USING CORRECT VERB TENSES
In this module, you will learn to recognize the functions of the
following six tenses and to correct faulty verb-tense
construction:
 Present and Present perfect
 Past and Past perfect
 Future and Future perfect.
Introduction
We'll investigate the functions of six verb tenses. We'll learn the structure of the six tenses
and what the tenses are supposed to convey.
Why Tenses?
All verbs happen at a certain time. The time that a verb happens is called the tense of the
verb. We indicate the tense of the verb through inflecting, changing the form of, the verb.
We will concern ourselves with past, present, and future tenses only as time (not
condition, qualification, or other aspects) affects them.
Here are examples of these three tenses.
Past
"Mary walked to school yesterday."
The action happens in the past.
Present
"Mary walks to school."
The action happens in the present.
Future
"Mary will walk to school tomorrow."
The action happens in the future.
Now let's have a closer look at the three tenses and their perfect variations. The perfect
variation refers to the time of an action relative to the time frame of the tense.
Present Tense
The present tense can show present action, universal truths, researched evidence, and
inevitable future actions.
Present Action
Use the present tense to indicate that some action is taking place at the present time or
that some condition exists at the present time.
Example:
"Benjamin WANTS me to help him prepare for the exam."
At this moment, right now, Benjamin wants me to help him.
Example:
"Benjamin IS delighted with his new guitar."
At this moment, right now, Benjamin's delighted condition exists.
Universal Truths or Habitual Actions
Use the present tense to indicate those facts which always have been true, which are true,
and which will always remain true. Also, use present tense for those actions that have
occurred, are occurring, and probably will continue to occur.
Example:
"In our physics lab yesterday, we found that iron IS heavier than water."
Although the lab occurred yesterday, iron always has been heavier than water; iron right
now is heavier than water; iron will always be heavier than water. This fact is a universal
truth, so we use the present tense.
Example:
"We attend all of the Argonauts' home games."
We have attended, are attending, and will probably attend the games in the future. Our
attendance at the Argonauts' home games is a habitual action, so we use the present
tense.
Historical/Research Evidence
Use the present tense to indicate you are drawing upon writings of the past
(historical/research literature) that influence what you are talking or writing about in the
present.
Example:
"In Hamlet, Shakespeare INTRODUCES one of the evils associated with procrastination."
Not "introduced" because, although written almost 400 years ago, the historical/research
literature still lives in the present.
Example:
"Published in 1766, Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations SHOWS the way to national
prosperity."
Not "showed" because the historical/research literature still exists. Thus, we use the
present tense.
Future Actions
Use the present tense to indicate inevitable future actions--actions that will most certainly
happen.
Example:
"Our plane leaves tomorrow at 10:15 a.m."
Although the event--leaving--will happen tomorrow, we use the present tense because the
event will most certainly happen.
Present Perfect Tense
We form the present perfect tense by placing "has" or "have" in front of the past participle
of the verb.
Examples:
"The manager HAS ARRANGED a telephone conference."
"We HAVE ACCEPTED his invitation to the conference."
We use the present perfect tense in two ways: in continuing action and in
historical/research literature.
Continuing Action
Use the present perfect tense to show action that has started in the past and is continuing
into the present time or has finished at the present time.
Example:
"I have lived in Jonesville for the past 15 years."
For 15 years, I have lived in Jonesville. I still live in Jonesville. There is no reason to
believe I will not continue living in Jonesville. So, since the action of living started in the
past and is continuing into the present time and maybe into the future, we use the present
perfect tense "have lived."
Historical/Research Literature
Suppose we want to include two researched actions in the same sentence. How do we
show that one action happened before the other action? Here's an example of this
problem.
Problem:
You are writing a critique of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. You are fascinated by
Capulet's immortal "Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds," and you wish to
elaborate the circumstances under which the words were spoken. You have two actions,
the antecedent action by Juliet and the subsequent action by Capulet, that must be
addressed.
Use the present perfect tense for the antecedent action and the present tense for the
subsequent action (the action nearer to us in time). We write
"After Juliet HAS SAID that she can never be proud of what she hates but is thankful even
for hate, Capulet REPLIES, "Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds."
Note: The present perfect tense need not come first in the sentence. We could just as
easily have written
Capulet REPLIES, "Thank me no thankings, nor, proud me no prouds" after Juliet HAS
SAID that she can never be proud of what she hates but is thankful even for hate.
Past Tense
We use the past tense of a verb to show an action that happened at a specific time in the
past. But the past action must have been started and finished in the past. We cannot have
the action continuing into the present. Look at the following examples.
Example:
"I was a good athlete 20 years ago."
The action of "being" (was) started in the past and ended in the past. That is, the action is
completed but isolated (not associated with any other action), so we use the past tense.
With the isolation of the past tense, we have no way of knowing if I am a good athlete
today.
Example:
"Joanne and I attended the same college for three years."
The action of "attending" (attended) started in the past and ended in the past. The
"attending" action is completed but isolated, so we use the past tense.
The following sentence contains an example of several isolated verbs that happened in
the same time span in the past.
Example:
"We heard the crash, went to the window, and saw the accident."
The actions of "hearing, going," and "seeing" all started and finished in the past. Also, the
actions all started and finished within the same time span.
If we were concerned about the sequence of past actions, we would need to show the
antecedent action in a series of past actions. To show the antecedent action in a series
(two or more) of actions started and completed in the past, we would use the past perfect
tense.
Past Perfect Tense
We form the past perfect tense by placing the helping verb "had" in front of the past
participle of the verb. We use the past perfect tense to show an antecedent action that
started and finished in the past before another action started and finished in the past.
Example:
"Daria HAD TYPED the article then GAVE it to the editor."
Can you see that Daria completed the first action of "typing" before she completed the
second action of "giving"?
In informal conversation and writing, it is permissible to substitute an adverb that indicates
"past action before past action" for the past perfect tense.
Example:
"After Daria TYPED the article, she GAVE it to the editor."
But we will not substitute adverbs for the past perfect tense.
Future Tense
We use the future tense to show an action that is to happen or will happen at some time in
the future--in a minute, an hour, a month, a year, etc.
Form the future tense by using the helping verb "will" and adding the bare infinite after
"will." The bare infinitive is the verb name that follows "to" in an infinitive.
NOTE: Do not use "shall" to form the future tense.
Example:
"Tomorrow, I WILL WALK to the office."
The future action must not have started. The future action must begin at some future time
and may or may not continue on into the distant future.
Now let's suppose that the order of happening, the sequence of future actions, was
important. We would use the future perfect tense to express which action occurred first in
the future or which action will be completed relative to some other future criteria we may
establish.
Future Perfect Tense
We form the future perfect tense by placing the helping verbs "will have" in front of the past
participle of the verb. We use the future perfect tense to show an action that will have
been completed before another future action is completed or before a future criterion is
reached.
Example:
"In this hot weather, we WILL HAVE DRUNK all our water before we reach camp."
The future action of "drinking" (will have drunk) will have been completed before the future
action of "reaching" (reach) is completed.
Example:
"We WILL HAVE DRUNK all our water by noon tomorrow."
The future action of "drinking" (will have drunk) will have been completed before the future
criterion (noon) is achieved.
So we can see that the measure for the completion of a future action (future perfect) can
be another future action or some other criterion we've established.
Exercises
Each of the following 10 questions has its own instructions; read them carefully. The
answers appear after the last question.
1. Write the complete verb of the action that occurred first.
Johann had lived in Toronto before he moved to Hamilton.
Answer:
2. Write the complete verb of the action that occurred first.
By the time we arrive in Saskatoon, we will have travelled over 800 kilometres.
Answer:
3. Select the comment that best applies to this sentence.
Sally has attended Ryerson for the last few weeks.
A. Sally still attends Ryerson.
B. Sally does not now attend Ryerson.
C. Sally is thinking of quitting Ryerson.
4. Select the comment that best applies to this sentence.
Rajeet was a good salesman last year.
A. Rajeet is still a good salesman.
B. Today, Rajeet is not a good salesman.
C. We don't know if Rajeet is good salesman today.
D. Rajeet could be a good salesman if he tried harder.
5. Select the verb that correctly completes the sentence.
I
you tomorrow if I find the time.
A. will have seen
B. see
C. will see
D. have seen
6. Select the verb that correctly completes the sentence.
Sentence:
The courier guaranteed that by Friday noon, our parcel
A. will be delivered
B. has been delivered
C. is to be delivered
D. will have been delivered
.
7. Select the verb that correctly completes the sentence.
Moise
in a squalid shack before he won the 649 Lottery and bought a mansion.
A. had lived
B. lived
C. has lived
D. will have lived
8. Select the verb that correctly completes the sentence.
Pavel often
about home while he worked in Algeria in the summer of '97.
A. had thought
B. thought
C. has thought
D. will have thought
9. Select the verb that correctly completes the sentence.
Over 400 years ago, Copernicus discovered that the sun
universe.
A. was
B. has been
C. had been
D. is
the centre of our
10. Select the verb that correctly completes the sentence.
Audrey
at the counter since noon, and she seems ready for a break.
A. had worked
B. will have worked
C. worked
D. has worked
Answers
1, had lived. 2, will have travelled. 3, A. 4, C. 5, C. 6, D. 7, A. 8, B. 9, D. 10, D.