unit 0 : English Tenses : cours 1 Bac SM

1Course Objectives

This section outlines the precise learning goals for the English Tenses unit, as defined by the Moroccan Ministry of National Education for the 1st Year Baccalaureate (Sciences Expérimentales). Students will know exactly what skills and knowledge they are expected to acquire by the end of this unit.

What You Will Be Able to Do

Goal 1

Identify the three forms (affirmative, negative, interrogative) of every main English tense covered in this unit: Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Past Continuous, Future with will / be going to / Present Continuous, Present Perfect Simple, Present Perfect Continuous, and Past Perfect Simple.

Goal 2

Recognize and use key time markers (signal words) associated with each tense — for example: every day, now, yesterday, while, already, just, since, for, by the time — to identify the correct tense in a sentence.

Goal 3

Distinguish tense from aspect : understand that tense indicates when an action happens (past, present, future), while aspect describes how the action is viewed (complete, ongoing, habitual, or in progress).

Goal 4

Apply spelling rules for verb endings: adding -s / -es (3rd person singular, Present Simple), -ed (regular Past Simple / Past Participle), and -ing (Present Participle), including doubling consonants and dropping silent -e.

Goal 5

Choose the correct tense in context to describe: habitual or general truths (Present Simple), actions happening right now (Present Continuous), completed past events (Past Simple), past events with a present connection (Present Perfect), and future plans or predictions (Future forms).

Goal 6

Contrast Past Simple and Present Perfect : select the right tense based on whether the time of the action is specified and whether it is still relevant to the present.

Goal 7

Sequence two past actions correctly using Past Simple (the second/later action) and Past Perfect (the earlier action), signalled by words like before, after, when, by the time .

Goal 8

Perform Regional Exam tasks confidently: gap-filling (put the verb in the correct tense), sentence transformation (rewrite using a given tense), and error correction (identify and fix the wrong tense form).

The eight goals above define the complete scope of this unit. Every chapter, rule, and exercise that follows is designed to help you reach one or more of these objectives. Pay close attention to which goal each section addresses — this will help you self-assess your progress as you work through the material.

	$Learning Objective (Summary)$	$Tenses Involved$	$Exam Task Type$
$1$	$Identify affirmative / negative / interrogative forms$	$All tenses$	$Gap-filling, Transformation$
$2$	$Recognize time markers (signal words)$	$All tenses$	$Gap-filling, Error correction$
$3$	$Understand tense vs. aspect$	$All tenses$	$Conceptual / Analytical$
$4$	$Apply -s, -ed, -ing spelling rules$	$Present Simple, Past Simple, Continuous$	$Gap-filling$
$5$	$Use correct tense to describe habits, plans, actions$	$Pres. Simple/Continuous, Future$	$Gap-filling, Transformation$
$6$	$Contrast Past Simple vs. Present Perfect$	$Past Simple, Pres. Perfect$	$Gap-filling, Error correction$
$7$	$Sequence two past actions$	$Past Simple, Past Perfect$	$Gap-filling, Transformation$
$8$	$Perform Regional Exam tense tasks$	$All tenses$	$All three task types$

Overview of the 8 course objectives mapped to the tenses and exam task types they target.

Why These Objectives Matter

The Moroccan Regional Baccalaureate Exam systematically tests tense knowledge through grammar sections worth significant marks. Mastering these eight objectives directly improves your exam performance.

Tenses are also essential for reading comprehension (understanding the timeline of a text) and writing tasks (producing a coherent, accurately timed narrative or argument).

This unit is designed as a structured review and consolidation of tenses you have encountered in previous years, brought together and deepened to meet the 1st Year Baccalaureate standard.

2Essential Prerequisites

Before beginning this unit, students must be comfortable with a set of foundational grammar concepts. Mastery of these prerequisites ensures a smooth progression through all tense structures.

Subject (S)

The person or thing that performs the action in a sentence. It is always a noun or pronoun (e.g., I, she, the students).

Verb (V)

The word that expresses the action or state in a sentence (e.g., eat, study, is, have).

Object (O)

The person or thing that receives the action (e.g., 'the book' in 'She reads the book').

Main Verb

A verb that carries the core meaning of the action or state (e.g., eat, go, study, write).

Auxiliary Verb

A 'helper' verb used alongside a main verb to form tenses, questions, or negations (e.g., be, do, have, will, can).

Regular Verb

A verb that forms its Past Simple and Past Participle by adding -ed (e.g., work \to worked \to worked).

Irregular Verb

A verb that does not follow the -ed rule and must be memorized individually (e.g., go \to went \to gone).

Basic English Sentence Order: SVO

Rule

English sentences follow a fixed Subject - Verb - Object (SVO) order. Changing this order usually produces an incorrect or unnatural sentence.

Example 1

She (S) reads (V) a book (O). ✔

Example 2

The students (S) study (V) English (O) every day (time expression). ✔

Common Error

❌ 'Reads she a book.' — Incorrect SVO order in a statement.

Main Verbs vs. Auxiliary Verbs

Main Verbs

Carry the meaning of the action: eat, study, write, go, play. They can stand alone in a simple sentence.

Auxiliary Verbs

Support the main verb to build tenses, negations, or questions: be (am/is/are/was/were), do (do/does/did), have (have/has/had), will, can, would .

Example

'She is studying.' \to is = auxiliary (be) + studying = main verb.

Example

'They have finished.' \to have = auxiliary + finished = main verb.

Subject-Verb Agreement: Present Simple

Rule

In the Present Simple, add -s (or -es) to the main verb for the 3rd person singular: he, she, it.

I / You / We / They

I work, you work, we work, they work .

He / She / It

He works, she studies, it goes .

Spelling note

Verbs ending in -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, -o \to add -es : go \to goes, watch \to watches. Verbs ending in consonant + y \to change y to -ies : study \to studies.

$Subject Pronoun$	$Present Simple (study)$	$Have / Has$	$Was / Were$
$I$	$study$	$have$	$was$
$You$	$study$	$have$	$were$
$He / She / It$	$studies$	$has$	$was$
$We$	$study$	$have$	$were$
$They$	$study$	$have$	$were$

Subject pronouns and their corresponding verb forms for key auxiliary and regular verbs.

Regular vs. Irregular Verbs

Regular verbs

Add -ed to form the Past Simple and Past Participle: work \to worked \to worked; study \to studied \to studied; play \to played \to played.

Irregular verbs

Must be memorized — each verb has its own unique forms. These forms are essential for all past and perfect tenses.

$Base Form$	$Past Simple$	$Past Participle$	$Type$
$work$	$worked$	$worked$	$Regular$
$study$	$studied$	$studied$	$Regular$
$play$	$played$	$played$	$Regular$
$go$	$went$	$gone$	$Irregular$
$have$	$had$	$had$	$Irregular$
$be$	$was / were$	$been$	$Irregular$
$do$	$did$	$done$	$Irregular$
$see$	$saw$	$seen$	$Irregular$
$write$	$wrote$	$written$	$Irregular$
$eat$	$ate$	$eaten$	$Irregular$

Common regular and irregular verbs: Base Form – Past Simple – Past Participle.

Common Time Expressions

Present / Habitual

every day, always, usually, now, at the moment, today .

Past

yesterday, last week, last year, ago (e.g., two days ago), in 2020 .

Future

tomorrow, next week, soon, in the future, next year .

Why they matter

Time expressions are strong signals that help you choose the correct tense in writing and reading tasks.

Quick Self Check Before the Unit

Can you identify the subject, verb, and object in a sentence?

Do you know when to add -s/-es to a verb in the Present Simple?

Can you write the Past Simple of: go, work, have, be, study?

Do you know the difference between have and has ? Between was and were ?

Can you match a time expression (e.g., 'yesterday', 'every day', 'tomorrow') to its tense?

Plan du chapitre

Sur cette page

1Course Objectives
2Essential Prerequisites

Dans la classe

3Key Grammar Terms: Tense, Aspect, and Auxiliary Verbs
4Chapter 1 — Present and Future Tenses: Form, Use, and Time Markers
5Chapter 2 — Past Tenses: Form, Use, and Contrasts
6Chapter 3 — Perfect Tenses: Present Perfect and Past Perfect
7Problem-Solving Method: Tense Gap-Filling Exercises
8Solved Application Exercises
9Key Rules, Common Errors, and Exam Tips