Basic Tenses

There are three main verb tenses; past, present and future. 

For example:

1. a) To express:

• habit: Jason practices the piano everyday.
• general truth: The sun rises in the east.
• repeated actions: I brush my teeth twice a day.
• unchanging situations : I work in Penang.

b) To give instructions/directions:

• You walk for three hundred metres, then you turn right.

c) To express fixed arrangement of present/future:

• The train leaves every morning at 8 pm.

 

For example:

1. a) Completed action in the past

• I saw a movie yesterday.

b) A series of completed actions

• I finished work, walked to the park and found a nice place to jog.

c) Duration in the past:

• I lived in Selangor for six years.

d) Habits in the past:

• I studied French when I was a child.

 

For example:

1. a) "Will" to express a Voluntary Action

Mother: The phone is ringing.
Ali : I will get it.

b) "Will" to express a Promise

• Don't worry mother. I will be careful.

c) "Be going to" to express a Plan

• I am going to be a teacher when I grow up.

d) "Will" or "Be going to" to express a Plan

• The year 2020 will be a very interesting year.
• The year 2020 is going to be a very interesting year.