Confused by tenses? Here is a simple way to understand and master them

Welcome to the 6th edition of my Newsletter.

If you find yourself struggling with using the correct tenses while speaking, you’re not alone. I've even seen learners with a deep understanding of grammar rules who still find it challenging to speak using correct tenses.

Infants, when they start talking, often make similar mistakes. What do we do when they make errors? We correct them and encourage them to speak correctly.

You might be wondering, who will correct and encourage you at this stage and age? I will address that point shortly.

If English is your second language and you've been learning it for years but still struggle, the basic problem might be that you're not confident with the basics. This doesn't mean you don't know the rules.

In Kerala, where I teach undergraduate students, those who come to my class have undergone a minimum of 12 years of learning English—14 years if they attended English medium schools. Despite this extensive learning period, many still find it difficult to communicate effectively.

So, in this issue of my Newsletter, I will share how to handle tense usage while speaking.

You likely know what past, present, and future tenses are. But have you ever noticed that only the auxiliary and the verb undergo changes when we use different tenses?

Also, the form of the main verb is the same in all three tenses. For example, look at the following sentences:

1. She is writing.
2. She was writing.
3. She will be writing.

Here, the main verb ‘writing’ is the same in all cases. It is the auxiliary that changes: ‘is’ for the present, ‘was’ for the past, and ‘will be’ for the future.

You need to make a conscious effort to understand and use the correct auxiliaries associated with different tenses.

Here is a helpful list of auxiliaries for different tenses:

1. Present Tense:

• Simple Present: do, does (e.g., “I do”, “She does”)
• Present Continuous: am, is, are + verb+ ing (e.g., “I am going”, “They are going”)
• Present Perfect: have, has + verb in past participle form (e.g., “I have seen”, “He has seen”)
• Present Perfect Continuous: have been, has been + verb +ing (e.g., “I have been working”, “She has been working”)

2. Past Tense:

• Simple Past: did (e.g., “I did”, “They did”)
• Past Continuous: was, were + verb + ing (e.g., “I was going”, “They were going”)
• Past Perfect: had + verb in past participle form (e.g., “I had seen”, “She had seen”)
• Past Perfect Continuous: had been + verb +ing (e.g., “I had been working”, “He had been working”)

3. Future Tense:

• Simple Future: will (e.g., “I will go”, “She will go”)
• Future Continuous: will be + verb +ing (e.g., “I will be going”, “They will be going”)
• Future Perfect: will have + verb in past participle form (e.g., “I will have seen”, “He will have seen”)
• Future Perfect Continuous: will have been + verb +ing (e.g., “I will have been working”, “She will have been working”)

I am not trying to teach you rules that you already know. Actually, when you learn a language, you need to put some conscious effort to use it correctly.

Now the question is how to use it correctly. Once you are aware of the changes in auxiliaries and verbs, you can master them.

If you follow my posts on social media, you might have noticed by now that I am an ardent advocate of “self-talk.” My intention is to help those learners who try to learn or enhance their language skills on their own. If you are one among them, do the following three things:

1. Self-talk:

Take a present situation and start talking using the present tense. If you really know the rules, trust me, there will be a prick in your mind when you use it wrongly.

Then talk about the same event using the past tense and future tense. You can decide upon the length of the talk based on the time you have.

2. Practice Regularly:

Make a conscious effort to practice daily. Gradually try to mix up the tenses instead of using the same tense.

3. Self-Monitor:

Record yourself speaking and listen for tense errors.

By focusing on the correct use of auxiliaries and practicing consciously, you can overcome challenges with tense usage.

Remember, improvement comes with practice and a willingness to learn from your mistakes.

Have a great Sunday…See you in July!

Dr Manjusha Susan George