Transcript NARRATIVE TENSES

NARRATIVE TENSES
How do they work?
English Department – III Unit – Level10th
C. Roessler
Narrative Tenses
Present Perfect
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened
at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not
important.
We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific
expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times,
several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
e.g.: I have been to Europe a couple of times.
(This means that I would go again, or maybe I would never
been there again.)
Narrative Tenses
Present Perfect
Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + have/has + V past part. + C
Neg.: S + have/has + not + V past part. + C
Int.: (Wh-) have/has + S + V past part. + C + ?
Narrative Tenses
Past Simple
We use Past Simple to talk about a specific moment or
event in the past.
e.g.: I studied for the test the whole weekend.
(This means that I was doing that activity during a specific
moment in the past, and it is already finished. It does not
continue today.)
Narrative Tenses
Past Simple
We can also use it to refer to a series of situations that
happened in the past.
e.g.: Last night I cooked some dinner, then I watched a
film, and after that I went to bed.
(There are three different actions, that are over now, that
happened as a series of events)
Narrative Tenses
Past Simple
Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + V past simple + C
Neg.: S + did + not + V inf+ C
Int.: (Wh-) Did + S + V inf + C + ?
Narrative Tenses
Past Continuous
We use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action
in the past was interrupted.
The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple
Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an
interruption in time.
e.g.: I was watching TV when she called.
Narrative Tenses
Past Continuous
We also use the Past Continuous to refer to an event that
was taking place at a specific moment in the past. This
action was in progress in that moment.
e.g.: Last night at 10PM I was watching House MD.
Narrative Tenses
Past Continuous
Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + was / were + V+ing + C
Neg.: S + was / were + not + V+ing + C
Int.: (Wh-) was / were + S + V+ing + C + ?
Narrative Tenses
Past Perfect
The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something
occurred before another action in the past.
It can also show that something happened before a specific
time in the past.
e.g.: I did not have any money because I had lost my
wallet.
Narrative Tenses
Past Perfect
Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + had + V past part. + C
Neg.: S + had + not + V past part. + C
Int.: (Wh-) Had + S + V past part. + C + ?
References
http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/