(Present and Past)
1. Verb phrase
A verb phrase consists of a main verb alone, or a main verb plus any modal and/or auxiliary verbs.
Formula: Auxiliary verb + Main verb = Verb Phrase
The verb phrase in English has the following forms:
1. Main verb
2. An auxiliary verb “be” and main verb in -ing verb
3. An auxiliary verb “have” and a main verb with past participle
4. An auxiliary verb ("have" + "been") and a main verb in the –ing form
5. A Modal verb (can, could, may, might, must, shall, and etc) and a Main verb
2. TENSES
• Simple present tense
The simple present tense used to describe habits, unchanging situations, general truths, and fixed arrangements. We use the simple present tense when an action is happening right now.
Formula: S + Verb + O
Subject: I, you, they we = do
He, she, it = does
Example:
(+) I live in Beijing.
(-) I don’t live in Beijing.
(?) Do I live in Beijing?
(+) She forgets to bring your book.
(-) She doesn’t forget to bring your book.
(?) Does she forget to bring your book?
• Present Continuous Tense
The present continuous tense used to indicate an action that is being done at this time or now, to show a work that will be done in the near future plan, and to indicate an action that occurs repeatedly.
Formula:
Positive: Subject + to be (am, is, are) + Verb - ing + object
Example: (+) She is writing a letter now.
Negative: Subject + to be + not + verb - ing + object
Example: (-) She is not writing a letter now.
Question: To be + subject + verb - ing + object
Example: (?) Is she writing a letter now?
• Present Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect is used to express actions that happened at anindefinite time or that began in the past and continue in the present. This tense is also used when an activity has an effect on the present moment.
Formula:
Positive: Subject + have/has + verb 3
Example: (+) I have met my parent yet
Negative: Subject + have/has + not + verb 3
Example: (-) I haven’t met my parent yet
Question: have/has + subject + verb 3
Example: (?) Have I met my parent yet?
• Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect continuous talks about an action that started in the past and continues in the present.
Adverb of time : “since” and “for” (since 1996, since Sunday, for a few minutes, for two years)
Formula :
Positive: S + have/has + been + V1-ing
Example: (+) She has been working at that company for three years.
Negative: S + have/has + not + been + V1-ing
Example: (-) She hasn’t been working at that company for three years
Question: have/has + S + been + V1-ing ?
Example Has she been working at that company for three years?
• Simple Past Tense
We use the Simple past to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. The actions can be short or long. There can be a few actions happening one ofter another.
Time adverbials like yesterday, the other day, just now, and the day before yesterday.
Formula:
Positive: Subject + V2
Example: I wrote a letter yesterday.
Negative: Subject + did not + V1
Example: I did not write a letter yesterday
Question: Did + Subject + V1
Did I write a letter yesterday?
• Past Continuous Tense
This tense is used to describe a job or activity that is going on in the past. Is said to be continuous because the work is being done. And said past because it happened in the past.
Formula:
(+) Subject + to be (was/were) + verb-ing + object
Example: They were talking in English
(-) Subject + was/were + not + verb-ing + object
Example: They were not talking in English
(?) was/were + subject + verb-ing + object ?
Example: Were they talking in English?
• Past Perfect Tense
The Past Perfect tense to emphasize that an action in the past finished before another action in the past started. This tense is also used in third conditional sentences, or to show dissatisfaction with the past.
Formula:
(+) Subject + Had + V3
Example: He had visited his mother in the office.
(-) Subject + had not + V3
Example: He had not visited his mother in the office.
(?) Had + Subject + V3
Example: Had he visited his mother in the office?
• Past Perfect Continuous Tense
Past Perfect Continous is formed with the past perfect tense of the verb to be (had been) plus the present participle (verb with ing). Past Perfect Continous tense is used to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past.
Formula:
(+) S + Had + Been + V1-ing
Example: I had been living in Indonesia since 1996
(-) S + Had + not + Been + V1-ing
Example: I had not been living in Indonesia since 1996
(?) Had + S + Been + V1-ing
Example: Had I been living in Indonesia since 1996?
