lesson #3: inflections of verbs tense. do not confuse “tense” with “time.” all people in all...
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Lesson #3: Inflections of Verbs
Tense
Tense
Do not confuse “tense” with “time.”
All people in all cultures recognize three general “time frames” in which events happen: a present, a past, and a future. English is no exception.
<<<<<<< ___________ >>>>>>>
PAST PRESENT FUTURE
Tenses in English
However, we can only inflect verbs for two tenses: present and past.
We express the future by adding on modal auxiliaries such as “will” “may” and “shall” to the base form. However the verb itself does not inflect for tense.
EXAMPLE: I will pass this class with an A.
Understanding Tense Inflection
To understand tense inflection we need to understand two other ideas first: person and number.
Person
• English has three persons:
First person --- the speaker or a group with the speaker.
Second person -- you, a/some person (s) the speaker is addressing
Third person -- everybody/thing else
Number
• English verbs can show two numbers: 1 (singular) and more than 1 (plural).
• For each person, there is a singular and a plural version.
Person and Number:Subject Pronouns
Singular Plural
I we
you you (all)
he/she/it they
Present Tense
• English overtly marks present tense ONLY with the third person singular. That is where we use the “s” form of the verb. For all other person/number combinations, we use only the base form.
• EXCEPTION: The annoying verb BE.
How We Use Present Tense
When the lexical verb is in the present tense in English, it generally describes an ongoing condition/state rather than an action happening right now.
My husband is an artist.
He throws pots on a wheel.
His art reflects under-elements of society.
Example of a Typical Verb in Present Tense
• Singular Plural
I cook we cook
You cook you (all) cook
He/she/it cooks they cook
The Verb BE in Present Tense
Singular Plural
I am We are
You are You (all) are
He/she/it is They are
Agreement
When a verb is in the present tense and it is properly inflected for number, we say it “agrees” with the subject of the verb.
That man and woman (they) speak Spanish.
John (he) speaks Romanian.
The Past Tense
All English verbs can mark the past tense to show events, actions, and states before the present.
Past Tense
As previously discussed, all verbs in English have a past tense form. Regular verbs add a “d” or an “ed” (example: walk>walked). Irregular verbs have many different forms (example: dive> dived, dove). The same past tense form is used with all persons and numbers.
EXCEPTION: The annoying verb “BE.”
Regular Example of the Past Tense
Singular Plural
I walked we walked
you walked you(all) walked
he/she/it walked they walked
Irregular Example of the Past Tense
Singular Plural
I bought we bought
you bought you(all) bought
he/she/it bought they bought
The Verb BE in Past Tense
• Of course, BE has to do its own thing. It has TWO past tense forms, depending on person and number.
I was we wereYou were you (all) wereHe/she/it was they were
Tense and Modals
• Some modals also have a past tense form.
Can>>>could
Will>>> would
Shall>>> should
May>>> might
Tense in Verb Phrases
• NOTE: In a verb phrase, tense (if it is overtly marked at all) is shown on only the FIRST verb on the left.
I am /having a hard time with English.
I have a giant headache.
This class has/ given me a headache.
She has/ been explaining tense for an hour.
She might /have been confused by it.
Practice Exercise
• Directions: Each of these sentences has just one verb error. Use the following editing symbols to mark each sentence correctly:
Sp = spelling
Vb = wrong form of the verb
T = wrong tense of the verb
S-V = incorrect agreement in number of the subject with the verb.
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