English

Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

LESSON 6.3
Simple and Perfect Tenses
Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Objective 2

DepEd Competency 2

Warm-Up 2

Learn about It 3

Key Points 9

Check Your Understanding 9

Let’s Step Up! 10

Bibliography 11
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Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

Lesson 6.3
Simple and Perfect Tenses

Fig. 1. Looking back at the past will help us create a better future.

Introduction
Tenses in the English language have different forms and functions. These tenses could be
used in journalistic writing for various purposes. This lesson will discuss how and when to
use them when writing journalistic articles.

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Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

Objective
In this lesson, you should be able to observe the proper past and perfect tenses
when writing journalistic articles.

DepEd Competency
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to use past and perfect tenses in
journalistic writing (EN8G-IVb-3, EN8G-IVd-3, EN8G-IVe-3, EN8G-IVi-3).

Warm-Up

Quick Write

Fig. 2. Take note of any bright ideas and save them for future use.

Materials
● Pen and paper

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Procedure
1. What comes into your mind when you hear the word perfect? How about the word
simple? For two minutes, write down as many words as you can that are associated
with the words simple and perfect.

Guide Questions
1. When thinking about the past, what comes into your mind?
2. Why is it important to remember the past?
3. Is it essential to have records that will record our past experiences?

Learn about It

Vocabulary
a newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular
journal (noun)
subject or professional activity

journalist a person who writes for newspapers, magazines, or

(noun) news websites or prepares news to be broadcast

a piece of writing included with others in a newspaper,

article (noun)
magazine, or other publication

historic a famous or important event in history

(adjective)

an account given of a particular matter, especially in the

report (noun)
form of an official document

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Essential Question
How do changes in tense affect journalistic writing?

Verb
A verb tells us what the noun or pronoun is doing. It is a word that expresses an action. It
has different types of tenses. Two of these are the simple tense and the perfect tense.

Table 1. Simple Tense

Simple Form Function

Tenses

Simple 1. -s form (singular) We use the simple present tense to

present 2. base form
tense (plural) 1. talk about your thoughts and feelings at the
present moment

Example: You look stunning.

The example expresses current thoughts. The

subject is you, which is a pronoun in the
second-person point of view. For this pronoun,
we use the plural form of the verb even if it is
singular.

2. talk about affairs at the present moment

Example: Daniela owns a store.

We use the -s form because the subject,

Daniela, is singular and at the present
moment, she owns a store.

3. express general truths

Example: The planets revolve around the sun.

The statement is a fact and the subject, planets,

is plural, so we should use the base form.

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4. express regular or habitual actions

Example: Julian goes to church every Sunday.

Going to church is a habit and the subject,

Julian, is singular, so the base form is used.

Simple 1. Regular verbs We use the simple past tense to

past ● adding –d or
tense -ed at the end 1. say that the situation existed over a period of
of the verb time in the past
(e.g., hug -
hugged, Example: He lived in Manila for two years.
sniff-sniffed).
The subject no longer lives in Manila. He only
stayed there for two years before moving to
2. Irregular verbs
another city.
● change
spelling
● retain spelling 2. talk about an activity that took place regularly
● change word or repeatedly in the past
(e.g.
make-made, Examples:
think-thought,
● We talked a great deal in my childhood.
run-ran)
● Each week, he dreamed of participating
in a triathlon.

These were done habitually in the past but not

anymore.

Simple will + base form of We use the simple future tense to say that something
future the verb is planned to happen, or that you think it is likely to
tense happen in the future.

Example: Nancy will give the buyer a 10-karat gold

bracelet.

Nancy will give the accessory to the customer in the

future.

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Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

Table 2. Perfect Tense

Perfect Form Function

Tenses
Present has/have + past We use the present perfect tense to mention
perfect tense participle something that happened in the past but do not
want to state a specific time.
Has is used when the
subject is singular, while Examples:
have is for plural ● They have raised thirty thousand pesos
subjects. for their charitable institution.

The past participle The subject is they and it is plural, so the verb
form is used to form the have was used.
perfect tenses of the
● Gianna has made lots of money as an
verb.
entrepreneur.
● Regular verbs: Gianna is singular, so has was used in the
use the simple sentence.
past form by
adding -d or -ed
at the end of the
verb.

● Irregular verbs:
○ add -n or -en
○ change
spelling
○ retain
spelling
Past perfect had + past participle We use the past perfect tense to talk about a
tense past event or situation that occurred before a
particular time in the past. Note that the other
activities which occurred after the first action
should be in simple past form.

Examples:
● Janna had learned to dance by the time

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Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

she turned five.

There are two actions that happened in the

past, but Janna learned how to dance before
she turned five. And so, we use the past
participle for the action that occurred first and
the simple past form for the more recent one.

● The class had started when the fire bell

rang.

The class started first before the fire bell rang.

Future will have + past We use the future perfect tense to refer to
perfect tense participle something that has not happened yet but will
happen before a particular time in the future.

Example: By the time he is thirty, Billy will have

achieved a lot of things.

The action has not happened yet, but it is

assumed that Billy will achieve lots of things at a
certain time in the future. In particular, this will
be sometime before he turns thirty years old.

Simple and Present Tenses in Journalistic Writing

The usual simple tense used in journalistic writing is the present tense. It emphasizes that
the action is currently happening rather than already completed. Technically, even if they
happened in the past, news articles present them as if they are occurring at the current
time. This is called the historical present.

The historical present tense is the use of a verb in a journalistic context where a writer
uses the present tense to describe an action or event that has already happened.

Duterte wins the election.

Rallyists pray for World Peace.

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Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

Take a look at the above sample headlines. In the first example, the verb wins is in the
present tense, but Duterte had already won by the time this headline was used. Similarly,
the rallyists had finished their prayer rally before it was reported in newspapers.

The present perfect tense in the context of journalism recognizes that the action reported
has happened by using the past tense of the main verb but it adds a sense of
immediateness and currency by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb.

The government has extended the deadline for filing the candidacy.
Schools have mandated the singing of the national anthem.

The past tense of the principal verbs mandated and extended was used to recognize that the
action already happened, but the present tense of the auxiliary verbs has and have were
used to give a feel of immediateness and currency.

MMCT cracks down on jaywalking

The Metro Manila Commission of Traffic (MMCT) has enacted new policies that aim to
reduce the growing number of cases of jaywalking. According to MMCT Chairman
Cesar Agosto, accidents involving jaywalkers have steadily increased since 2016. The
MMCT hopes to address this by imposing heftier fines and assigning more officers to
strictly implement rules, especially along national roads. Furthermore, Agosto says
that he coordinates with the Department of Roads and Highways (DRH) to identify
problem areas and create more lanes and overpasses for pedestrians.

In the sample text, notice how the historical present is used for the headline (cracks down)
and for certain sentences (hopes, says, coordinates) in the paragraph. Also, the present
perfect tense is used in other sentences (has enacted, have increased). The use of these
tenses makes the news seem more current and relevant.

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Grade 8 • Unit 6: Journalistic Writing

Let’s Check In
How do journalists use the simple and perfect tenses of the verbs?

Key Points

● Simple and perfect tenses have different forms and functions. However, journalists
use a special tense called historical present tense. Here, past events are reported
using simple present and present perfect tense for a sense of immediateness and
currency.

Check Your Understanding

Identify the tense of the underlined verb.

_______ 1. I have discovered evidence about the site they were investigating.

_______ 2. Theresa has told me various stories about you.

_______ 3. She said she wants to help me move out of the house.

_______ 4. We will punish those she discovered broke the rules last month.

_______ 5. Theresa tells me I am capable enough to handle responsibility.

Underline the correct form of the verb to make each sentence

meaningful and grammatical.

1. It (rain, rains, rained) every June.

2. Starting next week, the store (open, opens, will open) at 7:00 in the morning.
3. In China, more than half of the entire population (owns, own, owned) bicycles.

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4. Many children (died, dies, will die) during World War II.
5. I (attended, attends, will attend) a seminar on Food Preservation next week.

Write a 150-word news article about one of the following topics. Observe
the correct use of historical present tense.

1. a recent school event

2. your favorite celebrity’s current project
3. an event of national interest

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Let’s Step Up!

Write a 200-word news report using the historical present tense and the simple
present tense to answer the following question:
How has the spread of Covid-19 impacted China and its neighboring countries?

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Bibliography

Csalová, Oľga. “English Grammar for Journalists.” (PhD diss., Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa
v Nitre, 2016)

”Grammar for News.” BBC. Accessed February 15, 2020.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/en/articles/art20150914135359954.

”Irregular Verbs.” MyEnglishPages. Accessed February 20, 2020.

https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-list-irregular-verbs.
php

Koltai, Anastasia. “Linking Words: List of Sentence Connectors in English with Examples!.” My
EnglishTeacher. Accessed February 15, 2020.
https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/list-of-sentence-connectors-in-english/.

Salter, Jodie. “Active versus Passive Voice.” YouTube video, 3:38. March 24, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1_IRU6zx9g

“When to use the active and passive voice in writing.” British Council. Accessed February 18,
2020.
https://www.britishcouncil.my/english/courses-adults/learning-tips/when-to-use-the-
active-and-passive-voice-in-writing

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