Schools Division Office of Manila
MANILA SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Ermita, Manila
Verb Tenses and Conditionals
Self-learning Module | English 9
VERB TENSE
• Tense is “the grammatical marking on verbs that usually indicates time reference
relative to either the time of speaking or the time at which some other situation was
in force” (Jacobs, 1995)
• a core part of grammar that helps us express time in our sentence; it shows if the
action happens in the PAST, PRESENT, or FUTURE
• Each main tense (past, present, future) has four aspects, namely: Simple,
Continuous/ Progressive, Perfect, and Perfect Continuous
MEANINGS AND COMMON USES OF VERB TENSES
PRESENT TENSE
SENTENCE
ASPECT FUNCTION EXAMPLE
STRUCTURE
To talk about something Every Sunday, I
Subject + base
Simple Present that the subject does attend church
verb/verb + s
regularly or habitually services.
To talk about something I am already feeling
Present Subject +
that is happening at the bored and hungry
Continuous am/is/are + -ing
moment right now.
Subject +
To mention something
has/have + past I have read Harry
Present Perfect that happened (with no
participle (-ed or Potter several times.
specific time) in the past
-en)
To talk about something
Subject + The economy has
Present Perfect happened in the past,
has/have been + been declining for
Continuous continued, and is still
-ing several years now.
happening now
PAST TENSE
SENTENCE
ASPECT FUNCTION EXAMPLE
STRUCTURE
To say that an event He visited his
Subject + past
Simple Past occurred at a particular grandmother in the
tense
time in the past province last year.
Schools Division Office of Manila
MANILA SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Ermita, Manila
To talk about an action
Subject + She was studying
Past Continuous that was in progress in
was/were + -ing the whole evening.
the past
To talk about a past By noon, the
event/situation that Subject + had + students had
Past Perfect occurred before another past participle (- gathered at the
action or particular time ed or -en) quadrangle with
in the past their advisers.
To emphasize the
recentness and duration
Students had been
of a continuous
Past Perfect Subject + had waiting for two
action/activity which
Continuous been + -ing hours before their
took place before a
professor arrived.
particular time in the
past
FUTURE TENSE
SENTENCE
ASPECT FUNCTION EXAMPLE
STRUCTURE
Due to the recent
To say that something is
Subject + earthquakes, the
planned to happen, or
Simple Future will/shall + base school will conduct
that we think is likely to
verb an earthquake drill
happen in the future
next week.
MaScians will be
To talk about actions that Subject +
Future studying all their
will be in progress at a wlll/shall be + -
Continuous lessons this coming
specific time in the future ing
weekend.
To refer to something
Subject +
that has not happened By next week, I will
will/shall have +
Future Perfect yet, but will happen have finished
past participle (-
before a particular time reading the book.
ed or -en)
in the future
By 2030, I will have
To emphasize the Subject +
Future Perfect been serving as a
duration to an event at a will/shall have
Continuous public school
specific time in the future been + -ing
teacher for 6 years.
Schools Division Office of Manila
MANILA SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Ermita, Manila
CONDITIONALS
• Conditionals: sentences used in language to express actions or situations that
depend on a certain condition
• A conditional sentence has two parts: if clause/ condition clause, and a main
clause/ result clause
CONDITIONALS
TYPE FUNCTION SENTENCE STRUCTURE EXAMPLE
Gives a fact, a rule, or a
If + present simple verb
true situation; always If you heat water to 100
Zero tense , present simple
true for the person who degrees, it boils.
verb tense.
is speaking
Talks about things
If I study hard, I will
which might happen in
If + present simple verb pass the admission
First the future; possible
tense , will + infinitive exam in Manila Science
condition + probable
High School.
result
Used for unreal or
imaginary situations in If + past simple verb
If I were rich, I would
Second the present or future; tense , would +
travel the world.
impossible now, unlikely infinitive
in future
Used for imagining a If + past perfect verb If they had left earlier,
Third different outcome in the tense , would + have + they wouldn’t have
past; regrets past participle. missed the bus.
Schools Division Office of Manila
MANILA SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Ermita, Manila
Exercise 1: Identify the verb tense in the following sentences. Write your answers on a
one-fourth sheet of pad paper. Answers only.
1. She has been studying English for five years now.
2. They were playing soccer when it started to rain.
3. I will have finished my homework by tomorrow.
4. He had left before the meeting started.
5. She writes in her journal every night.
6. She has written five novels since she started her career.
7. I had been living in New York before I moved to Philippines.
8. She will have completed her degree by the end of this year.
9. When I got to the theater, the play had already started.
10. This time next week, we will be taking our second periodic test.
Exercise 2: Identify the correct type of conditional in each sentence. Write your answers
on the same paper you used from the previous exercise.
1. If I find your book, I will return it.
2. If I had known about the test, I would have studied.
3. If you mix blue and yellow, you get green.
4. If I were taller, I would play basketball.
5. If I pass the scholarship exam, I will study in Canada next year.
-end of module-