⏳ The Importance of Tense — Why Time Matters in English
The Flow of Time in English · Series #1 · By Michelle (Misook) Kim
English doesn’t just talk about time — it thinks in time. Tense is how English gives time a voice.
1) What is Tense? — The Concept
Many languages rely on context or time words (yesterday, today, tomorrow) to show when things happen. English goes further: it builds time into the verb. That means your verb form doesn’t just mark “when” — it shows how that moment relates to now.
💬 Tense is how language captures the movement of time.
2) Why Tense Matters — Meaning, Not Memorizing
Tense gives your story a direction and a feeling. Compare:
- I lost my keys. (past fact) ↔ I’ve lost my keys. (past + still relevant now)
- I’m meeting her tomorrow. (planned future) ↔ I will meet her. (neutral/decided now)
- I was reading (ongoing background) ↔ I read (simple frame)
같은 정보라도 시제가 달라지면 “지금과의 관계”가 달라집니다. 결국 시제는 정확성의 문제가 아니라 의미와 뉘앙스의 문제예요.
3) The System in One Glance
영어 시제를 간단히 보면:
- Past — memory/background
- Present — action/reality
- Future — intention/possibility
- Perfect — connection/relevance to now
- Continuous — flow/in-progress experience
쉽게 말해, Past–Present–Future는 축이고, Perfect/Continuous는 그 축을 이어주는 연결선입니다.
4) From Rule to Rhythm — 1-Minute Drill
- Timeline whisper (10s): past → present → future를 낮게 읊으며 호흡 정렬.
- Pair swap (30s): lost vs. have lost, meet vs. am meeting vs. will meet 번갈아 말해 “지금과의 관계” 감각 익히기.
- Story stitch (20s): “I’ve studied phonetics for years, and I’m refining my resonance now because I will present next week.”
🌿 Think less “when,” more “relationship to now.”
Next in the Series
#2 The Mechanism of Time — How English Tenses Work (시제의 작동 원리: Simple / Perfect / Continuous의 역할을 직관적으로 설명)
