How do we use the Simple Past Tense?

We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long.

Here are some short events with the simple past tense:
The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday.
She went to the door.
We did not hear the telephone.
Did you see that car?
past present future The action is in the past.
Here are some long events with the simple past tense:
I lived in Bangkok for 10 years.
The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.
We did not sing at the concert.
Did you watch TV last night?
past present future

The action is in the past.

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past tense when:

* the event is in the past
* the event is completely finished
* we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event

WSM Image
In general, if we say the time or place of the event, we must use the simple past tense; we cannot use the present perfect.

Here are some more examples:

* I lived in that house when I was young.
* He didn't like the movie.
* What did you eat for dinner?
* John drove to London on Monday.
* Mary did not go to work yesterday.
* Did you play tennis last week?
* I was at work yesterday.
* We were not late (for the train).
* Were you angry?

Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past tense for the action. Look at this example of the beginning of a story:

"The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring down. It was cold. The door opened and James Bond entered. He took off his coat, which was very wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and quietly drank his..."

Read more »

Simple Present Tense

I sing
How do we make the Simple Present Tense?
subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
do base

There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.
2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb like:
subject auxiliary verb main verb
+ I, you, we, they like coffee.
He, she, it likes coffee.
- I, you, we, they do not like coffee.
He, she, it does not like coffee.
? Do I, you, we, they like coffee?
Does he, she, it like coffee?

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:
subject main verb
+ I am French.
You, we, they are French.
He, she, it is French.
- I am not old.
You, we, they are not old.
He, she, it is not old.
? Am I late?
Are you, we, they late?
Is he, she, it late?
How do we use the Simple Present Tense?

We use the simple present tense when:

* the action is general
* the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future
* the action is not only happening now
* the statement is always true

John drives a taxi.
past present future
It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future.

Look at these examples:

* I live in New York.
* The Moon goes round the Earth.
* John drives a taxi.
* He does not drive a bus.
* We do not work at night.
* Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb "to be" in the simple present tense - some of them are general, some of them are now:
Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
You are happy.
past present future
The situation is now.

I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.
past present future
The situation is general. Past, present and future.

Read more »

RUMUS 16 TENSES

Kata Kerja

Kata Kerja adalah bagian inti dari Tenses Bahasa Inggris. Kata kerja atau Verb pada rumus-rumus Tenses di blog ini, Kata kerja atau Verb ini sering saya singkat V saja. Jadi kalau V+ing artinya sama dengan Verb+ing, sering juga saya tulis sebagai “Ving” saja agar mudah.

Kata kerja dalam bahasa Inggris ada banyak bentuknya: V1, V2, V3, Ving.

Kata Kerja bentuk 1 atau saya singkat V1, yaitu kata kerja dasar, seperti: drink, go, write, read, participate, learn, study, dan sebagainya. Ada kata kerja bentuk ke 2, sering saya singkat V2. Kata kerja bentuk 3 ya V3. Serta Kata Kerja bentuk ING atau saya singkat Ving. Bagaimana cara menggunakan bentuk-bentuk kata kerja tersebut? Ada di masing-masing pelajaran Tenses Bahasa Inggris.
Perubahan Bentuk Kata Kerja

Perubahan bentuk Kata Kerja bentuk 1 (V1) ke bentuk kedua (V2) dan bentuk ke 3 (V2) ada yang beraturan (ada rumusnya) dan ada juga yang tidak beraturan (tidak ada rumusnya). Wah memamg inilah yang membuat bahasa Inggris ini menjadi rumit bagi kita orang Indonesia, haha.

Kata Kerja Beraturan (Regular Verb):

Artinya ya mempunyai keteraturan bentuknya, ada rumusnya misalnya ditambah “D” atau “ED” seperti: live – lived – lived, play, played, played.

Walaupun ada aturannya tetapi aturan perubahan tersebut masih ada beberapa. Daftar kata kerja beraturan ini pun panjang sekali. Saya sarankan Anda mempunyai buku Grammar Bahasa Inggris walaupun yang kecil dan sederhana, biasanya ada di sana. Memang Anda mau menulsinya disini satu per satu?.

Kata Kerja TIDAK Beraturan (Irregular Verb):

Nah ini tambah kacau lagi, tidak ada aturannya. Misalnya kata kerja “drink” berturut-turut untuk bentuk ke 1 sampai 3: drink-drank-drunk. Satu contoh lain lagi: break-broke-broken. Sekali lagi saya sarankan Anda mempunyai buku Grammar Bahasa Inggris ya. Di Blog Tenses Bahasa Inggris ini saya akan lebih fokus pada TENSES itu sendiri, agar Anda punya pengertian yang lengkap tentangnya.

Masih ingat V1, V2, V3 dan Ving? Jangan lupa apa itu artinya ya, karena akan sering dipergunakan dalam setiap pelajaran tenses bahasa inggris di blog ini.

1. Present Tense (Waktu Sekarang)

a. Simple Present Tense (Waktu Sekarang Sederhana)

Rumus :

+ } S + V1 + O/C

- } S + Do/does + not + V1 + O/C

? } Do/does + S + V1 + O/C

Example :

+ } Ahmad Reads book everyday

- } Ahmad does not Read book everyday

? } does Ahmad Read book everyday

Yes He does / No He does not (doesn’t)

For I, We, You, They = do

He, She, It = Does

Contoh kalimat :

(+) She is a new people here.

(+) He plays football every morning

(-) She isn’t a new people here.

(-) He not playing football every morning.

(?) Is she a new people here?

(?) How playing football every morning?

b. Present Continuous Tense (Waktu Berlangsung Sekarang)

Menerangkan suatu perbuatan yabg sedang berlangsungpada waktu sekarang.

Rumus :

+ } S + Be + V1 + ing + O/C

- } S + Be + not + V1 + ing + O/C

? } Be + S + V1 + ing + O/C

EXAMPLE :

+ } They are playing badmintoon now

- } They are not playing badmintoon now

? } Are they palaying badmintoon now ?

Yes They are / no they are not

For I = am

They, we, you = are

He, She, It = Is

Contoh dalam kalimat :

(+) They are studying English now.

(+) He is playing badminton now

(-) They aren’t studying English now.

(-) He isn’t playing badminton now.

(?) Is he playing badminton now.

(?) Is she going to market now?

c. Present Perfect Tense (Waktu Sempurna Sekarang)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) I have gone.

(+) They have done

(-) I haven’t gone.

(-)They haven’t done.

(?) Have I gone ?

(?) Have they done ?

d. Present Perfect Continuous Tense (Waktu Berlangsung Sempurna Sekarang)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) She has been going to Malang since evening.

(+) We have been riding a horse for three days

(-) She hasn’t been going to Malang since evening.

(-) We haven’t been riding a horse for three days.

(?) Has she been going to Malang ?

(?) Have He been riding a horse for three days ?

2. Past Tense (Waktu Lampau)

a. Simple Past Tense (Waktu Lampau Sederhana)

Rumus :

+} S+Be+Was/Were+O/C

-} S+Be+Was/Were+not+O/C

?} Be+Was/Were+ S+O/C

Example :

+} We were at school yesterday

-} We were not at school yesterday

?} were we at school yesterday ?

For I, He, She, It = Was

They, we, you = were

Contoh :

(+) I saw a good film last night

(+) He came here last month

(-) I saw not a good film last night

(-) He came not last month

(?) Saw I a good film last night

(?) Came He here last month

b. Past Continuous Tense (Waktu Berlangsung Lampau)
Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) He was watching television all afternoon last week

(+) They were talking about sport when I met him

(-) He wasn’t watching television all afternoon last week

(-) They weren’t talking about sport when I met him

(?) Was He watching television all afternoon last week

(?) Were they talking about sport when I met him

c. Past Perfect Tense (Waktu Sempurna Lampau)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) When my brother arrived , I had painted my motor cycle

(+) The ship had left before I arrived

(-) When my brother arrived , I hadn’t painted my motor cycle

(-) The ship hadn’t left before I arrived

(?) Had I my motor cycle , when my brother arrived ?

(?) Had the ship left before I arrived?

d. Past Perfect Continuous Tense (Waktu Berlangsung Sempurna Lampau)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) They had been living there for two month

(+) When they washed my drees , your father had been playing badminton

(-) They hadn’t been living there for two month

(-) When they washed my dress , your father hadn’t been playing badminton

(?) Had they been living there for two month?

(?) When they washed my dress , had your father been playing badminton ?

3. Future Tense (Akan Datang)

a. Simple Future Tense (Waktu Akan Datang Sederhana)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) I will visit to yogyakarta tomorrow.

(+) he will met girl friend by seven o’clock

(?) Will he go to America next month?

(+) President shall at Nederland the day after tomorrow.

(-) President shall not at Nederland the day after tomorrow.

(?) Shall President at Nederland the day after tomorrow?

b. Future Continuous Tense (Waktu Berlangsung Akan Datang)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) I will be writing a comic.

(+) I will be studying tomorrow night.

(-) I will not writing a comic.

(-) I will not be studying tomorrow night.

(?) Will I be writing a comic ?

(?) Will I be studying tomorrow night ?

c. Future Perfect Tense (Waktu Sempurna Akan Datang)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) Bily will have done his work by the end of this week.

(+) By next week I shall have read this book.

(-) Bily will haven’t done his work by the end of this week.

(-) By next week I shall haven’t read this book.

(?) Will Billy have done his work by the end of this week ?

(?) Shall I have read this book by next week ?

d. Future Perfect Continuous Tense (Waktu Berlangsung Sempurna Akan Datang)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) I will have been reading a news paper.

(+) He will have been listening music.

(-) I will haven’t been reading a news paper.

(-) He will haven’t listening a music.

(?) Will I have been riding a news paper ?

(?) Will He have listening a music ?

4. Past Future Tense (Akan Datang Di Waktu Lampau)

a. Past Future Tense (Waktu Akan Datang Di Waktu Lampau)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) He would come if you invited him.

(+) They would buy a home the previous day.

(-) He wouldn’t come if invited him.

(-) They wouldn’t buy a home the previous day.

(?) Would He come if invited him ?

(?) Would they buy a home the previous day ?

b. Past Future Continuous Tense (Waktu Akan Sedang Terjadi Diwaktu Lampau)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) I should be swimming at this time the following day.

(+) I shall be sliping at 10 o’clock tomorrow.

(-) I shouldn’t be swimming at this time the following day.

(-) I shalln’t be sleeping at 10 o’clock tomorrow.

(?) Shall I be swimming at this time the following day ?

(?) Shall I be sleeping at10 o’clock tomorrow ?

c. Past Future Perfect Tense (Waktu Akan Sudah Selesai Di Waktu Lampau)

Rumus :

Contoh :

(+) He would have graduated if he had studies hard.

(+) Nonok will have studied moth by the end of this week.

(-) He wouldn’t have gone if he had met his darling

(-) Nonok will have not studied month by the end of this week

(?) Would He have gone if he had met his darling ?

(?) Will Nonok have studied month by the end of this week ?

d. Past Future Perfect Continuous Tense

(Waktu Yang Sudah Sedang Berlangsung Pada Waktu Lampau)

Rumus :

Contoh :

Rianawati would have been speaking English for two years

(+) Mrs. Anisa Munif would have been walking here for seventeen years

(+) Rianawati would have been speaking English for two years

(-) Mrs. Anisa Munif wouldn’t have been walking here for seventeen year

(-) Rianawati wouldn’t have been speaking English for two years

(?) Would Mrs. Anisa Munif have been walking here for seventeen years?

(?) Would Rianawati have been speaking English for two years?

Read more »