Lesson video

Hi, I'm Mr. Buckingham, and thank you so much for joining me today for a lesson on simple tenses.

Now, it's so important to be able to write in different tenses accurately so we can tell our reader about things that have happened in the past, things that are happening now, and things which will happen in the future.

So let's see if we can master this skill together today.

Let's get to work.

Today's lesson is called "Writing Sentences in the Simple Present, Past, and Future Tense." And it comes from our (indistinct) three-tense forms and modal verbs.

By the end of today's lesson, we'll be able to write a range of sentence types in the simple present, past, and future tense.

Now, writing in different tenses can be tricky, and it's easy to make mistakes with the words that we use.

So in this lesson, we are going to address some of those mistakes head on to make sure that when we are writing, our writing is clear and accurate in the different simple tenses.

Let's make a start.

Here are keywords for today's lesson.

My turn, your turn.

Verb.

Tense.

Simple tense.

Now a tricky one, auxiliary verb.

Let's do that one once more.

Auxiliary, verb, and maintain.

(indistinct talking) But now a verb, as you know, is a being, a doing or a having word.

The tense of a piece of writing tells the reader when it's happening in the past, in the present or in the future.

A simple tense is one that doesn't use an auxiliary verb in addition to the main verb in the present and past tense.

I'll explain that more in detail.

An auxiliary verb is a helping verb, which is paired with the main verb in a sentence to change the tense or the meaning.

Again, we'll see that during the lesson.

And if you maintain something, you make it stay the same.

Let's look at our lesson outline.

We're going to start off by identifying the different simple tenses and then we'll move on to writing sentences using those simple tenses.

Now we know that a verb is a being, a doing or a having word.

We have sufficient food.

Is that relevant? You always exaggerate.

We have our verbs in purple; have, is, and exaggerate.

Have is a having word, is is a being word, and exaggerate is a doing word.

So verbs tell us the tense of a sentence, whether it's happening in the past, the present, or the future.

Here are some examples.

My neighbour shouted at me.

Hmm, the action has happened.

It's in the past.

It's the past tense.

My neighbour shouts at me.

That action is happening in the present tense.

And my neighbour will shout at me, the action is yet to happen.

It's in the future.

Let's see if you can spot these.

In each sentence, is it showing a past, a present, or a future tense, and which verbs are telling you? Pause the video and see if you can work it out.

Let's take a look.

In A, we see that verb, soar.

Now that tells us it's in the past tense.

B says, the vehicle will arrive shortly.

That's going to be in the future.

C says, I know the meaning of this symbol.

I know it now.

That's the present.

And D says, she speaks three languages.

She speaks them now.

So speaks tells us this is the present tense, too.

Really good job if you've got this.

Now, verbs can also be linked to different people or groups.

And we call this the person the verb is shown in.

Let me show you what I mean.

We could say, I think it's necessary or we think it's necessary.

We call these the first person.

We're talking from our own perspective.

We could also say you think it's necessary.

We call this the second person.

We're talking to a person or a group of people.

We could also say she thinks it's necessary, he thinks it's necessary or they think it's necessary.

We call these the third person.

And here, we're talking about a person, a thing, or a group of people.

So first person is from our own perspective.

Second person, we're talking to someone and third person, we're talking about someone.

Now, notice how she and he have slightly different endings with these verbs here.

We say, I think, we think, you think.

Then we say she thinks and he think.

Let's keep an eye on that as we go forward.

So can you match these sentences to the person they're written in? Are they first person, second person, or third person? Pause the video and have a go.

Okay, let's have a look.

You must guarantee that you will not let me down.

We're talking to someone.

That's the second person.

Mrs. Begum and I get along well.

Hmm, we're talking from our own perspective.

That's the first person.

Jacob and Izzy have not done sufficient work.

We're talking about other people.

That's the third person.

And notice how Mrs. Begum and I is the same as saying we.

It's me and another person, but we're talking from our perspective.

So that's the first person.

Great job if you matched those up.

Now, there are several different types of past, present, and future tense in English, and we'll learn more as we go through our school life.

But one type of present tense is the simple present tense.

I bruise easily.

It occupies a lot of space.

The poem rhymes.

I recognise him.

These sentences show something that's happening now using just one verb.

And you can see those verbs, bruise, occupies, rhymes and recognise.

And these actions are still happening.

Now notice that when we do the simple present tense, the he, the she and the it forms of the verb are different.

I achieve, we achieve, you achieve, they achieve, he achieves, she achieves and it achieves.

So that's something to watch out for when we're spelling these words in our writing.

One type of past tense is the simple past tense.

I bruised myself.

It occupied the whole room.

My poem rhymed.

I recognised him immediately.

Notice how lots of these have an E-D ending.

These sentences show something that has happened already.

And again, they're using just one verb; bruised, occupied, rhymed and recognised.

And these actions have finished.

Let's look at the forms of this verb.

Here we can see the he, the she and the it forms are the same as the other forms. I interrupted, you interrupted, we interrupted, they interrupted.

And then just the same, he interrupted, she interrupted and it interrupted.

They're all the same.

So is each of these sentences in the simple past tense or the simple present tense and which verbs are telling you this? Pause the video and see if you can work it out.

Okay, let's have a look.

In A, we see that verb rubbed.

That's happening in the past.

So this is the simple past tense.

Look, it's just one word.

Rubbed.

For B, we see queue as the verb.

That's happening now.

We're queuing every day.

That's a simple present tense.

Alex suggested.

Hmm, he suggested it in the past.

So that's the simple past tense.

And earthquakes occur regularly here.

Well, that means they are occurring at the time we're talking.

So this is the simple present tense.

Really good job if you work those out.

Now we've talked about the simple past tense and the simple present tense.

So we've talked about action in the past and action in the present.

Now one type of future tense is the simple future tense, which shows us something that's yet to happen.

It hasn't happened yet, but it will.

Here's some examples.

I will come to the restaurant.

Gin will be very thorough.

They will do excellent work.

We will have our own identity.

Now you might have spotted something a bit different here.

In this tense, we have two verbs.

The auxiliary verb is will, and then we have the main verb.

An auxiliary verb is a helping verb that we pair with our main verb.

Let's take a look.

I will find this awkward.

We've got, will, our auxiliary verb and, find, our main verb.

So that auxiliary verb, will, is helping the main verb, find, and changing the tense to show this is the simple future tense.

So true or false? There are two verbs in the simple future tense sentence.

You will find the secretary in the office.

Pause the video and decide if that's true or false.

Well done.

That is true.

Now see if you can justify your answer.

Pause the video and decide which explanation makes the most sense.

Well done.

It's B.

The auxiliary verb is will, and it's helping the main verb, find.

So, will, in our simple future tense is always the auxiliary verb and it will always be paired with another verb, the main verb in that simple future tense.

Now we can identify the simple tenses in different sentence types by looking at the verbs.

So if I look at this one, it says, "As the wind blew, I attach the tent tightly to the ground." I see the verbs blue and attached.

Those are both happening in the past.

So this is the simple past tense.

In the second one, I see the verbs works and is.

My cousin who works in parliament now is right now much older than me.

That must be the simple present tense.

And then this one says, "Jun will prepare the vegetables and Aisha will make the sauce." Now I bet you spotted that auxiliary verb, will, paired with those main verbs, prepare and make.

We're talking about something that is yet to happen in the future.

So this is the simple future tense.

Now is each sentence here in the simple past tense, simple present tense or simple future tense, and which verbs are telling you? Pause the video and try and work it out.

Let's take a look.

In A, we can see the verb spoke in the past tense.

This is the simple past tense, and interrupted is in the same tense.

The cemetery, which is nearby, has high walls.

It's still is nearby right now.

It's still has those walls.

So this is the simple present tense.

And C says, what a nuisance it will be.

Now it's saying something which is yet to happen, so that must be the simple future tense.

Great work.

Let's do our first task for this lesson.

I want you to identify the tense of each sentence.

Is it a simple past, simple present or simple future? And I want you to circle the verbs that helped you to work it out.

Here are our sentences.

So pause the video, decide which tense has been used and circle the verbs which helped you to work it out.

Okay, let's take a look.

In A, we see will be and will be.

That's the simple future.

In B, we see is and has.

Has a pool right now, the simple present.

C has hurt and bruised.

I hurt in the past is the simple past tense.

D has in the future.

There's a hint.

You will achieve great things.

The simple future.

The agency collapsed and happened, tells us this has already happened.

It's the simple past tense.

And F says "French, which is my native language sounds beautiful." It still sounds beautiful.

It still is my native language.

So that's the simple present.

Great work.

Okay, we've talked about identifying the simple tenses.

Now we're gonna try and apply that to our writing.

We're gonna try and write some sentences in the simple tense, and we'll also look at how we can correct some really common mistakes we might make when writing in these simple tenses.

Now, when we write in the simple tenses, we often want to maintain the tense throughout a sentence.

That means to keep the tense the same in the different verbs in a sentence, because remember, a sentence could have several verbs in it.

Let me show you some examples.

I could say when we painted the walls, we accidentally got paint on ourselves.

Painted and got are both showing us the simple past tense.

This all happened in the past.

I could say we take medication because it makes us feel better.

Take and makes are in the simple present.

Both those verbs are in the same simple tense.

But sometimes we have to use a mixture of simple tenses in one sentence in order for it to make sense.

We could say, when we finish painting, we will wash our hands thoroughly.

Or we finish would be in the simple present tense, but we'll wash is in the simple future.

That's something which is going to happen in the future.

Similarly, we could say, "We will go outside when the temperature rises," where will go is the simple future, but the temperature rises is the simple present.

So here, we've used different tenses is the same sentence.

So to maintain the correct tense, we have to check the verb forms that we use.

Let me show you what I mean by that.

Here's an example where it's gone wrong.

As the mischievous puppy raced through the house, it tears up newspapers and rips the cushions.

Now I can see I've got the verb raced in green.

That's a simple past tense.

But then I said, it tears up newspapers and rips the cushions.

Both of those are simple present.

Now we've seen that we can mix up tenses in the same sentence, but here, it doesn't make sense.

It doesn't sound right.

Instead, we would keep those verbs in the same simple tense.

We could say, as the mischievous puppy raced through the house, it tore up the newspapers and ripped up the cushions.

Now all three verbs are in the simple past tense.

And for this sentence, that is what makes sense.

I wonder if you can do the same thing.

We're going to maintain the tense by correcting the verbs which are wrong.

Here's the wrong example.

While the soldier marched on, he feels weary and tired.

He has no energy and he wants to stop.

Pause the video and decide how you would fix that bad example to make the verbs the right tense.

Have a go.

Here's what you might have come up with.

You could have said, while the soldier marched on, he felt weary and tired.

He had no energy and he wanted to stop.

All of those verbs are now in the simple past tense.

And for this piece of work, that's what we need.

That's what sounds right.

Really well done if you corrected those.

So I wonder if you can correct the mistake in the second verb in each sentence to make sure this sentence makes sense.

So the first verb in green is correct.

I want you to try and fix the second verb in green to make sure your sentence makes sense.

Pause the video and have a go.

Okay, let's have a look.

In A, we would say when we go to foreign countries, we always enjoy the food.

For B, we'd say, "The guard who tried to stop us, held up his hand." Tried it in the past, so we need held up in the past as well.

The simple past tense.

For C, we would say, "When we finish this excellent story, we will go to play." Aha.

Now notice how this time finish is the simple present and will go is the simple future.

That's what makes sense for this sentence.

So sometimes we keep the tense the same.

Sometimes we have to have different tenses in the same sentence to make it make sense.

Now, when we complete a sentence, we have to consider whether we're using the right simple tense.

Remember, we've seen that sometimes we keep the tense the same and sometimes we have to change it to make the sentence make sense.

Let's look at some more examples.

Here's the start of a sentence.

After we won the competition.

Won isn't a simple past tense.

Let's see what ending would work best there.

Can we say after we won the competition, we will receive a reward? No.

Can we say after we won the competition, we receive a reward? No.

We have to say, "After we won the competition, we received a reward." It stayed in the simple past tense.

One and received are both in the simple past.

What about this example? The restaurant will close.

Well, will close has that auxiliary verb, will, so this must be the simple future tense.

But let's see how the sentence could end.

The restaurant will close after we finished our meal.

No, that doesn't sound right.

The restaurant will close after we will finish our meal.

Hmm, well, this looks like it should be right because this is the simple future again.

But it doesn't sound right, does it? Instead, we must say the restaurant will close after we finish our meal.

That's the one that sounds right.

And this time, we've used a simple present tense verb.

So we've seen that sometimes we keep these verbs the same throughout a sentence and sometimes we have to change the simple tense to make it work.

So which is the correct ending to this sentence? When I have sufficient money.

Now have is a simple present tense verb.

So pause the video and decide how you would end that sentence to make it make sense.

Now, hopefully you spotted that it is C, which is unusual because we can see I will travel is in the simple future tense.

So notice how this verb is the simple future, but the sentence started in the simple present with I have.

So we've changed the tense of our verbs within the same sentence.

Now I'm sure you've heard of relative complex sentences.

That's a type of complex sentence where we have a main clause with a relative clause joined to it.

And often, that relative clause interrupts the main clause.

And you might remember that relative clauses start with relative pronouns, like who and which.

And when we write relative complex sentences, we sometimes use verbs in different simple tenses, again, like we just saw.

Here's an example of a relative complex sentence.

Mr. McIntyre, who will be my teacher again next year is very kind.

We have that relative clause, "who will be my teacher again next year." Here's the main clause.

"Mr. McIntyre is very kind," and that has a simple present tense verb, is, and that's there.

But we then have the relative clause, "who will be my teacher again." Well, that has a simple future tense verb, will be.

So we've got two different simple tenses in the same relative complex sentence.

Here's another example.

The village which sits near a forest, played an important role in the war.

There's our relative clause, which sits near a forest.

Here's the main clause.

The village played an important role in the war.

Well, played is a simple past tense verb.

But then we've got our relative clause with the verb, sits.

This is a simple present tense verb.

So in the same relative complex sentence, we have our two different simple tense verbs.

So true or false? All the verbs in the sentence are always in the same simple tense, true or false? Pause the video and decide.

Well done.

That's definitely false.

Now can you explain why? Pause the video and choose the best explanation.

Okay, you're right, it's B.

Sometimes we have to use different simple tenses in one sentence so that it makes sense, and we've seen that in lots of examples so far.

Great job.

Now you might also have heard of a non-finite complex sentences.

A non-finite complex sentence contains a main clause, which makes sense in its own and a non-finite, in our case, I-N-G clause.

So something like walking up the stairs.

It starts with walking, an I-N-G word, and it's a subordinate clause.

It doesn't make sense on its own.

When we're writing those non-finite complex sentences, we'll again, have verbs in different tenses sometimes.

Here's a non-finite complex sentence.

Glancing up from the dictionary, I saw Mrs. Begum waiting.

"Glancing up from the dictionary" is that non-finite I-N-G clause, and "I saw Mrs. Begum waiting" is the main clause.

We can see here we've got that progressive tense verb with the I-N-G ending, "Glancing up from the dictionary." That's not a simple tense at all.

It's a different tense form altogether.

And then in our main clause, we've got "I saw." A simple past tense verb.

So again, we have a mixture of tenses here.

This time, we've got the non-finite clause, second.

She takes my temperature, checking the thermometer carefully.

"Checking the thermometer carefully" is our non-finite I-N-G clause.

So in the main clause we have a simple present tense verb, takes.

She takes it now.

And then "Checking the thermometer carefully" has that I-N-G verb in a progressive tense, not a simple tense at all.

A different tense form altogether.

So again, we have a mixture going on here.

So what main clauses in a simple tense could complete this non-finite complex sentence? So I've given you the non-finite I-N-G clause, "Gazing up at the night sky" and the word, we.

Now, can you complete that main clause in different simple tenses? I wonder if you can do it in two different simple tenses.

Pause the video and have a good think about this one.

Great.

Let's take a look at some ideas.

We could say, "Gazing up at the night sky, we gasped in astonishment." Simple past tense.

"We spotted bright shooting stars.

We saw nothing but inky blackness." But I could also say, "We search carefully for planets.

We see the wonders of the universe.

We feel so small and insignificant." So I have done three in the simple past tense; gasped, spotted, and saw.

And three in the simple present tense; search, see and feel.

And all of those sentences make sense with our non-finite I-N-G clause at the start.

So we can complete a sentence using an appropriate simple tense, if we're given a verb.

Let me show you what I mean.

When the neighbour came round, he, and I've put in brackets the verb, give.

Now I haven't told you the tense I want that sentence to be in.

That's up to you to decide.

But I can see my first verb, came, is the simple past tense.

So what would make sense? Well, I could say when the neighbour came round, he gave us some pocket money.

I've kept it in a simple past tense.

What if I said when the neighbour comes round, he give? Well, this time, I've got the simple present tense, comes.

So I'm going to have to change my sentence.

But I could use a different simple tense here.

I could say, when the neighbour comes round, he will give us some pocket money.

I could also say, when the neighbour comes round, he gives me some pocket money.

That would be the simple present tense again.

We can mix these tenses up, depending on what we're trying to say.

But we have to make sure it's the right tense form to make sense.

So now you try.

I'd like you to use the given verb to continue the sentence, choosing an appropriate, simple tense.

The yacht, which was 20 metres long, have.

Pause the video and decide what you could do to complete that sentence with a simple tense.

Have a go.

Well done.

Maybe you came up with something like, "The yacht, which was 20 metres long, had white sails," both in the simple past tense.

Let's try another one.

We will run through the cemetery because it be.

Hmm.

That be is all our being verbs; am, is, are.

Those are all being verbs.

Pause the video and decide how you could complete that sentence with a simple tense.

Great effort.

Maybe you decided on something like, "We will run through the cemetery because it is terrifying." So there, we've started with a simple future, will run, and we've ended with a simple present, is.

Great job if you manage something similar.

Now let's do our final task for this lesson.

I'm going to show you some sentences like the ones we've just seen.

And I want you to complete the sentences using that verb in brackets, choosing the right simple tense verbs to maintain the sense, to keep it making sense for our sentence.

Here are your sentences, for instance, "When the competition ended," simple past tense, "I feel.

." So you're going to have to change that verb feel to the right simple tense form for it to make sense with that first verb ended in the simple past tense.

Now this is tricky.

So pause the video and think really carefully about how you'd like to end each sentence.

Good luck.

Okay, let's look at some example sentences of what you might have done.

I said, "When the competition ended, I felt incredibly relieved." Simple past tense for felt.

For B, I wrote, "Peeling some vegetables, Dad prepared a roast dinner for tea." Again, prepared is the simple past.

For C, "She will make a nuisance of herself because she hates," simple present "going shopping." For D, "The queue, which was long, went" simple past, "all the way around the building." "As the temperature rose, we wore," simple past "our coats less often." "My cousin, who will be four in June, loves to go swimming." Loves is the simple present.

And finally, "We communicated well because we wanted to win the race." Both of those are in the simple past tense.

Great job.

If you managed to get something similar, you've done really well.

Let's summarise our learning from today's lesson.

We learned that the tense of a sentence tells us when the action took place, and we can tell the tense by looking at the verbs.

The simple past tense and the simple present tense are made using just one verb.

And remember, the simple future tense uses an auxiliary verb, will, as well as the main verb in the sentence.

And we often maintain the tense and sentences.

But sometimes, verbs in a sentence have a different tense in order to maintain sense, in order to make the sentence make sense, and we've done a great job of doing that.

Really well done in this lesson.

You've done a fantastic job.

I hope to see you again in a future one.

Goodbye.