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English Language Proficiency

TOPIC 2 TENSES

2.1 Synopsis

This module intends to help course participants to revise and analyse the three main

tenses and forms in English.

2.2 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session, students are able to:

identify simple, progressive and perfect tenses in sentences/texts.


write sentences using correct simple, progressive and perfect tenses.

2.3 Topic Framework

Forms Simple Progressive Perfect

Tenses
Present eat/s am/is/are eating have/has eaten
Past Ate was/were eating had eaten
Future will/shall eat will be eating will have eaten

2.4 Present Tense

Present tense expresses a general truth, habitual action and talks about something

existing at the time of speaking.

Example Meaning
The Earth is round A fact. The truth
Every morning, I brush my teeth. Recurring action / Habitual action
I hear the train coming. Happens at that particular time frame.

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English Language Proficiency

2.5 Past Tense

Past tense expresses an action or situation that begins and completes at a particular
time in the past. Most past tense verbs end in ed. The irregular verbs have special
past tense forms which must be memorised.

Example Form
The students arrived in class before the teacher Regular ed past form
Shiela went to the hospital yesterday morning. Irregular form

2.6 Future Tense

Future tense expresses an action or situation that will occur in the future. This tense is
formed by adding will/shall with the basic form of the verb.

e.g. The Prime Minister of Malaysia will speak at the opening ceremony tomorrow.

Try out this exercise.

A: Complete the sentences with do, does, is or are. Put a (-) in the blank wherever not
needed.

1. Jack __________ not work at his fathers office.

2. Kate ___________sells flowers at a stall.

3. ________ you plan to get a job, too?

4. ________ a lizard a reptile?

5. A mosquito ___________ flying around Sams head.

6. Denise and Scott usually __________work together on small construction jobs.

7. __________ mosquito repellent work?

8. Almost all reptiles __________ lay eggs.

9. Look outside!. It _________ raining. Im feeling cold.

10. They _______ late for class because of the rain.

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English Language Proficiency

B: Identify and underline the present tense forms in the following text. Use the following
to indicate: SP (Simple Present), PProg (Present Progressive) and PP (Present
Perfect).

TEXT 1

WAYS TO MAKE WATER TASTE BETTER

Many packaged drinks are quite expensive. The cheapest drink out there is water. The
main reason that people dont drink water is that it is tasteless and not very fun to
drink. On the other hand, water is definitely healthier than soda, so now there is an
entire category of packaged drinks that is basically bottled water with added colouring,
vitamins, and flavour. Instead of buying these, there are many things you can add to
water at home to make it more exciting to drink.

1. Add herbs such as mint, lemongrass and parsley to the water. If you want to release
the flavour, you can crush the plants a little before putting them into your water.

2. Adding vinegar to water is similar to adding citrus. You will get sour water that has
vitamin C. When I was a kid. I like adding apple cider vinegar to the water before
drinking it.

3. Im sure youve heard of the term electrolytes in the marketing for energy drinks.
Electrolytes are little more than just ions that can be found in common table salt.
Adding a little bit of salt to water helps your body absorb the liquid more quickly. As long
as you dont go overboard with the salt, the water should be very quenching. It is great
for workouts, since the body loses salt through water.

Readers Digest Nov 2010

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English Language Proficiency

B: Identify and underline the present tense forms in the following text. Use the following
to indicate: SP (Simple Present), PProg (Present Progressive) and PP (Present
Perfect).

TEXT 2

They had eaten the barbecued lamb, the grilled steaks and the green lettuce.
Through crispy, aromatic smoke which spread thinly across the flood-lit lawn, they had
picked at the satay with their teeth and sipped glasses of wine and beer. Loud laughter
frequently burst forth from a few tables followed by moments of unnatural quiet. The talk
at one table was about a bomb explosion outside the house of Wan Nurudin, Secretary-
General to Housing Minister a few days previously. His gate was blasted open and a
security guard killed. Thats why the dinner was being held at Panglimas house and
Wan Nurudin, though present, was in the background. The lady who provided the
details, Esther fu, had plucked eyebrows which had been painted over in two semi-
circular black lines. Thats what she had heard. She explained that there had been a
top level meeting; a new policy towards the disorder in the town had been drafted.
Youll see, she said. Well soon be able to walk safely in the streets.

Green is the colour F. Lloyd.

Do visit the following websites for further exercises to try out or as references .

http://www.bbc.co.uk

http://www.englishexercise.com

http://www.nonstopenglish.com

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English Language Proficiency

Bibliography
Xin Lu.(2010), November.ways to make water taste better. Readers Digest.

Lloyd Fernando , Green is the Colour,rdasia.com

Betty Schrampfer Azar, Donald A,Azar (1999), Fundamentals of English grammar. 2nd ed : Longman.

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