Newsletter 009
Back to School 2/3: The Past, Present, and Future Simple Aspects (Not Tenses)
In the previous Newsletter, we made a distinction between two very important things — we divided English verbs into two categories:
- the tenses; and,
- the aspects.
When we talk about the tenses, we talk about the defined time when something happened. Therefore, we need to add specific context to the sentences when we use them, which includes one or all of the following:
- the exact time— I will eat shvarglah tomorrow. (a.k.a. head cheese)
- the exact context — In the previous Newsletter, we made a distinction.
- the obvious context — Sreten writes these newsletters a.k.a. newsrettens.
So, whenever any or all of these conditions are met and we use a specific context to talk about an action, state, or event — we use the tenses.
However, when we talk about something and we don’t mention a specific context, then we use aspects — because ‘aspect’ means BEFORE a certain point in time, and the word PERFECT in present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect is exactly that — ‘before a point that I will tell you about first’.
- Past Perfect — before something else in the past.
I came home at 5 o’clock. Everything before that event needs to be put in the past perfect. So, if you ate lunch at 2, drank non-alcohol beer at 3 (because you drive home and you are responsible), finished work at 4, and came home at 5, you need to say it like this:
I came home at 5 o’clock, but I had eaten lunch, had drunk non-alcohol beer, and had finished work.
*But if you put them on a timeline and list them in the order they happened, then you can use the past simple tense for all of them:
I ate lunch, drank non-alcohol beer, finished work, and came home.
- Future Perfect — before something else in the future.
I will finish my project next week — this means that you will not finish it before then, but that you will finish it within the said time. The time reference is the said time. (Future Simple Tense)
I will have finished my project by the end of the next week — this means that the deadline is the end of the next week, but that you can finish it tomorrow if you want to. The period is from now until the said time. (Future Perfect Simple)
- Present Perfect — before the moment you say the sentence (now).
I have traveled to the USA — anytime in the past before now.
I traveled to the USA in 2015 — at a specific point in the past.
Therefore, when we use the present perfect, we don’t give any specific information, we talk about ANY time in the past. The focus is on the event, not on the exact time or specific context surrounding the information.
On the other hand, when we use the past simple, we don’t talk about just any time in the past — we always give some additional information that helps us narrow down the information to the specific one.
In our next newsletter, we will wrap the topic up by discussing the continuous versions of the past, present, and future aspects, which will help you create a mindmap of the English way of understanding and using verbs.
To boost your understanding, here are some links to help you distinguish between the most challenging tenses and aspects:
- Past Simple and Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect;
- Past Simple vs. Present Perfect;
- Future Simple and Continuous vs. Future Perfect.
Until then,
Au revoir!
