English Grammar Drills - Mark Lester 2009
Traditional classification by time and category
9 Verb Tenses
Part 2 Verb Phrases
This chapter deals with the way the basic verb forms discussed in Chapter 8 are used to construct the tense system of English and what the various tenses mean and how they are used.
Traditional classification by time and category
The conventional terminology for describing the tense system of English breaks down verbs by time (present, past, and future) and by category (simple, perfect, and progressive).
As you can see from this chart, English allows some quite complex string of verbs. However, there are some basic rules that will help you easily classify any verb construction.
1. The first verb, and only the first verb, determines the time of the entire verb construction. For example, if the first verb is in the present-tense form, then the entire construction is present tense. The future tense requires a modal verb (most commonly will) followed by a second verb in the base form.
2. Perfect verbs always contain the helping verb have in some form followed by a verb in the past participle form.
3. Progressive verbs always contains the helping verb be in some form followed by a verb in the present participle form.
The chart is misleading in one aspect: it looks like the three categories of simple, perfect, and progressive are mutually exclusive (in the same way that the three times—present, past, and future—are indeed mutually exclusive). However, it is not only possible, but common for a verb construction to be both perfect and progressive at the same time. For example, the following sentence is a present perfect progressive.
My family has been living in California for some time now.
Here are some examples of the three rules applied to sentences. All verb constructions are in italics.
Example 1: My mother has called me a dozen times today.
According to Rule 1, the first verb have is a present tense, so we know that the entire construction is present tense.
The verb have is a helping verb following by called. Is called a past tense or a past participle? We know from Rule 1 that only the first verb can be a present or past-tense form. Since called is not the first verb, it cannot be a past-tense form. Therefore, called is a past participle. Rule 2 tells us that the helping verb have (in any tense form) followed by a verb in the past participle form must constitute a perfect tense.
We can conclude that has called must be a present perfect construction.
Example 2: I will be working from home all this week.
Will is a modal followed by be, a second verb in the base form; therefore will be is future time. According to Rule 1, this means the entire construction is future tense.
Be is a helping verb followed by working, a verb in the present participle form, meaning that, according to Rule 3, be working is a progressive. Therefore will be working is a future progressive. Note that be plays two roles at the same time: will + be = future time; be + working = progressive category.
Example 3: The kids had been watching cartoons all afternoon.
The first verb in the construction, had, is a past tense. Therefore, according to Rule 1, the entire verb construction is a past time.
Had as a helping verb is followed by the past participle form been. Therefore, according to Rule 2, had + been indicates a perfect verb.
Been is a helping verb followed by the present participle verb watching. According to Rule 3, been + watching = progressive. The entire verb construction had been watching is thus a past perfect progressive.
Exercise 9.1
Classify by time and category the italicized verb constructions in the following sentences.
1. We will have finished by now.
2. They have charged my credit card the full amount.
3. Will you tell him?
4. We have already made a reservation at the restaurant.
5. We painted the deck this summer.
6. They will be worrying about us.
7. The company is trying to find a new supplier.
8. I will introduce you to the staff.
9. The office has not answered my e-mail yet.
10. We have stretched our resources to the limit.
11. The cat has been staring at the dog all afternoon.
12. I am rescheduling our vacation.
13. The lake will have frozen by now.
14. We had been renting an apartment near my wife’s job.
15. The committee has been working on that problem for a while.
16. They will have been rethinking their decision.
17. She will have made a decision by now.
18. I have always admired your work.
19. They will have been dating about a year now.
20. The new report will have made a decision a little easier.
We will now turn to an examination of what the various combinations of time and category actually mean and how they are used.