There are every tense in English. English times are a surmountable barrier

Is it easy to learn English in a few lessons, as numerous calls from an army of teachers who consider themselves experts in the field of education promise? The experience of an even larger army of students cramming English lessons for beginners shows that not everything is as easy as promised. And the first stone in the study of English grammar, over which all beginners without exception stumble, immediately knocks off the patina of aplomb and ambition of future language users.

Such strange English times

The examples in the tables are familiar to diligent Russian-speaking students of English courses who are beginning to master the rules of behavior of the English verb. What a strange phenomenon this part of speech is in English grammar! What a system of incomprehensible word forms that should express an action in a particular time period! And why is this necessary, when everything is so clear in the native language: one present, one past and one future.

How many tenses are there in English grammar?

However, in such simple English, through which half the world communicates, and another quarter wants to learn it, there are as many as twelve tense forms of the verb only in the active voice. Thus, the present tense in English expresses a moment in time in reality in different ways. Native speakers, without thinking about grammar, will use one form of the verb when they talk about what they do always, sometimes, often or usually, and another if it is important for them to emphasize that they are busy with something at a given moment in time. In the first case, they will use that cell of their innate grammatical memory where verbs are collected in the form of the Present Simple, and in the second - the present continuous

For a Russian-speaking student, it is important to understand that the action in question can be instantaneous or extended over time, it can just happen or occur usually, as always, rarely or often. Each such action in English requires the use of a verb in a strictly defined form. In the Russian language, the nuances of relative time are defined lexically, the participants in the dialogue specify in words how and when the action occurs: now, usually, often, from some point or during a certain period.

Present tense “ours” and “alien”

Those who explain English tenses for dummies know that it is most clear to understand the rule based on their native language. For example, we say “I (now) watch TV” or “I (usually) watch TV after dinner.” In both expressions, the verb “I look” is used in the present tense. But it’s a completely different matter if the same phrases are spoken by an Englishman. He will say: I am watching television and I watch television after dinner. They themselves, without additional lexical means, show that in the first case the action occurs right now, this very minute, and in the second the action is repeated, ordinary, daily.

Grammar tense system

It is not easy to understand the meaning of verbal diversity in expressing temporal layers of reality in the English language. Just a small example of the use of different forms of the present tense already puzzles the student. But there is also a past and a future.

Such an abundance of tenses surprises Russian-speaking students who are just beginning to grapple with the vagaries of the English verb. But later they even have to do numerous exercises on English tenses, honing the skills of correct word usage in the flow of spoken language. Practice shows that it is easiest to master the tense forms of the verb in the system. Thus, by placing English tenses with examples in tables, it is easier to understand their grammatical multi-layered nature.

Apartment house for English verb

This house has four floors. Each floor is a grammatical tense: Simple, Continuous, Continuous. On each floor there are three apartments, in each of which residents settled - word forms of the present (Present), past (Past) and time. An example for settlement would be the incorrect verb “drink (drink)” and the correct verb “watch (watch)”.

English Times. English Tenses

	I drink tea (always, often...) I watch television	I drank tea (yesterday...) I watched television	I will drink tea I will drink tea (tomorrow...) I will watch television
	I am drinking tea I'm drinking tea right now) I'm watching television	I was drinking tea I was drinking tea (at that moment in the past when you called...) I was watching television	I will be drinking tea I will drink tea (at some point in time in the future) I will be watching television
	I have drunk tea I drank tea (just now, already...) I have watched television	I drank tea (already, at some point in the past) I had watched television	I will have drunk tea I will already have tea (at some point in the future) I will have watched television
Perfect Continuous	I have been drinking tea for 2 h. I have been watching television since 5 o'clock	I had been drinking tea for 2 h. I had been watching television since 5 o'clock	I will have been drinking tea for 2 h. I will have been watching television since 5 o'clock

The English tenses presented with examples in the tables give a systematic idea of ​​the variety of verb word forms. Those starting to master the topic should practice with different English verbs, substituting them in the cells of the table. But in order to correctly use tense forms in speech, written and spoken, this is not enough. It is important to understand the situation in which the speaker is. Each verb form precisely points to a point in time, not absolute, but relative.

How to solve a grammar problem

Effective exercises include translating phrases from your native language into English. This way you can easily learn the rules of English tenses based on your native grammar. It is important to understand why this or that word form is required in a given context, and also to see the lexical and grammatical signals that will tell you which window of the table to look into.

What are you doing in the evenings?

I usually watch TV.

What are you doing now?

I drink tea and watch TV.

What were you doing yesterday when I called?

I was watching TV when you called.

I'll call you tomorrow at 5. What will you do?

Tomorrow at 5 I will watch TV.

This one, when translated, requires the use of six forms of verb tense, of which two are present, two are past and two are future. What forms are these? English times with examples in tables will help those who want to master difficult rules and apply them in practice.

In the Russian version there are hint words: “usually”, “in the evenings”, “now”, “tomorrow”. And also an indication of one action in relation to another: “When you called, I was watching TV,” “Tomorrow (when you call) I will be watching TV.” Look at the table and solve this grammar problem.

Phrases from dialogues in Russian will also help you learn the meaning of English tenses from the lower floor of “Perfect Continuous”.

How long have you been watching TV?

I watch TV from 5 o'clock (for two hours).

When you called (yesterday), I had already been watching TV for two hours (since 5 o’clock).

Tomorrow, by the time you come, I will have been watching TV for two hours already (from 5 o’clock).

How to say in English?

English lessons for beginners include more and more complex grammar exercises as they accumulate vocabulary. But already from the first lessons the concept of tenses is given. First, about simple ones - from the Simple and Continuous groups, later the use of tenses of the Perfect and Perfect Continuous groups is practiced. Language is easier to learn in speech situations. This is why no rule in a box can replace practical training. The material for this is available all around: on the street, at home, at work. Everywhere you can train the skill “How would I say this in English.”

Today we are talking about such an important section of English grammar as verb tenses. To build an English dialogue, to form your own speech, you need to know as many English verbs as possible, as well as verb tenses. A verb is an action, so it is the most commonly used part of speech in any language. How to use the time table in practice?

The catch is that there are only three verb tenses in Russian. There are many more of them in English. But in Russian there are types - perfect and imperfect, which indicate the completeness and incompleteness of the action. All these nuances are reflected in English in individual verb tenses.

Let's create a table of English tenses together and see what goes where and what's what.

In order to get a table of the formation and use of verb tenses, we need to distribute the tenses into sections - Indefinite, Perfect, Continuous, etc. Let's try to create such a table with you and see what comes of it. Let's not take any irregular verb, so as not to complicate the task. Let's make our table using the example of the verb work - to work.

Tense	Affirmative Form	Interrogative Form	Negative Form	Examples
Present Simple	I/you/we/they work He/she work s	Do I/you/we/they work? Does he/she work?	I/you/we/they don’t work He/she doesn't work	Every day we work in the garden.
Present Continuous	I am working You/we/they are working He/she is working	Am I working? Are you/we/they working? Is he/she working?	I am not working You/we/they aren't working He/she isn't working	Andy is working now.
Present Perfect	I /you/we/they have worked He/she has worked	Have I/you/we/they worked? Has he/she worked?	I/you/we/they haven’t worked He/she hasn’t worked	I have just worked with my pupils.
Present Perfect Continuous	I/you/we/they have been working He/she has been working	Have I/you/we/they been working? Has he/she been working?	I/you/we/they haven’t been working He/she hasn’t been working	We have been working for three hours already.
Past Simple	I/you/he/she/we/they worked	Did I/you/he/she/we/they work?	I/you/he/she/we/they didn’t work	We worked in the garden yesterday.
Past Continuous	I/he/she was working We/you/they were working	Was I/he/she working? Were we/you/they working?	I/he/she wasn’t working We/you/they weren't working	Tom was working in the orchard when you called.
Past Perfect	I/you/he/she/we/they had worked	Had I/you/he/she/we/they worked?	I/you/he/she/we/they hadn’t worked	She said that she had worked with John in the studio.
Past Perfect Continuous	I/you/he/she/we/they had been working	Had I/you/he/she/we/they been working?	I/you/he/she/we/they hadn’t worked	She had been working for an hour when I came.
Future Simple	I/you/he/she/we/they will work	Will I/you/he/she/we/they work?	I/you/he/she/we/they won’t work	They will work tomorrow.
Future in the Past	I/you/he/she/we/they would work	Would I/you/he/she/we/they work?	I/you/he/she/we/they wouldn’t work	She said that she would work the next day.
Future Perfect	I/you/he/she/we/they will have worked	Will I/you/he/she/we/they have worked?	I/you/he/she/we/they won’t have worked	I will have worked with the article by noon.
Future Continuous	I/you/he/she/we/they will be working	Will I/you/he/she/we/they be working?	I/you/he/she/we/they won’t be working	This time next Sunday we will be working with the article.
Future Perfect Continuous	I/you/he/she/we/they will have been working	Will I/you/he/she/we/they have been working?	I/you/he/she/we/they won’t have been working	I will have been working at the article for a month when Tom joins me.

Here is a table with examples of the use of verbs. You can download it on our website, and it will always help you in learning and memorizing verb tenses.

What else you need to know about verb tenses

Let's remember what adverbs are used with some tenses. This is necessary to know, because if you know the correct adverb, you will always be able to use the correct verb. We bring to your attention the main adverbs for the main verb tenses.

So, Present Simple:

• Today - today
• Every day/night/morning/week/year - every day/night/morning/week/year
• Always - always
• Seldom - rare
• Often - often
• Usually - usually

Adverbs used in the Present Continuous:

• Now - now
• All day - all day
• At the moment - at the moment

Present Perfect and its adverbs:

• Already - already
• Ever - ever
• Never - never
• Yet - yet
• Since - since; since
• Till - until
• Until - until
• Just - just now, already

• Yesterday - yesterday
• That day - on that day
• The day before yesterday - the day before yesterday
• Then - then
• Two days ago - two days ago (three, four days, etc.)

• Tomorrow - tomorrow
• The next day/night/week/year - the next day/night/week/year
• The day after tomorrow - the day after tomorrow

How to easily learn the table of times?

We remind you that you can download the times table on our website. We advise you to learn it so that you can easily and quickly cope with the exercises, as well as constructing sentences and dialogues in English.

This article discusses tenses in English - detailed explanation, what it is, what they are and how they are used.

Actually, there are three of them, as in other modern Indo-European languages: present, past and future. But the use is influenced by the form of the verb to which the tense refers. There are only four such forms (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous).

3x4 = 12, so sometimes they talk about twelve times , which is fundamentally incorrect, although the tables provided for visual understanding actually have 12 fields with different options.

a brief description of

Tenses express the temporal relationship between the current moment and the one being discussed. It doesn’t matter whether a person pronounces words orally, perceives them by ear, writes or reads. You can always distinguish the conditionally present moment, and the one described or pronounced in a sentence. For example, in the phrase “prepare to disembark, the ship is approaching port,” the narration is in the present tense, although these real events described in the old book could have happened a long time ago.

The reader is transported back in time and immersed in another world. The linguistic richness of many literary works is based on such conventions. An educated person gets used to them and perceives them automatically, without thinking about word forms. And he also easily composes phrases with the correct use of temporary structures. But Russian-language phraseology differs from English-language. When translating or constantly switching to someone else's speech, difficulties arise, especially for beginners.

The main difficulty is the development of perfect and continuous forms of verbs in Western European countries. In this regard, Germanic and Romance languages ​​are more complex than Slavic languages. In Russian there is practically no difference between the main and continuous forms. "I live" — an action that by definition continues. A change in meaning often occurs through the addition of prefixes, which essentially transform the word into a completely different lexical unit. "Old" — the action continued in the past, “lived” — has already ended.

English is analytical, which is unlike most Germanic languages. Phrases are composed of relatively short elements that retain their spelling. There are no prefixes, suffixes and endings, as in synthetic ones. Getting used to this and fully understanding the process is the key to success for a translator or person speaking with British people.

It's actually easy to get used to, given the strictness of the language constructs. The word order is constant and predetermined. Having some experience, it is no longer possible to make a mistake; you just need to gain a sufficient vocabulary. It even becomes boring to talk within such strict limits. Slavic languages ​​give more freedom in forming phrases. Almost all words are successfully swapped, many are skipped altogether, although inserting them is also not a mistake.

So, what do times express in relation to the current time interval:

• the present - at least approximately coincides with the current time period;
• past - events developed earlier, or have already occurred;
• future - expresses a forecast, planning of probable events in the future.

Table of English tenses with examples

Only the verbs change depending on time. But even without taking into account the context and other members of the sentence, they provide comprehensive information about duration and completeness. This accuracy is due to the presence of 4 verb word forms:

• Simple - simple;
• Continuous - long;
• Perfect - perfect (without defining duration);
• Perfect Continuous – continuous perfect.

Each overlaps with three temporal categories. This is a radical difference with Slavic linguistics, where the simple form is similar to the continuous form, the perfect form occurs exclusively in the past and future. Non-standard techniques are actively used, such as complete replacement of the verb, when describing a completed or ongoing activity. But expressing tense forms of verbs in English table standardized.

Using the example of the correct verb to live, we will show what such a diagram looks like, filled with specific words.

	Past	Present	Future
Simple	I lived	I live	I'll live
Continuous	I was living	I am living	I'll be living
Perfect	I had lived	I have lived	I'll have lived
Perfect Contintermittent	I had been living	I have been living	I'll have been living

The example uses the colloquial (and commonly used) abbreviation I'll instead of the full phrase I will. Since regular verbs have the same second and third dictionary forms, we present a similar table for the irregular to know, now in the second person instead of the first.

	Past	Present	Future
Simple	You knew	You know	You'll know
Continuous	You were knowing	You are knowing	You'll be knowing
Perfect	You had known	You have known	You'll have known
Perfect Contintermittent	You had been knowing	You have been knowing	You'll have been knowing

Of course, not all of the above options are used in practice in everyday speech. The perfect-continuous form refers rather to complicated book phrases, and is rarely used even in scientific or fiction literature. But knowing it is necessary for the completeness of linguistic concepts.

Only a small proportion of such constructions are applicable in Russian vocabulary. I did, I am doing, I will do - the simple form coincides with the long form. The perfect exists only in the past and future - I did, I will do. There is no combination of perfect and continuum at all. The gerund living or going is translated approximately as a verbal adjective “living” or “going”, but is used in a different context. In Russian it is usually only in the third person, and such speech patterns are in any case considered undesirable. Modern phraseology tries to avoid them. For English speakers, these are frequently used parts of speech of direct action. They certainly need to be mastered by beginners studying, how tenses are formed in English.

Signs of tenses in English

Adjacent words may indirectly indicate that a certain time must be used. The need to use the future is indicated by: always - always, often - often, usually - usually, sometimes - sometimes, never - never, everyday - daily, on Mondays (etc.) - on Mondays or other days, at weekends - on weekend. Signs of the present are present in generalized phrases or those conveying the periodic repetition of events. For example, a bus leaves (arrives) on certain days of the week. So detailed explanation of tenses in English will help you express yourself beautifully and accurately.

Signs of the past: yesterday - yesterday, the day before yesterday - the day before yesterday, last week - last week, ago - ago, earlier - earlier, in the past - in the past.

Signs of the future: tomorrow - tomorrow, the day after tomorrow - the day after tomorrow, next week - next week, in an hour - within an hour, in ten hours - for 10 hours, later - later, soon - soon, in the future - in future.

How are they formed

They give in dictionaries three forms of irregular verbs . For regular ones, the second and third are formed in the standard way, by adding the ending -ed to the first (main). For example: stay, remained, stayed. Incorrect pattern: be, was (were), been. Here the second option also differs depending on the number: in the singular was, in the plural were. With the pronoun You, only were is used, but it should not always be translated as “you”. The Russian “you” also has a right to exist. Intonation and the nature of the relationship with the interlocutor help to translate a live conversation. In a literary work there is context, but sometimes it is still difficult to determine what is meant

Simple Present. In the present simple, the formation of phrases occurs as follows: after the pronoun comes the first dictionary form of the verb. It cannot be separated from the pronoun. She looks - she looks. She draw - she draws.

Simple Past. The simple past is formed similarly to the present, but instead of the first verb form given in dictionaries, the second is used. She looked - she looked. She drew - she drew.

Simple Future. The simple future is expressed as follows: after the pronoun comes will (or abbreviated ‘ll) then the first form of the verb. She will look or She’ll look - she will look. She will draw or She’ll draw - she will draw. Implied generalized actions or regularly repeated , without reference to a specific period.

Continuous Present. The continuous present is formed by using to be in the form am, is or were, followed by a gerund formed from the main verb. He is staying - he is standing (right now).

Continuous Past. The continuous past is expressed in a similar way, only changing is (am, are) to was (were). He was staying - he stood (were instead of was in the plural).

Continuous Future. The continuous future is formed as follows: pronoun + will be + gerund. He will be staying - he will stand. They imply specific events that will last for a certain period.

Perfect Present. The perfect present is a specific speech construction that is absent in Russian. This means an event recently completed . The pronoun is followed by have (or has) and the 3rd form of the main verb. For the correct ones, it coincides with the second. We have tried - we tried. We have written - we wrote. It should be noted that in the Russian translation, words are used that differ in prefixes from the main non-prefixed variants “try” or “write”.

Perfect Past. In the past perfect we use had instead of have. Otherwise, the formation of phrases is similar to how perfects are conveyed. tenses in English present. We had tried - we (long ago) made an attempt. We had written - we (long ago) wrote something. This is what they say and write about events that have been completed a long time ago. The choice of Present or Past in the perfect depends on the general logic associated with the context.

If any action is long in nature, the scope of use of the Present Perfect expands. So, for daily exercise in the morning, “yesterday” is quite a long time ago. But for a good feature film, which takes months or years to process, yesterday's presentation to the audience is still relatively recent. If in a text or conversation two completed events of different ages are mentioned close to each other, it is worth mentioning one of them (the earlier one) in the past perfect, and the second (later) in the present. Without disturbing the natural logic of the story too much. A year ago is a long time ago anyway.

Perfect Future. Expresses the intention to do something. Formation scheme: pronoun + will have + 3rd form of the verb. We will have tried - we will try. We will have written - we will write. We can talk about things that are certain to come true, or about things that are speculative, but very probable. Sometimes such a perfect construction expresses self-confidence, a desire to impress the interlocutor, to promise something.

Perfect Continuous Present. The pronoun is followed by have (has) been and a gerund. They have been listening - they listened. Expressions in such a complicated format are absolutely uncharacteristic of Russian speech, which tends to simplify and shorten. But often in fact they correspond more to completed events than the usual perfect. Listening is, by definition, a long-term activity. In this case they mean recently completed , compared to its usual duration or frequency. For a meal, “recently” means that people sat at the table no more than an hour ago. But a trip to the resort a week later will still be a relatively fresh fact.

Perfect Continuous Past. The only difference from the present above is had instead of have (has). They have been listening - they listened. What happened here ended so long ago that it no longer fits within the time frame of the presentation.

Perfect Continuous Future. Formation scheme: pronoun + will have been + gerund. They will have been listening - they will listen. Only continuous actions are expressed this way.

Examples

When considered all tenses in English, it is worth giving more options using different pronouns.

Correct verb to warm:

	Past	Present	Future
Simple	He warmed	He warms	He'll be warm
Continuous	He was warming	He is warming	He'll be warming
Perfect	He had warmed	He has warmed	He'll have warmed
Perf. Cont.	He had been warming	He has been warming	He'll has been warming

The perfect translates to “heat”, “warm up”, “warm up”. Subtle nuances conveyed in Russian by numerous prefixes are often expressed by the prepositions in, on, at, to, out, off, above, under. But this goes beyond the scope of what is being discussed, and demonstrates the skill of an experienced translator.

Irregular verb to break:

	Past	Present	Future
Simple	You broke	You break	You'll break
Continuous	You were breaking	You are breaking	You'll be breaking
Perfect	You had broken	You have broken	You'll have broken
Perf. Cont.	You had been breaking	You have been breaking	You'll have been breaking

Clearly visible here difference between br oke and br oken .

Using Present Indefinite (Simple) Tense

Present Indefinite used to express a repeated or constant action relative to the present:

I go to school. (I am going to school)

He works. (He works)

She comes here at six o'clock. (She comes here at 6 o'clock)

Present Indefinite used to express an action that characterizes the subject constantly or throughout the present period of time:

You read very well. (You read very well)

He dances very badly. (He dances very badly)

Present Indefinite is used to express an action or state that is not limited by time and occurs regardless of a person’s desire:

Sugar dissolves in water. (Sugar dissolves in water)

Present Indefinite is used to express an action occurring at the moment of speech:

• with verbs that are not used in the Continuous form: to see, to hear, to know, to feel, to like to hate, to love, to understand.

I don't see anything. (I can not see anything)

I don't understand it. (I do not understand this)

• if the one who speaks only states a fact, and does not convey the action as an ongoing process.

Here she comes. (Here she comes)

Present Indefinite used to express future action in subordinate clauses of time and condition, which are introduced by conjunctions when(When); after(after); before(before, before); till, untill(Bye); as soon as(as soon as); if(If); unless(if not) etc:

I'll be here till you come. (I'll be here while you come)

Wait until I get my coat. (Wait while I get my coat)

Present Indefinite used to express a planned future action (in most cases with verbs denoting movement). Such sentences usually use adverbial words that indicate the time of action. The present tense can also be used in the corresponding Russian sentences:

I leave Moscow tomorrow. (I'm leaving Moscow tomorrow)

When does the doctor come? (When does the doctor come?)

Present Indefinite used in a coherent narrative to express an action or a series of successive actions in the past. This usage Present Indefinite brings the story to life, events seem to happen at the moment of speech.

All of a sudden, one evening comes little Emily from her work and him with her. (Suddenly one evening little Emily comes home from work and he is with her)

Use of Past Indefinite (Simple) Tense.

Past Indefinite is a tense form of a verb that expresses an action that has passed or occurred in the past. Past Indefinite regular verbs are formed by adding to the infinitive without the particle to ending -ed:

Verbs in the Past Indefinite have the same form in all persons singular and plural:

• -e, then it is not written in Past Indefinite:

• if the infinitive ends with a letter -y, which is preceded by a consonant, then before the ending -ed it changes to -i:

to study - studied

• if the infinitive ends with one consonant preceded by a short stressed vowel sound, then the final one is before -ed doubles:

to stop - stopped

• final letter -r doubles if the last syllable is stressed:

prefer - preferred

• final letter -l doubles if preceded by a short vowel sound (stressed or unstressed):

to travel - travelled

In Past Indefinite, irregular verbs are used in the second form.

to speak - spoke

to write - wrote

The past indefinite interrogative form of regular and irregular verbs is formed using an auxiliary verb to do and the infinitive of the main verb without a particle to:

Did you study at this university? (Did you study at this university?)

Did she go to a park? (Did she go to the park?)

The negative form Past Indefinite is formed using a negative particle not after the auxiliary verb:

I didn't like that party. (I didn't like that party)

In oral speech it is usually abbreviated: I didn't like that party.

In the interrogative-negative form Past Indefinite auxiliary verb did is placed before the subject, and the particle not after him:

Why didn't you tell me it? (Why didn't you tell me this?)

but if an abbreviation is used, then didn’t is placed before the subject:

Why didn't you go there? (Why didn't you go there?)

The verb to do in Past Indefinite can also be used to strengthen the expressed thought:

I did love you! (I really loved you!)

The verb to be in Past Indefinite has two forms: was for first and third person singular and were for everyone else.

Verb in interrogative form to be placed before the subject:

Were you at home? (Were you at home?)

In the negative form, the particle is used after was/were not:

I was not in Great Britain. (I haven't been to the UK)

They weren't there. (They weren't there)

Usually the abbreviation is used: I wasn’t…You weren’t…

The verb to have in Past Indefinite has the form - had.

I had a friend. (I had a friend)

She had a good car. (She had a nice car)

He had a house. (He had a house)

The interrogative form of the verb to have in Past Indefinite is: did+have. To formulate a question did used before the subject, have after him.

Did you have books? (Did you have books?)

The negative form, as a rule, is formed without the auxiliary verb to do, and is used as in with negative particles not or no.

I hadn't problems. (I had no problems)

I had no choice. (I had no choice)

Past Indefinite expresses a single or continuous action in the past. The time of a past action is often specified with the words: yesterday, last week, last year, etc. :

I was there yesterday. (I was there yesterday)

He were at the hospital last week. (He was in the hospital last week)

She was here this morning. (She was here this morning)

Past Indefinite is used to express a series of sequential actions in the past:

I woke up, washed myself and went out of home. (I woke up, washed my face and left the house)

Past Indefinite is used to express a repeated action in the past:

I saw him every day. (I saw him every day)

She came many times to our house. (She came to us many times)

Use of Future Indefinite (Simple) Tense.

Future Indefinite used to express a single, constant or repeated action in the future:

I'll go over with you tomorrow morning.

(I'll go with you tomorrow morning)

I'll always come back.

(I'll always come back)

He'll work at the factory next year.

(Next year he will work in a factory)

Future Indefinite is not used in subordinate clauses of time and condition! To express future action in such sentences we use !

I’ll message you know when I come home.

(I'll text you when I get home)

I'll ask him when he arives.

(I'll ask him when he arrives)

Using Present Continuous Tense

Present Continuous Tense expresses action as a process, that is, an action that continues at the moment of speech or in the present period of time.

Present Continuous is formed from an auxiliary verb to be in and present participle of the main verb.

Present Participle is formed by adding an ending -ing to the infinitive of the main verb without a particle to.

read+ing - reading

work+ing - working

I'm working (I'm working)

(I am working)

He is working (He’s working)

(He works)

She is working (She's working)

(She works)

It is working (It's working)

(It works)

In the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.

Are the boys playing football?

(Boys are playing football?)

Is he working in the garden?

(Is he working in the garden now?)

The girls are not singing.

(Girls don't sing now)

In interrogative-negative sentences, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject, and the particle not is placed after the subject.

Am I now preparing for my examinations?

(Aren't I studying for exams?)

Actions taking place in moment of speech:

Why are you crying?

(Why are you crying?)

You are not listening to me.

(You're not listening to me)

Present Continuous is used to express for a long time, although not necessarily at the time of speech:

What are you doing here in Paris?

(What are you doing here in Paris?)

I'm studying at the Sorbonne.

(I study at the Sorbonne)

Present Continuous is used to express a long-term action taking place simultaneously with another action in the present tense:

I’m only happy when I’m working.

(I'm only happy when I'm working)

Present Continuous is used to express planned future action, especially with verbs denoting movement. In this case, the circumstance of time must be used:

We're flying to Paris in the morning.

(We're leaving for Paris in the morning)

Is he coming tonight?

(Is he coming tonight?)

Verb to go V Present Continuous with the infinitive of another verb means the intention to perform an action in the very near future and gives it a tint mandatory, the inevitability of performing an action indicated by the infinitive:

I'm going to speak.

(I will speak)

He’s going to be a teacher.

(He's going to be a teacher)

Using Past Continuous Tense

Past Continuous formed from an auxiliary verb to be V and the present participle of the main verb:

I was working. (I worked)

He was working. (He worked)

She was working. (She worked)

It was working. (It worked)

We were working. (We worked)

They were working. (They worked)

You were working. (You were working)

What were you telling him?

(What did you tell him)

In the negative form, a particle is used after the auxiliary verb not:

I was not working in the evening.

(I didn't work in the evening)

In oral speech in negative and interrogative-negative forms, instead of was not and were not, abbreviations are mainly used:

He wasn't working.

(He did not work)

They weren't working.

(They didn't work)

Wasn't he working?

(Didn't he work?)

Weren't they working?

(Didn't they work?)

Past Continuous used to express an action that occurred or lasted at a certain moment in the past. The time of action is usually also indicated by adverbial words like at two o’clock, at midnight, at that moment, at 5 o’clock or subordinate clauses with a predicate verb in Past Indefinite:

He was working on his English at that time.

(He was working on his English at the time)

Jack was sitting by the window when she came in.

(Jack was sitting near the window when she came in)

Past Conyinuous is used to express action, which lasted for some period of time in the past:

I the spring of the year 1881 he was visiting his old schoolfellow.

(In the spring of 1881 he was visiting his old school friend)

In subordinate clauses, if the predicate verb of the main sentence is used in the past tense, the Past Continuous is often used with verbs with the meaning of movement (to go, to come, etc.) to denote an action that was future relative to the past:

She said she was coming to see you after supper.

(She said she would come to you after dinner)

Verb to go V Past Continuous with the infinitive of another verb expresses an action that was future relative to the past tense. Often this combination expresses the intention to perform an action:

He was going to be an engineer.

(He was going to become an engineer)

What were they going to do.

(What were they going to do)

Using Future Continuous Tense

The Future Continuous is formed using an auxiliary verb to be in and present participles of the main verb:

I will be working.

He will not be working.

She will be working.

It will be working.

We will be working.

You will be working.

They will be working.

In the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb will placed before the subject:

Will they be working?

In the negative form after an auxiliary verb will a negative particle is used not:

They will not be working.

The Future Continuous is used to express a long-term action that will occur at some point or period of time in the future:

Meet me at two o'clock. I'll be waiting for you.

We'll be playing all morning.

In modern English Future Continuous often used in the same meaning as Future Indefinite, i.e. expresses future action:

You won't be coming back here anymore.

(You won't come back here again)

From now I’ll be asking thousands of questions.

(From now on I will ask thousands of questions)

He'll be going to school soon.

(He will go to school soon)

Using Present Perfect Tense.

Perfect (perfect) tenses express an action that occurred before a certain moment or period in the present tense (Present Perfect), past (Past Perfect), future (Future Perfect) and future relative to the past (Future in the Past).

Perfect tenses usually express the presence of some result of an action associated with subsequent events.

Periject tenses are formed from the corresponding forms of the indefinite tenses of the auxiliary verb to have and the past participle of the main verb.

The Present Perfect is formed from the auxiliary verb to have in and the past participle of the main verb.

The Past Participle of regular verbs is formed by adding the ending -ed to the infinitive, that is, the form of the Past Participle of regular verbs does not differ from

Use of Past Perfect Tense

The Past Perfect is formed from the auxiliary verb to have in and the past participle of the main verb. Verbs in the Past Perfect do not change for persons and numbers:

I (he, she, it, we, you, they) had worked.

In oral speech, instead of had the abbreviated form is predominantly used ‘d, which in writing is attached to the subject:

I’d (he’d, she’d, it’d, we’d, you’d, they’d) worked.

In the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject:

In the negative form, a negative particle is used after the auxiliary verb not:

I had not worked.

In oral speech, the abbreviated form hadn’t is also used in negative and interrogative-negative forms:

It hadn't worked

Hadn't he worked?

an action that took place earlier than another action in the past expressed by a verb in Past Indefinite:

I told you I had met her.

(I told you I met her)

When she had closed the suitcase, she put on her coat.

(Closing the suitcase, she put on her coat)

In the darkness he couldn’t see the man who had spoken.

(In the darkness he could not see the person who said it)

The sun had set and it was becoming dark.

(The sun had already set. It was getting dark)

Form was becoming dark expresses an action that took place at a certain time period in the past (the sun had set by that time period)

Notes

1. When listing past actions in the sequence in which they occurred, verbs are used in:

I opened the door, closed it and went into the bedroom.

(I opened the door, closed it and went to the bedroom)

1. In a complex sentence with conjunctions after after and before before. When there is no need to specifically note that one action precedes another, Past Indefinite is used in both the main and subordinate clauses:

He stood motionless after she disappeared.

(He stood motionless after she was out of sight)

I was a school teacher before I got into the army.

(I was a school teacher before I joined the army)

Past Perfect is used to express past action, which has already ended at a certain point in the past. This moment can be indicated by the following phrases: by two o’clock by two o’clock, by that time by that time, by the 1st of September by the first of September, etc.:

I had done my homework by eight o’clock.

(By eight o'clock I had already completed my homework)

The negative form of the Past Perfect indicates that at a certain point in the past the action did not end:

I had not read the book by Saturday.

(I hadn't read the book yet until Saturday)

Past Perfect is used to express action, began before a certain moment in the past and lasted up to that moment. In this meaning, the Past Perfect is used mainly with verbs that do not have the Continuous form:

When he came, I had been there for half an hour.

(When he arrived, I had already been there for half an hour)

After she had worked, he went to her side and watched her.

(After she had worked a little, he came over and watched her)

In subordinate clauses of time and condition, the Past Perfect is used to express a pre-past action that was future relative to the past:

She said that she would go home as soon as she had passed all her exams.

(She said that she would go home as soon as she passed all her exams)

In this case Past Perfect is translated into Russian by the form of the future tense.

Using Future Perfect Tense.

Future Perfect Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb to have in and the past participle of the main verb:

I will have done.

He (She, It) will have done.

We (You, They) will have done.

In the interrogative form, the first auxiliary verb will is placed before the subject:

Will he have done?

In the negative form, the particle not is placed after the first auxiliary verb will:

He will not have done.

In oral speech the same abbreviations are used as in Future Indefinite:

I'll have done; I won't have done.

The Future Perfect is used to express a future action that will end at a certain moment or at the beginning of another action in the future:

You'll have forgotten me by then.

(By then you'll have forgotten me)

You'll have read the story by the time you come back.

(I'll read the story while you get back)

In subordinate clauses of time and condition, instead of the Future Perfect, the following is used:

Her room will be ready before she has finished her tea.

(Her room will be ready before she finishes drinking tea)

We will get a new flat when they have built the house.

(We will get a new apartment when this house is built)

Using Future Indefinite (Simple) in the Past Tense

In English, a future action, which is considered from the point of view of some moment in the past, is expressed by a separate form of the verb, which is called Future Indefinite in the Past.

This tense is used in stories about past events when retelling in indirect speech or the thoughts of another person regarding the future tense:

In his letter Peter wrote that he would go to Warsaw in January.

(In his letter, Peter wrote that he would go to Warsaw in January)

Future Indefinite in the past is formed using the auxiliary verbs should and would and the infinitive of the main verb without the particle to:

I should work (I'd work)

He would work (He'd work)

She would work (She'd work)

We should work (We'd work)

You would work (You'd work)

They would work (They'd work)

The abbreviated forms that are used in oral speech are presented in brackets.

In the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject:

Would they work?

In the negative form, a particle is used after the auxiliary verb not:

She wouldn't work (She wouldn't work)

Future Indefinite in the Past is used mainly in subordinate clauses if the verb of the main clause expresses a past action:

We are arranged to start the following Saturday from Kingstone.

Harris and I would go down in the morning, and take the boat Chertsey.

George would meet us there.

(We agreed that we would set off next Saturday from Kingston.

Hariss and I will leave there in the morning and take a boat to Chartsey.

And George will meet us there)

In subordinate clauses of time and condition in English, none of the forms of the future tense are used, including Future Indefinite in the Past. An action that was future from the point of view of the past is expressed in such sentences by the form

I hope that before we parted, he would tell me what it was.

(I was hoping he would tell me what it was before we parted ways)

I wrote down to you to ask you not to see anyone till I came.

(I wrote to you and asked you not to meet anyone until I arrive)

Using the Future Continuous in the Past Tense

is formed in the same way as , but would is used instead of will:

He would be working.

She would be working, etc.

Future Continuous in the Past is used instead of the Future Continuous mainly in subordinate clauses, if the verb predicate is used in the past tense:

He said that at sunset he would be waiting for you.

(He said he'll be waiting for you at sunset)

Verbs that are not used in the Continuous form.

A verb in the Continuous form expresses an action as a process that lasts at the moment of speech or for a certain period of time. Verbs whose meaning does not express action as a process are, as a rule, not used in the Continuous form. These include:

a) verbs that express relationships between objects: to be be; to have have; to possess, to own have; to consist consist; to contain, to hold contain; to belong belong; to depend depend, etc.

b) verbs with the meaning of sensation: to see see; to hear hear; to smell smell, smell;

c) verbs that express desire, feeling, expression of will: to want; to wish, to desire wish, want; to love, to like love, like; to hate hate; to refuse refuse; to object mind; to agree agree; to prefer prefer;

d) verbs with the meaning of mental activity: to know know: to believe believe; to suppose assume; to recognize learn; to remember remember, recollect; to understand understand.

But in oral speech there are cases of using these verbs in the form Continuous.

Using the Future Perfect in the Past Tense

Future Perfect in the Past is formed in the same way as, but instead of the auxiliary verb will, the verb should or would is used:

I should have done.

He/She/It would have done

We should have done.

You/They would have done.

Future Perfect in the past is used instead of the Future Perfect mainly in subordinate clauses, if the verb of the main clause expresses a past action:

I thought you would have gone by now.

(I thought that I would never find you again)

In subordinate clauses of time and condition, instead of Future Perfect in the Past, we use

Using Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Perfect Continuous tenses express an action that began before the moment of speech (Present Perfect Continuous Tense) or before the moment of speech in the past or future (Past Perfect Continuous and Future Perfect Continuous) and continues / continued up to this moment.

Using Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous formed using an auxiliary verb to be in and present participles of the main verb. The verb in the Past Perfect Continuous does not change according to persons:

I (he, she, it, we, you, they) had been working.

The interrogative, negative and interrogative-negative forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are formed according to the same rules as the corresponding forms.

Interrogative form: Had you been working?

Negative form: I had not been working; I hadn't been working.

Interrogative-negative form: Had he not been working? Hadn't he been working?

Past Perfect Continuous can also be called Beforepast Continuous. This tense expresses a continuous action that began before some point in the past, or lasted at that moment, or ended just before it. The duration of an action or its beginning is indicated in the same way as in sentences with a verb in the Present Perfect Continuous. But in most cases, the duration of action is not indicated:

I explained that I had been loking for it for the last two hours.

(I explained that I had been looking for him for two hours)

There sat her father. The newspaper he had been reading had dropped on the carpet.

(Her father was sitting there. The newspaper he was reading fell on the carpet)

With verbs that have no form Continuous, instead of Past Perfect Continuous, Past Perfect is used.

When we came to see Kate, she had been ill for three days.

(When we came to visit Katya, she had been ill for three days)

After consideration tenses in English with examples It remains to sum up.

Bottom line

The previous sections discussed in detail tenses in English - how they are formed and what they mean. When familiarizing yourself with them, there seem to be many different options, it is difficult to get used to the perception of complex language structures and quickly recognize what is said or written. Moreover, you can speak or write independently. Simple rules will help you navigate:

1. The 3rd form of an irregular verb (for example, spoken) occurs only in the regular perfect. Since the 2nd appears only in the Simple Past, it is also quite easy for correct ones to distinguish between them.
2. A gerund (for example, speaking) is used only when describing long-term actions, be it a regular Continuous or, in addition, with a perfect.
3. The word been occurs only in Perfect Cont

Having recognized the continuum and perfect forms, it is already quite easy to understand the attitude towards the present moment. Will ('ll) happens exclusively in the future. The 2nd form of the verb, was (were) and had - only in the past. But you need to get used to the correct word order. After some training, it is impossible to make a mistake; standard schemes are firmly ingrained in the memory. A person automatically recognizes speech with the words “been” and long modal sequences as “abstruse”, which is better not to copy in everyday life.

» Tenses in English: detailed explanation

There are 12 active tenses in the English language. For us this number seems huge, and it seems that English tenses are very difficult to understand. In fact, this is not true, and with practice all students learn to choose the right time correctly.

But in the initial stages of learning, any way to remember the functions of tenses is useful. Whether you teach or study on your own, you will definitely need this worksheet. We advise you to use summary table of English tenses with examples at first, so as not to get lost in times.

We invite you to study and download two tables: table of formation times And English tenses table. The first clearly shows how tenses are formed in English, and the second lists all the functions of tenses with English examples. The tables are compiled from articles about that time published on the blog, so if you want to read in detail about a particular time, just enter its name into the site search.

The English tense system has 3 large groups: Past (past), Present (present) and Future (future).

In all these groups there are 4 times:

• Simple (simple),
• Continuous (continued),
• Perfect (perfect),
• Perfect Continuous (perfect continuous).

Group Present (present)

1. Present Simple. This is a tense that indicates an action that occurs (or does not occur) regularly, constantly.

We hunt and fish every summer. We hunt and fish every summer.
She often cooks pizza. She often makes pizza.

2. Present Continuous (or Present Progressive) denotes an action happening right now, at the present moment.

I am singing my favorite song just now. I'm singing my favorite song right now.
My chief is talking to the partners at the moment. My boss is talking to partners at the moment.

3. The action in the Present Perfect was just now, today, this week, this year, month, etc.).

I have just painted this fence. I just painted this fence.
This week my sister has left for China. This week my sister went to China.

4. The action in the Present Perfect Continuous began in the past, is still happening and will end unknown when.

The plane has been flying for some hours. The plane flies for several hours.
The grandparents have been reading your newspapers since early morning. Grandparents read their newspapers from early morning.

Past times group

1. Past Simple. Past simple. The action happened once in the past, happened constantly, regularly.

We graduated from the University in 1998.
Our neighbors moved to Moscow 3 years ago. Our neighbors moved to Moscow 3 years ago.

2. Past Continuous. The subject was in the process of action at a specific moment in the past or during a specific period of time.

Yesterday from 10 till 11 a.m. my son was writing his test. Yesterday from 10 to 11 am my son was writing a test.
On the 12th of June at 7 p.m. I was enjoying a new film. On June 12 at 7 pm I was enjoying a new film.

3. Past Perfect indicates that an action occurred in the past before some point.

I had watered the vegetables in the garden by the moment my wife cooked dinner. I watered the vegetables in the garden by the time my wife cooked dinner.

4. The action in the Past Perfect Continuous began before some time in the past and was still happening at that time.

She had been ironing the clothes for 20 minutes when the iron was broken. She had been ironing clothes for 20 minutes when the iron broke.

Future times

1. Future Simple. These are processes that will take place in the future regularly, constantly.

I will become a good lawyer. I will become a good lawyer.

2. Actions in the Future Continuous will be relevant for a specified time in the future or will continue for a certain period of time.

In 3 days at this time we will be climbing a mountain. In 3 days at the same time we will be climbing the mountain.
Tomorrow since 17.00 till 20.00 we will be walking around Novgorod. Tomorrow from 17.00 to 20.00 we will walk around Novgorod.

3. Future Perfect is used extremely rarely. Indicates an action that will occur in the future at a certain point.

Tomorrow at 5 p.m. he will have repaired his bike. Tomorrow by 5 o'clock he will have repaired his bicycle.

4. Future Perfect Continuous. A process that will begin and will still be in progress at a specified time in the future. It is used, just like Future Perfect, extremely rarely.

Next year you have been writing your novel for 2 years. Next year it will be 2 years since you wrote your novel.