INDUVIDUAL TASK THE USE OF THE INDEFINITE TENSES

INDUVIDUAL TASKTHE USE OF THE INDEFINITE

TENSES

• Done by Natalia Vonitova

The aim of this individual task is to show how the Indefinite tenses differ from the

others in use. I want one more time to prove that the Indefinite form merely shows

that the action takes place in the present, past or future. The form of the verb gives no indication as to its duration or completion.

The use of The Present Indefinite• To denote: customary,

repeated actions;

• actions and states characterizing a given person;

• universal truths.

• Of course I eat an apple every evening. Every Saturday night Mama sit down by the kitchen table and count… (p.412)

• She is very talented: she sings and plays the piano beautifully. “He is as clever as his mother is…” said Martha… (p.486)

• The Earth goes around the sun. The astronaut wear a bulky suit…(p.80)

• With verbs which are not used in the continuous form.

• To denote future action:a) in adverbial clauses of time

and condition (after conjunctions when, till, untill, before, after, as soon as, if, unless);

b) as something fixed or planned (with verbs of motion, such as to go, to come, to leave, to start).

• She understands English but she does not speak it. The boy does not know how… (p.360)

• “You will change your mind, I hope, when you grow older”. “Well, if you stay awake, you’ll find it’s only a matter of time now.” (p.107)

• The train leaves at 11 tomorrow.

The time expressions we use with the present simple are: usually, often,

always, every day/week/year etc., in the morning/afternoon/evening, at night/the weekend, on Friday, etc.

The use of the Past Indefinite • To denote: a definite single

complited action in the past (indicated by yesterday, a week ago, last year);

• habitual or repeated action in the past;

• a succession of past actions;

• They walked to school yesterday. In the morning I biked over to the station,…(p.36)

• Sam walked his dog every day last year. Each morning I went alone for the witch hazel leaves.(p.504)

• He threw down his spade and entered the house. He put the nose of the Gipsy down and swung her dep into the valley…(p.101)

• Past conditional or imaginative events in the subordinate clause.

• With stative verbs in the past time.

• If he took care of himself, he wouldn’t be absent so often. “You would know the heron if you saw it”,the stranger continued eagerly.(p.590)

• She loved daisies. “She liked fresh flowers”, he said.(p.549)

The time expressions we use with the past simple are: yesterday, then,

when, How long ago…?, last night/week/month/year/Friday/Octo

ber etc., three days/weeks ago, in 1999 etc.

The use of the Future Indefinite• To denote: a future

action;

• a future habitual action or future state;

• future conditionals;

• She will walk to school tomorrow. “We’ll try again tomorrow”.(p.33)

• I’m sure everything will be fine. I shall come along as often as possible. (p.64)

• If you go, you’ll be sorry. If you sit in the draught you shall catch cold.(p.368)

• an action which is expected to take place in the nearest future (to be going + Infinitive).

• Look at this dark clouds.It’s going to be raining. “But what’s it going to be like if more and more soldiers quit and go into …?(p.184)

The time expressions we use with the future simple: tomorrow, the day after

tomorrow, tonight, soon, next week/month/year/summer etc.

The use of the Future Indefinite in the Past

• To express a future action viewed from a past moment.

• I said I should be delighted to see her. He was sure I should get the job. (p.263)

In conclusion, examining Indefinite aspect of tenses we have understood that this kind of aspect is the simplest but very

important in communicating. People use it to express some facts, feelings, habits, repeated actions. Such items as now,

today, yesterday, tomorrow etc. express location of action in time.

Reference

o В. Л. Каушанская. Граматика английского язика. (82-88)o Mariane Celce-Murci, Diane Larsen-Freeman. The Grammar

book an ESL/EFL Teacher’s course. (62, 64)o Virginia Evans. Round-up. English grammar Book .(3-16)o M. A. Ganshina, N. M. Vasilevskaya. English Grammar. (147-

157)o I. P. Krylova, E.M. Gordon. A Grammar of Present day. English

Practical Course. (17-22,39-44, 61, 62, 73)o Machmillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Company.

“Chrystal Stair”.o Raymond Murphy. English Grammar in use. Second Edition.

(4-7, 10)