Tense-Aspect Combinations in English

A Few Tense-Aspect Combinations in English

English Uses 12 Tense-Aspect Combinations

• Simple Present
• Simple Past
• Simple Future
• Present Progressive
• Past Progressive
• Future Progressive

• Present Perfect
• Past Perfect
• Future Perfect
• Present Perf Prog
• Past Perf Prog
• Future Perf Prog

Studying just SIX of these TWELVE will be enough to help us understand how tense and aspect are used in English.

• Simple Present
• Simple Past
• Present Progressive

• Past Progressive
• Present Perfect
• Past Perfect

Verbs in English have three forms

• eat
• ate
• eaten
• walk
• walked
• walked

• eat V1
• ate V2
• eaten V3
• walk V1
• walked V2
• walked V3

Verbs in English have three forms

• eat V1, ate V2, eaten V3
• walk V1, walked V2, walked V3

For each tense/aspect combination, we must consider form, meaning, and use.

• 1. Form
• 2. Meaning
• 3. Use
• (These three components of grammar study focus on accuracy, meaningfulness, and appropriateness)

Tense/aspect combinations

• Let’s consider some of them one-by-one.

Simple Present

• First, what is the form?

Simple Present

• Form: V1
• Examples: Birds fly; people walk.
• (“Simple” is the aspect; “Present” is the tense.)

Meaning/Use Simple present is used most often to express—

• Habits
• Timeless Truths
• Natural Facts
• Scheduled Events