First published in 1991, this book looks at tense in English, one of the most controversial areas of grammar. Prior to the book’s original publication, the problems and interest in the subject had led to an impressive number of books and articles. Yet, despite the amount of work produced, nothing approaching a consensus had emerged, merely a series of conflicting theories and analyses. Here, Renaat Declerck provides a framework for a theoretical instrument which will enable the linguist to interpret the data correctly. The book is primarily theoretical in nature, but offers descriptive theory and a discussion of the various tenses which will make it a valuable tool for those teaching English. Theoretical and applied linguists will find this an important contribution to the debate on tense and a worthy starting point for future research. The book is not written from the viewpoint of any particular linguistic theory and does not presuppose any knowledge of tense theory, it is a readable and reliable guide to the area.

The Grammar of the English Tense System forms the first volume of a four-volume set, The Grammar of the English Verb Phrase. The other volumes, to appear over the next few years, will deal with mood and modality, aspect and voice. The book aims to provide a grammar of tense which can be used both as an advanced reference grammar (for example by MA-level or postgraduate students of English or linguistics) and as a scientific study which can act as a basis for and stimulus to further research. It provides not only a wealth of data but also a unique framework for the study of the English tense system, which achieves great predictive and explanatory power on the basis of a limited number of relatively simple rules. The framework provided allows for an analysis of the semantics of individual tenses which reflects the role of tenses not only in locating situations in time relative to speech time but also in relating situations in time relative to one another to form temporally coherent discourse. Attention is paid to the relations between tenses. On the one hand, we can identify sets of tenses linked to particular temporal areas such as the past or the future. These sets of tenses provide for the expression of a system of temporal relations in a stretch of discourse in which all the situations are located within the same temporal area. On the other hand, there are many contexts in which speakers might in theory choose between two or more tenses to locate a situation (e.g., when we choose between the past tense and the present perfect to locate a situation before speech time), and the book examines the difference that a choice of one or the other tense may make within a discourse context. The book moves from a detailed exploration of the meaning and use of individual tenses to a thorough analysis of the way in which tenses can be seen to function together as sets, and finally to a detailed examination of tenses in, and tenses interacting with, temporal adverbials. Original data is used frequently throughout the book to illustrate the theory discussed.

Quickly discover the many uses of the English tenses. How do English speakers use two tenses to mean the same thing? Why do the rules not always apply? This bestselling grammar guide reveals all. Exploring the usage patterns of the 12 key tenses of the English language, this book covers all the rules and patterns for the past, present and future in simple, continuous and perfect forms. As well as seeing how to build the tenses, you'll learn how English speakers really use them. The English Tenses: Practical Grammar Guide is ideal as either an accompaniment to core texts or as a full self-study guide. It introduces the reader to flexible uses of the English tenses, with simple, easy-to-follow explanations, colourful examples and enlightening comparisons. To continue your journey towards mastering English grammar, get The English Tenses now.

The English Tenses Exercise Book drills a solid understanding of the past, present and future in simple, continuous and perfect forms. With thousands of examples of each tense, practising both form and use, this is a perfect companion to reference books and language classes. Each tense is tested separately to help you perfect them, before being brought together in mixed tense exercises that compare and contrast use. Exercises include individual gap-fill sentences, scrambled sentences, reading for information, usage analysis, and error correction, as well as longer prose exercises that demonstrate applied grammar. You'll find educational articles, short stories and even a recipe for homemade bread! This wealth of practice will strengthen your understanding and your confidence, while also providing entertainment thanks to the author's uniquely engaging style. Written by Phil Williams, author of the bestselling reference book, The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide, this exercise book is a must-have for any student of English. Get it today!

This Book Covers The Following Topics: What are “Tenses”? AGREEMENT between SUBJECT and VERB TWENTY-FOUR Auxiliary Verbs REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS PRESENT TENSE Present Indefinite Tense Present Continuous/Progressive Tense Present Perfect Tense Present Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense PAST TENSE Past Indefinite Tense Past Continuous/Progressive Tense Past Perfect Tense Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense FUTURE TENSE Future Indefinite Tense Future Continuous/Progressive Tense Future Perfect Tense Future Perfect Continuous/Progressive Tense Useful Notes Exercises Sample This: Tenses could be defined as “any of the form of a verb that may be used to show the time of the action or an event or state expressed by the verb”. THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF TENSES: The Past Tense – The form of a verb that usually expresses an action that happened in the past [Action happened before present] The Present Tense – The form of a verb that usually expresses an action that happens at this time [Action happens in present] The Future Tense – The form of a verb that usually expresses an action that will happen in future [Action will happen after present] EACH OF THESE THREE KINDS OF SENTENCES HAS FOUR TYPES OF FORMS: Indefinite or Simple Form Continuous or Progressive Form Perfect Form Perfect Continuous or Perfect Progressive Form EACH OF THESE FOUR TYPES OF FORMS HAS FOUR KINDS OF STATEMENTS: Affirmative Statement -- Used to Show ‘Agreement’ Negative Statement -- Used to Show ‘Disagreement’ Interrogative Statement -- Used to Ask ‘Question’ Interrogative-Negative Statement -- Used to Ask ‘Question’ and Show ‘Disagreement’ Present Indefinite Tense Expresses – Permanent situation [in the past, present and future] Example: Our family lives in Seattle. General truth (fact or statement) Example: Clean water is fundamental to public health. Example: Many barrages have no utility and cause floods. Habitual action [actions that occur regularly] Example: She listens to music every day. ‘Future meaning’ (timetable, planned event, etc.) Example: My shop closes at 9 pm. Example: The train arrives at 7:30 pm. Traditions, rituals, customs Example: Indians celebrate the festival of light in the month of Oct-Nov. Commands and Instructions [Imperative Sentences] [Note: In imperatives, subject ‘you’ remains hidden] Example: Condemn perpetrators of terrorism. Example: Promote values of humanity and tolerance. Example: Tell us about the exact nature of your work. Used in if-clause of present and future real conditional sentences Example: If I go there, I meet him. Example: If things don't work out, we won't be panicked. Headlines in news reporting [Use of simple present tense instead of the simple past tense is common in news headlines] Example: Flight skids on landing at the airport. Example: Thunderstorm brings relief to residents. (A). AFFIRMATIVE PATTERN – subject + first form of main verb + other words Singular Verb is used with the subject ‘He and She’ + All Singular Subjects. Plural Verb is used with the subject ‘I, We, You and They’ + All Plural Subjects. Examples: He/She talks. I/We/You/They talk. We seek opportunities to chart out our own course. The lean margin of victory or defeat gives an impression of a tough contest. Nowadays, voters value development over other issues. They want civic amenities and employment opportunities. (B). NEGATIVE PATTERN – subject + auxiliary verb ‘do/does’ + not + first form of main verb + other words Auxiliary Verb ‘Does’ is used with the subject ‘He and She’ + All Singular Subjects. Auxiliary Verb ‘Do’ is used with the subject ‘I, We, You and They’ + All Plural Subjects. Examples: He/She does not talk. I/We/You/They do not talk. Most buses do not cater to interior parts of the villages. He does not know what to say.

Tenses in English have been the area of confusion for non-native speakers. Several methods are being employed by various education institutions and governments to develop English language skills in their students and citizens. Methods include translation from native language to English and vice versa. Some people have tried to use digital technology to create some new methods. Each methodology has its pros and cons. Some of these methods are effective, while others failed to deliver the required value.We have tried to ease the process of learning tenses in English through this book. This book discusses all the tenses of English in a unique way to hold the interest of the readers, while enhancing their knowledge simultaneously. All the tenses in English are expressed with the story of two friends Tim and Jim, who works in an organization. The story starts with Simple Present Tense and continues through all the English tenses, to finish with Future Perfect Progressive. While covering a specific tense we have tried to deliver that specific part of the story in the same tense. The story uses most of the sentence types and structure for each tense, including affirmative, negative, and interrogative.

This book is intended to help you, as a teacher of English as a Foreign language (E F L ), to teach common verb tenses and patterns more efficiently and clearly. Some of the material in the book may surprise you. To begin with, the explanations and commentary may seem self-evident, or the phonetic realisations may seem unnecessary. If this is so, please try to bear with me. The material in the book is designed to be of help to several groups: the experienced native speaker seeking a possible new approach to add to his armoury, the novice teacher, who speaks English with native speaker intuition, but has not yet fully analysed what it is that she does know, or why she says what she says, and also the non-native E F L teacher abroad, who speaks English excellently, and yet wishes to understand the subtler differences in usage and idiom which the native speaker takes for granted. Rosemary Aitken

This Handbook is a comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible guide to the topics and theories that current form the front line of research into tense, aspect, and related areas.

Bernard Comrie introduces readers to the range of variation found in tense systems across the languages of the world.

This volume is devoted to the translation of Arabic tenses into English, and English tenses into Arabic. Using a corpus of 1,605 examples, it is remarkably exhaustive in its treatment of the categories and forms of both Standard Arabic and English tenses. As such, it represents a useful reference for translators and linguistics researchers. With 260 example sentences and their translations, the book will be very beneficial to teachers and students of Arabic-English and English-Arabic translation. The book is divided into eight chapters. The first presents the variety of Arabic that will be studied and explains why translation should be a text-oriented process. Chapter Two deals with the differences between tense and aspect in Arabic and English, respectively. Chapter Three proposes a model for translating Standard Arabic perfect verbs into English based on their contextual references. The fourth chapter shows the contextual clues that can assist a translator in selecting the proper English equivalents of Arabic imperfect verbs. Chapter Five deals with the translation of Arabic active participles into English. Translating Arabic passive participles into English is handled in Chapter Six. The seventh chapter tackles the translation of English simple and progressive tenses into Arabic. Chapter Eight provides an approach to the translation of English perfect and perfect progressive tenses into Standard Arabic.