grammatically a present tense but is clearly talking about something which will occur in the future.
1. Simple Present
Azar 1993:36 states that simple present is : something was true in the past, is true in the present, and will be true in the future. It is used for general statements of
fact. The simple present is used to express habitual or everyday activity. According to Douglas 2004:151, there are three major meaning for simple present tense when
it refers to present time: • It can describe a state that exists at the present time.
Ex : 1. I want a packet of crisps. 2. The pigment occurs in the epidermal cells.
• It can refer to a habitual action Ex : 1. She`s vegetarian but she eats chicken.
2. He dances and moves about a lot. • It can describe an action that is happening at the present time.
Ex : 1. Here comes your mother. 2. Oh my goodness. There he goes. Look at him walk.
The rule to form the simple present tense :
For example: 1. She watches the television everyday
2. He goes to school .
everyday. Subject + V1 ses + N Adv
Subject + am, is, are + N AdjAdv
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3. They are students. Adverbs which show time in these forms are as follows:
- Everyday Usually Always
- Often Sometimes Seldom
- Ever Never Generally, etc
Verbs that usually occur in the present tense : Bet, doubt, know, matter, mean, mind, reckon, suppose, think, care, differ,
fancy, imply, tend and want.
2. Simple past tense
Simple past tense is most often used to refer to past time or to indicate an action completed in the past. In fictional narrative and description, the use of simple
past tense is common for describing imagined past states and events. Betty 1993:2 states that simple past tense is at one particular time in the past, this
happened. It began and ended in the past. The rule of simple past tense :
- Yesterday, last…. ,
- ….ago
Subject +V2 + AdjAdv Subject + waswere + NAdjAdv
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For example: 1.
I visited my grandmother yesterday
2.
She went with him
. last night
3.
My father was sick
. two days ago
.
Verb that usually occur in the past tense : Exclaim, eye, glance, grin, nod, pause, remark, reply, shrug, sigh, smile,
whisper, bend, bow, lean, light, park, seat, set off, shake, stare, turn away, wave,
and wrap.
2.3.2 Aspect
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