part of the human biological endowment. Performance grammar is primarily interested in the effects of context and real-time limitations on language use.
6
From the explanations above, the writer agrees with Kathryn Riley and frank Parker that there are four types of grammar; prescriptive grammar,
descriptive grammar, generative grammar and performance grammar.
B. TENSES
1. Definition of Tenses
One of the important things in learning grammar is tenses. In Oxford dvanced Learner’s Dictionary it has been mentioned that “Tenses is any of form
of a verb that may be used to indicate the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.”
7
According to Longman Dictionary of American English, Tense is “one of the forms of a verb that shows activities or states in the past, now or in the
future .”
8
Michael Swan wrote that tense “the verb-forms which show differences in time are called tenses. Tenses are formed either by changing the verb e.g. know;
work, worked or by adding auxiliary verb e.g. will kno w; had worked.”
9
Meanwhile, Otto Jesperson states “Tenses is the linguaistic expression of time- relations, so far as these are indicated in verb forms.”
10
Other and more detailed, A.S. Hornby says that “ Tense stands for a verb form or series of verb form used
6
Kathryn Riley and Frank Parker, English Grammar: Prescriptive, Descriptive, Generative, Performance Boston: A Pearson Education Company, 1998, p.3.
7
A. S. Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary New York: Oxford University
Press, 1995, p. 1231
8
Longman Dictionary of American English, second edition New York: pearson education, 2002, p. 830.
9
Michael Swan, Practical English Usage, Oxford: ELBSOxford University Press, 1980, p. 500.
10
Otto Jesperson, Essential of English Grammar, London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 1933, p. 230.
to express a time relation; tense may indicate whether an action, activity, or state is past, present, or future.”
11
From the statements that have been mentioned above, it can be conclude that tense is related to the verb, which denotes and indicates the time of the action
or activity; whether an action, activity, or state is past, present or future.
2. Kinds and Uses of Tenses
According to Bet ty Scrampfer Azar in her book “Understanding and Using
English Grammar ” tenses divided into : past, present and future. Each of tenses
has four forms as shown at the table below:
12
Present Tense Past Tense
Future Tense Simple Present Tense
Present Progressive Tense Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Progressive
Tense Simple Past Tense
Past Progressive Tense Past Perfect Tense
Past Perfect Progressive
Tense Simple Future Tense
Future Progressive
Tense Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect
Progressive Tense
a. Present Tense
1 Simple Present Tense
The Simple Present Tense says that something was true in the past, is true in the present, and will be true in the future general statements of the fact. It also
used to express habitual or everyday activity.
13
The simple present is used with a non-action verb to indicate something that is happening right now.
11
A.S. Hornby, Guide to Pattern and Usage in English New York: Oxford University Press, 1975, p. 78.
12
Betty Schrampfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1989, p. 6-7.
13
Betty Schrampfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1989, p. 11
For example:
She seems happy.
This tastes good. It is expresses:
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a An action that is repeated habitually for example: often, sometimes, everyday,
once a week ; “He reads the news paper every morning”.
b A general truth that is repeated periodically; “The moon light in the night.”
c A condition that is not repeated but is always true; “Sesyl loves chocolate.”
2 Present Progressive Tense
The present progressive expresses an activity that is in progress at the moment of speaking. It began in the recent past, is continuing at present, and will
probably end at some point in the future.
15
For example: Didot and Ina are talking on the phone. Often the activity is of a general nature: something generally in progress this
week, this month, this year. For example: Ina is writing another poem this year.
3 Present Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect is used to indicate an action that happened at an indefinite time in the past. It also indicates an action that happened more than
once in the past. It also indicates an action that began in the past and still occurring in the present.
16
Example: I have already seen that movie. We have had four tests so far this semester.
I have been here since seven o ’clock.
14
Pamela Hartmann, et al, Tense Situations, California: IPS Publishers, Inc., 1984, p. 6.
15
Betty Schrampfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1989, p. 11.
16
Michael A. Pyle and Mary Munoz, TOEFL Preparation Guide USA: Cliffs Notes, 1995, p. 61-62.
