Download VERB TENSES, MOODS, VOICE

VERB TENSES, MOODS, VOICE
English has two tenses: Simple Present, and Simple Past.
That means: that we form the simple present and the simple past by adding
affixes which indicate the tense.—in this case suffixes, or ‘endings.’
Simple Present: the “unmarked” form of the verb—i.e. no affixes, or ‘endings’—for
everything except third person singular, which takes +s. Thus
I
You
He
We
They
run
run
runs
run
run
talk
talk
talks
talk
talk
choose
choose
chooses
choose
choose
swirl
swirl
swirls
swirl
swirl
Simple past: In abstract form simple past is formed by the “unmarked” form +”ed”
For regular verbs like “talk” the result is simple= ‘talked’
For irregular verbs, you must learn the proper form, Ex. Choose + “ed” = ‘chose”
I
You
He
We
They
ran
ra n
ran
ra n
ra n
talked
talked
talked
talked
talked
cho se
cho se
chso e
cho se
cho se
swirled
swirled
swirled
swirled
swirled
The PROGRESSIVE ASPECT is formed using the auxiliary verb BE followed by the
PRESENT PARTICIPLE. Because the Present Participle always takes the “ing”
ending, the short hand for any Progressive form is “BE +ing.”
The PRESENT PROGRESSIVE would take the PRESENT tense marker on the
AUXILLIARY verb
I
am running
am choosing
You
are running
He
is running
We
are running
They are running
am talking
am swirling
are talking
is talking
are talking
are talking
are choosing
is choosing
are choosing
are choosing
are swirling
isswirling
are swirling
are swirling
The PAST PROGRESSIVE would take the PAST tense marker on the AUXILLIARY
verb.
I
was running
was talking
was choosing
was swirling
You were running
were talking
were choosing
were swirling
He
was running
was talking
was s choosing
was swirling
We
were running
were talking
were choosing
were swirling
They were running
were talking
were choosing
were swirling
The PERFECT ASPECT is formed using the auxiliary verb HAVE followed by the
PAST PARTICIPLE. Regular verbs form the Past Participle with the affix “+en.”
EX. “talk” + “en” = “talked.” However, irregular verbs have Past Participles
which simply must be learned; these usually end in “n” or “en.” EX “choose” +
‘en” = “chosen;” “run” + “en” = “run.” Because the Past Participle is frequently
irregular, the shorthand for any Perfect form of the verb is “HAVE +en.”
The PRESENT PERFECT has the PRESENT tense marker on the auxiliary verb HAVE:
I
have run
have talked
have chosen
have swirled
You have run
have talked
have chosen
have swirled
He
has run
has talked
has chosen
has swirled
We
have run
have talked
have chosen
have swirled
They have run
have talked
have chosen
have swirled
The PAST PERFECT has the PAST tense marker on the auxiliary verb HAVE:
I
had run
had talked
had chosen
had swirled
You had run
had talked
had chosen
had swirled
He
had run
had talked
had chosen
had swirled
We
had run
had talked
had chosen
had swirled
They had run
had talked
had chosen
had swirled
All other forms—that would have tense markers in other languages—are formed using
MODALS, either alone or in combination with the PERFECT and
PROGRESSIVE ASPECTS:
The MODALS do NOT take tense markers. Whatever form is chosen does not change;
however, we think of the modals as paired present/past
The MODALS are also a finite list:
Will (used for Future)
Would/ (used for Conditional)
Can (used for conditional
Could (used for Conditional)
Shall (used for future)
Should (used for Conditional)
May
Might
Must
etc.
There are also semi-modals such as ought to, have to, need to, dare to, used to, etc.
Notice that the semi-modals are two word phrases, but we treat them as if they
were single words because they have the same function as the regular modals.
So the Future is formed using the MODAL “will” followed by the “UNMARKED” form
of the verb:
I
You
He
We
They
will run
will run
will run
will run
will run
will talk
will talk
will talk
will talk
will talk
will choose
will choose
will choose
will choose
will choose
will swirl
will swirl
will swirl
will swirl
will swirl
Simarly, the Conditional is formed using the MODAL “could” followed by the
“UNMARKED” form of the verb:
I
You
He
We
They
could run
could run
could run
could run
could run
could talk
could talk
could talk
could talk
could talk
could choose
could choose
could choose
could choose
could choose
could swirl
could swirl
could swirl
could swirl
could swirl
Combing MODALS with PERFECT and PROGRESSIVE Moods creates many
possibilities:
Future Progressive
I
will be running
will be talking
will be choosing
will be swirling
will have talked
will have chosen
will have swirled.
Future Perfect
You
will have run
Future Perfect Progressive
He
will have been running.
will have been talking.
will have been choosing.
will have been swirling.
THE ORDER OF VERBS IN THE AUXILLIARY
If you find yourself with a sequence of auxiliary verbs they will always be in this order:
MODAL (unmarked verb) + HAVE (past part) + BE (present part) MAIN VERB
If you just have the MAIN Verb—the tense goes on the main verb.
If you have an auxiliary verb, the tense goes on the auxiliary verb.
IF you have more than one auxiliary verbs, the tense goes on the first one. The next verb in
the sequence will be in the form appropriate to whatever should follow the auxiliary verb.
So
Modal + Main verb.= Modal (present or past) MAIN VERB---base form
Will
kiss
Modal + HAVE + Main Verb= Modal + HAVE (base form) + Main Verb past part
He will
Have
kissed
Modal + HAVE + BE + Main Verb = Modal + HAVE (base) + BE (past part) + Main V. (pres. part)
He will have
been
kissing
HAVE + Main verb = HAVE (present or past) MAIN VERB—past participle
He has/had
kissed
BE + Main verb = BE (present or past) MAIN VERB—present participle
He is/was kissing
HAVE + BE + Main Verb = HAVE + BE (past. part) + Main Verb (present part)
He has/had been
kissing
PASSIVE VOICE
Passive Voice is formed by moving the DIRECT OBJECT to the SUBJECT position, moving
the SUBJECT to a “By” prepositional phrase after the verb and using the following form for
the verb:
Passvie: BE + Past Participle
Again, tense goes on the first verb in the AUX
So
John
John
NP(subj)1
is reading
read
V
the book
the book
NP (DO)2
is being read
was read
BE +Past Part
by John
by John
by NP1
(Present Progressive Passive)
(Past Passive)
Becomes
The book
The book
NP2
For both examples, BE is inserted at the *END* of the AUXILIARY VERBS
For Present Progressive the Auxiliary + MAIN Verb would be
BE + Main Verb + Present Participle
Is reading
Making that passive would mean adding
BE+ Past Participle at the End of the Auxiliary verbs and before the Main Verb
BE (+Present Participle) + BE (Past Participle) + MAIN VERB
Progressive
Is
+ Passive
being
read