English Tenses, Verbs, Conjunctions & Phonetics Explained
English Tenses — 12 Basic Forms
Tenses denote the time of an action (past, present, or future) and the aspect (simple, continuous, perfect, or perfect continuous) of that action, resulting in the 12 basic English tenses. They are formed by combining one of the three time periods with one of the four aspects.
12 English Tenses Chart
| Time Period | Simple | Continuous (Progressive) | Perfect | Perfect Continuous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present |
Formula: V or V + s/es Use: Habitual actions, facts. Example: I walk to work. |
Formula: am / is / are + V + -ing Use: Action happening right now. Example: I am walking to work. |
Formula: has / have + V (3rd form, past participle) Use: Action completed at an unspecified time, or started in the past and continues now. Example: I have walked 5 miles today. |
Formula: has / have been + V + -ing Use: Action started in the past and continues up to now. Example: I have been walking for an hour. |
| Past |
Formula: V (2nd form, past tense) Use: Completed action at a specific time in the past. Example: I walked yesterday. |
Formula: was / were + V + -ing Use: Ongoing action at a specific time in the past. Example: I was walking when you called. |
Formula: had + V (3rd form, past participle) Use: Action completed before another past action. Example: I had walked before you left. |
Formula: had been + V + -ing Use: Ongoing action that was interrupted by another past action. Example: I had been walking for an hour before I stopped. |
| Future |
Formula: will + V Use: Actions that will happen. Example: I will walk tomorrow. |
Formula: will be + V + -ing Use: Action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future. Example: I will be walking at 5 p.m. |
Formula: will have + V (3rd form, past participle) Use: Action that will be completed before a certain time in the future. Example: I will have walked 5 miles by noon. |
Formula: will have been + V + -ing Use: Ongoing action that will continue up to a specific future time. Example: I will have been walking for an hour when you arrive. |
Key Tense Differences
1. Simple vs. Continuous
- Simple tenses (I walk) focus on the completion of the action or its quality as a habit or fact.
- Continuous tenses (I am walking) focus on the duration of the action or that the action is in progress.
2. Simple Past vs. Present Perfect
This is one of the most common areas of confusion:
- Simple Past (I visited my grandma yesterday.): Used for an action completed at a specific, mentioned past time.
- Present Perfect (I have visited my grandma many times.): Used for an action completed at an unspecified time in the past, or for an action that continues from the past up to the present.
3. Perfect Tenses
The perfect aspect always uses the auxiliary verb have / has / had / will have + the past participle (3rd form) of the main verb. It links two points in time:
- Past perfect links an earlier past action to a later past action.
- Present perfect links a past action to the present moment.
- Future perfect links an action that will happen to a later future moment.
Verbs: Types and Functions
Verbs are essential for forming sentences: they describe actions, states, or occurrences. They are categorized by their function in the sentence and their relationship with other sentence elements (specifically objects). Below are the four primary classifications asked about.
Main Verbs vs. Auxiliary Verbs
A. Main Verbs (Lexical Verbs)
- Definition: These verbs carry the primary meaning of the action or state and can stand alone as the only verb in a sentence.
- Examples: run, eat, think, believe, become, seem.
- Sentence examples:
- The dog barked.
- I read a book every week.
B. Auxiliary Verbs (Helping Verbs)
- Definition: These verbs are used with a main verb to express tense, aspect (continuous, perfect), mood, or voice (active, passive).
- Types:
- Primary auxiliaries: be (am, is, are, was, were), have (has, had), do (does, did).
- Modal auxiliaries: can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought to.
- Sentence examples:
- She is studying for the test. (is = auxiliary; studying = main)
- We have finished the project. (have = auxiliary; finished = main)
- You must leave now. (must = modal auxiliary; leave = main)
Transitive Verbs vs. Intransitive Verbs
These categories depend on whether the verb requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
A. Transitive Verbs
- Definition: An action verb that requires a direct object to receive the action.
- Structure: Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object.
- Examples: buy, hit, write, send, love.
- Sentence examples:
- He bought a new car. (The car receives the action of buying.)
- We discussed the problem. (The problem receives the action of discussing.)
B. Intransitive Verbs
- Definition: An action verb that does not require a direct object; the action stops with the subject.
- Structure: Subject + Intransitive Verb.
- Examples: sleep, arrive, walk, smile, die.
- Sentence examples:
- The baby slept.
- The train arrived late.
- She smiled brightly.
Ambiguity and Dual Roles
Many English verbs can function as both transitive and intransitive depending on context:
| Verb | Transitive Use (with Object) | Intransitive Use (without Object) |
|---|---|---|
| Eat | I eat apples every day. | I eat at 7 PM. |
| Read | He read the letter. | He read aloud. |
| Run | She runs a marathon every year. | She runs quickly. |
Conjunctions: Types and Usage
Conjunctions connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences and create logical relationships between parts of a text. There are three main types.
1. Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
These connect elements that are grammatically equal (e.g., noun to noun, independent clause to independent clause). The seven are remembered by the acronym FANBOYS.
| Conjunction | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| For | Explains reason or purpose. | I bought a book, for I love to read. |
| And | Adds one element to another. | She likes coffee and tea. |
| Nor | Presents a non-alternative negative idea. | He did not call, nor did he text. |
| But | Shows contrast or exception. | The soup is hot, but delicious. |
| Or | Presents an alternative or choice. | Do you want the red shirt or the blue one? |
| Yet | Introduces a contrasting idea (similar to but). | I was tired, yet I stayed up late. |
| So | Indicates result or consequence. | It was raining, so we stayed inside. |
2. Subordinating Conjunctions
These join a dependent (subordinate) clause to an independent (main) clause. The subordinating conjunction introduces the dependent clause and shows the relationship (time, cause, condition, contrast, etc.).
| Relationship | Common Examples | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Time | after, before, when, while, as soon as | We’ll go to the park after the rain stops. |
| Cause / Reason | because, since, as | Since it was snowing, the schools closed. |
| Condition | if, unless, whether, provided that | I will help you if you ask nicely. |
| Contrast | although, though, even though, while | Although she was nervous, she performed well. |
| Manner | as, as if | He acts as if he owns the place. |
3. Correlative Conjunctions
These conjunctions always come in pairs and connect grammatically equal elements, emphasizing the relationship between ideas.
| Pair | Example |
|---|---|
| both…and | Both my mother and my father are teachers. |
| either…or | You can have either pizza or pasta. |
| neither…nor | Neither the students nor the teacher was late. |
| not only…but also | He is not only talented but also very humble. |
| whether…or | I don’t know whether to stay or to leave. |
Conjunction Placement Tip
When a subordinating conjunction starts a sentence, the dependent clause should be followed by a comma:
- Because it was cold, we built a fire.
When a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses, it should be preceded by a comma:
- The concert was excellent, but the tickets were expensive.
Phonetics: Symbols, Organs, and Transcription
1. Symbols
- Phonetic symbols: Used to represent the sounds of spoken languages in a standardized way.
- International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA): A system of phonetic notation that assigns unique symbols to each distinct sound in human language.
2. Organs of Speech
Articulatory organs are parts of the mouth and throat used to produce speech sounds, including:
- Lips: Used in producing sounds like /p/, /b/, and /m/.
- Tongue: Used in producing a wide range of sounds.
- Teeth: Used in producing sounds like /θ/ (th) and /ð/ (th).
- Alveolar ridge: The bony ridge behind the upper front teeth, used in producing sounds like /t/, /d/, and /n/.
- Hard palate: The roof of the mouth, used in producing sounds like /j/ (y).
- Soft palate (velum): The soft part of the roof of the mouth, used in producing nasal sounds.
- Vocal cords: Used in producing voiced sounds.
3. Transcription
- Phonetic transcription: The representation of spoken language in written form using phonetic symbols.
- Narrow transcription: A detailed transcription that captures many phonetic details of speech.
- Broad transcription: A more general transcription that captures phonemic contrasts in a language.