Choosing Present, Past, and Future Time

What you’ll learn

Keep the timeline of a short text clear.

រក្សាពេលវេលាក្នុងអត្ថបទខ្លីឱ្យច្បាស់។

Writing focus

Choose tense from the intended time and meaning. Present simple can describe a routine, past simple a finished event, and a future form a plan or prediction. Time expressions help the reader follow changes. Changing tense is appropriate when the time changes; random switching without a reason is confusing.

ជ្រើសកាលតាមពេល និងន័យ។ Present simple សម្រាប់ទម្លាប់; past simple សម្រាប់ហេតុការណ៍បញ្ចប់; ទម្រង់អនាគតសម្រាប់គម្រោង។ ប្ដូរកាលបានពេលប្ដូរពេល។

Writing patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Routine	I study every evening.
Finished event	I studied yesterday.
Planned future	I am going to study tonight.

Examples

1. I usually walk to school.

   ជាធម្មតា ខ្ញុំដើរទៅសាលា។

2. Yesterday, I took the bus.

   ម្សិលមិញ ខ្ញុំបានជិះឡានក្រុង។

3. Tomorrow, I am meeting my tutor.

   ស្អែក ខ្ញុំមានណាត់ជួបគ្រូជំនួយ។

4. Next week, I will start a new unit.

   សប្ដាហ៍ក្រោយ ខ្ញុំនឹងចាប់ផ្ដើមផ្នែកថ្មី។

Model writing

I usually study after dinner.

Yesterday, I revised five new words and wrote a short paragraph.

Tomorrow, I am going to check my mistakes and practise again.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
Yesterday I go to school.	Yesterday I went to school.	Use past simple for this finished event.
She studies every day and yesterday reads three pages. (finished event)	She studies every day, and yesterday she read three pages.	The routine is present; the completed yesterday event is past.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete a routine: He ___ (read) every night.
2. Correct: Last week, we visit the museum.
3. Write one routine and one plan for tomorrow.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. reads

   Present simple with he takes -s.

2. Last week, we visited the museum.

   Last week is finished past time.

3. I study every evening. Tomorrow, I am going to revise Unit One.

   Model answer: a time change justifies a form change.

Quick recap

• Identify the intended time before choosing a tense.
• Use time expressions when the timeline changes.
• Consistent meaning matters more than using one tense throughout.