universal grammar is the goal of linguist. In other word, to get the explanation about the grammatical aspects of language, students have to look it out in the
linguistic theory. In linguistics, grammatical aspects of language are divided into four levels.
13
The first level is phonology. It is a linguistic analysis which deals with sound systems. Then, the next level is morphology. It is a linguistic analysis which deals
with word-structure. The third level is syntax. It is a study of language grammar which deals with sentence-structure. Finally, at the upper level, there is semantics.
It is a linguistic analysis which deals with meaning. So, the grammatical aspects of language are phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
4. Tense
Tense is included as a grammatical aspect of a language in the word level i.e. morphology. It is one of morphological aspects which modify the form of a word,
particularly a verb, so that it can fit into a particular syntactic slot.
14
In this case, it acts as a verb time which suits and relates the happening described by the verb to
time in the past, present, or future.
15
So, tense is a grammatical aspect which can suit and connect an event with its time and its connection is showed through the
use of certain verb. For instance, when someone says, ―I visited my grandmother‘s house‖, it shows that the event happened in the past. It is because the sentence
uses certain verb i.e. ‗visited‘ which shows that the event happened in the past.
Actually, there are three main tenses in English grammar. First, it is present tense. It uses present verb to indicate that the event occurs at present. The verb is
like ‗playplays‘, ‗isare playing‘, ‗hashave played‘, or ‗hashave been playing‘, and so on. Second, it is past tense. It uses past verb to indicate that the event
occurred in the past. The verb is like ‗played‘, ‗waswere playing‘, ‗had played‘, or
‘had been playing‘, and so on. And, last, it is future tense. It uses future verb to
13
Francis Katamba, Morphology, London: Macmillan Press, 1993, p. 4.
14
Ibid., p. 51
15
G. Leech and J. Svartvik, A Communicative Grammar of English, Edinburgh: Pearson Education, 2002, p. 66
indicate that the event will occur in the future. The verb is like ‗will play‘, ‗will be playing‘, ‗will have played‘, or ‗will have been playing‘, and so on.
Further, since this study wants to examine the teaching of past tense, the following is a more detailed explanation of past tense in English.
5. Past Tense
Past tense in English grammar is divided into four kinds. They are simple past tense, past progressive tense, pas perfect tense, and past perfect progressive
tense.
a. Simple Past
Simple past tense is a verb time that indicates an activity or situation that began and ended at a particular time in the past.
16
It is used for a completed action that happened at one specific time in the past.
17
It employs the following pattern to create sentences:
Subject + Verb II …
b. Past Progressive
Past progressive tense is a verb time that indicates two actions occurred at the same time but one action began earlier and was in progress when the other action
occurred.
18
It indicates two actions which were in progress simultaneously.
19
The followings are the patterns that are employed in past progressive tense.
Basic pattern: Subject + was were + verb ing When + subject 1 + simple past + subject 2 + past progressive …
Subject1 + past progressive + while + subject2 + past progressive …
16
Betty Schampfer Azar, Understanding and Using English Grammar, New Zersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1989, p. 24.
17
M. A. Phyle and M. E. Munoz Page, Cliff TOEFL preparation Guide Test of English as a Foreign Language, Delhi: Nice Printing Press, 2009, P.59.
18
Azhar, op. cit., p. 24.
19
Phyle and Page. op. cit., p. 60.
c. Past Perfect
Past perfect tense is a verb time that indicates an activity was completed before another activity or time in the past.
20
It employs time signals such as before, after, and when. To create past perfect tense, students can use the
following patterns: Basic pattern: Subject + had +
verb in past participle …
Subject + past perfect + before + subject + simple past tense Subject + simple past tense + after + subject + past perfect
d. Past Perfect Progressive
Past perfect progressive tense is a verb time that indicates an activity which was in progress before another activity or time in the past.
21
In addition, it can indicate an activity that was in progress recently to another time or activity in the
past. To create past perfect progressive tense, students can use the following patterns:
Subject + had + been + verb ing …
B. Teaching of Grammar
1. Approaches and Methods in Grammar Teaching
The shifting of language teaching approach and method, as well as the demand for pursuing the best approach and method in language teaching shows
that there is no single approach and method that can guarantee successful results of language teaching.
22
It is because each method and approach brings not only its advantages but also limitations in language teaching. The following table is the
20
Ibid., p. 39
21
Azhar. loc. cit.
22
Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers, Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: a Description and Analysis, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986, p.11.
