English Tenses

Indonesian students, who learn English, would say that it was difficult to comprehend the English Tenses when they were asked to study English grammar.
Some of them said that they had to mastered so many patterns of English Tenses, sixteen patterns. They tent to memorize the patterns of English Tenses without applying or practicing it in their English class. It made them confused when they had to apply in their English writing and speaking. They argued that they could comprehend the application of English Tenses when they mastered its patterns. This statement was not absolutely wrong, unless they did understood each pattern's meaning.

Actually, there are only four major patterns in English Tenses:

1. Present

Present Tense is used when the speakers or writers want to talk a fact or habit (Present Simple), something that occur at the time of speaking (Present Continuous), an activity that has already done at the time of speaking and its sign of doing the activity is still found at the time of speaking (Present Perfect), and an activity that has not done yet and still run at the time of speaking (Present Perfect Continuous). It usually uses the infinitive verb or auxiliary verb (V1).

2. Past

Past Tense is used when the speakers or writers want to talk something happened in the past (Past Simple), something that occur at the time of an activity or something happened in the past (Past Continuous), an activity that has already done before another activity in the past (Past Perfect), and an activity that has not done yet before another activity and it still run when another activity is occurred in the past  (Past Perfect Continuous). It usually uses the past simple verb or auxiliary verb (V2).

3. Future

Future Tense is used when the speakers or writers want to talk something happen in the future (Future Simple), an activity that is being done in the future (Future Continuous), something that will be finished in the future (Future Perfect), and an activity that is being done in future and it starts at the time of speaking or in the past (Future Perfect Continuous). It usually uses the infinitive modal (will and shall) which followed by V1.

4. Past Future

Past Future Tense is used when the speakers or  writers want to talk a hope or plan in the past (Past  Future Simple), an activity that hoped being done in the past (Past Future Continuous), something that hoped be finished in the past (Past Future Perfect), and an activity that hoped being done before another did in the past (Past Future Perfect Continuous). It usually uses the past simple modal (would and should) which followed by V1.

Those four major patterns are divided by the time (tense) of speaking or writing. It can be more simple to comprehend the sixteenth patterns of English Tenses. Yet, it is depended on the students' ability and learning type.

concluded from:

English Grammar in Use (Raymond Murphy, 2001: 1-25). Jakarta: Erlangga.

Integrated Comprehensive English Grammar (Deny Rhomdony, S.IP., 2008: 126-127). Jakarta: Kesaint Blanc.