Bahasa Inggeris notes, unit 2

Grammar: present, past and perfect tenses

Textbook Close-up B1 Student's Book, Second Edition (Form 3), National Geographic Learning / Cengage — 12 units; skills-based chapters for the UASA, pages Units 1, 2, 3 and 7 grammar (pp.9, 21, 25, 35, 87, 92) and Grammar Reference pp.161 to 168

What this chapter covers

I can use the present simple and present continuous for facts, routines, timetables, temporary actions, changes and plans (2.1)
I can tell stative verbs from action verbs, and explain how have, think, see, taste and be change meaning (2.1)
I can use the past simple and past continuous to set a scene, show an interrupted action and tell a story (2.2)
I can use used to, would, be used to and get used to correctly (2.3)
I can choose between the present perfect simple, the present perfect continuous and the past simple, and use for, since and ago (2.4)
I can use the past perfect simple and continuous for an earlier action in the past (2.5)
I can find and correct one-word tense errors in a text, as in UASA Paper 1 Part 2 (2.6)

In Tingkatan 1 you met five tenses. At B1 level the question is no longer only "past or present?" but how we see the action: a finished event, an action in progress, a result that matters now, or something that happened before another past event. This unit covers eight forms. It is the grammar that Paper 1 Part 2 (error correction) and the Paper 2 stories need. The unit follows Units 1, 2, 3 and 7 of the textbook and its Grammar Reference (pp.161 to 168).

Aspect: the way a verb looks at time. Simple = the action as a fact or a whole. Continuous = the action in progress. Perfect = the action is finished but connected to a later time (now, or another past time).

	Simple	Continuous	Perfect simple	Perfect continuous
Present	she studies	she is studying	she has studied	she has been studying
Past	she studied	she was studying	she had studied	she had been studying

2.1Present simple, present continuous and stative verbs

Textbook: Unit 1 p.9; Grammar Reference 1.1 to 1.4, pp.161 to 162.

Tense	Uses	Example
Present simple	facts and general truths	Water boils at 100 °C.
	routines and habits (with adverbs of frequency)	My sister always plays volleyball at the weekend.
	permanent states	We live in Sevenoaks.
	timetabled future events	The film starts at 8 o'clock.
Present continuous	in progress now, or around now	We are watching a DVD about elephants.
	temporary situations	My cousin is staying with us this weekend.
	changing and developing situations	Families are becoming smaller and smaller.
	an annoying habit (always, forever, constantly)	My brother is forever complaining about homework.
	plans and arrangements	We are visiting my aunt this Saturday.

Both tenses can talk about the future. If the event is on a timetable (a film, a train), use the present simple. If it is a personal plan that has been arranged, use the present continuous.

Stative verbs

A stative verb describes a state (what you feel, think, own or sense), not an action, so it normally takes the present simple, not -ing.

Group	Verbs
emotion	hate, like, love, need, prefer, want
senses	feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste
state of mind	believe, doubt, forget, imagine, know, remember, seem, suppose, think, understand
possession	belong to, have, own, possess
other	be, consist, contain, cost, include, mean

Some of these verbs have two meanings. Only the action meaning can be continuous.

Verb	State (simple)	Action (continuous)
be	John is very honest. (his character)	Ken is being very rude. (just now, not normal)
have	Lucy has a lovely house. (own)	Susan is having a great time. / We are having lunch.
think	I think you're mad. (opinion)	Jenny is thinking of going to France. (considering)
see	Oh, I see. (understand)	I am seeing Wendy tomorrow. (meeting)
taste	This soup tastes horrible. (its flavour)	Why are you tasting the sauce? (testing it)
weigh	Jill weighs 48 kg.	I am weighing my suitcase.
look	She looks like her mother. (resembles)	Are you looking for your keys? (searching)

Adverbs of frequency

always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely / hardly ever / seldom, never. They go before the main verb but after be: "Susan rarely argues with her brother." "Jeremy is often tired in the morning."

Common mistakes
"I ~~am not remembering~~ her name." → I don't remember her name. (state of mind)
"Tony ~~is looking like~~ his grandfather." → Tony looks like his grandfather.
"Bob and Sue ~~are going~~ to their aunt's house every weekend." → Bob and Sue go ... (a habit, so present simple)
"The film ~~is starting~~ at 8" on a cinema timetable → The film starts at 8.
"Jenny ~~thinks~~ of moving house this year." → Jenny is thinking of moving ... (considering is an action)

Choose the correct form.
(a) Granddad isn't feeling well. He (sees / is seeing) the doctor later today.
(b) Who's that? I (don't remember / am not remembering) her name.
(c) Mum and Dad always (take / are taking) us with them on holiday.
(d) Families (become / are becoming) smaller and smaller these days.

Show answerHide answer

(a) is seeing (a plan; see = meet)
(b) don't remember (state of mind)
(c) take (always = a habit)
(d) are becoming (a changing situation)

2.2Past simple and past continuous

Textbook: Unit 2 p.21; Grammar Reference 2.1 and 2.2, p.163.

Tense	Form	Uses
Past simple	-ed / irregular; didn't + base; Did ... + base?	finished actions; past routines and habits; a series of actions one after another (telling a story)
Past continuous	was / were + -ing	action in progress at a specific time; two actions in progress at the same time; background to a story; an action interrupted by another

Four uses of the past continuous

Mum was making hamburgers at 7 o'clock last night. (a specific time)
I was cooking while my brother was watching TV. (at the same time)
The sun was shining and the children were playing outside when there was a loud bang. (background, then the event)
We were getting ready to have dinner when the doorbell rang. (interrupted)

In a story, the past continuous sets the scene and the past simple moves the story on. The time words while, as, all day and at ten o'clock last night point to the past continuous.

Common mistakes
"While I ~~walked~~ home, it started to rain." → While I was walking home, ...
"I ~~was knowing~~ the answer." → I knew the answer. (stative verbs are not continuous in the past either)
"He ~~did not went~~ to school." → He did not go to school.
Spelling: travel → travelled, travelling; tidy → tidied, tidying; write → writing.

Put the verbs in the past simple or past continuous.
(a) The children ______ (order) pizza when I ______ (walk) into their room.
(b) Karen ______ (make) lunch while Peter ______ (set) the table.
(c) My dad ______ (cook) dinner on Saturday because Mum ______ (be) ill.

Show answerHide answer

(a) were ordering ... walked (in progress, then the interruption)
(b) was making ... was setting (two actions at the same time)
(c) cooked ... was (a finished past action and a past state)

2.3Used to, would, be used to and get used to

Textbook: Unit 2 p.25; Grammar Reference 2.3 and 2.4, p.163.

Form	Meaning	Example
used to + base verb	a past habit or past state that is not true now	I used to love eating out, but now I prefer cooking at home.
would + base verb	a past repeated action only (never a state)	Their mother would cook something special at the weekends.
be used to + gerund / noun	something that is usual and familiar now	Her daughter is used to eating late at night.
get used to + gerund / noun	the process of becoming familiar	I am getting used to salty food.

After used to the verb is the base form (used to play); after be / get used to it is -ing (is used to playing). The "to" in the second pair is a preposition, so a noun or -ing can follow. In questions and negatives, the form is use to: "Did you use to live here?" "I didn't use to like fish."

Common mistakes
"I ~~would~~ be shy when I was young." → I used to be shy. (be is a state, so not would)
"I'm not used to ~~eat~~ spicy food." → I'm not used to eating spicy food.
"Did you ~~used to~~ have a pet?" → Did you use to have a pet?
"Julie has never got used ~~to eat~~ a lot of olive oil." → ... got used to eating ...

Choose the best answer.
(a) We (used to / are used to) have picnics at the beach every weekend when I was little.
(b) It is very cold here, but I (am getting used to / use to) it slowly.
(c) In "When I was seven I ______ have a red bicycle", which is not possible: would or used to?

Show answerHide answer

(a) used to (a past habit that has stopped)
(b) am getting used to (the process of becoming familiar)
(c) would. "Have a bicycle" is a state, and would is only for repeated actions.

2.4Present perfect simple and present perfect continuous

Textbook: Unit 3 p.35; Grammar Reference 3.1 to 3.6, pp.163 to 164.

Tense	Form	Uses	Example
Present perfect simple	have / has + past participle	started in the past and continues until now; unspecified time in the past; past action with a result now; just finished; experiences and achievements	That scientist has studied global warming since 2001. The museum has just closed.
Present perfect continuous	have / has + been + -ing	in progress up to now, or repeated until now; recently finished with a result you can see; emphasising how long	My eyes hurt because I have been working on the computer for hours.

For, since and ago

Word	Used with	Example
for	a length of time + present perfect	The Tasmanian wolf has been extinct for about 50 years.
since	a point in time + present perfect	The dodo has been extinct since 1681.
ago	a length of time + past simple	He went to a conference a month ago.

Other signal words for the present perfect: already, ever, never, just, yet, recently, so far, once, twice, three times, until now. For the continuous: all day, lately, recently, since, for ages, and the question How long ...?

Which one to choose?

Choose	When	Example
present perfect simple	the focus is on what was done or achieved, the action is complete, or you say how many times	We have watched that documentary five times this month.
present perfect continuous	the focus is on how long, whether or not it has finished	The storm has been going on for days.
past simple	you say when (last year, in 2019, two days ago)	We met the scientist at a conference last year.

have been = went and came back ("I have been to that museum"). have gone = went and is still there ("Mum has gone to work").

Common mistakes
"He ~~has gone~~ to a conference a month ago." → He went ... (ago needs the past simple)
"I have lived here ~~since~~ five years." → I have lived here for five years.
"I ~~have been reading~~ three chapters today." → I have read three chapters today. (a number or quantity needs the simple form)
"She ~~has been knowing~~ him for years." → She has known him for years. (stative verb)

Complete with the present perfect simple, present perfect continuous or past simple.
(a) Lin is tired because she ______ (study) since 2.00 p.m.
(b) Biologists ______ (find) three new species so far this year.
(c) How long ______ Bob ______ (work) in this lab?
(d) The team ______ (leave) for the Amazon two weeks ago.

Show answerHide answer

(a) has been studying (since + still in progress; see the timeline in 2.5)
(b) have found (a number, so the simple form)
(c) has ... been working (How long ...?)
(d) left (ago = past simple)

2.5Past perfect simple and past perfect continuous

Textbook: Unit 7 pp.87 and 93; Grammar Reference 7.1 to 7.3, pp.167 to 168.

Textbook extract: Past Perfect Simple, with the sentences 'We had forgotten our passports, so we went home to get them' and 'He had travelled all over the world by his 30th birthday', and Past Perfect Continuous, with 'They had been walking in the desert for days, so they were exhausted' and 'We had been driving for a few hours before we realised that we were lost' — The textbook's Past Perfect Simple and Past Perfect Continuous tasks.

Close-up B1 Student's Book (Form 3), p.87 (Unit 7 Grammar).

Tense	Form	Uses	Example
Past perfect simple	had + past participle	an action or situation that finished before another past action, situation or time	The lost climber had been on the mountain for days before he was rescued.
Past perfect continuous	had + been + -ing	an action in progress when another past action began; an action in progress that had an effect on a later past action	The hiker had been walking for days and collapsed just before reaching his destination.

The negative is hadn't + participle, and the question is Had + subject + participle. Signal words: already, just, never, yet, for, since, by the time, before (past perfect simple); for, since, all day, How long ...? (continuous).

Past simple or past perfect?

If the order of two events is clear, you can use the past simple for both. Use the past perfect for the earlier action when the order is unclear or you want to stress which came first. But when one action follows another immediately or is the direct result of it, both are past simple.

Compare

When the boy heard the thunder, he hid under the bed. (one immediately after the other)
He realised later that he had done a very dangerous thing. (the earlier action is stressed)
Light rain had already begun when we set out for a run. (before the start of the run)

Timelines

Common mistakes
"When I arrived at the stop, the bus ~~left~~." (it was already gone) → the bus had left.
"She ~~had been knowing~~ him." → She had known him. (stative verb)
"He had ~~forgot~~ his passport." → He had forgotten ... (past participle, not past simple)
"They had been ~~walk~~ for days." → They had been walking for days.

Use the timelines above.
(a) How long had Hana been waiting when the bus arrived at 7.40 (she started at 7.10)?
(b) Complete: By the time Farid arrived at 7.20, the bus ______ (leave).
(c) Choose: Mum (cooked / was cooking) when the phone rang at 6.30.

Show answerHide answer

(a) 30 minutes (7.40 minus 7.10): she had been waiting for 30 minutes
(b) had left
(c) was cooking (in progress, then interrupted)

2.6Narrative tenses and correcting tense errors

Textbook: Unit 7 p.92 (Using narrative tenses); Grammar Reference 7.2, p.167.

A story in the past mixes four tenses. Each one has a job.

Tense	Job in a story	Example
Past simple	takes the story forward; a series of finished actions	He stopped running, took out the phone and threw it into the river.
Past continuous	sets the scene; an action that is interrupted	The family was sitting in the garden when they heard the blast.
Past perfect simple	an event before the time of the story	Jane couldn't believe she had made such a dangerous journey on her own.
Past perfect continuous	a longer action that explains a later event	Everyone was exhausted because they had been running for miles.

Method for Paper 1 Part 2

Decide the main time of the text (a past story, present habits, or a report of an earlier event).
Find the subject and check agreement (he / she / it, and were with you, we, they).
Look for time words (since, for, ago, by the time, while, yesterday).
Look for an earlier action: does it need had?
Is the verb stative? Then it is not continuous.
Write one word only and read the sentence again.

Worked example

Last Sunday, my grandmother (0) show me an old photo album. We (1) was looking at a picture of her village when she (2) realise that she (3) has lost one photo years ago. She (4) has been keeping the album in a damp box for a long time, so the pages were yellow.
(0) showed (past story). (1) were (we). (2) realised (the interrupting action, past simple). (3) had (she lost it before she realised: earlier action). (4) had (a longer action before the time of the story: had been keeping).

In Part 2 you write one word. When the correct verb has two or three words (had been keeping), the underlined word is usually only one part of it, so correct that one word (has → had) and leave the rest.

Correct the underlined word.
"Last night, my brother (a) is doing his homework when the lights went out. He (b) use to be afraid of the dark, but he (c) were calm. Later he said he (d) didn't been so scared since he was little."

Show answerHide answer

(a) was (past continuous, interrupted)
(b) used (used to be afraid)
(c) was (he takes was)
(d) hadn't (past perfect: had not been so scared before that night)

Summary

Tense	Form	Main use	Example
Present simple	base / +s	facts, routines, timetables	The train leaves at 8.
Present continuous	am / is / are + -ing	now, temporary, changing, plans	She is staying with us.
Past simple	-ed / irregular	finished past, story sequence	We met in March.
Past continuous	was / were + -ing	in progress, background, interrupted	It was raining when I left.
Present perfect simple	have / has + p.p.	result now, experience, unspecified time	I have lost my keys.
Present perfect continuous	have / has been + -ing	how long, until now	I have been waiting for an hour.
Past perfect simple	had + p.p.	before another past time	The film had started.
Past perfect continuous	had been + -ing	longer action before a past event	They had been walking for days.

Stative verbs (know, like, want, belong, seem) are not used in continuous tenses. Some (have, think, see, taste) change meaning.
Used to + base verb for past habits and states; would only for repeated actions; be / get used to + -ing.
for + a length of time, since + a point in time, ago + past simple.
Number or quantity: simple form. How long: continuous form.
If you say when it happened, use the past simple, not the present perfect.
The earlier action in a past story needs the past perfect (unless the order is obvious or immediate).