THE DIFFERENCE AND THE SIMILAR OF TENSES

THE DIFFERENCE AND THE SIMILAR OF TENSES

A.   The Difference Between Simple Present Tense with Simple Present Continuous.

Simple Present Tense

Simple Present Continuous

1.      [VERB] + s/es in third person 2.      Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. 3.      In general (regularly, often, never) and present actions happening one after another. 4.      Action set by a timetable or schedule 5.      Can express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.

1.   [am/is/are + present participle/ing] 2.   Use to express an activity/action that is in progress right now, the event is in progress at the time the speaker is saying the sentence. The event began in the past , is in progress now, and will probably continue into the future. 3.   Happen right now and also for several actions happening at the same time 4.   Arrangement for the near future. 5.   Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in Present Continuous. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in Present Continuous.

B.   The Similar Between Simple Present Tense with Simple Present Continuous.

1.      Using verb 1

2.      The time signal is present (happening right now)

3.      Have the same nominal sentence

v  The Example of Simple Present Tense:

1)      Philip gets up at 6 o'clock every morning

2)      The course starts next Thursday

3)      I usually sleep late on Sunday morning

4)      Do you believe in God ?

5)      She doesn't often go to the cinema

6)      Who never speaks English

7)      We usually come here

8)      He goes to school every morning?

v  The Example of Simple Present Continuous Tense:

1)      Budi is listening to the radio at present.

2)      I'm living with my parents at the moment but soon I'll buy my own house.

3)      We are having lunch at 12.30 o'clock.

4)      Fuel prices are rising constantly because of strong demand.

5)      Why aren't you doing your homework ?

6)      We are waiting for the bus.

7)      She is cooking rice now but she will write soon.

8)      They are coming here tonight.

C.   The Difference Between Simple Past Tense with Simple Past Continuous

Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Continuous

1.      [VERB+ed] or irregular verbs 2.      Express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. (time marker: yesterday, last night, two years ago, etc)  3.      Can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc. 4.      The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. 5.      Can  also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." We often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc. 6.      The Simple Past Tense just have one word clause, it is When. 7.      Non-Continuous Verbs can be used in Simple Past. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in Simple Past.

1.      [was/were + present participle/ing] 2.      Expresses an activity that was in progress at the point of time in the past or at the time of another action. Time marker: When (at the time), While (during the time) 3.      Can be used to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. 4.      Often use with a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past. 5.      With words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion,  like  to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing." 6.      The Past Continuous Tense have clauses that consist a groups of words which have meaning, it is When and While. 7.      Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in Past Continuous. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in Past Continuous.

D.   The Similar Between Simple Past Tense with Simple Past Continuous.

1.      Using Verb 1(except simple past with positive sentence that using verb 2)

2.      The same time signal is “Past”

3.       Have same relational with “Used to”

v  The Example of Simple Past Tense:

1)        She wrote a letter last night.

2)        We went to Pare town yesterday.

3)        He was cleaning his room yesterday.

4)      This morning I went to the supermarket.

5)      I worked at Johnson & Co. from 1990 to 1995.

6)      Susan bought her little sister a doll

7)      The doctor told me that I would have to stay in the hospital for a week.

8)      Was he at the office the other day ?

v  The Example of Simple Past Continuous Tense:

1)                I was studying at 7 o’clock last night.

2)        We were sweeping the floor yesterday.

3)   He was cleaning his room yesterday.

1)      I was watching TV when she called

2)      While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.

3)      When the phone rang, she was writing a letter

4)      At 4.30 yesterday afternoon, I was giving a solo recital at the music academy.

5)      Alex was checking the accounts while Cynthia was reading her report.

E.    The Difference Between Present Perfect Tense with Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1.      [has/have + past participle(verb3)] 2.      Permanent 3.      Since the last time 4.      We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. 5.      The Present Perfect might refer to a habitual action over an incomplete period of time. 6.      The Present Perfect Tense, which emphasizes the result of a completed action 7.      Can be used for Non-Continuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs.

1.        [has/have + been + present participle] 2.        Temporary 3.        Since the beginning 4.        We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. 5.        The Present Perfect Continuous can be used for habitual, repeated actions over an incomplete period time. 6.        The Present Perfect Continuous Tense focuses on the duration. Can be used with duration or without duration. 7.        Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in Present Perfect Continuous . Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in Present Perfect Continuous.

F.       The Similar Between Present Perfect Tense with Present Perfect Continuous Tense

1.      Same be used over an incomplete period of time.

2.      Using same auxiliary verb (Have/Has)

3.      Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished.

v  The Example of Present Perfect Tense:

1)      Have you seen that movie many times ?

2)      Nobody has ever climbed that mountain

3)      There have been many earthquakes in California

4)      I have been a teacher for more than ten years

5)      Jimmy has gone to South America

v  The Example of Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

1)      We've been playing tennis for two hours

2)      Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the last three days?

3)      James has been teaching at the university since June.

4)      Sam has been having his car for two years

5)      He has been living in Bangkok since he left school

G.   The Different Between Simple Future with Simple Future Continuous

Simple Future Tense

Simple Future Continuous Tense

1.      [will + verb] 2.      Used for actions or events that will happen in the future. 3.      Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably. 4.      In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning. 5.      to state desire or willingness for something or someone 6.      to make a formal statement about a future action or event 7.      to make suggestions or state ideas and requested.

1.        [will be + present participle] 2.        used to emphasize an action or an event that will be in progress at sometime in the future. 3.        Future Continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Continuous forms are usually interchangeable. 4.        Used to expresses the idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. The actions are parallel. 5.        For events or activity's that are planned for a future time. 6.        The specific time and the approximately time of the future event or the future activity can be stated or understood. 7.        To make polite enquiries, when we  wish to know what somebody's plans are

H.     The Similar Between Simple Future Tense With Simple Future Continuous Tense

1.      Using Auxiliary verb “will” or “will be”

2.      The time signal is in the “Future”

3.      Cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc

v  The  Example of Simple Future Tense:

1)      You will clean your room when you come home from school

2)      The girls will be happy to go on holiday for a few weeks.

3)      The president will make a public announcement on Tuesday at 8:00PM

4)      Will you come with me to the store ?

5)      My teacher will be happy the whole class passed the test

v  The Example of Simple Future Continuous Tense:

1)      They'll be shopping at the mall all afternoon

2)      We'll be flying over the Atlantic Ocean for three hours

3)      Tonight at 11 p.m, we will be dancing at the party

4)      Susan will be waiting for the bus 10 more minutes

5)      Will you be going to the next meeting in December ? 

I.      References

Azar, Betty Schrampfer. 1992. Fundamentals of English Grammar. London:Prentice-Hall International (UK) Limited.

Martin, J.R., Christian Matthiessen and Claire Painte. 1997. Working with Functional Garmma. London: Arnold, The Hodder Group.

Parkinson, Tony. 2002. Literacy in Contexts for GCE. Oxford:Cambridge University Press.

Kurjum, Muhammad and Sufi Ikrima Sa’adah. 2010. 3 Keys to Study English. Sidoarjo: Taman, P2B IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

Allan, W. Stannard. 1995. Living English Structure. Malaysia: Longman.

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