Morphology I /Handout № 1
Present and Past, Simple and Progressive
Simple Present -expresses events or situations that exist always, usually, habitually. It expresses general statements of
fact.
E.g.: It snows in Alaska. Tom watches television every day.
We use the base form of the verb and add -s or -es in the 3rd person singular: He/she/it works in the office.
Uses:
1. Permanent truths - for statements that are always true: Summer follows spring.
2. The Present period - to refer to events, actions or situations which are true in the present period of time and which may
continue indefinitely: My sister wears glasses.
3. Habitual actions - things that happen repeatedly: I get up at 7.
4. Future reference - this use is often related to timetables and programmes or events in the calendar: The concert begins
at 7:30 and ends at 9:30.
5. Observations and declarations -with stative and other verbs to make observations and declarations in the course of
conversation: I hope/promise/suppose/assume everything will be all right.
6. Instructions (First you weight the ingredients.)
7. Commentaries (Becker serves to Lendl.)
Present Progressive - expresses an activity that is in the progress at the moment of speaking.
E.g.: Tom is sleeping right now. It is formed with the present of be + the -ing form.
Uses:
1. Actions in progress at the moment of speaking: adverbials like now, at the moment, just are often used (He is
working at the moment, so he cannot come to the telephone.)
2. Temporary situations: actions and situations which may not have been happening long or which are thought of as
being in progress of a limited period (What is your daughter doing these days? She is studying English at university.)
- may be in the progress at the moment of speaking: The river is flowing very fast after last night ´s rain.
- describing current trends: People are becoming less tolerant of smoking these days.
3. Planned actions: (We are spending next winter in Australia.)
4. Repeated actions: adverbs - always, constantly, continually, forever, perpetually and repeatedly) (She is always helping
people.)
Simple Past - the form is the same for all persons, the regular past always ends in –d, irregular verbs –
different forms that cannot be predicted!!! Activity or situation began and ended at one particular time in the past.
Tom watched TV last night. If a sentence contains when and has the S. P. in both clauses, the action in the when clause
happens first. Rita stood under the tree when it began to rain. Adverbs (always, often, ever, never) are often used: I
always liked Florida.
Uses:
1. Completed actions: events, actions or situations which occurred in the past and are now finished. They may happen
recently. Sam phoned a moment ago.
2. Past habit: I smoked 40 cigarettes till I gave up.
3. The immediate past: something that happened very short time. Did the telephone ring?
4. Polite inquiries: I wondered if you could give me a lift.
Past Progressive
- is formed with the past of be +the -ing form
-Both actions occurred at the same time, but one action began earlier and was in progress when the other action occurred. I
was walking down the street when it began to rain.
- 2 actions are in progress simultaneously. While I was studying in one room of your apartment, my roommate was having
a party in the other room
Uses:
1. Actions in progress in the past: It was raining all night.
2. Actions which began before something else happened: conjunctions - when and as, just as, while (Just as I was
leaving a house, the phone rang.
3. Parallel actions: While I was working in the garden, my wife was cooking dinner.
4. Repeated actions: When he worked here, Roger was always making mistakes.
5. Polite inquiries: I was wondering if you could give me a lift.