Unit 3: Towards advanced
Grammar, news, vocabulary and pronunciation
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Session 1
When is the present not the present? Sian shares four ways in which we use the present to talk about the past - and she also has a very funny joke.
Activity 1
BBC Masterclass
When is the present not the present
Of course you all know that we use the present to talk about the present - and you also probably know that we use the present to talk about the future... But did you know that we also use the present to talk about the past?! Join Sian as she shares a few ways we do this - and a hilarious joke!
Watch the video and complete the activity
Sian
Hi Sian here for BBC Learning English. I have a great joke for you.
So, a pony walks into a bar and whispers "Can I have a beer."
The barman replies, "Of course you can, but why are you whispering?"
And the pony says "Because I'm a little hoarse."
Get it? A pony is 'a little horse'!
Ok, it's not the best joke, but did you notice what tense I used to tell the joke?
I used the present not the past. We often use the present to talk about the past, so I'm going to share with you a few ways that we do this.
Number one: When telling an exciting story
Last year I was swimming off the coast of New Zealand, when suddenly I see a shark coming up behind me. Everyone starts screaming. I swim as fast as I can… It was very scary!
Did you notice? I started the story in the past, and then when I got to the exciting part of the story, I switched to the present. We do this to make the exciting part of the story more dramatic for the listener.
Number two: In newspaper headlines
I actually made it into the newspapers after that scary experience. Here is the headline:
Terrified swimmer is chased out of sea.
So, newspaper journalists often use the present simple 'is chased' rather than the past 'was chased'. They do this to make the story more fresh and immediate and dramatic.
Number three: With hear, tell, gather, say
I hear you're getting married!
Did you notice, I used the present form of 'hear' rather than the past? We do this because we want to put more emphasis on what I heard, rather than the fact that I heard it.
We also do it with verbs like, say, tell and gather. For example, She says she's leaving the country!
Number four: When telling jokes
I've got a joke. A pony walks into a bar and...
Don't worry, I'm not going to tell the joke again! But we use the present simple when telling jokes to make the joke more exciting and more immediate for the listener.
For more information about using the present to talk about the past and to practise this, go to our website: bbclearningenglish.com. And I'm not joking!
Summary
Telling a story
When telling a story we often switch to the present tense when we get to an exciting or dramatic part. This makes the events more immediate and exciting for the listener.
- Last year I was swimming off the coast of New Zealand, when suddenly I see a shark coming up behind me. Everyone starts screaming. I swim as fast as I can.
Newspaper headlines
Journalists very often use the present not the past in newspaper headlines to make newspaper stories more exciting, fresh and immediate.
- Terrified swimmer is chased out of sea by shark.
- Man dies in forest fire.
With hear, tell, gather, say
We use certain verbs like tell and hear in the present tense even though we heard something or were told something in the past. This puts more emphasise on the information you heard rather than the fact you heard it.
- I hear you're getting married!
- She says she doesn't like the present!
When telling jokes
We often use the present to tell jokes, rather than the past. This makes the joke more immediate and dramatic for the listener (even if the joke is not very funny!)
- A pony walks into a bar and whispers to the bartender, "I'll have a beer, please."
The bartender asks, "Why are you whispering?".
"I'm a little hoarse."
To do
Now it's time for you to try this quiz - and I'm not joking!
Past, present or future...?
5 Questions
These sentences all contain verbs in the present tense but are they talking about past, present or future time?
Help
Activity
These sentences all contain verbs in the present tense but are they talking about past, present or future time?
Hint
This is a newspaper headline.Question 1 of 5
Help
Activity
These sentences all contain verbs in the present tense but are they talking about past, present or future time?
Hint
Has the exam already started?Question 2 of 5
Help
Activity
These sentences all contain verbs in the present tense but are they talking about past, present or future time?
Hint
This speaker is telling a dramatic story!Question 3 of 5
Help
Activity
These sentences all contain verbs in the present tense but are they talking about past, present or future time?
Hint
Can this speaker hear the alarm now?Question 4 of 5
Help
Activity
These sentences all contain verbs in the present tense but are they talking about past, present or future time?
Hint
Is the speaker hearing the information right now?Question 5 of 5
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
End of Session 1
That's it for this session. You can now make your stories and jokes more exciting by using the present tense!
Next
Join us for News Review as we discuss a major story in the news, and the language you need to understand it.
Session Grammar
Using the present to talk about the past
1) Telling a story
This makes the events more immediate and exciting for the listener.Last year I was swimming off the coast when suddenly I see a shark fin heading towards me…
2) Newspaper headlinesJournalists often use the present not the past in newspaper headlines to make newspaper stories more exciting, fresh and immediate.
Man dies in forest fire.
3) With hear, tell, gather, say
This puts more emphasise on the information we heard rather than the fact you heard it.I hear you're getting married!
She says she doesn't like the present!4) When telling jokes
This makes the joke more immediate and dramatic for the listener (even if the joke is not very funny!)
A pony walks into a bar and whispers to the bartender, "I'll have a beer, please."