he cooks, I always wash up.

If you heat metal, it expands.
[a woman is talking about the relationship
with her husband.]
If hes cooking for example a roast meal,
or any kind of meal, I can sometimes sort
of do the typical, you know, wife bit of
going in the kitchen and saying, Oh, Ill
take over.

[this is part of a newspaper article about

exercise.]
Take your pulse after 10 minutes, using a
watch with a second hand. If your heart is
beating beyond the high end of your aerobic
rate, you are exercising too hard.
simple present to indicate sth usual/
general;
present progressive to indicate sth temporary,
highlighting the progress /state in a certain
event.

6. This is a problem.
Im saying that this/ What Im saying
is
The proposal is not practical.
Im suggesting that the / What Im
suggesting is
We need to discuss this further.
Im saying that we/What Im saying is
that we
to be more indirect, polite.

Use of simple past p128

1. Past event and past habit

He arrived one hour ago.
It was a terrible accident.
He went to work by school bus in those days.
He sold newspaper for a living.
He has given up smoking, but a year ago he
smoked 100 cigarettes a week.

2.Attitudinal and
Attitudinal:to make
the question/request
hypothetical
past

/suggestion less direct.

A: did you want me?
B: yes, I wondered if you could lend me a
hand.
Want, wonder, think, hope.

Hypothetical past
Its time we had a holiday.
(Subjunctive mood)

I wish you knew her name.

If only he didnt drive so fast.

If I had the money now, Id buy a car.

If you went there by taxi, you could catch the
train.
Suppose he saw you do that, what would he
say?

Use of past progressive p134

1. An action in progress at a definite point or

period of past time
2. A past habitual action
3. To denote futurity in the past
4. To make polite requests and express
hypothetical meanings

Simple past vs. past

progressive
1. [Miss Smith is talking about how she got her

first ad]
Well, I was reading a book and a very worriedlooking man rushed in and said Wheres
everybody? Whats happening? and I
explained that everyone was away sick with flu.
And he said he needed an ad urgently

[Miss Brown is talking about her experience

in the laundry]
I was sitting in a launderette when a man
came in and took his clothes off, and I got
very frightened, but he just put them in the
washing machine and washed then, sat
down, put them in the dryer, put them back
on and went.

In past time narration, past progressive to

indicate the background/atmosphere at the
beginning/ set the scene.
past time to say what happened.

I was reading a book and a man rushed in.

I was reading a book when a man
As/ (when)/ while I was reading a book, a

When I walked into the office, several people

were busily typing, some were talking on the
phones, the boss was relaxing and eating,
and some were watching football match on
TV, and nobody ever noticed my entering into
the office. So I cleared my voice and said,

A monkey was riding a bike in a country road

near a river, and just beside him, the river
was flowing clean with a white duck
swimming and singing some song and some
paper boats drifting quietly down it. Suddenly,
the monkey bumped into a stone and fell off
the bike
P134 a fable
The farmer and the snake.

The farmer and the snake

While a farmer was Returning home one winters

day, he found a snake lying under a hedge, half
dead with cold. Taking pity on the creature, he
placed it in his bosom and brought it home, where
he laid it near the fire. No sooner was the snake
restored by the warmth of the cottage than it began
to attack the farmers wife and children. Hearing
their cries, the farmer, whose compassion had
saved the snakes life, rushed into the room,
Grabbed an ax, and smashed the serpent until it
was dead.

2. I was reading a novel yesterday. p134

I read a novel yesterday.
They were building a dam last winter.
They built a dam last winter.
I was reading a book and a man rushed in.
I read a book and a man rushed in.

When we arrived, she was washing clothes.

When we arrived, she washed clothes.
At the moment I was reading the lyrics, I was
singing a song and I was swinging to the
rhyme. It was a pretty happy time!
I read the lyrics, I sang a song and I swung to
the rhyme.

past progressive: sth happening at the

time, unfinished/ in progress. Several actions
happening at the same time.
Past tense: sth happened at a past time,
finished/ completed. Several actions
happened one after another.
More on p136

3. Exercise:

E.g. I want to know about your action after

the good news.
A. what did you do when the news arrived?
B. what were you doing when the ?
1. I want to describe the situation at the party
when I arrived.
A. everyone danced.
B. Everyone was dancing.

2. Im thinking of the whole car journey.

A. the driver drove too fast.
B. the driver was driving too fast.
3. I want to tell you what sort of person he was.
A. he talked too much.
B. he was talking too much.
4. I want to show that I finished my dream.
A. I dreamt about a wonderful holiday.
B. I was dreaming about

5. I want to show that I was interrupted.

A. I talked about her when she came into the
room.
B. I was talking about her when she
6. I want to show that different things
happened at the same time.
A. he made a phone call, cooked supper, and
drank a coffee.
B. he was making a phone call, cooking and
drinking a coffee.

7. I want to show that different things happened

one after another.
A. she was buying a new house, writing a novel
and arranging the wedding.
B. she bought a new house, wrote a novel and
arranged
8. I want to describe the situation at the time he
broke his arm.
A. He was carrying a big bag up some steps.
B. He carried a big

Story goes on!

[Arrive; get on; leave; pull out; see; shout]

It was a cold, dark morning, and a tall man in a
black coat was standing on the station
platform.
Then the train arrived, and the man quickly
got on. He left a small bag on the platform, and
the train

[walk; look around; take; leave]

The festival was nearly over. There was still
loud music, and people
still . Then a
strange man
.

Chapter 12 Perfective

Perfective aspect has two

chief uses:
1. finished by
finished by now (present
perfect) finished by
then (past perfect)
2. lasting till
lasting till now (present
perfect) lasting till
then (past perfect)

Present perfective1: the

He has already closed all the windows.
finished use

He has been to America twice.

Ive never been to Australia.
This refers to the fact that an action or state
has finished by now. It emphasizes the present
result (current relevance) of a past event still
operative at the present moment. In the
finished use, there is no adverbial expressing
duration, but such adverbials as already, yet,
just, ever, never, recently, n times

1. Finished Use of Present

Perfect
/

already, yet,
just, ever, never, recently, n times
I have already had my breakfast.
(Im not hungry now)
I have turned off the light.
(It is still off now.)
The United States has won its independence.
(It is still independent now.)

Present Perfect vs. Simple

The
lift
has
already
broken
down.
Past 1

The lift broke down yesterday.

(We have to use the stairs.)
(We dont know whether or not it is working again
now.)
I have repaired the car.
I repaired the car the day before yesterday.
(It is ok now.)
(But it still does not work now.)

1.Present perfective focuses on the effect of a past

event still operative at present; simple past focuses
on the past event with no relation to the present.
2.Simple past if there is specific past time
indication.
1.
;
, .
2. ,

I have passed my driving test, so I can drive

on the street now.
---
When did you pass it?
---
(I passed it) at the end of the last year.

1991

I have been to Shanghai twice. In 1991, I went there

for the first time. Five years ago, I went there for the
second time.

President Kennedy has died. He died in the 1960s,

so he has been dead (not has died) for about forty
years.

He has come here for two hours?

He came here two hours ago. He has been
here for two hours.
I have turned off the light for two hours?
The light has been off for two hours.
momentary verbs

2. Lasting Use of Present

This use denotes that an action or state
Perfect

extends over a period lasting up to the present

(current relevance), and possibly will extend
to the future. It is usually accompanied by an
adverbial expressing duration, such as since,
for some time, until now, etc. indicating a state
or a habit or a negative meaning nonoccurrence of an event.

State: I bought the best-seller two weeks ago.

So I have had it for two weeks.
Ive known him for thirty years.

Habit: He has often written to me since he

left.

Negative: She hasnt called yet since she left.

We havent met for 20 years.

Present Perfect vs. Simple

Past
2
I have lived here for ten years. p141
I once lived here for ten years.
The journal has been published every month since 1850.
The journal was published every month from 1850 to
1888.
Florida has suffered from disastrous floods throughout its
history.
Florida suffered from in the 1970s.

--present perfective: impact/effect on now;

simple past: no impact/effect on now.

Present Perfect vs. Simple

[news report]
Past
3

1. OUR ROADS THE SHAME OF

EUROPE
Britains motorways [vote] the
second worst in Europe, according
to a new survey. They are plagued
by poor facilities, roadworks and bad
signposting, says the motorists.
Only Portugals motorways [be]
rated worse than ours.

What are the verb forms in

2. SAM DIES AT 109
English news (titles, the first
The oldest man in Britain [die] aged 109-six
para)

weeks after taking the title. Sam Crabbe, from

Cadgwith, Cornwall, [not give up] smoking until
he was 98 and [enjoy] a nightly tot of whisky.
He [be] taken ill just hours before his death.
3. WOMAN WINS BIG PRIZE
Woman in Madrid [win] five million dollars in
lottery. Only [buy] one ticket. [Lose] it. [find] it in
rubbish bin. [claim] prize.

3. WOMAN WINS BIG PRIZE

Woman in Madrid [win] five million dollars in
lottery. Only [buy] one ticket. [Lose] it. [find] it
in rubbish bin. [claim] prize.

Ex 1

1. Its 7.30 a. m. the postman usually comes

between 7.15 a. m. and 7.45 a. m.
A. the postman hasnt come yet.l
B. the postman didnt come this morning.
2. Im talking about my trip around Eastern
Europe last year.
A. I havent been to prague.
B. I didnt go to Prague.

3. Alice is a good friend of mine.

A. shes known me since we were children.
B. she knew me when we were children.
4. Im telling you this just after I heard the
news.
A. a large shark has attacked a swimmer on
the coast.
B. a large shark attacked a swimmer on the
coast.

5. He is back with his family now.

A. no one has seen him for ten days.
B. no one saw him for ten days.
6. My knee is much better now.
A. Ive hurt my knee.
B. I hurt my knee.
7. Im giving a friend recent news about Tom.
A. Tom has given up smoking.
B. Tom gave up smoking.

8. Mike didnt get the job.

A. Mikes applied for a new job.
B. Mike applied for a new job.
9. Im still studying maths with the same
teacher. A. Ive learnt a lot from my maths
teacher.
B. I learnt a lot from my maths teacher.
10. The drug was never used because it was
dangerous.
A. scientists have found a new drug.
B. scientists found a new drug.

Past perfective

Similar to present perfective except that the

reference time is not now, but a past time.
The past time is sometimes explicit enough;
many times it is implied in the context.
1. finished before a past time.
I had written the article when they came.
He knew he had met her before.
We realized that we had lost our way.

2. lasting till a past time and probably

longer.
By yesterday afternoon they had worked 12
hours.
The factory had fulfilled its yearly plan of
production by last November.
By the end of last term I had written two
papers.

Four ways to use past

1. After reporting/thought verbs (indirect
perfective

speech for past time)

She said she hadnt seen him for ages.

He told me hed actually died from his injuries
you know.
She revealed that the design for the building
had been inspired by rock formations.
I thought/believed I had finished the task.

2. Adding to noun in relative clause

.
The baby became ill again. The baby was ill from birth.
The baby, which had been ill , became
The temple in the village was destroyed by storms. He
rebuilt the temple.
He rebuilt, which had been destroyed by storms.
The house was sold out. The house was worth 2 million
dollars last year.
The house, which had been sold out, was worth

3. In a background clause
when /before/
after/ until, because/ since/ as
When they had finished eating, they cleared the table
and played cards.
I went out for a walk since/ because I had worked for 3
hours.
I didnt reach the station until (after) the train (had) left.
After he had been/was questioned by police, the boy
went home.
The train (had) left before I reached the station p208

4. Imaginary use ( subjunctive mood)

Ex :
1. There was this guy who [go] to work on the
South Coast and when he first [arrive] he
[stay] in his hotel that [be] badly build and one
day he [turn] on the tap and there was the
terrible noise he thought he [start] an
earthquake.
2. Well, I got on better with David really. Last
time we [stay] in London we [share] a flat,
because Ben [go] to America.

Past perfective

Similar to present perfective except that the

reference time is not now, but a past time.

assignments

11 c e f g
12 e