Grammar : TENSES - JSS2 English language Lesson Note

TENSES

Tenses serve as linguistic tools to denote the timing of actions or events in a sentence, portraying when they occur. Verbs are instrumental in conveying different tenses.

Present Simple Tense: 
This tense is used for actions that occur regularly or facts.
Examples:
1. He comes here often.
2. They come here every weekend.
3. She dances every day.
4. Okocha passes the ball.

Present Continuous Tense:
This tense denotes actions happening at the moment of speaking.

Example:
- Malik  is teaching us English Language.
- I am eating my dinner.
- We are going to the church.

Present Perfect Tense:
This tense indicates actions that have just been completed or have relevance to the present moment.

Example:
- She has just gone out.
- We have left the place.
- I have lived here for ten years.
- She has taught English for five years.

PAST TENSE

Past Continuous Tense:
This tense portrays actions that were ongoing in the past.

Example:
- I was teaching the students yesterday when the principal sent for me.
- While the cab was moving, the woman jumped down.
- mayowa and asa were preparing for their forthcoming  examination last week.

Past Perfect Tense:
This tense indicates actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.

Example:
- The boy had died before help reached him.
- By the time I got to the office, Olu had left for the meeting.
- The suspect had escaped when the police raised the alarm.
- James had alighted by the time we got to the bus-stop.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
This tense denotes actions that were ongoing and had been going on for some time before something else happened in the past.

Example:
- We had been praying since 2000 before God intervened in 2008.
- The girl had been writing weac for five years before she passed it last year.

Future Continuous:
This tense portrays actions that will be ongoing at a specific future time.

Example:
- He will be waiting for us.
- They will be arriving tomorrow.

FUTURE TENSE

Simple Future:
This tense indicates actions that will occur in the future.

Example:
- They will finish the work tomorrow.
- He will arrive next Saturday.

Future Perfect:
This tense indicates actions that will be completed by a certain future time.

Example:
- She would have finished the work by Wednesday.
- Sola would have cleaned the room before the guests arrive.
- They would have eaten breakfast by the time he gets up.

Future Perfect Continuous:
This tense denotes actions that will have been ongoing for a specified duration by a certain future time.

Example:
- By next January, she will have been living here for a year.
- You will have been traveling a great deal by the time you return home.
- He will have been working for ten months by the time he takes his vacation.