Adverbial-tense relationships are an important area of English grammar. It is indeed generally felt that there is the need for learners of English as a second language to master these relationships adequately if they must use the language for effective communication. The present study is an attempt at examining the mastery of the relationships by Nigerian learners and users of English. It would seem clear from the findings that, compared with native speakers, the Nigerian students selected for the study were grossly deficient in their adverbial-tense usage.
Thus, it was found that of the 48 temporal meanings identified by David Crystal in a study on adverbial-tense relationships in native English, only 18 were expressed by the students. In the light of the findings, suggestions are made for improvement in the teaching of the relevant areas of English to Nigerian students.