Grammar Project
Grammar Project
GRAMMAR PROJECT
COMMON MISTAKES OF STUDENTS WHEN
USING VERB IN PRESENT TENSES
1
OUTLINE
I. INTRODUCTION
II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS
II.1. Definitions of verb and tenses in English
II.2. The Present tenses
II.2.1. Present simple tenses.........................................................................5-8
II.2.2. Present continuous tense..................................................................8-10
II.2.3. Present perfect tense.......................................................................10-11
II.2.4 Present perfect continuous tense.....................................................11-12
II.3 Comparision of tenses
3.1 Present simple & Present continuous......................................................13
3.2 Comparison of Present Continuous & Present Perfect Tense..................14
3.3 Comparison of Present Perfect Continuous Tense & Present Perfect ....15
II.4. Subject – Verb Agreement
1. Singular verbs............................................................................................16
2. Plural verbs................................................................................................17
III. Data collection
IV. Finding mistakes & Suggestion
IV.1. Common mistake when using verb in present tenses.
2
ABBREVIATIONS
CJ Conjoin
CL Clause
COOR Coordinator
D
Cs Subject complement
CZR Complementizer
DP Determiner phrase
DVE Determinative
E.g For example
N Noun
Od Direct object
Oi Indirect object
Post Postmodifier
Pred Predicate
S Subject
SUBD Subordinator
V Verb
3
I. INTRODUCTION
4
II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDS
II.1. Definitions of verb and tenses in English
- There are a number of definitions of verbs. According to Cambridge
Dictionary a ‘verb’ is defined as “a word or phrase that describes an
action, condition, or experience” (
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/vi/dictionary/english/verb.) Besides,
the Oxford Learners’ Dictionary defines a ‘verb’ as “a word or group of
words that express an action (such as eat), an event (such as happen) or
a state (such as exist)”.
- According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘tense’ is
defined as “any of the forms of a verb that may be used to show the
time of the action or state expressed by the verb.” The Merriam-
Webster Dictionary provides a slightly different definition. According
to it, the word ‘tense’ is defined as “a distinction of form in a verb to
express distinctions of time or duration of the action or state it
denotes.”
II.2. The Present tenses
According to the Cambridge Dictionary defines present tense as “the form of
the verb that is used to show what happens or exists now.” The Merriam-
Webster Dictionary defines present tense as “the tense of a verb that
expresses action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is
true at the time of speaking and of what is habitual or characteristic or is
always or necessarily true, that is sometimes used to refer to action in the
past, and that is sometimes used for future events.
( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/present%20tenses).
II.2.1 Present simple tenses
2.1.1 Definition
The tense that is used to refer to events, actions, and conditions that are
happening all the time, or exist now (Cambridge Dictionary)
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/vi/dictionary/english/present-simple
5
2.1.2 Structure
a,The present tense with “tobe”:
S + am/is/are + O
S + V(s/ es) +O
2.1.3 Use
We use the present simple to talk about general facts that are always true and
permanent about the world:
There is always a holiday on the last Monday in August in the UK.
Time passes very quickly when you get older.
We use the present simple to talk about general facts that we think are true
and permanent at the present time:
6
I really love my job.
Mrs Clare doesn’t teach me but she teaches my sister.
We use the present simple to talk about regular or habitual events. We often
use always, often, usually, sometimes, never and other frequency adverbs for
regular and habitual events:
How do you get to work? Do you get the bus?
We often use the present simple to describe a series of actions – one action
after another. We see this especially in stories, summaries of stories or
reviews:
[talking about the series of events in a novel]
Alex doesn’t ring back at midnight … she waits till the morning to ring, and
they get annoyed with Liz when she goes on … they know she’s got plenty
of money by their standards …
The present simple is often used by sports commentators to give
commentaries or report actions as they are happening:
Caicedo shoots and volleys. O’Brien blocks.
Immediate reactions
We use the present simple, often with verbs of senses and perception, to talk
about feelings and reactions at the moment of speaking:
7
It seems a bit quiet in here. Where is everyone?
Don’t you believe me? It’s true, honestly.
We use the present simple with speech act verbs (verbs which perform the act
that they describe):
I will pay you back, I promise, when I get paid.
I agree with everything you say.
We also use the present simple in a similar way in formal statements and in
business or legal communications:
I attach the original signed copies for your records.
On behalf of the Society, and particularly those involved in medical work,
I write to thank you for your kind gift of £20,000 … (more formal than I’m
writing to thank you …)
We use the present simple to talk about events that are part of a future plan or
timetable:
The lesson starts at 9.30 tomorrow instead of 10.30.
Lunch is at 12.30. Don’t be late.
Newspaper headlines
We often see the present simple in news headlines to report past events. It
emphasises the drama or immediacy of an event:
Man rescues child from lake
Taiwanese envoys arrive in China
2.1.4 Time expression:
Daily routines: every day, every morning, every evening, …
Weekly routines: every week, every Monday, …
Monthly/ Yearly routines: very month, every year, …
Adverbs of frequency: always, often, usually, never, sometimes, rarely,
…
II.2.2. Present continuous tense
2.2.1 Definition
8
The Cambridge Dictionary defines the ‘present continuous tense’ as
“ the verb form used for actions or events that are happening or developing
now.”
( https://dictionary.cambridge.org/vi/dictionary/english/present-continuous?
q=the+present+continuous)
2.2.2 Structures
Positive S + to be + V-ing
Negative S + to be + not + V-ing
Interrogative To be + S + (not) + V-ing ?
2.2.3 Uses
Events at the time of speaking
We use the present continuous to talk about events that are in progress at the
moment of speaking:
A: What time’s dinner?
B: I’m cooking now so it’ll be ready in about half an hour.
She’s pressing the button, but nothing is happening.
Temporary states
We use the present continuous to talk about temporary states which are true
around the moment of speaking:
Ex: Her mother’s living with her at the moment. She’s just come out of
hospital.
2.3.3 Use
We use the present perfect simple to refer to events in the past but which
connect to the present.
Experiences
We use the present perfect simple to talk about our experiences up to now.
The time of the experiences is not important.
Ex: And I’ve seen ‘Buddy’ and I’ve seen ‘Starlight Express’ in London. And
I want to see ‘Phantom of the Opera’ next.
10
Although we do not give a specific time, we often use general time
expressions like ever, never, before, in my life, so far, up until now with this
use of the present perfect simple.
Ex: We haven’t met before, have we?
-We often use ever, not … ever and never when we talk about experiences.
Ex: Have you ever tried to write your name and address with your left
hand?
We often use the present perfect simple for a unique experience when we are
using a superlative.
Ex: It’s the worst sports programme I have ever seen and the first I have
ever turned off.
We usually use the present perfect simple with the first time when we’re
talking about an immediate, continuing or recent event.
Ex: That’s the first time I’ve seen you get angry.
-We use the present perfect simple to talk about a finished event or state in
the very recent past. We do not give a specific time. We often use words
like just or recently for events taking place a very short time before now.
Ex: What’s this? What’s just happened?
-We use the present perfect simple when a single past action has a connection
with the present.
Ex: Why haven’t you dressed in something warmer? (You got dressed in the
past but the clothes are not warm enough for now.)
2.3.4 Time expression:
Time + for and since
-We use the present perfect simple with for and since to talk about a present
situation that began at a specific point in the past and is still going on in the
present. We are looking back from the present to a point in the past.
Just = Recently = Lately; already; before; never; ever; yet; the first/ second…
time; so far = until now = up to now = up to the present.
II.2.4 Present perfect continuous tense
11
2.4.1 Definition
The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines the ‘present perfect continuous
tense’ as a tense that is used to ‘talk about an action or activity that started in
the past and continues now or has only just stopped’.
2.4.2 Structures
Positive S + have/ has + been + present participle
Negative S + have/ has + not + been + present participle
Interrogative Have/ Has + S + ( not) + been + present participle
2.4.3 Uses
Recent past activities
We use the present perfect continuous to talk about a finished activity in the
recent past. Using the present perfect continuous focus on the activity.
We don’t give a specific time. Even though the activity is finished, we can see
the result in the present:
Ex: I’ve just been cleaning the car. (The car is wet and clean.)
One continuing event
We use the present perfect continuous for a single activity that began at a
point in the past and is continuing:
Ex: I’ve been reading your book – it’s great. (I’m still reading it.)
He’s been living in the village since 1995. (He is still living in the village.)
Repeated continuing events
We use the present perfect continuous to talk about repeated activities that
started at a particular time in the past and are continuing up until now:
Ex: I’ve been going to Spain on holiday every year since 1987.
I haven’t been eating many lunches lately. I’ve been going to the gym at
lunchtime.
12
- Time expressions such as "for," "since," "all day," "recently," "lately," or a
specific period are commonly used with the present perfect continuous tense
to indicate the duration of the action.
Example: "She has been reading this book for two hours."
14
Aspect Present Continuous Present Perfect
15
Aspect Present Perfect Present Perfect Continuous
16
- Each/ Every/ Either/ Neither + Singular noun
Ex: Each student has their place in the library.
+ Each/Everyone / Either / Neither/ Any/ None + of + Noun/ Plural pronouns
Ex: Each of us has a job to do.
+ Each/ Every + Singular noun + and + each/ every + Singular noun
Ex: Every boy and every girl in this class has applied for TOEPL.
- More than one + Singular countable noun
Ex: More than one person is going to have to find a new job.
- Every-, any-, no-, some-,…
Ex: Everything is done by computer nowadays.
Some nouns have a plural form but a singular meaning:
- News, subject or sport, game, disease, country, etc.
Ex: The news isn’t very good, I’m afraid.
The Netherlands is known for its tulip fields.
- Distance, duration, amount of money and measurement
Ex: Twenty miles is too far to walk.
- A clause, gerund or phrase.
Ex: That you feel upset is only natural.
2. Plural verbs
Plural verbs are often used when the subject is
- Plural nouns
Ex: These coats look nice.
- Two nouns connected by and refer to two different people, things or things.
Ex: My best friend and my adviser are arriving tonight.
- The + adjective => noun
Ex: The poor live in terrible conditions.
- Some, a few, both, many, a lot of, all…. + Plural nouns
17
Ex: All my friends like riding
- Collective nouns like police, people, and cattle.
Ex: Diary cattle were grazing in a field.
18
Incorrect: "I am eating breakfast every morning." (Should be: "I eat
breakfast every morning.")
Incorrect: "She works as a teacher this week." (Should be: "She is
working as a teacher this week.")
For example:
Incorrect: "I have been to Paris last year." (Should be: "I went to Paris
last year.")
Incorrect: "She has been living in London since ten years." (Should be:
"She has lived in London for ten years.")
19
-Verb form error
A verb form error occurs when the form of the verb used in a sentence is
incorrect or inconsistent with the grammatical rules or the context of the
sentence. These errors can manifest in various ways, such as using the wrong
tense, aspect, mood, or form of the verb.
1. Incorrect tense:
o "He go to school every day." (Correct: "He goes to school every
day.")
2. Incorrect aspect:
o "She has went to the store." (Correct: "She has gone to the
store.")
3. Incorrect form:
o "She can to speak French." (Correct: "She can speak French.")
20
- According to data, 42.5% of people chose option A, which is the right
answer. However, 40% of people chose response C, 15% chose answer B, and
5% selected option D. We assess that solution C is not erroneous but not the
greatest alternative for the present perfect tense. "have studied" alludes to an
activity that occurred in the past, but it does not highlight the action's
continuity or length, as "have been studying" does. So it does not exactly suit
"for three years". Some people are perplexed by the subject in a statement:
"has" is used with a 3rd person singular subject; in this sentence, the subject
is "I," thus we must use "have". In sentence D, "had studying" is entirely
incorrect. If true, the past perfect continuous tense would be "had been
studying," however this does not match the context of the sentence (since it
suggests an activity). accomplished prior to another action in the past).
- For this reason, we propose the following solutions to users:
+ Principle 1: The first factor that directly affects the form of the verb is the
host language. Learners need to accurately determine whether the target
language is singular, plural, countable or uncountable.
+ Principle 2: Motives need to be determined based on time or context in the
sentence. In addition, to determine the correct tense and possibly verb, it is
sometimes necessary to rely on timestamps or context to determine
accurately.
21
- Based on the statistics, 17.5% of users chose answer B, A, and 20% of users
chose answer D. Most users selected answer C, which is the correct answer.
Our analysis reveals that some users might be confused about using the base
form of the verb after the verb "imagine"; in fact, after "imagine," we need a
verb ending in "ing." Other users made mistakes by using the past participle
of "go," which is not appropriate for the context. In summary, the main errors
stem from not mastering the grammar rule of using a gerund after the verb
"imagine."
Create a list of verbs and grammatical structures that use Gerunds and
Infinitives.
Increase practice with exercises related to the use of Gerunds and
Infinitives after specific verbs.
Read and consult additional English materials to better understand the
practical use of verbs.
Practice writing paragraphs that use grammatical structures related to
Gerunds and Infinitives.
22
- According to the data, 45% of people selected solution B, which is right.
However, a large number, 42.5%, selected answer A, 7.5% chose answer C,
and 5% chose option D, all of which were inaccurate. According to our
findings, a high percentage of users incorrectly assumed that "friend and
adviser" referred to two separate persons, prompting them to use "are" for the
plural. In reality, "My best friend and adviser, Chien," relates to a single
individual and should be written in the singular form. Other users were
perplexed by the grammatical structure: "arriving" is a present participle verb
that requires "to be" to generate the present continuous tense. "Has" and
"have" are unsuitable in this situation since they are possessive verbs.
=> Solutions:
+ Establish specific rules regarding the usage of verbs with phrases indicating
singular and plural forms. Pay special attention to combined phrases like "My
best friend and adviser, Chien" (referring to one person).
+ Users need to analyze sentence structures to identify subjects and auxiliary
words.
+ Engage in exercises analyzing sentence structures and determining
appropriate verbs for subjects.
+ Read books and listen to conversations or podcasts in English to observe
language usage in real-life contexts.
23
V. Conclusion
Hopefully, our article will help you in the process of learning English. To
better understand the use of verbs in the present tense in particular as well as
other tenses in general, please refer to other resources in Section VI.
VI. References
1. Betty S.Azar, Stacy A.Hagen: Understanding and Using English
Grammar (Fifth edition)
2. Sidney Greenbaum: Oxford English Grammar
3. Martin Hewings: Advanced Grammar in Use (Second edition)
VII. APPENDICES
Evidence of common mistakes encountered by learners when using verb in
present tenses:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/
1_DuP_GiLuiEUe851mcjhRbMEYgWasGQBAIQgGH4BWWM/edit?
usp=sharing
24