THE INSTITUTION OF ADULT EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATE OF ADULT EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY wDEVELOPMENT

ODL

CENTRE: BUHONGWA

MODULE NAME:BASIC OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

MODULE CODE: ENT 05104

TUTOR NAME: MADAME JESCA KISUSI

QUESTION

(b) with examples of not less than five (5) sentences describe three types of tenses together with their
sub-types.
1.(a) Meaning of the term tense

According to B. R Chimbi( 1991 ).A tense is a form of the verb that allow you to express time.

According to Manzi( 2018 ).Tense is the one which gives explanation or description according to time.

So tense is the form taken by a verb to show the time of an action or state of an event.

1.(b)TYPES OF TENSES

According to Mhiche(2008).e.t.l. Explained that there are three main types of tenses as follows:-

1. Present tense

2. Past tense

3. Future tense /Future time

1. PRESENT TENSE

According to Mhiche(2008). The present tense is used to refers to something that happens. And there
are four aspects.

(i) simple present tense. (II)

present continuous tense. (III) present
perfect tense. (iv) present perfect
continuous tense

I. Simple present tense

According to Mgude and Mhiche (2008). Simple present tense is used to explain things which happen
every day,weekly,monthly, sometimes,often,always and so on. It also indicates habitual actions.

The verb in the simple present tense is the same as the base from the verb. If the subject of the
sentences in singular noun or singular pronoun and the main verb that follows, it is the simple present
tense, it has an -s or -es added to it.

So when the subject of the sentences is I, we, they, you and plural nouns the base form of the verb
remain the same without adding anything.

Examples

(I) I play football every Saturday. (II) They

wash clothes every day. (III) We eat rice
every weekend. (IV) You go to church
every Sunday. (V) John and Neema Wash
clothes every day.

So when the subject of the sentences is she,he,it or singular noun the base form of the base was added
"s" 'es' and ies.

Examples. (I) Neema

goes to church every Sunday. (II) John eats ugali
every day. (III) She cries every day .
(IV)He plays football every day. (V) It
backs in the night every day.

In simple present tense the verb ends with ch, sh, x and o 'es' must be added to the verb.

Examples.

Touch - Touches. Mix - Mixes.

Wash - Washes Go - goes
Teach - Teaches

The verb ending with "y" the letter y is omitted then it is placed by the letter "i", then "es " is added.

Examples Carry - carries

cry - cries fly - flies

Any verb ending with letter "y " but has been preceding by the vowel (a,e,i,o,u) not omitt the lett er 'y'
the letter 's' is added to the verb

Play - plays.
Say - says. Pay - pays.
Pray - prays. Slay - slays.

According to Mohamed (1994). simple present tense is used to express universal truths, use to express
habitual.

II. Present continuous tense / present progressive tense

According to Mhiche and Mgude (2008). This tense is used to express the event which is taking place
now or at the moment.

Also according to Mohamed (1994). It is the tense which express the action at a time of speaking.

So it shows an activity which is going on at the present.

The present continuous is made by adding "ing" to the base of the verb.

Also auxiliary verb in the present continuous tense are am, is, and are.
General formula of present continuous tense

SUBJECT + AUXILIARY VERB + VERB IN - ING FORM

Examples. (I) I am
eating ugali now . (II)They are playing
football now. (III)We are dancing music today.
(IV)She is going to school now. (V)She is
walking now.

If a verb end with letter 'e' e omitted then "ing" where added to the verb.

Use - using. Arise -

arising. Abide - abiding.
Drive - driving. Hide -
hiding.

If the verb ends with -"ie" , ie is omitted then replaced by 'y'

Example. Lie - lying

III.Present perfect tense.

According to Mhiche and Mgude (2008).The present perfect tense is a tense that is used to express an
action that has just been completed . It also indicates an action which started in the past and proceed
up to the present. The time of occurrence of the action is not mentioned.

Present perfect tense is formed by auxiliares verbs have and has plus past participle of the verbs when
the subject of the sentences is, he ,she,it or singular noun auxiliary "has" is used but when the subject of
the sentences is, I, we ,they,or plural nouns an auxiliary verb have is used.

Generally formula of present perfect tense.

Subject+ auxiliary verb (has/have)+verb in past participle.

Examples

(I)Juma has gone to school. (II)He has

written an exercise book. (III)She has washed my
clothes. (IV)They have eaten rice.
(V)We have opened the door.

IV. Present perfect continuous tense/ present perfect progressive tense

According to Mhiche and Mgude ( 2008 ) present perfect continuous tense show an action that began in
the past and it is still continuing.

According to Home Introduction to tense ( 2008 ) The present perfect continuous tense is made up of
the present perfect tense of the verb to be; have been or has been and the present participle of the
main verb.

General formula of present perfect continuous tense;

Subject + has/ have + been + verb in ing form

Example. ( I ) I have
been eating bananas. ( II ) Has he been
drinking milk? (III ) They have been taking
a book. ( IV ) Emmanuel and Ester have been
completing job. ( V ) We have been cleaning a table.

2. PAST TENSE

According to Mhiche ( 2008 ) e.t.l The past tense is used to refer to something that happens or existed in
the past.

According to Home Introduction to tense ( 2018 ). There are four aspects (I)
Simple past tense ( II ) Past
continuous tense ( III ) Past perfect
tense ( IV ) Past perfect continuous
tense

I. Simple past tense

According to Mhiche and Mgude (2008 ). Simple past tense shows that an action was completed in the
past.

According to Home Introduction to tenses ( 2008 ). Simple past tense is used for events that happened
or started and completed in the past and that have no relation with the present.

The past form of the verb is the same of all persons and things regardless of whether they are singular
or plural. If the verb is regular verb it takes the base form of the verb with -ed or -d added. But if the
verb is Irregular the base form of the verb changed and others not change.

Examples. (I) I
played football yesterday (II) She looked
her dress last time (III) John danced music
last year (IV)They enjoyed dragon last night
(V) You passed examination last time
Examples of regular verbs play -
played dance - danced

Examples of lrregular verbs

(I ) She wrote a letter yesterday. (II)

Omary bought a car last year. (III) He
tought English language last week. (IV) They read a
book yesterday (V) You did your work
very well last period

II. Past continuous tense

According to Mhiche and Mgude (2008). Past continuous tense is used to describe an event which was
going on when another took place. Also shows that the two actions were taking place simultaneously.

The past continuous tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to be (was/were)+present participle
(verb ending in - ing). The past continuous tense shows an action is progress.

General formula Subject + was/were + "ing"in the form of the verb

Examples

(I) He was crying

(II)They were playing football

(III)We were dancing music

(IV) Peter was watching the TV when l entered the room

(V) I was eating ugali

III Past perfect tense

According to Arnold Curtis (2000). Past perfect tense is used for an action that had been completed in
the past. Also it can indicate two actions in which one started before another action was completed.

General formula

Subject + had + participle

Examples

(I) He had gone to school

(II) She had eaten rice.

(III) We had taken him to hospital

(IV)I had worked to school

(V) They had played football

IV Past perfect continuous tense

According Mohamed (1994). This Tense used for an action which had been continuous in the past
before or until another.it also used to express the action which had been going on through out acertain
period of time

General formula

Subject + had +been +verb in - ing form

Examples

(I) I had been walking on foot

(II) We had been cooking meat

(III) He had been coming with fish

(IV) We had been reading the book

(V) She had been washing clothes

3 FUTURE TENSE/FUTURE TIME

According to Mhiche (2008).e.t.l. The future tense refers to something that hasn't happen at The time
of speaking.The future tense makes use of the word Will and shall are used. I and we use shall and they,
you, she, it, he use will.

There are four aspects (I) simple future tense (II)future continuous tense (III)future perfect tense (IV)
future perfect continuous tense.

I. Simple future tense

According to Mwanga(1987).future time/ future tense is used to talk about the things to come.Also
expressing hopes and expectations.There are no inflexions show the future time in English. The
following are ways or devices used to show future time in English.The axillaries shall and will and be
going to.

When the subject of the sentences is I and we shall used, but when the subject is you, she ,he , it and
they will used to show future tense

General formula

Subject + shall/will +verb present tense(infinite verb)

Examples

(I) They will wait for you tomorrow

(II) I shall go to school tomorrow

(III) we shall pass examination next month

(IV) He will eat bananas

(V) It is going to rain

II Future continuous tense

According to Mohammed (1994) Future continuous tense is used to show an action which will be going
on in the future. The form of future continuous tense is:, subject + shall / will +be +verb in - ing.

Examples

(I) I shall be cleaning my clothes

(II) we shall be playing football

(III) She will be washing clothes

(IV) He will be going to school

(V) She will be looking her picture

III Future perfect tense

According to Mohammed (1994). is a tense used to express the completed action in future.Is made of
subject + shall / will + have + participle

Example

(I) I shall have gone to Mwanza by next week

(II) They will have mopped the floor (

(III) She will have looked her picture

(IV) He will have eaten rice

(V) Juma will have cleaned the black board

SIV Future perfect continuous tense

According to Mhiche (2008). Future perfect continuous tense is formed with the future perfect tense of
the verb to be ( shall/will + have been + present participle)
(I) I Shall have been teeching English

(Il) We shall have been taking food

(IlI) Will they have been coming her?

(IV) We shall not have been teeching English

(V) She will have been cleaning black board

Therefore in English language there are twelve sub tenses

References

Nchimbi B.R.(1991) The structures of the English tenses book 2 o & es p .o . box 3007 Dodomo

Abel.K.Mwanga (1987). English for school,Ruvu publishers Ltd Dr-es -salaam.

Arnold Curtis (2000).For skills English A Kenya primary course Oxford university press, Eastern Africa
Kenya

Godlove Mhiche & Ramadhan Mgude (2008),The English language parts of speech and tenses.G and R
publisher Dar- es - salaam.

Mohammed A. Mohammed (1994) English crammer,press and publicity centre Dar -es -salaam