Two Tenses for All Sixteen Tenses: A Constructivist Approach

Abstract

Getting to know and distinguishing the sixteen English tenses formula for some students, even college students, is not simple and straightforward. The construct of verb changes and modification in English is carefully considered one of the sources of the learning problem, and this concept – verb form changes - cannot be found in any Indonesian "dictionary". By means of conceiving the verb changes concept presented hierarchically (contractedly), comprehensively, simply, and fun, it is expected that the sixteen tenses formula can be facilely understood. This article aims at presenting descriptively (qualitatively) a learning design of sixteen English tenses with a constructivist approach. Those namely sixteen tenses formula are to be simplified through the classification of two tenses. Those two distinct tenses are namely present and past. All the English tenses are explained through the concept of the two tenses. The construct of present and past tenses is explained through understanding the minimum requirements for the formation of a sentence, namely the existence of a subject and predicate. Some of the previous research results are selected in order to elucidate the intended learning design.