Which factor explains why English tense is challenging for Filipino learners?

• A. They do not study English grammar
• B. They have a tense absence in their own language; they only have aspects
• C. They mispronounce words
• D. They rely on context alone

Answer: (B)

The main thing this item tests is how differences in how time is expressed across languages can affect learning English tense. Filipino (Tagalog) expresses time largely through aspect markers rather than a distinct tense system on the verb. In Filipino, you convey whether an action is completed, ongoing, or contemplated using aspect, and you often rely on context or time adverbs to signal when it happened. English, by contrast, marks time directly on verbs with tense forms and auxiliaries (past, present, future, and perfect aspects). That gap means Filipino learners must learn a new way to encode time in English—choosing the right tense and using appropriate auxiliaries—on top of their existing system. This transfer from an aspect-based system to a tense-based system explains why English tense can be especially challenging.

The other options miss this root cause. It’s not about simply not studying grammar, or about mispronunciation, or about relying solely on context. The difficulty aligns with the fundamental difference in how time is encoded between Filipino and English.