Using Verbs
The verb is perhaps the most
important part of the sentence. A
verb or compound verb
asserts something about the subject of
the sentence and expresses actions, events, or states of being.
In each of the following sentences, the
verb or compound verb appears highlighted:
Dracula bites his victims on the
neck.
The verb "bites" describes the
action Dracula takes.
In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.
Here the compound verb "will
plant" describes an action that will take place in the future.
My first teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember
the janitor Mr. Weatherbee more vividly.
In this sentence, the verb "was"
(the simple past tense of "is")
identifies a particular person and the verb "remembered" describes a
mental action.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Compound Verbs
In particular, you may use an auxiliary
verb (also known as a helping verb)
with the verb in order to create the many of the tenses
available in English.
Karl Creelman bicycled around the world in 1899, but his
diaries and his bicycle were
destroyed.
The compound verb in this sentence is made
up of the auxiliary "were" and the past participle
"destroyed."
The book Seema was looking
for is under the sofa.
They will
meet us at the newest café in the market.
In this example the compound verb is made
up of the auxiliary verb "will" and the verb "meet."
That dog has been barking
for three hours; I wonder if someone will call
the owner.
In this sentence the first compound verb
is made up of the two auxiliary verbs ("has" and "been")
and a present participle ("barking"). The second compound verb is
made up of the auxiliary verb "will" and the verb "call."
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Auxiliary Verbs
The most common auxiliary verbs
are "be," "do," and "have", and you may also use
these verbs on their own. You use
"Will" and "shall" to express future time.
In each of the following examples, a verb
commonly used as an auxiliary verb appears as a simple predicate:
She is the chief engineer.
The tea cups are in the china cabinet.
Garth does this kind of thing frequently.
My roommates and I do the laundry every
second week.
I can't complete my assignment because he still has my
notes.
They have several kinds of gelato in the display case.
Other common auxiliaries are
"can," "could," "may," "might,"
"must," "ought," "should," "will," and
"would." A verb like these is called a modal
auxiliary and expresses necessity, obligation, or possibility.
Zora was pleased to learn that she could
take several days off.
The small freckled girl told her neighbours that she would
walk their dog for an appropriate fee.
Henry told Eliza that she ought to
have the hole in the bucket fixed.
The principal told the assembled students that the
school board might introduce a dress code next autumn.
According to the instructions, we must
leave this goo in our hair for twenty minutes.
Several words may intervene between the
auxiliary and the verb which goes with it, as in the following sentences:
They have not delivered the documents on time.
The treasure chest was never discovered.
The health department has recently decided
that all high school students should be immunised against meningitis.
Will
you walk the dog tonight?
The ballet corps was rapidly and gracefully pirouetting about the stage.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Transitive and Intransitive
Verbs
The meaning of a transitive
verb is incomplete without a direct object,
as in the following examples:
INCOMPLETE
The shelf holds.
COMPLETE
The shelf holds three books and a vase
of flowers.
INCOMPLETE
The committee named.
COMPLETE
The committee named a new chairperson.
INCOMPLETE
The child broke.
COMPLETE
The child broke the plate.
This plant has thrived on the south windowsill.
The compound verb
"has thrived" is intransitive and takes no direct object in this sentence.
The prepositional phrase
"on the south windowsill" acts as an adverb
describing where the plant thrives.
The sound of the choir carried through the cathedral.
The verb "carried" is used
intransitively in this sentence and takes no direct object. The prepositional
phrase "through the cathedral" acts as an adverb describing where the
sound carried.
The train from Montreal arrived four hours late.
The intransitive verb "arrived"
takes no direct object, and the noun phrase
"four hours late" acts as an adverb describing when the train
arrived.
Since the company was pleasant and the coffee both
plentiful and good, we lingered in the restaurant for several hours.
The verb "lingered" is used
intransitively and takes no direct object. The prepositional phrase "in
the restaurant for several hours" acts as an adverb modifying
"lingered."
The painting was hung on the south wall of the reception
room.
The compound verb "was hung" is
used intransitively and the sentence has no direct object. The prepositional
phrase "on the south wall of the reception room" acts as a adverb
describing where the paint hung.
Many verbs can be either transitive or
intransitive, depending on their context in the sentence. In the following
pairs of sentences, the first sentence uses the verb transitively and the
second uses the same verb intransitively:
transitive
According to the instructions, we must leave
this goo in our hair for twenty minutes.
In this example, the verb
"leave" takes a direct object, the noun phrase "this goo."
intransitive
We would like to stay longer, but we must leave.
In this example, the verb
"leave" does not take a direct object.
transitive
The audience attentively watched
the latest production of The Trojan Women.
In this example, the verb
"watch" is used transitively and takes the noun phrase "the
latest production of The Trojan Women" as a direct object.
intransitive
The cook watched while the new dishwasher
surreptitiously picked up the fragments of the broken dish.
In this example, the verb
"watched" is used intransitively and takes no direct object.
intransitive
The crowd moves across the field in an attempt to see
the rock star get into her helicopter.
Here the verb "moves" is used as
an intransitive verb and takes no direct object.
transitive
Every spring, William moves all boxes and trunks from
one side of the attic to the other.
In this sentence "moves" is used
as a transitive verb and takes the noun phrase "all the boxes and
trunk" as a direct object.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Review: Transitive and
Intransitive Verbs
3.
Much to the amusement of the onlookers,
Paul danced a minuet to the polka music that drifted out of the
beer tent.
10.
When I was three years old, my father left
a can of paint open in my bedroom, and early one morning, I painted my
baby brother's face green.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Linking Verbs
A linking verb
connects a subject to
a subject complement
which identifies or describes the subject, as in the following sentences:
The play is Waiting for Godot.
In this sentence, the linking verb
"is" links the noun phrase
"the play" to the identifying phrase
"Waiting for Godot," which is called a subject complement.
Some of us thought that the play was
very good.
Others thought it became
tedious after the first fifteen minutes.
In this sentence, the linking verb
"became" links the subject "it" to the subject complement
"tedious." The phrase "after the first fifteen minutes"
functions as an adverb
modifying the clause "it became tedious."
The cast appears
disorganised and confused; perhaps Beckett intended this.
Here "appears" is functioning as
a linking verb that connects the subject "the cast" to its subject
complement "disorganised and confused."
The play seems absurd to me.
The subject "the play" is joined
to its subject complement "absurd" by the linking verb
"seems."
Linking verbs are either verbs of
sensation ("feel," "look," "smell,"
"sound," "taste") or verbs of existence ("act,"
"appear," "be," "become," "continue,"
"grow," "prove," "remain," "seem,"
"sit," "strand," "turn").
Many linking verbs (with the significant
exception of "be") can also be used as transitive or
intransitive verbs.
In the following pairs of sentences, the first sentence uses the highlighted
verb as a linking verb and the second uses the same verb as either a transitive or
an intransitive verb:
Linking
Griffin insists that the water in Winnipeg tastes
terrible.
In this sentence, the adjective
"terrible" is a subject complement that describes a quality of the
water.
Transitive
I tasted the soup before adding more salt.
Here the noun phrase "the soup"
identifies what "I tasted." "The soup" is the direct object of
the verb "tasted."
Linking
My neighbour's singing voice sounds
very squeaky despite several hours of daily practice.
In this example, the phrase "very squeaky"
is a subject complement that describes or identities the nature of the
"singing voice."
Transitive
Upon the approach of the enemy troops, the gate-keeper sounded
his horn.
Here the verb "sounded" takes a
direct object, the noun phrase "his horn."
Linking
Cynthia feels queasy whenever she
listens to banjo music.
In this sentence, the adjective
"queasy" is a subject complement that describes Cynthia.
Transitive
The customer carefully feels the fabric of the coat.
Here the noun phrase "the fabric of the
coat" is the direct object of the verb "feels" and identifies
what the customer feels.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Review: Linking Verbs
1. Frankenstein is the name of the
scientist not the monster.
2. The oenophile tasted
several types of Beaujolais.
3. Francine's uncle grows prize winning dahlias.
4. The cheesecake tastes
delicious.
5. After smoking three cigars, Flannery turned
green.
6. The cat fastidiously smelled
the dish of food placed before it.
7. The flowers always grow quickly during a sunny
summer.
8. The stew that Gordon made smells
too spicy to me.
9. Walter was annoyed because Ross turned
pages too quickly.
10. David Garrick was a very prominent
eighteenth-century actor.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Verbals
A
verbal is a noun or adjective
formed from a verb.
Writers sometimes make mistakes by using a verbal in place of a verb, and in
very formal writing, by confusing different types of verbals. This section
covers three different verbals: the participle (which acts as an adjective),
the gerund (which acts as a noun), and the infinitive
(which also acts as a noun).The fundamental difference between verbals and other nouns and adjectives is that verbals can take their own objects, even though they are no longer verbs:
Gerund
Building a house is complicated.
In
this example, the noun phrase
"a house" is the direct object of the verbal "building",
even though "building" is a noun rather than a verb.
The Participle
A
participle is an adjective formed from a verb. To
make a present participle, you add "-ing" to
the verb, sometimes doubling the final
consonant:
"think"
becomes "thinking"
"fall"
becomes "falling"
"run"
becomes "running"
The
second type of participle, the past
participle, is a
little more complicated, since not all verbs form the past tense
regularly. The following are all past participles:
the sunken ship
a ruined city
a misspelled word
Note
that only transitive verbs can
use their past participles as adjectives, and that unlike other verbals, past
participles do not take objects (unless they are part of a compound verb).
The Gerund
A gerund is a
noun formed from a verb. To make a gerund, you add "-ing" to the
verb, just as with a present participle. The fundamental difference is that a
gerund is a noun, while a participle is an adjective:
gerund
participle
Stay away
from running water.
("Running" is an adjective modifying the noun "water.")
Using Verbals
There
are two common problems that come up when writers use verbals. The first is
that since verbals look like verbs, they sometimes cause students to write
fragmentary sentences:
[WRONG] Oh,
to find true love!
[WRONG]
Jimmy, swimming the most important race of his life.
The
second problem is a very fine point, which most editors and some teachers no
longer enforce. Although they look the same, gerunds and present participles
are different parts of speech, and
need to be treated differently. For example, consider the following two
sentences:
I admire the
woman finishing the report.
I admire the
woman's finishing the report.
In
the first example, "finishing" is a participle modifying the noun
"woman": in other words, the writer admires the woman, not what she is
doing; in the second example, "finishing" is a participle, modified
by the possessive noun
"woman's": in other words, the writer admires not the woman herself
but the fact that she is finishing the report.Written by Heather MacFadyen
Forming and Using Verb Tenses
English
speakers form many verb tenses by combining one of principal parts of
the verb with
one or more auxiliary verbs.In order to form verb tenses you need a good grasp of the auxiliaries and the principal parts of the verb. There are four principal parts: the basic form, the present participle, the past form, and the past participle.
The basic form (or root of the verb is the form listed in the dictionary and is usually identical to the first person singular form of the simple present tense (except in the case of the verb "to be"):
walk
paint
think
grow
sing
The
infinitive form of the verb is a compound verb made
up of the the preposition
"to" and the basic form of the verb:
to walk
to paint
to think
to grow
to sing
To
form the present participle, add "-ing" to the basic form of the
verb:
walking
painting
thinking
growing
singing
Note
that you cannot use the present participle as a predicate
unless you use an auxiliary verb with it -- the word group "I walking to
the store" is an incomplete and ungrammatical sentence,
while word group "I am walking to the store" is a complete sentence.
You will often use the present participle as a modifier.The past form of verbs is a little trickier. If the verb is regular (or weak, you can create the past form by adding "-ed", "-d", or "-t" to the present form. When a basic form ends in "-y", you changed the "-y" to "-i-"; in many cases you should also double terminal consonants before adding "-ed" (see the section on Spelling words with Double Consonants).
walked
painted
thought
grew
sang
The
past participle of regular verbs is usually identical to the past form, while
the past participle of irregular verbs is often different:
walked
painted
thought
grown
sung
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs form the past participle and
the past form without "-(e)d" or "-t", and frequently their
past form and past participle are different. For example, the past form of the
verb "break" is "broke" and the past participle is
"broken."This list contains the most common verbs that form their past tenses irregularly:
arise
arose, arise
awake
awoke or
awaked, awaked or awoken
awaken
awakened,
awakened
bear (to carry)
bore, borne
bear (to give birth)
bore
beat
beat, beaten
or beat
be
was, been
become
became,
become
begin
began, begun
bet
bet, bet
bid
bid, bid
(to, offer)
bid (to order, invite)
bade, bidden
bind
bound, bound
bite
bit, bitten
bleed
bled, bled
blow
blew, blown
break
broke,
broken
breed
bred, bred
bring
brought,
brought
burst
burst, burst
buy
bought,
bought
cast
cast, cast
catch
caught,
caught
choose
chose,
chosen
cling
clung, clung
come
came, come
creep
crept, crept
cut
cut, cut
deal
dealt, dealt
dig
dug, dug
dive
dived or
dove, dived
do
did, done
draw
drew, drawn
dream
dreamed or
dreamt, dreamed or dreamt
drink
drank, drunk
drive
drove,
driven
eat
ate, eaten
fall
fell, fallen
feed
fed, fed
feel
felt, felt
fight
fought,
fought
find
found, found
flee
fled, fled
fly
flew, flown
forbid
forbade,
forbidden
forget
forgot,
forgotten
forgive
forgave,
forgiven
forsake
forsook,
forsaken
freeze
froze,
frozen
get
got, got or
gotten
give
gave, given
go
went, gone
grind
ground,
ground
grow
grew, grown
hang (to suspend)
hung, hung
hang (to execute)
hanged,
hanged
have
had, had
hear
heard, heard
hide
hid, hidden
hit
hit, hit
hold
held, held
hurt
hurt, hurt
keep
kept, kept
kneel
knelt or
kneeled, knelt or kneeled
knit
knitted or
knit, knitted or knit
know
knew, known
lay
laid, laid
lead
led, led
leap
leaped or
leapt, leaped or leapt
leave
left, left
lend
lent, lent
let
let, let
lie
lay, lain
light
lighted or
lit, lighted or lit
lose
lost, lost
make
made, made
mean
meant, meant
meet
met, met
mistake
mistook,
mistaken
overcome
overcame,
overcome
pay
paid, paid
prove
proved,
proved or proven
put
put, put
quit
quit, quit
read
read, read
ride
rode, ridden
ring
rang, rung
rise
rose, risen
run
ran, run
say
said, said
see
saw, seen
seek
sought,
sought
sell
sold, sold
send
sent, sent
set
set, set
shake
shook,
shaken
shed
shed, shed
shoot
shot, shot
shrink
shrank or
shrunk, shrunk
shut
shut, shut
sing
sang, sung
sink
sank, sunk
sit
sat, sat
slay
slew, slain
sleep
slept, slept
slide
slid, slide
sling
slung, slung
slink
slunk, slunk
speak
spoke,
spoken
speed
sped or
speeded, sped or speeded
spend
spent, spent
spin
spun, spun
spit
spit or
spat, spit or spat
split
split, split
spread
spread,
spread
spring
sprang or
sprung, sprung
stand
stood, stood
steal
stole,
stolen
stick
stuck, stuck
stink
stank or
stunk, stunk
strew
strewed,
strewn
stride
strode,
stridden
strike
struck,
struck
string
strung,
strung
strive
stove or
strived, striven or strived
swear
swore, sworn
sweep
swept, swept
swell
swelled,
swelled or swollen
swim
swam, swum
swing
swung, swung
take
took, taken
teach
taught,
taught
tear
tore, torn
tell
told, told
think
thought,
though
thrive
throve or
thrived, throve or thriven
throw
threw,
thrown
thrust
thrust,
thrust
wake
woke or
waked, waked or woken
weep
wept, wept
win
won, won
wind
wound, wound
wring
wring, wrung
write
wrote,
written
Written by Heather MacFadyen
Review: Verb Tense
In the following sentences,
identify whether the highlighted verb or compound verb is
formed correctly:
1. Beryl had
wringed all of water out of the clothes before
she hung them on the line.
2. Last night the wind shooked
the house so much that I could not sleep.
3. Once he had written a
letter or two, he went upstairs and listened to his short-wave radio.
4. The planes have flew
over this neighbour for twenty years.
5. The cowboy who had been caught stealing bread was hanged at noon.
6. I betted my entire salary on a nag named Mephibosheth.
7. After Lilith defied
Adam, God cast her out of Paradise.
8. The bells of the tower have rang
for three hours in honour of the passing a generous soul.
9. The walls of the trenches that had been digged yesterday collapsed in the torrential downpour.
10. Marilla has forbade us
to play in the hayloft while she is away.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Frequently-Confused Verbs
Writers
often confuse the verb pairs
"lie" and "lay" and "sit" and "set."
"Lie" and "Lay"
The
verb "lie" is an intransitive verb which
means "to recline" or "to be situated". The present participle of
"lie" is "lying," the past form is
"lay" and the past participle is
"lain":
The cup is lying on the floor.
The cat lay in the sun all morning.
The
newspapers had lain on the
verandah for two weeks before anyone noticed that Mr. Gilfillian had
disappeared.
In
each of these examples, the intransitive verb "lie" is used (in
conjunction with an adverbial phrase) to
describe the location of the subject.The verb "lay" is a transitive verb which means "to place" or "to put." The present participle of "lay" is "laying," and both the past form and the past participle is "laid":
I was laying the cups and saucers
on the table when I dropped one.
Jenkins laid the suspicious parcel on
the commissioner's desk.
The
supervisor had laid a cup of
scalding coffee on the counter only moments before the bulldozer rammed into
the construction office.
In
each of these sentences, the
transitive verb "lay" is used to describe the fact that someone had
placed something somewhere.
Sit and Set
The
verbs "sit" and "set" are also frequently confused. The
intransitive verb "sit" means "to rest" or "to occupy
a seat." The present participle is "sitting," and both the past
part and the past participle are "sat."
Charlie will
be surprised when he learns that he is sitting on a freshly painted bench.
We sat in
the corridor outside the dean's office all afternoon.
The student
delegate is persistent; they have sat in the excruciatingly uncomfortable
chairs outside the dean's office for several hours.
In
each of these sentences, the verb "sit" is used in conjunction with a
adverbial phrase to describe the position of the subject.The transitive verb "set" means "to place," "to put," or "to lay." The present participle of "set" is "setting," and both the past form and the past participle are "set":
The
clockmaker was setting his tools on the bench when the hooligans came into his shop.
Germaine set
plates and soup bowls on the table.
Once we had
set the clock ahead an hour, we went to bed.
In
each of these sentence, the verb "set" is used to describe the
placing of an object in a specific place.Written by Heather MacFadyen
Review: Frequently-Confused
Verbs
In the following sentences,
identify whether the highlighted verb or compound verb is
used correctly.
1. The leftover casserole has been setting in
the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
2. The cows were laying in
the field even though it was raining.
3. Set
that vase on the sideboard.
4. The beavers spent the afternoon lying
new branches on the lodge.
5. Joseph argues that setting in
a rocking chair is a form of aerobic exercise.
6. The entire cub pack suddenly sitted
down.
7. While they were lying the new linoleum, the
McLeod boys listened to some Howie MacDonald fiddle music.
8. The cat preferred to set on
the dining room table.
9. After the clerk had laid
the fabric on the table, Willa saw several small grease spots.
10. While Charlene and Shasta were sitting the post in the concrete, they were harassed by clouds
of black flies.
Written
by Heather MacFadyen
Using Verb Tenses
A
verb
indicates the time of an action, event or condition by changing its form.
Through the use of a sequence of tenses in a sentence or in
a paragraph, it is possible to indicate the complex temporal relationship of
actions, events, and conditionsThere are many ways of categorising the twelve possible verb tenses. The verb tenses may be categorised according to the time frame: past tenses, present tenses, and future tenses.
Verb Tense: Time
The
four past tenses are
1.
the simple past ("I went")
2.
the past progressive ("I was going")
3.
the past perfect ("I had gone")
4.
the past perfect progressive ("I had been going")
The
four present tenses are
1.
the simple present ("I go")
2.
the present progressive ("I am going")
3.
the present perfect ("I have gone")
4.
the present perfect progressive ("I have been going")
Note
that the present perfect and present perfect progressive are a present not past
tenses -- that idea is that the speaker is currently in the state of having gone or
having been going.The four future tenses are
1.
the simple future ("I will go")
2.
the future progressive ("I will be going")
3.
the future perfect ("I will have gone")
4.
the future perfect progressive ("I will have been
going")
Verb Tense: Aspect
Verb
tenses may
also be categorised according to aspect. Aspect
refers to the nature of the action described by the verb. There are three
aspects: indefinite (or simple), complete (or perfect), continuing (or
progressive).The three indefinite tenses, or simple tenses, describe an action but do not state whether the action is finished:
·
the simple past ("I went")
·
the simple present ("I go")
·
the simple future ("I will go")
A
verb in the indefinite aspect is used when the beginning
or ending of an action, an event, or condition is unknown or unimportant to the
meaning of the sentence. The indefinite aspect is also used to used to indicate
an habitual or repeated action, event, or condition.The three complete tenses, or perfect tenses, describe a finished action:
·
the past perfect ("I had gone")
·
the present perfect ("I have gone")
·
the future perfect ("I will have gone")
A
verb in the complete aspect indicates that the end of
the action, event, or condition is known and the is used to emphasise the fact
that the action is complete. The action may, however, be completed in the
present, in the past or in the future.The three incomplete tenses, or progressive tenses, describe an unfinished action:
·
the past progressive ("I was going")
·
the present progressive ("I am going")
·
the future progressive ("I will be going")
A
verb in the continuing aspect indicates that the action,
event, or condition is ongoing in the present, the past or the future.It is also possible to combine the complete tenses and the incomplete tenses, to describe an action which was in progress and then finished:
·
the past perfect progressive ("I had been going")
·
the present perfect progressive ("I have been going")
·
the future perfect progressive ("I will have been
going")
The Function of Verb Tenses
The Simple Present Tense
The
simple present is used to describe an
action, an event, or condition that is occurring in the present, at the moment
of speaking or writing. The simple present is used when the precise beginning
or ending of a present action, event, or condition is unknown or is unimportant
to the meaning of the sentence.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple present tense and each sentence describes an action taking place in the present:
Deborah
waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets.
The shelf
holds three books and a vase of flowers.
The crowd
moves across the field in an attempt to see the rock star get into her
helicopter.
The Stephens
sisters are both very talented; Virginia writes and Vanessa paints.
Ross annoys
Walter by turning pages too quickly.
The
simple present is used to express general truths such as scientific fact, as in
the following sentences:
Rectangles
have four sides.
Canada Day
takes place on July 1, the anniversary of the signing of the British North
America Act.
The moon
circles the earth once every 28 days.
Calcium is
important to the formation of strong bones.
Menarche and
menopause mark the beginning and the ending of a woman's reproductive history.
The
simple present is used to indicate a habitual action, event, or condition, as
in the following sentences:
Leonard goes
to The Jumping Horse Tavern every Thursday evening.
My
grandmother sends me new mittens each spring.
In fairy
tales, things happen in threes.
We never
finish jigsaw puzzles because the cat always eats some of the pieces.
Jesse
polishes the menorah on Wednesdays.
The
simple present is also used when writing about works of art, as in the
following sentences.
Lolly
Willowes is the protagonist of the novel Townsend published in 1926.
One of
Artemisia Gentleschi's best known paintings represents Judith's beheading of
Holofernes.
The Lady of
Shallot weaves a tapestry while watching the passers-by in her mirror.
Lear rages
against the silence of Cordelia and only belatedly realizes that she, not her
more vocal sisters, loves him.
The play
ends with an epilogue spoken by the fool.
The
simple present can also be used to refer to a future event when used in
conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase, as
in the following sentences.
The doors
open in 10 minutes.
The premier
arrives on Tuesday.
Classes end
next week.
The
publisher distributes the galley proofs next Wednesday.
The lunar
eclipses begins in exactly 43 minutes.
The Present Progressive
While
the simple present and the present progressive are sometimes used
interchangeably, the present
progressive
emphasises the continuing nature of an act, event, or condition.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the present progressive tense. In each sentence the on-going nature of the action is emphasised by the use of the present progressive rather than the simple present.
Nora is
looking for the first paperback editions of all of Raymond Chandler's books.
Deirdre is
dusting all the shelves on the second floor of the shop.
The union
members are pacing up and down in front of the factory.
KPLA is
broadcasting the hits of the 70s this evening.
The presses
are printing the first edition of tomorrow's paper.
The
present progressive is occasionally used to refer to a future event when used
in conjunction with an adverb or adverbial phrase, as in the following
sentences.
The doors
are opening in 10 minutes.
The premier
is arriving on Tuesday.
Classes are
ending next week.
The
publisher is distributing the galley proofs next Wednesday.
The Present Perfect Tense
The
present perfect tense is used to describe
action that began in the past and continues into the present or has just been
completed at the moment of utterance. The present perfect is often used to
suggest that a past action still has an effect upon something happening in the
present.Each of the highlighted compound verbs in the following sentences is in the present perfect tense.
They have
not delivered the documents we need.
This
sentence suggest that the documents were not delivered in the past and that
they are still undelivered.
The health
department has decided that all high school students should be immunised
against meningitis.
The
writer of this sentence uses the present perfect in order to suggest that the
decision made in the past is still of importance in the present.
The
government has cut university budgets; consequently, the dean has increased the
size of most classes.
Here
both actions took place sometime in the past and continue to influence the
present.
The heat
wave has lasted three weeks.
In
this sentence, the writer uses the present perfect to indicate that a condition
(the heat wave) began in past and continues to affect the present.
Donna has
dreamt about frogs sitting in trees every night this week.
Here
the action of dreaming has begun in the past and continues into the present.
The Present Perfect Progressive Tense
Like
the present perfect, the present
perfect progressive is
used to describe an action, event, or condition that has begun in the past and
continues into the present. The present perfect progressive, however, is used
to stress the on-going nature of that action, condition, or event.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the present perfect progressive tense and each sentence suggests that the action began in the past and is continuing into the present.
That dog has
been barking for three hours; I wonder if someone will call the owner.
I have been
relying on my Christmas bonus to pay for the gifts I buy for my large family.
They have
been publishing this comic book for ten years.
We have been
seeing geese flying south all afternoon.
Even though
the coroner has been carefully examining the corpse discovered in Sutherland's
Gully since early this morning, we still do not know the cause of death.
The Simple Past Tense
The
simple past is used to describe an
action, an event, or condition that occurred in the past, sometime before the
moment of speaking or writing.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple past tense and each sentence describes an action taking place at some point in past.
A flea
jumped from the dog to the cat.
Phoebe
gripped the hammer tightly and nailed the boards together.
The
gem-stones sparkled in a velvet lined display case.
Artemisia
Gentilsechi probably died in 1652.
The
storyteller began every story by saying "A long time ago when the earth
was green."
The Past Progressive Tense
The
past progressive tense is used to described
actions ongoing in the past. These actions often take place within a specific
time frame. While actions referred to in the present progressive have some
connection to the present, actions referred in the past progressive have no
immediate or obvious connection to the present. The on-going actions took place
and were completed at some point well before the time of speaking or writing.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the past progressive tense.
The cat was
walking along the tree branch.
This
sentence describes an action that took place over a period of continuous time
in the past. The cat's actions have no immediate relationship to anything
occurring now in the present.
Lena was
telling a story about the exploits of a red cow when a tree branch broke the
parlour window.
Here
the action "was telling" took place in the past and continued for
some time in the past.
When the
recess bell rang, Jesse was writing a long division problem on the blackboard.
This
sentence describes actions ("ran" and "was writing") that
took place sometime in the past, and emphasises the continuing nature of one of
the actions ("was writing").
The
archivists were eagerly waiting for the delivery of the former prime minister's
private papers.
Here
the ongoing action of "waiting" occurred at some time unconnected to
the present.
Between 1942
and 1944 the Frank and Van Damm families were hiding in a Amsterdam office
building.
In
this sentence, the action of hiding took place over an extended period of time
and the continuing nature of the hiding is emphasised.
The Past Perfect Tense
The
past perfect tense is used to refer to
actions that took place and were completed in the past. The past perfect is
often used to emphasise that one action, event or condition ended before
another past action, event, or condition began.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the past perfect.
Miriam
arrived at 5:00 p.m. but Mr. Whitaker had closed the store.
All
the events in this sentence took place in the past, but the act of closing the
store takes place before Miriam arrives at the store.
After we
located the restaurant that Christian had raved about, we ate supper there
every Friday.
Here
the praise ("had raved") precedes the finding ("located")
of the restaurant. Both actions took place sometime before the moment of
speaking or writing.
The elephant
had eaten all the hay so we fed it oats for a week.
In
this sentence, both actions take place in the past, but the eating of the hay
("had eaten") preceded the eating of the oats ("fed").
The heat
wave had lasted three weeks.
While
the sentence "The heat wave has lasted three weeks" suggests that a
condition began in the past and continues into the present, this sentence
describes an action that began and ended sometime in the past ("had
lasted"). By using the past perfect the writer indicates that the heat
wave has no connection to any events occurring in the present.
After she
had learned to drive, Alice felt more independent.
Here
the learning took place and was completed at a specific time in the past. By
using the past perfect rather than the simple past ("learned"), the
writer emphasises that the learning preceded the feeling of independence.
The Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The
past perfect progressive is used to indicate
that a continuing action in the past began before another past action began or
interrupted the first action.Each of the highlighted compound verbs in the following sentences is in the past perfect progressive tense.
The toddlers
had been running around the school yard for ten minutes before the teachers
shooed them back inside.
Here
the action of the toddlers ("had been running") is ongoing in the
past and precedes the actions of the teachers ("shooed") which also
takes place in the past.
We had been
talking about repainting the front room for three years and last night we
finally bought the paint.
In
this example, the ongoing action of "talking" precedes another past
action ("bought").
A
construction crew had been digging one pit after another in the middle of my
street for three days before they found the water main.
Here,
the action of digging ("had been digging") took place in the past and
occurred over a period of time. The digging was followed by the action of
finding ("found").
Madeleine
had been reading mystery novels for several years before she discovered the
works of Agatha Christie.
In
this sentence the act of discovery ("discovered") occurred in the
past but after the ongoing and repeated action of reading ("had been
reading").
The chef's
assistant had been chopping vegetables for several minutes before he realized
that he had minced his apron strings.
This
sentence is a bit more complex in that it contains three different past verb
tenses. The sequence of tenses conveys a complex set of information. The past
perfect progressive ("had been chopping") is used to emphasise the
ongoing nature of the past act of chopping. While a second past perfect
progressive ("had been mincing") could be used, the past perfect
("had minced") is used to suggest that act of mincing was completed.
The simple past ("realized") is used to describe the action closest
to the present, an action that followed both the chopping and the mincing.
The Simple Future Tense
The
simple future is used to refer to actions
that will take place after the act of speaking or writing.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple future tense.
They will
meet us at the newest café in the market.
Will you
walk the dog tonight?
At the
feast, we will eat heartily.
Bobbie will
call you tomorrow with details about the agenda.
The Smiths
say that they will not move their chicken coop.
The Future Progressive Tense
The
future progressive tense is used to describe
actions ongoing in the future. The future progressive is used to refer to
continuing action that will occur in the future.Each of the highlighted compound verbs in the following sentences is in the future progressive tense.
The glee
club will be performing at the celebration of the town's centenary.
Ian will be
working on the computer system for the next two weeks.
The
selection committee will be meeting every Wednesday morning.
We will be
writing an exam every afternoon next week.
They will be
ringing the bells for Hypatia next month.
The Future Perfect Tense
The
future perfect is used to refer to an
action that will be completed sometime in the future before another action
takes place.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the future perfect tense.
The surgeon
will have operated on 6 patients before she attends a luncheon meeting.
In
this sentence, the act of operating ("will have operated") takes
place in the future sometime before the act of attending ("attends").
The plumber
and his assistant will have soldered all the new joins in pipes before they
leave for the next job.
Here,
the plumbers' act of soldering ("will have soldered") will precede
the act of leaving ("leave").
By the time
you get back from the corner store, we will have finished writing the thank you
letters.
In
this sentence, the act of returning from the store ("get back") takes
place after the act of writing ("will have written").
If this year
is like last year, I will have finished my holiday shopping long before my
brother starts his.
In
this example, the act of finishing ("will have finished") occurs well
before the act of starting ("starts").
They will
have written their first exam by the time we get out of bed.
Here,
the act of getting out of bed occurs sometime after the writing of the exam.
The Future Perfect Progressive Tense
The
future perfect
progressive tense
is used to indicate a continuing action that will be completed at some specified
time in the future. This tense is rarely used.Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the future perfect progressive tense.
I will have
been studying Greek for three years by the end of this term.
In
this sentence, the future perfect progressive is used to indicate the ongoing
nature of the future act of the studying. The act of studying ("will have
been studying") will occur before the upcoming end of term.
By the time
the meeting is over, the committee will have been arguing about which candidate
to interview for three hours.
Similarly
in this sentence, the ongoing nature of a future act ("will have been
arguing") is emphasised by the use of the future perfect progressive. The
act of sustained arguing will take place before the meeting is over.
When he
returns, the wine will have been fermenting for three months.
Here
the ongoing action of fermentation will precede ("will have been
fermenting") the act of returning. Written by Heather MacFadyen
Using Verb Tenses in Sequence
Using
verbs in
correct sequence is often difficult, especially for those people whose cradle
tongue is not English or whose cradle tongue does not uses a similar tense
system. The situation is further complicated by the fact that context, idiom,
and style play as large a role in determining tense sequence as grammatical
rules.In order to determine correct verb sequence, you must be able to identify independent and dependent clauses. The sequence of tenses in complex sentences is usually determined by the tense of the verb in the independent clause. (In compound sentences, use the tenses that fit the logic of the sentence.)
Present Tenses in Sequence
In
general, present tenses may
be followed by a wide variety of tenses as long as the sequence fits the logic
of the sentence.The four present tenses are the simple present, the present progressive, the present perfect, and the present perfect progressive. When these tenses are used in an independent clause, the verb in the dependent clause can be a present tense verb, a past tense verb or a future tense verb, as in the following sentences.
Deborah
waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets.
The
simple present tense is used in both the independent clause and the dependent
clause.
They have
not delivered the documents we need.
The
verb of the independent clause "They have not delivered the
documents" is in the present perfect tense. The verb in the dependent
clause "we need" is in the simple present tense. The simple future could
also be used in the dependent clause ("we will need").
I have been
relying on my Christmas bonus to pay for the gifts I buy for my large family.
In
this sentence the compound verb of
the independent clause ("I have been relying on my Christmas bonus to pay
for the gift") is in the present perfect progressive. The simple predicate of
the dependent clause ("I buy for my large family") is in the simple
present ("buy"). The simple future could also be used ("will
buy").
Even though
the coroner has been carefully examining the corpse discovered in Sutherland's
Gully since early this morning, we still do not know the cause of death.
In
this sentence the compound verb of the independent clause ("we still do
not know the cause of death") is in the simple present tense. The simple
predicate of the dependent clause ("Even though the coroner has been
carefully examining the corpse discovered in Sutherland's Gully since early
this morning") in the present perfect progressive tense ("has been .
. . examining").
The
government has cut university budgets; consequently, the dean has increased the
size of most classes.
In
this compound sentence, both predicates are
in the present perfect. The simple future could also be used in the second
independent clause ("consequently, the dean will increase the size of most
classes") if the writer wants to suggest that the dean's action will take
place in the future.
Past Tenses in Sequence
When
the verb in the independent clause is the past tense, the verb in the dependent
clause is usually in a past tense as well. The past tenses are the simple past, the past progressive, the past perfect, and
the past perfect progressive.The verb in dependent clause should accurately reflect the temporal relationship of the two clauses.
If the action in the dependent clause occurred before action in the independent clause, the past perfect is usually the most appropriate tense for the dependent clause, as in the following sentences.
Miriam
arrived at 5:00 p.m. but Mr. Whitaker had closed the store.
The
action of dependent clause ("but Mr. Whitaker had closed the store")
is described with a past perfect tense ("had closed") because the act
of closing takes place before the act of arriving. The simple predicate of the
independent clause ("by the time Miriam arrived") is in the simple
past.
After we
located the restaurant that Christian had raved about, we ate supper there
every Friday.
Since
actions of the second dependent clause ("that Christian had raved
about") precedes the other actions in the sentence, the past perfect is
most appropriate verb tense.
We fed the
elephant oats for a week because it had eaten all the hay.
In
this sentence, both actions take place in the past, but the action of the
independent clause (the feeding oats) follows the action of dependent clause
(the eating of the hay) and as a result, the predicate of the dependent clause
is in the past perfect ("had eaten").
After she
had learnedd to drive, Alice felt more independent.
In
this example the predicate of the dependent clause is in the past perfect
("had learned") because the act of learning preceded the independent
clause's the act of feeling independent.If the action in the dependent clause, occurs at the same time as the action in the independent clause, the tense usually match. So if the simple past is used in the independent clause, the simple past may also used in the dependent clause.
When the verb of the independent clause is one of the progressive tenses, the simple past is usually the most appropriate tense for the dependent clause, as in the following sentences:
Lena was
telling a story about the exploits of a red cow when a tree branch broke the
parlour window.
Here
the action "was telling" took place in the past and continued for
some time in the past. The breaking of the window is described in the simple
past.
When the
recess bell rang, Jesse was writing a long division problem on the blackboard.
This
sentence describes actions ("ran" and "was writing") that
took place sometime in the past, and emphasis the continuing nature of the
action that takes place in the independent clause ("was writing").One of the most common source of verb sequence error arises from a confusion of the present perfect ("has walked") and the past perfect ("had walked"). Both tense convey a sense of pastness, but the present perfect is categorised as a present tense verb.
One of the easiest ways of determining whether you've used the perfect tenses correctly is to examine the auxiliary verb. Remember "has" and "have" are present tense auxiliaries and "had" is a past tense auxiliary. The future tense auxiliary is "will."
Written by Heather MacFadyen
Using Verb Moods
A
verb may
be in one of three moods: the indicative mood, the imperative
mood, and the subjunctive mood.
The Indicative Mood
The
indicative mood is the most common and is
used to express facts and opinions or to make inquiries. Most of the statements
you make or you read will be in the indicative mood.The highlighted verbs in the following sentences are all in the indicative mood:
Joe picks up
the boxes.
The german
shepherd fetches the stick.
Charles
closes the window.
The Imperative Mood
The
imperative mood is also common and is used
to give orders or to make requests. The imperative is identical in form to the
second person
indicative.The highlighted verbs in the following sentences are all in the imperative mood:
Pick up
those boxes.
Fetch.
Close the
window.
The Subjunctive Mood
The
subjunctive mood has almost disappeared from
the language and is thus more difficult to use correctly than either the
indicative mood or the imperative mood. The subjunctive mood rarely appears in
everyday conversation or writing and is used in a set of specific circumstances.You form the present tense subjunctive by dropping the "s" from the end of the third person singular, except for the verb "be".
paints
present
subjunctive: "paint"
walks
present subjunctive:
"walk"
thinks
present
subjunctive: "think"
is
present
subjunctive: "be"
Except
for the verb "be," the past tense
subjunctive is indistinguishable in form from the past tense indicative. The
past tense subjunctive of "be" is "were."
painted
past
subjunctive: "painted"
walked
past
subjunctive: "walked"
thought
past
subjunctive: "thought"
was
past
subjunctive: "were"
The
subjunctive is found in a handful of
traditional circumstances. For example, in the sentence
"God save the Queen," the verb "save" is in the subjunctive
mood. Similarly, in the sentence "Heaven forbid," the verb forbid is
in the subjunctive mood.The subjunctive is usually found in complex sentences. The subjunctive mood is used in dependent clauses to express unreal conditions and in dependent clauses following verbs of wishing or requesting.
The subjunctive mood is used in a dependent clause attached to an independent clause that uses a verb such as "ask," "command," "demand," "insist," "order," "recommend," "require," "suggest," or "wish."
The subjunctive mood is also used in a dependent clause attached to an independent clause that uses an adjective that expresses urgency (such as "crucial," "essential," "important," "imperative," "necessary," or "urgent").
Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the subjunctive mood.
It is urgent
that Harraway attend Monday's meeting.
The Member
of Parliament demanded that the Minister explain the effects of the bill on the
environment.
The sergeant
ordered that Calvin scrub the walls of the mess hall.
We suggest
that Mr. Beatty move the car out of the no parking zone.
The
committee recommended that the bill be passed immediately.
If Canada
were a tropical country, we would be able to grow pineapples in our backyards.
If he were
more generous, he would not have chased the canvassers away from his door.
I wish that
this book were still in print.
If the
council members were interested in stopping street prostitution, they would
urge the police to pursue customers more vigorously than they pursue the
prostitutes.
Written by Heather MacFadyen
Review: Using Verb Moods
1. If an elephant was to fly in this window, I'd eat your
toque.
2. The chef insists that the wholesaler deliver fresh salad
greens every morning.
3. It is crucial that Wendell arrives on time.
4. If this apartment was any smaller, we would suffocate.
5. The committee recommends that all three buildings are
condemned.
6. If Mae West was alive, she might enjoy Madonna's
performances.
7. Ms Watson requires that her baby sitter provides
receipts.
8. If instanteously reducing a room was an Olympic sport,
Lynn would win the gold medal.
9. Bunbury wished that Oscar Wilde were still alive to
write a sequel to The Importance of Being Earnest.
Prepared by RAKSMEY,SRS.
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