ENGLISH COMPOSITION
Topic: The Twelve Verb Tenses
Level: First-Year College (Philippines)
Method: Socratic Method (Online Class)
I. PRESENT TENSES
1. Simple Present
Definition
Teacher:
The Simple Present Tense expresses habitual actions, routines, general truths, scientific
facts, and permanent situations. It is also commonly used in academic writing to state facts,
definitions, and universally accepted ideas.
Examples
I attend English class every Monday.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
The Philippine Constitution guarantees due process of law.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Look at the sentence:
"The Philippine Constitution guarantees due process of law."
Why do you think the writer used the Simple Present instead of the Simple Past?
Student:
Because it is still true today.
Teacher:
Excellent.
So does the Simple Present always mean "right now"?
Student:
No.
Teacher:
What else can it express?
Student:
Habits, facts, routines, and general truths.
Teacher:
Very good.
2. Present Continuous
Definition
Teacher:
The Present Continuous Tense expresses actions that are happening at the moment of
speaking, temporary situations, or ongoing activities.
Examples
I am attending my English class.
The students are participating in today's discussion.
The professor is explaining verb tenses.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Read this sentence.
"The students are participating in today's discussion."
Is the activity already finished?
Student:
No.
Teacher:
Is it happening now?
Student:
Yes.
Teacher:
Why did we use "are participating" instead of "participate"?
Student:
Because the action is happening at this moment.
Teacher:
Correct.
3. Present Perfect
Definition
Teacher:
The Present Perfect Tense describes an action that happened at an unspecified time in
the past or an action that began in the past and still has relevance to the present.
Examples
I have completed my assignment.
Many Filipinos have experienced online learning.
Researchers have conducted several studies on climate change.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Read this sentence.
"Many Filipinos have experienced online learning."
Has the experience already happened?
Student:
Yes.
Teacher:
Do we know exactly when?
Student:
No.
Teacher:
Why didn't we simply use the Simple Past?
Student:
Because the exact time is not important.
Teacher:
Excellent.
4. Present Perfect Continuous
Definition
Teacher:
The Present Perfect Continuous Tense describes an action that began in the past,
continues in the present, and emphasizes its duration.
Examples
I have been studying English for three years.
Our professor has been teaching for fifteen years.
They have been working on the project since January.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Read the sentence.
"Our professor has been teaching for fifteen years."
Is the professor still teaching?
Student:
Yes.
Teacher:
What phrase tells you that?
Student:
"For fifteen years."
Teacher:
Excellent.
What is being emphasized?
Student:
The duration of the action.
II. PAST TENSES
1. Simple Past
Definition
Teacher:
The Simple Past Tense expresses an action that started and finished in the past. The time
may be stated or understood.
Examples
I submitted my assignment yesterday.
Jose Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere.
We attended our orientation last week.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Look at this sentence.
"We attended our orientation last week."
Is the action already completed?
Student:
Yes.
Teacher:
Which words tell us that?
Student:
"Last week."
2. Past Continuous
Definition
Teacher:
The Past Continuous Tense describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in
the past, often interrupted by another action.
Examples
I was reviewing when my internet connection stopped.
The professor was speaking when the microphone disconnected.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Which action was already happening?
Student:
Reviewing.
Teacher:
Which action interrupted it?
Student:
The internet connection stopped.
3. Past Perfect
Definition
Teacher:
The Past Perfect Tense expresses an action completed before another action in the past.
Examples
The professor had started the discussion before I entered.
The class had finished the quiz before the bell rang.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Which action happened first?
Student:
The professor started the discussion.
Teacher:
Why do we use the Past Perfect?
Student:
To show that one past action happened before another.
4. Past Perfect Continuous
Definition
Teacher:
The Past Perfect Continuous Tense expresses an action that continued for some time
before another past event.
Examples
I had been reviewing for three hours before the examination started.
The students had been waiting before the professor joined the meeting.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
What is being emphasized?
Student:
The duration of the action before another past event.
III. FUTURE TENSES
1. Simple Future
Definition
Teacher:
The Simple Future Tense expresses an action that will happen in the future. It may
indicate a prediction, promise, decision, or planned action.
Examples
I will submit my assignment tomorrow.
We will have our examination next week.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Has the action happened?
Student:
No.
Teacher:
When will it happen?
Student:
In the future.
2. Future Continuous
Definition
Teacher:
The Future Continuous Tense expresses an action that will be in progress at a specific
time in the future.
Examples
I will be studying at 8:00 tonight.
Our class will be taking the examination tomorrow morning.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Is the action completed?
Student:
No.
Teacher:
What is happening at the specific future time?
Student:
The action is still in progress.
3. Future Perfect
Definition
Teacher:
The Future Perfect Tense expresses an action that will already be completed before a
certain future time.
Examples
I will have completed my research paper by Friday.
Our group will have submitted the project before the deadline.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
Will the assignment already be finished before Friday?
Student:
Yes.
Teacher:
Excellent. That is why we use the Future Perfect.
4. Future Perfect Continuous
Definition
Teacher:
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense expresses the duration of an action that will
continue up to a specific point in the future.
Examples
By next year, I will have been studying in college for two years.
By December, our professor will have been teaching for twenty years.
Socratic Discussion
Teacher:
What does this tense emphasize?
Student:
The duration or length of time up to a future point.
Teacher:
Exactly. Unlike the Future Perfect, which focuses on completion, the Future Perfect
Continuous focuses on how long the action has continued before that future point.
This structure is appropriate for first-year college students because each topic follows a
logical sequence:
1. Definition (What is the tense?)
2. Examples (How is it used?)
3. Socratic Questions (Why is this tense used instead of another?)
4. Student Responses (Expected answers)
5. Teacher Reinforcement (Clarifies and deepens understanding)
This format keeps the lesson interactive while still providing the academic foundation
students need before they begin analysing the examples.