Section 5 / Lesson 4 - Tense Choice When Describing a Map
Tense choice can be difficult with this type of question as you have to look carefully at each map that you are given to see the time period that it depicts. There are three typical sets of maps that you will see:
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1. A past map and a map at a later time in the past
2. A past map and what it looks like today
3. A current map and one showing future plans to the area
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As with the process diagrams, we'll mostly be using the passive voice as it is not always clear who has made the changes between the two maps (see this class for details).
Two Past Maps
In this example, both maps are in the past. We don't know what this town looks like today, so we can only use two tenses:
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Past simple - Subject + verb (2nd form) + object
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Passive voice = Object was / were + verb (3rd form)
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Past perfect - Subject + had + verb (3rd form) + object
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Passive voice = Object had been + verb (3rd form)
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If you are describing either of the two maps by themselves, you need to use past simple. We can give a specific time with this tense.
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e.g. In 2008, there were six houses in the west of the town.
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If you are describing a change between the two maps, you can use either past simple or past perfect. If using past simple, do not use any time phrases as you don't know when the change happened. In this example, it may have happened in 2008, 2010, 2015 or 2017 etc.
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e.g. The playground was removed and new sports facilities were opened.
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The past perfect tense is used when describing the result of an action before a time in the past. We use the preposition 'by' with this time. In this case, we know all the changes happened before the date of the 2nd map, 2018.
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e.g. By 2018, the playground had been removed and new sport facilities had been opened.
A Past Map and a Present Day Map
In this 2nd example, one map is in the past while the other is what it looks like today. In this case, we can use three tenses:
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Present simple - Subject + verb (1st form) + object
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Passive voice = Object + am / is / are + verb (3rd form)
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Past simple - Subject + verb (2nd form) + object
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Passive voice = Object was / were + verb (3rd form)
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Present perfect - Subject + has / have + verb (3rd form) + object ​
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Passive voice = Object has / have been + verb (3rd form)
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Like before, if you are describing the past graph, you use past simple. Secondly, if you are describing the 2nd map, we use present simple.
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e.g. In 2008, there were six houses in the west of the town. However, now, there are ten.
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If you are describing a change between the two maps, like before, you can use the past simple tense without a time phrase.
e.g. The playground was removed and new sports facilities were opened.
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However, instead of past perfect, you have to use present perfect. This tense does the same, but it looks at the present result of a change in the past. We use the preposition 'since' with the time that the change happened. In this case, it must have happened after the first map, 2008. This is the opposite of 'by' when using the past perfect tense.
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e.g. Since 2008, the playground has been removed and new sport facilities have been opened.
A Present Day Map and Future Plans
This third type of map question involves describing the current layout of a place, and future planned changes that will be made to that location. In this case, we can use three tenses:
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Present simple - Subject + verb (1st form) + object
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Passive = Object + am / is / are + verb (3rd form)
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Future simple
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Will - Subject + will + verb (1st form) + object
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Passive = Object + will be + verb (3rd form)
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is going to - Subject + is going to + verb (1st form) + object
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Passive = Object + is going to be + verb (3rd form)
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Verbs:
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is predicted to - Subject + is predicted to + verb (1st form)
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Passive = Object + is predicted to be + verb (3rd form)
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is planned to - Subject + is planned to + verb (1st form)
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Passive = Object + is planned to be + verb (3rd form)
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Future perfect - ​Subject + will / is going to / is predicted to / is planning to + have + verb (3rd form) + object
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Passive = Object + will / is going to / is predicted to / is planning to + have been + verb (3rd form)
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When describing the first map, you need to use present simple.
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e.g. Today, there are six houses in the west of the town.
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When you are describing the 2nd map, or the changes being made, we need to use a future tense. This can either be a simple future tense.
e.g. The playground will be removed and new sports facilities is predicted to be opened.
You can also use the future perfect tense without any of the future forms with the preposition 'by' and the 2nd date, in this case 2035.
e.g. By 2035, The playground is going to have been removed and new sports facilities is planned to have been opened.
