Part 2: Verbs
Timeless present tense
Examples
Linguistics is the study of language.
Strawberries are delicious.
Penguins don’t live at the North Pole.
Two plus two equals four.
Definition
The timeless present is the verb tense we use for clauses that present unchanging facts, phenomena, or definitions. Although traditional grammars called this tense the present simple, functional grammar emphasizes that the tense rarely describes what is happening right now (see present progressive). Instead, it indicates that the information is not limited by time: it is simply always true from the writer’s perspective. Penguins are flightless birds. Water freezes into ice. I am Batman.
Discovery
Please read this paragraph from Wikipedia about penguins (Explain) and complete the task.
Additional questions:
What other tense is used in the text? Why?
Why does appears end in an -s?
What is another way to write are not in the last sentence?
Form
The timeless present is the base form of the verb.
The inflectional suffix -s or -es is required for third-person singular verbs (it lives, he appears, the penguin prefers, she knows).
There are two irregular verbs in this tense: be and have. Note that the third-person form still ends in an -s (she has, he is).
Some verbs can be contracted, especially in speech and less formal written registers (see below).
The negative form of be and have is often contracted (see Negative Verbs).
|
be |
have |
other verbs |
|
I am (I’m) |
I have (I’ve) |
I walk, go, watch |
|
You are (you’re) |
You have (you’ve) |
You walk, go, watch |
|
He/She/It is (he’s, she’s, it’s) |
He/She/It has (he’s, she’s, it’s) |
He/She/It walks, goes, watches |
|
We are (we’re) |
We have (we’ve) |
We walk, go, watch |
|
They are (they’re) |
They have (they’ve) |
They walk, go watch |
Careful!
Contractions can’t be used as short answers – e.g. Who’s next? I am (not *I’m).
In the third person, be and have can look the same when contracted: e.g. he’s angry (he is angry), it’s been a long time (it has been a long time).
The -s suffix looks easy but is notoriously difficult for multilingual learners to use consistently. Some research suggests is the last inflectional suffix to be acquired in English. The -s carries very little meaning and is unlikely to affect comprehension. For these reasons, teachers and students usually have more important language to focus on, and MLLs should not usually be penalized for errors in subject-verb agreement.
Functions
The timeless present fundamentally presents information as true and unchanging from the speaker/writer’s perspective. It is very common in scientific, mathematical, and technical language. It can appear in all Key Language Uses, but it is less common in narration. The timeless present is very important in definitions (Explain), which describe what a thing is, has, or does. Because it presents information as facts, the timeless present sounds very authoritative and confident. As such, it contrasts with the use of modal verbs (compare dodos are extinct to dodos may be extinct).
An interesting extension of the timeless present tense is known as the historic present. We see this in summaries of books or movies, even if they were made in the past (Romeo and Juliet is a play about two kids who get way out of their depth). The historic present is also used in oral narratives when a storyteller shifts from past to present tense, making the narrative feel more vivid – more present – to the listener.
Practice
This movie review contains two functions of the timeless present (present simple):
Additional questions:
Which verb is an example of the timeless present used to summarize the plot of the movie?
Which verb is an example of the past simple tense in a narrative?
When does the Joker switch to the timeless (historic) present? Why?
Please answer these questions and share your answers with a colleague or PLC:
Go to www.goodreads.com and click on any book that looks interesting (you do not need an account). Look at the plot summary (Narrate) and the author’s bio (Inform). Which tenses are used in each section and why? For example, The Kite Runner.
Write a definition of a key concept that you are teaching. Underline all your timeless present (present simple) verbs. Which of them have the -s inflection? Did you use contractions? Why (not)?
What next?
Subject-verb agreement
Interrogative sentences (questions)
