1. What they do to language and how they work
Tense and Aspect
What they do to language and how they work

2. There are two kinds of tenses
Past Tenses
Past Tense
Past Perfect Tense
Conditional I
Conditional II
Narrative tenses
Present Tenses
Present Tense
Present Perfect Tense
Future Tense
Near Future
Descriptive tenses
Every tense appears in two different forms called simple
and progressive forms. We call that Aspect.

3. Aspect Progressive form is formed by using: Simple forms:
fact
status quo
something finite
static
Progressive forms:
process
development
something vivid
dynamic
Progressive form is formed by using:
(to be) + verb (inf) + ing

4. Let me give you an example:
We said `progressive´ always means movement or something dynamic!
He is riding a bike.
He was riding a bike.

5. How to use simple forms
Simple forms describe a habit or an ability, therefore:
He plays soccer.
He played soccer when he was nine.
BUT:
He is posing now.

6. How to use the correct tense:
Think of what point in time you are referring to, and
what the relation between the described action and that point in time is.
If you narrate, you use past forms mostly.
Every tense has its appropriate narrative time !!

7. Present Tense Simple formation: used to describe:
S + verb + O (3rd person –s/es !!)
used to describe:
abilities
habitual behavior
generally accepted truth or knowledge

8. Present Tense Progressive
formation:
S + am/is/are + V+ing + O
used to describe:
currently ongoing activities
unfinished business
a process

9. Past Tense Simple formation: used as narrative time and to describe:
S + 2nd form + O (preterite)
used as narrative time and to describe:
finite actions at a certain point in time in the past (point in time given !!)
finite actions over a certain period of time in the past
no relevance to the present !!!

10. Past Tense Progressive
formation:
S + was/were +V+ing + O
used as narrative time and to describe:
ongoing activities at a certain point in time in the past (when)
idea of parallel activities going on (while)
setting of a particular frame of action !!

11. Past Perfect Tense Simple
formation:
S + had+3rd form + O
used to describe:
actions that had an impact on a past situation
past options
Finite actions and processes at a certain point in time in the past
Erster Punkt bezieht sich auf Erzählzeit von Present Perfect Tense
Zweiter Punkt bezieht sich auf if-clauses
Dritter Punkt bezieht sich auf ersten??

12. Past Perfect Tense Progressive
formation:
S + had been +V+ing + O
used to describe:
infinite processes that had an impact on a past situation
When at a certain point in time in the past an action was paused by another

13. Present Perfect Tense Simple
formation:
S + have/has +3rd form + O
used to describe:
finite actions whose impact is to be seen or felt now, at the moment of utterance
focuses the listener on the outcome of an earlier action (point in time not important)
point in time not given !!

14. Present Perfect Tense Progressive
formation:
S + have/has +V(inf) +ing + O
used to describe:
infinite actions that are of relevance now but are not going on at the time of utterance
actions will be taken up again to be finished
focus of the utterance is on the action

15. There are three ways of expressing a future aspect
formation:
Present Progressive
Near Future (going-to)
Will Future
depends on when and how certain a future action may take place

16. Present Progressive
used when the action is quite sure to take place in the immediate future
e.g.: I'm going to Tom's party next Saturday.
which means:
I am sure to be there. I want to be there. No, I am not free next Saturday and there's nothing anybody can do about it. I wouldn't want to miss it.

17. Near Future formation:
S + am/is/are going to +V(inf) + O
used when the action is planned and scheduled to take place
e.g.: This year's holiday is going to involve lots of riding on horseback.
which means:
I have planned the trip carefully to the last detail.

18. Future Tense formation: used: S + will+V(inf) + O
when making sudden decisions
when planning for the long term
when talking about desires and hopes

19. Conditional I formation: used: S + would+V(inf) + O
In if-clauses to describe a hypothesis
In sentences to describe possibility
As a way of suggesting other ways of behavior

20. Conditional II Formation: Used: S + would have+3rd form + O
In if-clauses to describe a past option
In sentences to reflect another course of action of past events