Grammatical tense in English - Part 1
June 5th 2009 18:04
In school I learned to write essays in the present tense. Often, people's essays, articles, reviews, etc., sound like this:
"WALL-E was a great movie. I thought that the story was very imaginative and the animation was top-notch. My favourite part was when WALL-E squashed his pet cockroach."
If I may channel my former English teacher--was a great movie? Is it no longer a great movie? Was the cockroach-squashing your favourite part in the past, but not now?
Using the correct tense is important for clarity in your writing, and it's just a matter of logic whether present, past, or future tense is correct. This post goes over some of the different tenses in English so that you might have a greater understanding of how to use them appropriately.
Note: The examples below cover present and past tenses; the next post in Grammar Matters will cover future tenses and more. Note that some terms may differ according to your region; being Canadian, the terms I use are probably a hybrid of British and American English.
Present tenses
Present indicative - An action occurs in the present, and it might be something done constantly/routinely, OR something that is habitual.
I write for a living.
I write with my left hand but I eat with my right.
Construction: <subject><verb>
Present progressive - An action occurs in the present and is in progress.
I am writing one of the chapters of my book.
Construction: <subject> is <verb><-ing>
Present perfect - An action has completed recently.
I have written three chapters already.
Construction: <subject> have <verb>
Present perfect progressive - An action is ongoing.
I have been writing the Great American Novel.
Construction: <subject> have been <verb><-ing>
Past tenses
Past indicative - An action occurred in the past.
I ate the plums in the icebox.
Construction: <subject><verb>
Past progressive - An action occurred in the past and was in progress. (This does not mean that it did not complete at a later time. See below.)
I was eating them when I realised you'd been saving them.
Construction: <subject> was <verb><-ing>
Past perfect - An action occurred and completed in the past.
I had eaten the plums in the icebox; please forgive me.
Construction: <subject> had <verb><-ed or other verb form>
Past perfect progressive - An action occurred in the past and was in progress at/for a specified time.
I had been eating fruit from the icebox for weeks.
Construction: <subject> had been <verb><-ing>
"WALL-E was a great movie. I thought that the story was very imaginative and the animation was top-notch. My favourite part was when WALL-E squashed his pet cockroach."
If I may channel my former English teacher--was a great movie? Is it no longer a great movie? Was the cockroach-squashing your favourite part in the past, but not now?
Using the correct tense is important for clarity in your writing, and it's just a matter of logic whether present, past, or future tense is correct. This post goes over some of the different tenses in English so that you might have a greater understanding of how to use them appropriately.
Note: The examples below cover present and past tenses; the next post in Grammar Matters will cover future tenses and more. Note that some terms may differ according to your region; being Canadian, the terms I use are probably a hybrid of British and American English.
A famous line from William Carlos Williams in present perfect tense.
Present tenses
Present indicative - An action occurs in the present, and it might be something done constantly/routinely, OR something that is habitual.
I write with my left hand but I eat with my right.
Construction: <subject><verb>
Present progressive - An action occurs in the present and is in progress.
I am writing one of the chapters of my book.
Construction: <subject> is <verb><-ing>
Present perfect - An action has completed recently.
I have written three chapters already.
Construction: <subject> have <verb>
Present perfect progressive - An action is ongoing.
I have been writing the Great American Novel.
Construction: <subject> have been <verb><-ing>
Past tenses
Past indicative - An action occurred in the past.
I ate the plums in the icebox.
Construction: <subject><verb>
Past progressive - An action occurred in the past and was in progress. (This does not mean that it did not complete at a later time. See below.)
I was eating them when I realised you'd been saving them.
Construction: <subject> was <verb><-ing>
Past perfect - An action occurred and completed in the past.
I had eaten the plums in the icebox; please forgive me.
Construction: <subject> had <verb><-ed or other verb form>
Past perfect progressive - An action occurred in the past and was in progress at/for a specified time.
I had been eating fruit from the icebox for weeks.
Construction: <subject> had been <verb><-ing>
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Irene, this is helpful stuff, thanks for persistently putting it out for us hacks.
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