Verb Tenses in English - ESL Overview

In English grammar, verb tenses or forms indicate the moment when something happens, such as the past, present, or future. These three primary forms can be subdivided further to add detail and specificity, such as whether the action is ongoing or to describe the order in which events occurred. For example, the present simple verb tense concerns actions that happen every day, while the past simple verb tense refers to something that happens in the past. In all, there are 13 tenses. Verb Tense Chart Here are simple explanations of the tenses in English that give the most common use of each tense in English. There are a number of exceptions to the rules, other uses for certain tenses in English and so on. Each tense has examples, a link to a page that goes into detail for each tense in English, as well as a visual tense chart and a quiz to check your understanding. Simple present: things that happen every day. He usually goes for a walk every afternoon. Petra doesnt work in the city. Where do you live? Simple past:  something that happened at some time in the past. Jeff bought a new car last week. Peter didnt go to the meeting yesterday. When did you leave for work? Simple future: paired with will  to express a future act. She will come to the meeting tomorrow. They wont help you. Will you come to the party? Simple future: paired with going to to indicate future plans. Im going to visit my parents in Chicago next week. Alice isnt going to attend the conference. When are you going to leave? Present perfect: something that began in the past and continues into the present. Tim has lived in that house for 10  years. She hasnt played golf for long. How long have you been married? Past perfect: what happened before something else in the past. Jack had already eaten when he arrived. I hadnt finished the report when my boss asked for it. Had you spent all your money? Future perfect: what will have happened up to a point in the future. Brian will have finished the report by five oclock. Susan wont have driven far by the end of the evening. How many years will you have studied by the time you get your degree? Present continuous:  what is happening at the moment. Im working at the computer at the moment. He isnt sleeping now. Are you working? Past continuous: what was happening at a specific moment in the past. I was playing tennis at 7 p.m. She wasnt watching TV when he called. What were you doing at that time? Future continuous: what will be happening at a specific moment in the future. I will be lying on the beach this time next week. She wont be having any fun this time tomorrow. Will you be working this time tomorrow? Present perfect continuous: what has been happening up to the present moment in time. Ive been working for three hours. She hasnt been working in the garden for long. How long have you been cooking? Past perfect continuous: what had been happening up to a specific moment in the past. They had been working for three hours by the time he arrived. We hadnt been playing golf for long. Had you been working hard when he asked for it? Future perfect continuous: what will be happening up to a specific moment in the future. They will have been working for eight hours by the end of the day. She wont have been studying for very long when she takes the test. How long will you have been playing that game by the time you finish? More Resources If you want to continue your studies, this  tense table  will help you learn more about verb tenses. Educators can find activities and lesson plans in this guide to teaching tenses.

The Castle Of My Skin - 994 Words

Title In the Castle of My Skin is by its very nature a novel which is difficult to label as its episodic nature underlines the diverse nature of the Caribbean experience. The Antilles were, and are to this day, a region defined by its ethnic and cultural diversity. Due to the multiplicity of experiences which define the region, any singular narrative attempting to portray even one village would be overly simplistic as a result of the singular narrative which define most traditional novel. As such, Lamming utilizing different narrative and form to reflect the always changing diversity of the Barbados. As such, it is impossible for a critique of the novel to address its multifaceted nature, even when dealing with a single theme. In practice, this effectively deconstructs the traditional form of identity within the village in which it is set, while being part of an intellectual movement in Caribbean literature and culture of constructing an identity centered on race, and the unity of historic al hardships facing all individuals of African descent in the Americas. Lamming consistently emphasizes human perception, and its inability to properly gauge phenomena’s of nature at first – or in other words, the difficult to see on a different level than the one that an individual or a community is occupying. An instance of this is when Boy Blue accidentally picked up a pair of copulating frogs having first thought they were rocks (p. 170-171). The mistaken perception of Boy Blue madeShow MoreRelatedThe Castle Of My Skin By George Lamming1758 Words   |  8 PagesThe story, In the Castle of My Skin by George Lamming, is about a young boy’s life events that take place in a village that has gone through the dramatic changes of colonialism. The changes that the characters’ experience influences both the village and the society. The setting and time of the novel allow the reader to understand the circumstances and struggles that were present in the Caribbean. There are so many themes that are present in In the Castle of My Skin such as race, coming of age, andRead MoreIn the Castle of My Skin Essay example1758 Words   |  8 PagesThe novel In The Castle Of My Skin by Barbadian novelist George Lamming and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, a native of Dominica both deal in-depth with the lives of their characters during colonialism. 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A study of his poetry and its reflection Essay Example For Students

A study of his poetry and its reflection Essay This will be done by utilizing a wide selection of Wordsmiths poetry spanning the poets lifetime. HIS experiences are certainly mirrored In the subject matter of his creations and because of the Inextricable link between Wordsmith the man and Wordsmith the poet, the poems discussed in this paper have been separated into three sections. The first section will deal with poems from the Lyrical Ballads. The second section explores Wordsmiths Sonnets. While the last section will deal with the Ecclesiastical Sketches, as they have been referred to by critics and poets the like. In his famous poem The Rainbow, Wordsmith grandly proclaims that, the Child Is the Father of the Man (line 7). If we are to consider this claim on the basis not of its philosophical merit but rather of its personal relevance to the poet, this statement must be considered an absolute truth. For Wordsmith, through his poetry, explores himself: his thoughts, motives and feelings; in short Wordsmith poetry is in essence an exploration of the soul not of the mind and it is because of this that his poetry is so profound, so fluid and so Romantic In nature. Thus Wordsmiths poetry reflects him the man and hence the subject matter of his poems changes throughout the years as he goes through different experiences. In he poem Lines written a few miles above Tinder Abbey, Wordsmith discerns that there are three main stages of development: childhood, youth and manhood. Indeed these stages can be likened to Wordsmiths poetical development. The publication of Lyrical Ballads marked Wordsmiths birth and early childhood while the Sonnets of 1 802 and beyond definitely reflect a wiser, worldlier Wordsmith. However it is in his Ecclesiastical Sketches that Wordsmith the poet reaches the pinnacle of his development: his manhood in the world of poetry. Hence the separation of this paper into the three stages of his development. Wrought his life experiences, many of which are recounted in his poetry. There is, undoubtedly, a direct correlation between his life and his poetical works and a thorough knowledge of his background is necessary to understand his poetry and the stages that it undergoes. For example, the poetry of the Lyrical Ballads is light and carefree in tone and ambiance while that of the Sonnets is somber and reflective. This is because Wordsmith suffers a period of political disillusionment with the defeat of the French Revolution which is heavily reflected in his poetry of the time. It follows naturally that if the subject matter and ambiance are affected by Wordsmiths life then so would the themes and images of the poems. For these reasons, the poems have been separated into three distinct groupings to be explored separately. However while these poems may differ in content, they reflect the same elements of Romanticism seen in Wordsmiths poetry. In fact, the differences in content only serve to highlight Romanticism as a poetic style applicable to all genres of verse. BACKGROUND AND ContraindicationWilliam wordsmith north of England. He homebodies the yeoman of England with its sturdy constitution and independence of mind (11). So says R. S. Thomas in his introduction to A Choice of Wordsmiths Verse. His poetry is very reflective of his disposition and throughout his life the main constant in his poetry is its reverent response to and appreciation of nature. If we are to return to the line, The Child is the Father of the Man, then Wordsmiths poetry becomes as pure and as clear to us as the Cuckoos song was to him. For Wordsmiths childhood, described at length in his epic poem the Prelude, was idyllic. In the Prelude book I he describes life as a baby in his nurses arms, hearing and being drawn to the music of the river Deterrent. His childhood follows along a similar theme of communion with nature. Indeed natures influence on the spirit is the underlying theme of his poems in Lyrical Ballads. Then at the age of seventeen, after the deaths of his parents in 1778 and 1783, Wordsmith was separated from his five siblings and sent away to school at SST. Johns College in Cambridge. There his life was simple and unencumbered. Vacations were spent in walking tours around England and on the continent with friends. It was on these excursions that many of the ideas expressed in Wordsmiths poetry began to take shape. His deep appreciation of nature developed into a more sublime, spiritual communion. The Revolutionary Years 1791, Wordsmiths poetic life began in earnest. He revisited France where he came into brief contact with a Frenchman, Annette Balloon, by whom he had a child. His reunion with his daughter is beautifully depicted in his sonnet, It is a beauteous evening, calm and free. On this visit to France, Wordsmith became engrossed in the literary work and philosophies of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Because of this influence, he developed strong republican sympathies and French people. In 1793 he returned to England where the excitement of the revolution quickly descended into disillusionment with the beginning of the Reign of Terror in September 1793. Wordsmiths actions during the French Revolution have been alternatively praised and criticized by critics. Those who praise his actions claim that Wordsmith showed himself to be a morally sound individual, who, sympathetic to the plight of a people, was moved into action. Others view Wordsmiths timely departure before the war as form of escapism. Whatever the case, the French Revolution heavily impacted upon him and his poetry, and after the death of the revolution Wordsmith became depressed and angered with his fellow man. As Graham Hough, Professor of English at Cambridge University states,let is customary to reproach Wordsmith for abandoning it (the revolution), which is absurd; even Romantic poets must be permitted to grow up. What we can legitimately regret is that he abandoned so much with it, so many of the ideals that should have been immune to historical disappointment. (53)This abandonment of deals is found in the Sonnets which tell of Wordsmiths worldly disillusionment and later embitterment. The abandonment becomes even more apparent in the later Ecclesiastical Sketches which showcase Wordsmiths seldom seen cynical side where biting remarks with a distinctly fatalistic tone reign. Then in the winter of 1794, he fled England to avoid military conscription and went with his sister, Dorothy, to Germany. That winter was indeed a revolutionary one for it was here that Wordsmiths and Samuel Taylor Coleridge friendship blossomed. The winter spent in each others company precipitated the publication of the Lyrical Ballads in 1798 and marked in earnest the popularization of Romanticism in Britain. The Reclusive Hearst years 1802 and 1803 were busy ones for Wordsmith. 1802 saw him married to a childhood friend, Mary Hutchinson. Before the wedding, Wordsmith revisited France for a settling of affairs between him and Annette. While in France he spent some time with his illegitimate daughter, Caroline. However following this, Wordsmith and his wife installed themselves at their new home from which he seldom vacated. But more importantly, these years saw a revival in Wordsmiths political interests which are reflected in his sonnets, composed around this time. For in 1802 the Peace of Amines was concluded with France formalizing Britains recognition of the newly formed French Republic, a move which was welcomed by liberal sympathizers. This political revival elevated Wordsmiths verse to new heights and his sonnets are profound in their expressions of disappointment, tempered with newfound hope. The Declined again Wordsmiths political hopes came crashing to the ground when the unstable period of peace ended in the beginning of a personal despotism This was all too much for Wordsmith to bear and his later work shows his defeatist attitude and the lack of hope with which he became imbibed. WORDSMITH THE Reinterpretations, as succinctly defined by wisped. Org, is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe. The Romantic Period ushered in a period of literary revolution where old fashion neoclassical ideals were permanently abolished. Before the advent of Romanticism, emphasis in poetry was placed on the order and balance of reasoned thoughts. Poets had to adhere to strict rules of form and diction and the higher the level of elevation of language, the greater the substance of the poetry created. Furthermore, the subject matter of the poem was also a matter of tacit understanding amongst most poets. For poems depicted Kings, Queens and Gods and described major historical, social and political events. Hence why Wordsmiths poetry has been hailed by many as revolutionary; for it was only with the birth of Romanticism that ideas such as nature, human imagination, childhood, and the ability to recall emotional memories of both happiness and arrow were able to be discussed and dissected in poetry. Compare and contrast 'The Man He Killed' by Thomas Hardy and the 'The Charge Of The Light Brigade' by Alfred, Lord Tennyson EssayTherefore the effect of nature on the poet is still seen as it is almost as if the Leech- Gatherer is sent by Nature herself to rouse Wordsmiths spirits, such is the link teens the old man and the surroundings. Thus through these distinctly Workstations concepts, the undercurrent of Romanticism is evidently seen. For while Wordsmith uses personal experience to fortify his stance on nature, the Romantic idea of appreciating natures beauty for not only its aesthetic greatness but also for the emotional healing it offers those willing to look. THE LANGUAGE OF COMMON Northwesters thoughts on language are best described in his own words. In the Preface of the second edition of Lyrical Ballads, Wordsmith expresses his view of poetry, the role of the Poet and his stance on engage and poetic ornament. Wordsmiths expression of poetry as, the spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions recollected in tranquility became a benchmark of Romanticism and with it came his views on language:The principal object, then, proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was possible in a vanity, they convey their feelings and notions in simple and unallocated expressions. Accordingly, such a language, arising out of repeated experience and regular feelings, is a more permanent, and a far more philosophical language, than hat which is frequently substituted for it by Poets. This quotation, while rather long, is extremely important for it expresses Wordsmiths purpose as a writer and completely separates him from neoclassical poets. For here we have Wordsmith boldly proclaiming that his poetry is for everyone! It is a reflection of ordinary life he says; poetic ornament is necessary he cries and poets who pride their poetry on this are not poets. So why does Wordsmith embark on such a grand literary revolution? Let us not forget where he came from. Wordsmith was a highlander; a yeoman. He grew up eating poetry that was unrelated perhaps even at times incomprehensible to a young man from a background such as his. Hence it was his responsibility to create a whole new genre of poetry that could be read and enjoyed by the masses. This is really what Romanticism was all about: changing the rules to create a new level playing field where everyone had a voice. Throughout Wordsmiths literary career, he remains true to his thoughts as intimated in the preface. Poems such as Lucy Gray, The Rainbow and the Solitary Reaper published in 1799, 1802 and 1807 respectively are all testament to Wordsmiths view of language. In his preface however, Wordsmith states his opinions as fact which is where my opinion seems to differ from his. For Wordsmiths feelings about language as being more profound in its simplicity are more personal opinion than absolute truth. Indeed the poems where he does not adhere strictly to his rule on language are some of his most profound. Tinder Abbey, Mutability and Intimations on Immortality are some of his most widely praised poems and they all violate his golden rule. This is not to undermine Wordsmiths edict but rather to show that it is not an absolute one for he was able to confer the same profundity into all his poems, no tater the diction used. WORKSTATIONS PHILOSOPHIESWordsworth has been known to refer to himself as a philosopher however I am not of the opinion that he was ever truly one. In his poems though, many aspects of other peoples philosophies are dissected and given a Workstations twist. While the discussion of philosophy featured prominently in neoclassical poetry, what is different about Romantic poetry is that emphasis was placed on thoughts and feelings over reasoned thought. In Wordsmiths poetry he was able to combine these two elements of emotion and philosophy to create ideas that were truly unique Thoughts and Feelings expressed in the Lyrical Bailsman of Wordsmiths lyrics are deceptively simple poems, not only because of his diction but also because of his simple rhyme scheme. One such poem Lines written in Early Spring expresses two extremely essential ideas: Heartless philosophy of Associations and Darnings theory of the Sensibility of Plants. Associations is a complex psychological theory that gives insight into the human personality. Many critics of Hartley claim that his description of the emotional and moral process is coldly mechanical in that he saw human development as bound by environment and necessity. Hartley thought that the human mind linked similar situations together until we developed sensibilities from these associations. However Wordsmith was not concerned with the root of Associations but rather the grand idea of it all as expressed in the poem: To her fair works did Nature link/ The human soul that through me ran. Only Wordsmith the nature poet could take such a scientific theory and manage to convey a spiritual association between the divinity of nature and the human soul. But this was a central Workstations belief as we have already seen and in the preface Wordsmith says that man and nature are essentially adapted to each other. Another great Workstations concept was the belief in Darnings theory of the sensibility of plants, I. E. That plants have the natural capacity for conscious thought. Th is belief is clearly seen the poem: The birds around me hopped and played The budding twigs spread out their fan/ To catch the breezy air/ And I must think do all I can/ That there was pleasure there (13, 17-20). While these thoughts or concepts are expressions of the poets moral wanderings, the soul of Wordsmiths poetry is in the emotion or feeling he conveys to the reader. In this poem, Wordsmiths feelings of lost revolutionary zeal are expressed. He grieves for what man has made of man (8) and plaintively appeals to mankind: have I not reason to lament what man has made of man? (23-4)Thoughts and feelings expressed in the Syntheses sentiments of lamentation are echoed in Wordsmiths sonnets. In his London 1802, he expresses his general dissatisfaction and disillusionment with England. The poem opens with an apostrophe (direct address) to the great British poet John Milton. With this cry of desperation, Wordsmith launches into a heated description of present England and why the entry is in need of a savior:She is a fen/Of stagnant waters: altar, sword, a nd pen, [Fireside, the heroic wealth of hall and bower/Have forfeited their ancient English dower/Of inward happiness. We are selfish men; / Oh! Raise us up, return to us again; [And give us manners, virtue, freedom and power. (2-8)Len this quote, Wordsmith denounces the church, state, literary world, the home and the throne. Here he is strong and direct in his placement of blame for he says we are selfish men. The whole country is to blame for the erosion of the moral values that Thoughts and Feelings expressed in the Ecclesiastical Sketches poem Ode: Intimations on Immortality is almost a philosophical discourse. In this poem ideas are all interconnected, so much so that readers are distantly reminded of Heartless theory. However this poem is a very important one historically as it is Wordsmiths own explanation to the line the Child is the Father of the Man:Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: / The Soul that rises with us, our lifes Star/ Hath had elsewhere its setting, / And cometh from afar: / Not in entire forgetfulness, / And not in utter nakedness/ But trailing clouds of glory do we come Heaven lies about us in our infancy! / Shares of the prison-house begin to close/ Upon the growing Boy/ But He/ Beholds the light, and whence it flows The Youth who daily farther from the east/ Must travel, still is Natures Priest At length the Man perceives it die away, / And fade into the light of common day. (59-64, 66-70, 71-2, 76-7)Wordsmiths explanation of his famous line in this metaphysical exultation is only one of the two ideas so beautifully expressed in the passage above. For Wordsmiths cynical view of the world is also seen. However to first discuss the metaphysical, Wordsmith lives that the Child is born trailing clouds of immortality in that the child is born with some knowledge of the divine home from which we were all brought. However as time passes and especially with adolescence, the child loses the ability to recall the divine until, in adulthood, the ability is completely lost. This idea in itself is not a new one; the idea of losing ones childhood innocence to the conventions and routines of daily adult life is an ancient one. However it is the sadness and anger with which Wordsmith expresses these sentiments that makes them so profound. The first line of the passage sets the tone as a rather cynical proclamation of defeat. We are born to die, Wordsmith says as he goes on to elucidate his view.

Western Political thought Machiavelli Essay Example

Western Political thought: Machiavelli Essay Nicollo Machiavelli is one of the political thinkers that have contributed immensely to the development of the political thought. However, his thoughts and principles were a radical departure from those of his contemporaries. One of the political thoughts that were different from that of the past thinkers was on the morality of power. According to him morals cannot be used to judge the legitimate and illegitimate application of power. He claims that power and authority are equal variables and anyone that has power gains the right to give commands. He claimed that being good does not give one a moral authority and goodness does not give power to anyone. This view conflicts with the moralistic political theory that associated morality with authority (Nelson, 1995). Machiavelli criticizes the moralistic concept of authority saying that it does not add any value to power.The other political thought that was distant from the past thinkers was on the subject of law and force. Machiavelli f irst agreed with the past thinkers saying that good laws are important for an orderly political system. However he claimed that good people do not like following laws which means that for the good laws to work, there must be coercion. He wanted to imply that good laws have their legitimacy founded on the use of force. This thought appeared to be cruel, but in reality, laws cannot be legitimate if they are not accompanied by coercive force (Sydney, 2005).The last extreme thought by Machiavelli was on his treatment of politics. In opposition to the definition of the past thinkers who saw politics pragmatically. Machiavelli dismissed politics and an entity that could only be seen from the supremacy of powers that are coercive. The authority in politics according to him cannot exist independently and politics is all about gaining supremacy for personal interests (Nelson, 1995).Though Machiavellian political thoughts were different from those of the past thinkers, modern political theory is based on Machiavellian principles and thoughts. His eccentric thoughts have provided a foundation for the modern political theory.ReferenceNelson, B.R. (1995). Western Political Thought from Socrates to the Age of Ideology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.Sydney, A. (2005) .Machiavelli the First Century: Studies in Enthusiasm, Hostility, and Irrelevance. Oxford: Oxford University Press