TENSES (Part 1)
TENSES
(Part 1)
Please note that grammatically speaking, a tense is
an aspect or form of verb which tells the time of an action or when a state of
being occurs. Tenses have certain rules
which govern how sentences are made.
Right
from the days of our elementary school, we were taught that there are three (3)
main types of tenses, namely:
Present
Tense,
Past
Tense, and
Future
Tense.
But
at a higher level, each of these tenses is divided into four (4) sub-divisions,
giving us a total of twelve (12) sub-tenses.
Now,
let us look at Present Tense and its four (4) sub-tenses.
1.
PRESENT TENSE
Present tense is a tense in
which the verb indicates the time of a particular
action in the present period or in the present
moment in time.
Present simple tense is used to express
an action in present time or an action that is habitual or action that is usual
or a daily event or a universal fact. It
is equally used to express an action in present time which is usually done on a
regular basis.
Examples:
(i)
Stephen works in
Okwagbe.
(ii)
Okoro lives at
Otor-Udu.
(iii)
I attend St.
Vincent’s College, Okwagbe.
All the three sentences above are
examples of present simple tense. The 1st
example: “Stephen works in Okwagbe” expresses the usual action of Stephen
working regularly in Okwagbe; the 2nd example: “Okoro lives at
Otor-Udu” shows clearly that the usual dwelling place or known domicile of
Okoro is Otor-Udu; while the 3rd example: “I attend St. Vincent’s
College, Okwagbe” conveys the idea that I am schooling at St. Vincent’s College
currently.
Present Continuous Tense (or Present
Progressive Tense) is used to express a continued or on-going action which is
not yet ended at the present time. It
expresses an action which is in progress at the time of speaking or writing.
Examples:
(i)
Stephen is composing a song.
(ii)
Umuto is preparing ‘ukodo’.
(iii)
Solomon is reciting a poem.
The
examples above which say that “Stephen
is composing a song”, “Umuto is preparing ukodo” and “Solomon is reciting a
poem” express actions that are taking place now (at the time of speaking or
writing) and are still on-going. That is
why they are examples of Present Continuous Tense or Present Progressive Tense.
Please note that the doing words or action
words used in present continuous tense or present progressive tense go with –ing at their end.
Present
Perfect Tense is used to expressed an action which happened or got completed at
a short time before now (near past), not a very long time before now.
Specific
time such as two months ago, last week or last night is usually not used in the
sentences reflecting this tense. But it
is used to describe an action that has been completed (or perfected) without
stressing the time when it was done.
Examples:
(i)
Aunty Dora has prepared her Bible
lesson.
(ii)
Master Mamuyovwi Eruvwavwe has done his
home work.
(iii)
Ufuoma has cooked the ‘banga’ rice.
In
the sentences above, the actions expressed have been completed or
perfected. Perfect in this context, means completed
action.
Present
Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express a continued or an on-going action
that started in the past and is continued until now. This tense usually go with reference to a time
when the action started.
Examples:
(i)
Mr. Jacob Unuavwodo has been the headmaster
of Otovwodo Primary School since 2001.
(ii)
Tom has been reading for three hours.
(iii)
The egg has been boiling for ten
minutes.
Please
take note that a sense of time reference is indicated in each of the sentences above,
which gives an idea that (the) action has been continued from some time in the past,
till now. It is such reference of time that differentiates present
perfect continuous tense from present continuous tense.
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