Lesson #3: Inflections of Verbs

Tense

Tense

Do not confuse “tense” with “time.”

All people in all cultures recognize three general “time frames” in which events happen: a present, a past, and a future. English is no exception.

<<<<<<< ___________ >>>>>>>

PAST PRESENT FUTURE

Tenses in English

However, we can only inflect verbs for two tenses: present and past.

We express the future by adding on modal auxiliaries such as “will” “may” and “shall” to the base form. However the verb itself does not inflect for tense.

EXAMPLE: I will pass this class with an A.

Understanding Tense Inflection

To understand tense inflection we need to understand two other ideas first: person and number.

Person

• English has three persons:

First person --- the speaker or a group with the speaker.

Second person -- you, a/some person (s) the speaker is addressing

Third person -- everybody/thing else

Number

• English verbs can show two numbers: 1 (singular) and more than 1 (plural).

• For each person, there is a singular and a plural version.

Person and Number:Subject Pronouns

Singular Plural

I we

you you (all)

he/she/it they

Present Tense

• English overtly marks present tense ONLY with the third person singular. That is where we use the “s” form of the verb. For all other person/number combinations, we use only the base form.

• EXCEPTION: The annoying verb BE.

How We Use Present Tense

When the lexical verb is in the present tense in English, it generally describes an ongoing condition/state rather than an action happening right now.

My husband is an artist.

He throws pots on a wheel.

His art reflects under-elements of society.

Example of a Typical Verb in Present Tense

• Singular Plural

I cook we cook

You cook you (all) cook

He/she/it cooks they cook

The Verb BE in Present Tense

Singular Plural

I am We are

You are You (all) are

He/she/it is They are

Agreement

When a verb is in the present tense and it is properly inflected for number, we say it “agrees” with the subject of the verb.

That man and woman (they) speak Spanish.

John (he) speaks Romanian.

The Past Tense

All English verbs can mark the past tense to show events, actions, and states before the present.

Past Tense

As previously discussed, all verbs in English have a past tense form. Regular verbs add a “d” or an “ed” (example: walk>walked). Irregular verbs have many different forms (example: dive> dived, dove). The same past tense form is used with all persons and numbers.

EXCEPTION: The annoying verb “BE.”

Regular Example of the Past Tense

Singular Plural

I walked we walked

you walked you(all) walked

he/she/it walked they walked

Irregular Example of the Past Tense

Singular Plural

I bought we bought

you bought you(all) bought

he/she/it bought they bought

The Verb BE in Past Tense

• Of course, BE has to do its own thing. It has TWO past tense forms, depending on person and number.

I was we wereYou were you (all) wereHe/she/it was they were

Tense and Modals

• Some modals also have a past tense form.

Can>>>could

Will>>> would

Shall>>> should

May>>> might

Tense in Verb Phrases

• NOTE: In a verb phrase, tense (if it is overtly marked at all) is shown on only the FIRST verb on the left.

I am /having a hard time with English.

I have a giant headache.

This class has/ given me a headache.

She has/ been explaining tense for an hour.

She might /have been confused by it.

Practice Exercise

• Directions: Each of these sentences has just one verb error. Use the following editing symbols to mark each sentence correctly:

Sp = spelling

Vb = wrong form of the verb

T = wrong tense of the verb

S-V = incorrect agreement in number of the subject with the verb.

• Although, this type of cancer is more common in women, men also can developed it.

• The right treatment depend on the type of cancer.• The number of deaths from breast cancer has

decrease in the last few years because of medical advances.

• Specially trained crew members with technical equipment was removing the remaining fuel.

• The Greenroof company produce green roofs. • The Greenroof company made different types of

products such as residential green roofs and commercial green roofs.

• The author connect his life to Sherlock Holmes' life.

Confused?

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