WAJ3102 English Language Proficiency 1

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
To enable CPs to identify tenses used in texts.
Use correct and appropriate language structures in different types of writing
Assess own language progress through self and peer evaluation

2.3 Topic Framework

Forms

Tenses
Present
Past
Future

Simple

Progressive

Perfect

eat/s
Ate
will/shall eat

am/is/are eating
was/were eating
will be eating

have/has eaten
had eaten
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
The Earth is round
Every morning, I brush my teeth.
I hear the train coming.

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Meaning
A fact. The truth
Recurring action / Habitual action
Happens at that particular time frame.

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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 memorized.
Example
The students arrived in class before the
teacher
Shiela went to the hospital yesterday
morning.

Form
Regular ed past form
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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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 wour 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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WAJ3102 English Language Proficiency 1

B: Identify and underline the present tense forms in the following text. Use the
following to indicate: SP(simple Past), PProg(Past Progressive) and PP (Past
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, SecretaryGeneral 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 semicircular 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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Bibliography
Xin Lu.(2010), November.ways to make water taste better. Readers Digest.
Lloyd Fernando , Green is the Colour,rdasia.com
nd

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

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