Linking or copulative or state-of-being verbs are not action verbs.

We leave for Miami on Tuesday; our plane arrives at 09.00. The simple past tense is used to express an activity that ended sometime in the past. I got up this morning and ate breakfast. The simple future tense describes actions that have not yet happened. a. One way to express the future is to use will or shall + simple form of the verb. I will come on time. b. Another way to express the future is to use be going to + simple verb. We are going to meet him there next week.

28. Perfect tenses

These tenses present perfect, past perfect, future perfect are called perfect because they all refer to actions that have been completed perfected when the statement is made. The present perfect tense havehas + the past participle describes an action in one of four ways: a. an action that happened at some indefinite time in the past. Raul has learned many new words. b. an action that started in the past and is continuing into the present. Peggy has worked hard all her life. c. an action that was repeated several times prior to the present. It has rained everyday this week. d. an action completed so recently in the past that it still has an effect in the present. He is not coming with us; he has been sick all week. The choice between the simple past and the present perfect is one of intended meaning. Riza ate here often. At one time in the past he ate here, but not anymore now. Riza has eaten here often. He ate here in the past and still eats here. The past perfect describe an action completed or a condition existing prior to some other past event. It is used in conjunction with the past tense. It shows the time relationship between at least two events or conditions, that is, one event occured before another in the past. I had already eaten when you called last night. The future perfect describes a future act that will be completed before some other future time or event. They will have eaten by the time you arrive.

29. Progressive tenses

These tense present, past, future progressives, and present perfect progressive are used to indicate that the action of the verb is continous, not finished, at the time the statement is made. The present progressive describes an action that is happening at the present moment or describes future action. I am writing a letter right now. Are you leaving for Singapore tomorrow? The past progressive describes an action that was happening when another action interrupted or took place. You were sleeping when you came in. The future progressive describes an action that will be happening when another future action happens. At this time next year, he will be studying at Cornell University.

30. The present perfect progressive describes an action that began in

the past and has continued up to the present. Mike has been doing poor work recently.