Advice

[Marcuskent]

Dear Teacher

I am trying to determine which of the tenses are in the following 2 sentences,

smith passes to rogers, who passes to mills

The train leaves at 7.30

I am not asking for the answer however, in my grammar reference book it is somewhat confusing, It says that both these are the present simple, then on the next page it says these are the present simple for the past for the first example and then the present simple for future for the second one.

Is there any clarification you can give me.

[Tdol]

The first is the simple present used to describe an action of very short duration at the time of speaking, where the progressive wouldn't work because the action finishes so fast. The second is, as you say, the future.

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by Marcuskent

Dear Teacher

I am trying to determine which of the tenses are in the following 2 sentences,

smith passes to rogers, who passes to mills

The train leaves at 7.30

I am not asking for the answer however, in my grammar reference book it is somewhat confusing, It says that both these are the present simple, then on the next page it says these are the present simple for the past for the first example and then the present simple for future for the second one.

Is there any clarification you can give me.

If the first is describing a game that has already been played, then this use of the present tense is called the historical present. Even though the event is in the past, it is described in the present tense. This is a device used to make the action seem more real. Without context it is difficult to be sure of that; it also could be describing an action as it happens.

The second describes a scheduled future event. It is one of the uses of the present simple.