1. NARRATIVE TENSES How do they work?
English Department – III Unit – Level10th
C. Roessler

2. Narrative Tenses Present Perfect
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.
We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
e.g.: I have been to Europe a couple of times.
(This means that I would go again, or maybe I would never been there again.)

3. Narrative Tenses Present Perfect Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + have/has + V past part. + C
Neg.: S + have/has + not + V past part. + C
Int.: (Wh-) have/has + S + V past part. + C + ?

4. Narrative Tenses Past Simple
We use Past Simple to talk about a specific moment or event in the past.
e.g.: I studied for the test the whole weekend.
(This means that I was doing that activity during a specific moment in the past, and it is already finished. It does not continue today.)

5. Narrative Tenses Past Simple
We can also use it to refer to a series of situations that happened in the past.
e.g.: Last night I cooked some dinner, then I watched a film, and after that I went to bed.
(There are three different actions, that are over now, that happened as a series of events)

6. Narrative Tenses Past Simple Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + V past simple + C
Neg.: S + did + not + V inf+ C
Int.: (Wh-) Did + S + V inf + C + ?

7. Narrative Tenses Past Continuous
We use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted.
The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.
e.g.: I was watching TV when she called.

8. Narrative Tenses Past Continuous
We also use the Past Continuous to refer to an event that was taking place at a specific moment in the past. This action was in progress in that moment.
e.g.: Last night at 10PM I was watching House MD.

9. Narrative Tenses Past Continuous Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + was / were + V+ing + C
Neg.: S + was / were + not + V+ing + C
Int.: (Wh-) was / were + S + V+ing + C + ?

10. Narrative Tenses Past Perfect
The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past.
It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.
e.g.: I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

11. Narrative Tenses Past Perfect Can you say how this is formed?
Aff.: S + had + V past part. + C
Neg.: S + had + not + V past part. + C
Int.: (Wh-) Had + S + V past part. + C + ?

12. References