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Time–tense distinction
The time–tense distinction is the distinction between time and inflected tense.[1]
Time is a feature of the nature, whereas inflected tense is a feature of grammar.
In English, these are often confused, because the tenses are called the present tense and the past tense. However, each tense can refer to events at any time. The tenses are known as such because of the influence of traditional grammar, and despite these names being in common use, are really misnamed. Some suggestions for more logical names for the present and past tenses include "marked" and "unmarked" or “close" and “distant" tense. However, realistically, these are unlikely to catch on.
Future time is referred to using either the present or past tenses; there is no inflected future tense in English.
This may be confusing. In French, the word temps means both “time,” and “tense,” (plus “weather”), so teachers may need to distinguish un temps verbal (“a verb tense”) from le temps chronologique (“chronological time”). Maybe explaining English grammar in English is easier.
