Distinction between Tense and Time Time is a universal, semantic notion: past time, present time, future time

Tense is a linguistic device varying from language to language. It is the verb form(s) used to express certain time relations. The reference time is usually the time of speaking. Actions and events times are considered in relation to the time of speaking. For example, in sentence(1) (1) I drove to Rabat (yesterday). the action of driving is understood to have taken place some time before the moment of speaking (as indicated by the time adverb "yesterday"). That is, the time of driving is prior to the time of speaking. The time of driving is past and it is expressed by the linguistic device the 'simple past tense'. In the same way, the time of driving in sentence (2) will happen some time after the moment of speaking. (2) I will drive to Rabat again (next week). In 2), the action of driving will happen some time after the time of speaking. The ( time when the driving will take place is future with respect to the time of speaking. This time relation between the time of speaking and the time of driving is expressed by the 'future tense'. Schematically, these two time relations, past and future, can be represented as in 3) ( (3) ------------------------|------------------------------> time axis past <--Now ---> future time of speaking Time and Tense do not always correspond. The present tense is used in the sentences given in 4) but the time reference is not specifically present time. ( (4) a. I speak Arabic, French and English. b. When you see him tomorrow, tell him to come. (I'm not speaking the three languages now.) While the present continuous tense usually indicates that the event or action is taking place at the moment of speaking (present time), as in 5) ( (5) We are studying grammar (now). it may be used to express future time as in 6), (i.e., actions or events to take place in ( the future). (6) I'm meeting him tomorrow. (The meeting is not taking place at the moment of speaking.) In the same way, in 7), the tense of the underlined verbs is past but the time ( expressed is present. (7) a. It's high time we started doing some work. b. If I trusted him, I would lend him the money. c. I'd rather you told him yourself. In English, we can distinguish between two types of tenses: the simple and the complex (compound) tenses. In the simple tenses (the simple present and the simple past) only the verb form shows this tense contrast as shown in (8). (8) a. I speak, he speaks (simple present tense) b. I spoke, he spoke. (simple past tense) In the complex tenses, two or more words and other suffixes are used to express different time relations. This is illustrated in the table below. Simple I speak I spoke I will speak Continuous I am speaking I was speaking I will be speaking Perfect I have spoken I had spoken I will have spoken Perfect continuous I have been speaking I had been speaking I will have been speaking

Present Past Future

Note the auxiliary be (in the active voice) is used with a verb in the ing form (called the present participial form), the auxiliary have is used with the verb in the ed form (called the past participial form) and the modal will is used with the verb in its bare form (the infinitive form without to).