Verb Phrase Notes - Present, Past And Future Tense

TENSE:

Location in time.

Forms: present and past: (The main office is/was at the third floor.)

Denotes:

• Time

• A hypothesis

• Politeness

The present tense (= præsens)

Unmarked tense form

Can denote:

• Present time

• Past time

• Future

Present time

A period of time that includes the present moment (NOW).

1. Eternal truths/permanent facts:

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.

Vand koger ved 100 grader.

2. Present habits (often accompanied by an adverb of frequency):

Many of our customers invest a fixed amount every month.

Mange af vore kunder investerer et fast beløb hver måned.

3. Present states (with stative verbs):

The main office is on the third floor.

Hovedkontoret ligger på tredje sal.

4. Present events (often found in formal declarations):

I declare this meeting open.

Jeg erklærer mødet åbent.

5. Present activity:

CBS offers several courses for exchange students.

CBS udbyder flere kurser til udvekslingsstuderende.

Future time

1. Future actions regarded as absolutely certain and typically following a timetable or calendar (future adverbial present):

The train leaves at 8 p.m.

Toget går kl. 20.

2. In adverbial clauses expressing time or condition (beginning with WHEN, AS SOON AS, IF, UNLESS etc.).

WILL/SHALL + infinitive is used in the main clause:

He will probably retire when he turns 60.

Han vil sikkert gå af når han fylder 60.

If you send the goods tomorrow, we will have them on Friday.

Hvis De sender varerne i morgen, vil vi have dem på fredag.

NOTE that in Danish, the present tense is also often used in the main clause:

Hvis De sender varerne i morgen, har vi dem på fredag.

Han går sikkert af når han fylder 60.

NOTE that Danish often uses the present tense to refer to the future – this is not usually possible in English:

Du glemmer det bare.

Y’ll only forget.

Hun kommer alligevel ikke.

She won’t come anyway.

Past time

1. ‘Historic/dramatic’ present (to make the description more vivid/lively and often with the effect of dramatising the events):

During the meeting last week, he suddenly gets up and leaves the room.

Under mødet i sidste uge rejser han sig pludselig og forlader lokalet.

2. With verbs of communication (HEAR, TELL, LEARN etc.) (= past actions with present results):

I hear that Fred passed the exam.

Jeg hører, at Frede har bestået eksamen.

The past tense

Refers to actions (states, activities, changes or habits) in the past which are now finished.

Refers to a definite point or period in time in the past (THEN).

1. About past actions (states, activities, changes or habits) which are now completed (usually the past point in time is mentioned by means of a time adverbial):

a) single actions in the past:

Brutus killed Caesar.

Brutus myrdede Cæsar.

He left early last night.

Han tog tidligt af sted i går.

b) repeated actions in the past (habits):

I always got up at 6 those days.

Dengang stod jeg altid op kl. 6.

2. About something hypothetical in the present (wishes, comparisons)

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