Tenses and Concord

Week 5: Tenses and Concord

Class: JSS1 | Subject: English Language | Term: First Term

Learning Objectives

• Identify and use the three main tenses (past, present, future)
• Use simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous forms
• Apply subject-verb agreement (concord) rules
• Identify and correct errors in tense and concord

What are Tenses?

Tenses are verb forms that show the time when an action takes place. There are three main tenses: past (already happened), present (happening now), and future (will happen). Each has four forms: simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous.

Present Tense

Simple Present: Habitual actions and general truths. She goes to school every day. The sun rises in the east.

Present Continuous: Actions happening now. Formed with am/is/are + verb-ing. She is reading a book. They are playing football.

Present Perfect: Actions completed at an unspecified time or continuing from the past. Formed with have/has + past participle. I have finished my homework. She has lived here for five years.

Present Perfect Continuous: Actions started in the past and still continuing. Formed with have/has been + verb-ing. He has been studying for three hours.

Past Tense

Simple Past: Completed actions. She went to school yesterday. They played football last week.

Past Continuous: Actions happening at a specific past time. Formed with was/were + verb-ing. She was cooking when I arrived.

Past Perfect: Actions completed before another past action. Formed with had + past participle. She had eaten before I came.

Past Perfect Continuous: Actions going on before another past action. He had been working for two hours before the power went out.

Future Tense

Simple Future: Actions that will happen. Formed with will/shall + base verb. I will go to the market tomorrow.

Future Continuous: Actions happening at a specific future time. By 8 PM, I will be watching the news.

Future Perfect: Actions completed before a future time. By next year, she will have graduated.

Future Perfect Continuous: Actions going on before a future moment. By December, he will have been teaching for twenty years.

Tenses Summary Table

Simple: I eat / I ate / I will eat
Continuous: I am eating / I was eating / I will be eating
Perfect: I have eaten / I had eaten / I will have eaten
Perfect Continuous: I have been eating / I had been eating / I will have been eating

What is Concord (Subject-Verb Agreement)?

Concord is the rule that the verb must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural) and person. When subject and verb do not agree, the sentence is grammatically incorrect.

Rules of Concord

Rule 1: Singular subject takes singular verb. Plural subject takes plural verb. The boy runs fast. The boys run fast.

Rule 2: Two subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb. Rice and beans are my favourite food.

Rule 3: Subjects joined by "or," "nor," "either...or," "neither...nor" - verb agrees with the closer subject. Either the teacher or the students are responsible.

Rule 4: Collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs. The team is playing well (as a unit). The family are arguing (as individuals).

Rule 5: Indefinite pronouns (everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, each, every) take singular verbs. Everyone is present. Each student has a textbook.

Rule 6: "A number of" takes plural verb; "the number of" takes singular verb. A number of students were absent. The number of students is increasing.

Rule 7: Uncountable nouns (information, news, advice, furniture) take singular verbs. The news is shocking. The furniture was expensive.

Common Errors in Tense and Concord

• Incorrect: The students is going home. Correct: The students are going home.
• Incorrect: She have finished her work. Correct: She has finished her work.
• Incorrect: Everyone are happy. Correct: Everyone is happy.
• Incorrect: The news are good. Correct: The news is good.
• Incorrect: He goed to the market. Correct: He went to the market.

Evaluation Questions

• 1. Write three sentences each in the simple present, simple past, and simple future tenses.
• 2. What is the difference between present perfect and past perfect tense?
• 3. Correct: "The children was playing in the park."
• 4. State the rule of concord for subjects joined by "or" or "nor."
• 5. Fill in: "Neither the boys nor the girl ___ (is/are) ready."

Summary

Tenses show when an action takes place and come in twelve forms across past, present, and future. Concord ensures the verb agrees with its subject in number and person. Mastering tenses and concord is crucial for writing grammatically correct English. Common errors can be avoided by learning the rules, practising regularly, and proofreading carefully.