User:Robbiemuffin/Using English Grammar Graphics/Past tense
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thePast Simple
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the During sense of the Past Simple
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the habitual sense of the Past Simple
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the Past Continuous
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the Past Perfect
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the Present Perfect
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the During sense of the Present Perfect
Past Simple
[edit]English's preterite — usually called its simple past or, somewhat loosely, its past-tense form — is generally formed by adding -ed or -d to the verb's plain form (bare infinitive), sometimes with some spelling modifications:
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Past Continuous
[edit]The construction of a past continuous is similar to the present continuous tense, be it that it has a past simple form of 'to be' instead of a present simple form preceding the present participle.
An example of a past continuous inside a sentence would be 'I was painting the house.' There's the past simple form of 'to be' in the finite position (was), with the present participle of 'to paint' (painting) following it. | |
note this is the same Image:EGG_Past_simpleHabitual.svg see the Habitual sense of the Past simple v. the Habitual sense of the Past Continuous |
Past Perfect
[edit]There are generally two types of pluperfect, corresponding to the two types of perfect:
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note this is the same Image:EGG_Past_continuous.svg see the Past continuous v. the Past Perfect Continuous |
Present Perfect
[edit]transcluded from User:Robbiemuffin/Using English Grammar Graphics/Present Perfect
This is a Present Tense which is wholly in the past.
When presenting this information to language learners, it is presented as a present tense. Many people logically categorize this in the past tense however. In the lens of grammar in general (and not english grammar in particular), English has only two tenses: past and non-past. Present Perfect is clearly not non-past tense.
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