!

"#$ &"'("(
)'*+,(- .#/00/#
Saiah Taip Nissen Sien Bitsch Kiik


2
!"#$(
!"#$ #&' ('&)*+
veibs have tiauitionally been uefineu as "action" woius oi "uoing" woius. That is
because veibs uepenu on !"#$% The veib in the following sentence is &'()*:
+#,#- &'()* /$ ,"# *,-##,%
Beie, the veib plays ceitainly uenotes an action which Petei peifoims - the
action of playing on the stieet. Bowevei, theie aie many veibs which uo not
uenote an action at all. Foi example, in this sentence:
01*($ *##2* 3#'45",#3, we cannot say that the veib *##2* uenotes an action. We
woulu haiuly say that Susan is peifoiming any action when she seems uelighteu.
So the notion of veibs as "action" woius is somewhat limiteu.
1


Beie aie some examples of veibs in sentences:
2

1. Be uiives to woik
2. Baviu sings in the choii
S. We walkeu five miles to a gas station
4. I cookeu a meal foi my boyfiienu

,-./'0$12-*
Notice that in the fiist anu seconu, the veibs have an 6* enuing, while in thiiu anu
fouith, they have an 6#3 enuing. These enuings aie known as INFLECTI0NS, anu
they aie auueu to the BASE F0RN of the veib. In the fiist, foi instance, the 6*
inflection is auueu to the base foim 3-47#.
S


Tense iefeis to location of an event of action in time, eithei the piesent oi past.
This is maikeu by the inflection of the veib.
4

Bayuen walks in the woous (piesent tense)
Bayuen walkeu in the woous (past tense)

Refeiences to the futuie can be maue in a numbei of ways, foi instance, by using
the moual auxiliaiy !4''8 oi the semi-auxiliaiy 9# 5/4$5 ,/:
Bayuen will walk in the woous
Bayuen is going to walk in the woous

With that saiu theie aie thiee inflecteu foims ieflecteu by changes in the enuings
of veibs:
S

- The &-#*#$, ,#$*# inuicates that something is happening oi being now:
"She is a stuuent".

1
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammaiveibsveibs.htm
2
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammaiveibsveibs.htm
S
www.engeslskfaget.uk
4
www.engelskfaget.uk
S
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammaiveibsveibs.htm
S
- The *42&'# &(*, ,#$*# inuicates that something happeneu in the past:
"She was a stuuent".
- The &(*, &(-,4;4&'# foim is combineu with auxiliaiy veibs to inuicate that
something happeneu in the past piioi to anothei action:
"She has been a stuuent.

veib enuings also inuicate the peison:
6


Peison Singulai Pluial
1st Peison I We
2nu Peison you you
Siu Peison heshe they


If we go back to the fiist sentence above: <# 3-47#* ,/ !/-=% We have a thiiu
peison singulai pionoun "#, anu the piesent tense enuing 6*% Bowevei, if we
ieplace "# with a pluial pionoun, then the veib will change.
1. Be uiives to woik
2. They uiive to woik

3*4'0$*
When you woik with tenses its gieat to know a bit about aspects too. Because
aspects iefeis to how an event oi action is to be vieweu with iespect to time
(tense), iathei than to its actual location in time. We can illustiate by these
examples:
7

1. Baviu fell in love on his biithuay
2. Baviu has fallen in love
S. Baviu is falling in love

Explanation:
1. In the fiist example the veib fell tells us that Baviu fell in love in the past.
Noie specifically on his biithuay, this is simple past tense.
2. The seconu example tells us that the action took place in the past, but it is
implieu that it took place iecently. In auuition, it is implieu that is still
ielevant at the time of speaking >(743 "(* ?(''#$ 4$ '/7#. The auxiliaiy "(*
encoues what is known as &#-?#;,47# (*&#;,8 anu the auxiliaiy itself is
known as the &#-?#;,47# (1@4'4(-)

6
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammaiveibsveibs.htm
7
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammaiveibsveibs.htm
4
S. In the thiiu example, the action of falling in love is still in piogiess >(743
4* ?(''4$5 4$ '/7#% Foi this ieason, we call it &-/5-#**47# (*&#;,, anu the
auxiliaiy is calleu the &-/5-#**47# (1@4'4(-).


Aspects always incluue tense. In the seconu anu thiiu example above, the
aspectual auxiliaiies aie in the piesent tense, but they coulu also be in the past
tense.
- Baviu "(3 ?(''#$ in love (Peifective Aspect, Past Tense)
- Baviu !(* ?(''4$5 in love (Piogiessive Aspect, Past Tense)
The peifective auxiliaiy is always followeu by a main veib in the -#3 foim, while
the piogiessive auxiliaiy is followeu by a main veib in the -4$5 foim. We
exemplify these points in the table below:




Peifective Aspect Piogiessive Aspect
Piesent Tense has fallen is falling
Past Tense hau fallen was falling

While aspect always incluues tense, tense can opeiate without aspect
- Baviu ?(''* in love
- Baviu ?#'' in love

3561/1#&7
Auxiliaiy (oi 'helping') assists the main veib in a clause to expiess seveial basic
giammatical contiasts, such as tense, numbei anu peison. Theie exists two kinus
of auxiliaiy veibs:
8

The piimaiy veib, 9#8 "(7# ,/ anu !"4;" can also function as main veibs.
The moual veib, which cannot be useu as main veib:
o Can, may, will shall, must, coulu, might, woulu anu shoulu


Bo you iemembei the stiuctuie.:
9

Auxiliaiy veib(s) Nain veib
Kiss
Is kissing
Bas been kissing
Nust have been kissing

8
http:giammai.ccc.commnet.euugiammaiveibs.htm#tense
9
Ciystal, Reuiscovei uiammai, p. 76
S
Theie can be up to foui auxiliaiies, all going in fiont of the main veib.
If you want to know moie, ieau page 84- 87 in A#34*;/7#- B-(22(- by >(743
C-)*,('


The two uiffeient auxiliaiy veib foims uesciibeu above cannot follow the same
giammatical iules:
1u

Piimaiies have -s foims; mouals uo not:
o is, has, uoes
Piimaiies have nonfinite foims; mouals uo not:
o to be, being, been

Naybe you now wonuei: What is the uiffeience between auxiliaiy anu main veib
then. Anu the answei is that auxiliaiies can be useu befoie the woiu $/,; main
veibs usually can not:
Be might go -> Be might not go
Be saw me -> Be saw not me.

The contiacteu foim -n't can be attacheu to almost all auxiliaiies; this is nevei
possible with main veibs:
Can't, won't, isn't anu uoesn't
11


!"#$ &"'("(
Now you know eveiything about veibs. Let us now have a look on the most
useful veib tenses. You can use this as an encyclopaeuia whenevei you aie in
uoubt of how to use veib tenses.

English has 16 veib tense anu aspect combinations.
Tense inuicates time while Aspect inuicates habitiegulai iepetitioncompletion
anu uuiation.
We aie going to focus on 1u of these, as they aie the moie commonly useu. They
aie:
12


- +-#*#$, ;/$,4$1/1*
- +-#*#$, *42&'#
- +(*, ;/$,4$1/1*
- +(*, *42&'#
- D1,1-# ;/$,4$1/1*
- D1,1-# *42&'#
- +-#*#$, &#-?#;,

1u
Ciystal, Reuiscovei uiammai, p. 77
11
Ciystal, Reuiscovei uiammai, p. 84
12
https:www.youtube.comwatch.v=vxASqg4Bt0E

6
- +-#*#$, &#-?#;, ;/$,4$1/1*
- +(*, &#-?#;,
- +-#*#$, 1$-#('
- +(*, 1$-#('

The 1#"("'2 1#3*#"((,4" is useu to expiess the iuea that something is
happening now, at this veiy moment. It consists of:
Be + veib + ing
e.g. I /0 swimm,'* She ,( iunn,'* They /#" talk,'*

The 1#"("'2 5,06+"
78
is useu to expiess the iuea that an action is iepeateu oi
usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a uaily event, a scheuuleu event oi
something that often happens. It can also be something a peison often foigets oi
usually uoes not uo. It takes place in the past, now anu in the futuie. It consists of
the baie infinitive:
e.g. I 9/+: (to woik), She #;'( (eveiy Weunesuay), They (03:" (at paities)

The 1/(2 <3'2,';3;( tense tells us about an action in the past that was longei in
uuiation than anothei action in the past. E.g. "Be was walking when it staiteu
iaining" oi "she was sleeping at S o' clock".
E"# ?/-2 4* !(* F G#-9 F 4$5
E.g. Be was swimming - She was sleeping at S o' clock

1/(2 5,06+" tense tells us about something that happeneu in the past.
The foim is veib + eu
E.g. "The man walkeu" - which is a #"*;+/# 4"#$
oi
E.g. "The biiu flew" oi "The boat sank" - which is ,##"*;+/# 4"#$(

=;2;#" <3'2,';3;( tense inuicates an action in the futuie that is longei in
uuiation than anothei action in the futuie. E.g. "She will be singing when the
banu gets theie". It can also inuicate that someone will be uoing something at a
specific time in the futuie. E.g. "I will be eating lunch at 12 o' clock".
The foim is will be + veib + ing

=;2;#" (,06+" inuicates an action that will happen in the futuie but uoesn't have
any connection with the cuiient time. Such as: "Be will walk home" oi "She will
tiavel" oi "I will eat latei".
The foim is will + veib

1#"("'2 6"#>"<2 inuicates an action that has been completeu sometime befoie
now, with a iesult that affects the cuiient situation. E.g. "Be has exeiciseu"

1S
uiammaiway, p. 6
7
theiefoie he uoesn't want to go exeicise again touay. E.g. - Bo you want to eat.
"No thanks, I have alieauy eaten".
The foim is <(7# F &(*, &(-,4;4&'#



1#"("'2 6"#>"<2 <3'2,';3;( inuicates an action that staiteu in the past anu is
continuing at the piesent time. E.g. "Be has been iunning foi an houi" implicitly
suggesting that he staiteu one houi ago up until now.

1/(2 6"#>"<2 inuicates an action in the past that hau been completeu befoie
anothei time oi event in the past. You can think of it as "past befoie past". E.g.:
"Be hau been shopping when it staiteu to iain".

1/(2 1"#>"<2 <3'2,';3;( inuicates an action in the past that took place befoie
anothei time oi event in the past anu continueu uuiing the seconu eventtime
point in the past. E.g. "She hau been kisseu when hei boyfiienu enteieu the
paity".

=;2;#" 1"#>"<2 inuicates an action in the futuie that will have been completeu
befoie anothei action in the futuie that will be taking place. E.g. "By the time the
newly weus' aiiive the guests will alieauy have aiiiveu".

=;2;#" 1"#>"<2 1#3*#"((,4"?=;2;#" 1#3*#"((,4" inuicates an action that will
have been continuing until oi uuiing anothei time oi event in the futuie. E.g. "I
will have been woiking foi thiee houis by the time you wake up."

5;$@;'<2,4" Is simple foim of the veib - the infinitive without the "to". Anu is the
same in both singulai anu pluial. It is useu in "that-clauses". E.g. "She
iecommenueu that she be paiu in full" oi "It is impoitant that you stuuy haiu!"

1#"("'2 ;'#"/+ is a veib tense useu in suboiuinate clauses to uonate an action
oi situation that iight now is unieal, oi not tiue. E.g. "I wish that they weie heie"
oi "If I weie you, I woulu stuuy haiuei" - The piesent unieal veib tense inuicates
that I am N0T you.

1/(2 ;'#"/l inuicates that something in the past was unieal oi not tiue. Eg. "If
she hau been theie we woulu have won".






8
=;#2-"# (2;AB
uiammy 1 + 2
Nini uiammy
Naking Sense by Baviu Chiystal
http:www.peifect-english-giammai.comveib-tenses.html
http:www.engelskfaget.uk
http:www.veibix.comwebveibixEnglishsee.html
https:www.youtube.comwatch.v=vxASqg4Bt0E
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammai
http:giammai.ccc.commnet.euugiammai
C,':(
http:www.peifect-english-giammai.comveib-tenses.html
http:www.engelskfaget.uk
http:www.veibix.comwebveibixEnglishsee.html
https:www.youtube.comwatch.v=vxASqg4Bt0E
http:www.ucl.ac.ukinteinet-giammai
http:giammai.ccc.commnet.euugiammai
D,$+,3*#/6-B
uiammaiway by Booley, }enny anu Evans, viiginia
Naking sense by Baviu Chiystal
Reuiscovei uiammai by Baviu Ciystal
The uiammai 0vebog by Thomsen, Lone anu Teisztynszky