VOA日常语法--An Introduction to Verb Tenses

 

Editors note: This is the first of a four-part series on verb tenses. Click here for part two.

For VOA Learning¹ English, this is Everyday Grammar.

Today we are going to give you a basic overview² of the verb tense system in English.

Verb tenses tell us how an action relates to the flow of time.

There are three main verb tenses in English: present, past and future. The present, past and future tenses are divided into four aspects: the simple, progressive³, perfect and perfect progressive.

There are 12 major verb tenses that English learners should know.

English has only two ways of forming a tense from the verb alone: the past and the present. For example,We drove and we drive.

To form other verb tenses, you have to add a form of have, be or will in front of the verb. These are called helping⁴, or auxiliary⁵ verbs.

Time, culture, and grammar

Verb tenses can be difficult to learn in a foreign language. Different cultures think different ways about time. Chinese, for example, has no grammatical⁶ verb tenses. Other languages, like Indonesian, express time only through adverbs - there are no changes to the verb form.

English verb tenses give many details about time and action such as:

Is the action finished? How long did the action happen? Was the action repeated? Did the action happen at a known or unknown time? Is the action a habit? Is the action planned or spontaneous⁷?

It is difficult to think about time distinctions that do not exist in your own language. So, it can take many years for English learners to master verb tenses.

Let's get started. We are going to give examples of all 12 verb tenses using the verb drive.

Simple tenses

We'll start with the simple tenses. These are probably the first tenses you learned⁸ in English. Simple tenses usually refer to a single action. In general, simple tenses express facts and situations that existed in the past, exist in the present, or will exist in the future.

Simple present: I drive home every day.

Simple past: I drove home yesterday.

Simple future: I will drive home later.

Progressive (continuous⁹) tenses

Let's go on to the progressive tenses. We use progressive tenses to talk about unfinished events. Progressive tenses are also called continuous tenses.

Past progressive: I was driving when you called.

Present progressive: I am driving now.

Future progressive: I will be driving when you call.

Perfect tenses

Now let's look at the perfect tenses. Perfect tenses cause the most confusion¹⁰. To put it simply, they express the idea that one event happens before another event.

There are many tricky¹¹ exceptions¹² with the perfect tenses, which we will discuss in a future episode¹³. The adverbs never, yet and already are common in perfect tenses.

Present perfect: I have driven that road.

Past perfect: I had already driven that road in the past.

Future perfect: I will have driven 200 miles by tomorrow.

Perfect progressive tenses

Finally, let's look at the perfect progressive tenses. Generally, perfect progressive tenses express duration¹⁴, or how long? Perfect progressive tenses usually include the adverbs for or since.

Present perfect progressive: I have been driving since this morning.

Past perfect progressive: I had been driving for three hours before I stopped to get gas.

Future perfect progressive: I will have been driving for five hours by the time I arrive.

Don't worry if you don't understand everything yet. Here are some recommendations¹⁵ we have for learning verb tenses.

Adverbs are your friends

First, think of adverbs as your friends. Adverbs of time offer valuable clues about the correct verb tense.

Let's use the adverb ago. Ago is only used in the simple past as in, "I left home three years ago." The adverb ago is never used in the present perfect. Certain adverbs occur with certain verb tenses.

Keep it simple

English learners sometimes try to impress people by using complex verb tenses. You often have a choice of several verb tenses. When you do, always choose the simplest one. It will be clearer for your listener, and there is less chance of making a mistake.

Practice with questions

Native speakers don't think consciously about verb tenses. With enough practice, English learners can internalize the verb tense system, too. Instead of worrying about deep time relationships, try using adverbs and your ear to choose the right verb tense.

Often when someone asks a question, you can respond in the same verb tense. We'll ask a question in each verb tense. Give an answer in the same tense, then listen to our answer.

Ready?

1. Did you get enough sleep last night? (simple past)Yes, I slept well.

2. Do you shower every day? (simple present)

Yes, I shower every day.

3. Are you going to study tonight? (simple future)Yes, I'm going to study tonight.

4. What were you doing when I called you last night? (past progressive)I was eating dinner when you called me last night.

5. What are you doing right now? (present progressive)I am practicing verb tenses right now.

6. What will you be doing at midnight on New Year's Eve? (future progressive)I will be celebrating the New Year with my friends.

7. Had you ever tried skiing before today? (past perfect)Yes, I had already done it several times before.

8. Have you ever broken the law? (present perfect)No, I have never broken the law.

9. Will you have gotten married by the time you turn 30? (future perfect)No, I will not have gotten married by the time I turn 30.

10. How long had you been smoking before you quit? (past perfect progressive)I had been smoking for two years before I quit.

11. How long have you been waiting for the bus? (present perfect progressive)I have been waiting for the bus for 20 minutes.

12. How long will you have been working before you retire? (future perfect progressive)I will have been working for 30 years before I retire.

This is just a basic introduction to verb tenses. In the following weeks, we will cover the more difficult verb tenses in more detail.

I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell.

Adam Brock wrote this lesson for Learning English.

Words in This Story

aspect - n. the verb form that indicates completion, duration, or repetition¹⁶ of an action.

distinction - n. a difference that you can see, hear, smell, feel, etc: a noticeable¹⁷ difference between things or people

spontaneous - adj. done or said in a natural and often sudden way and without a lot of thought or planning

consciously - adv. done after thinking about facts and reasons carefully

VERB TENSES

past

present

future

Simple

It snowed yesterday.

Simple past verb

It snows every winter.

Simple present verb

It is going to snow tonight.

It will snow this winter.

Will / be going to + simple present

Progressive

It was snowing when I drove to work.

Was/were + -ing verb

It is snowing.

Am/is/are+-ing verb

It will be snowing by the time I get home.

Will be + -ing verb

Perfect

It had already snowed before I left.

Had + past participle verb

I have driven in snow many times.

Have/has + past participle verb

It will have snowed 6 inches by the end of the day.

Will have + past participle verb

Perfect progressive

It had been snowing for two days before it stopped.

Had been + -ing verb + for/since

It has been snowing all month long.

Has/have + -ing verb + for/since

It will have been snowing for three days by the time it stops.

Will have been + -ing verb + for/since

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 overview   

n.概观，概述

参考例句：

• The opening chapter gives a brief historical overview of transport.第一章是运输史的简要回顾。
• The seminar aims to provide an overview on new media publishing.研讨会旨在综览新兴的媒体出版。

3 progressive   

adj.先进的；前进的，渐进的；进行式的

参考例句：

• There is often a progressive loss of sight in old age.上了年纪的人视力逐步减退。
• It's a progressive idea.这是一种进步的思想。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 auxiliary   

adj.辅助的，备用的

参考例句：

• I work in an auxiliary unit.我在一家附属单位工作。
• The hospital has an auxiliary power system in case of blackout.这家医院装有备用发电系统以防灯火管制。

6 grammatical   

adj.语法的，符合语法规则的

参考例句：

• His composition is excellent except for some grammatical mistakes.他的作文写得很好，只有几处语法错误。
• He can barely form a grammatical sentence.他几乎造不出合乎语法的句子。

7 spontaneous   

adj.自发的，不由自主的

参考例句：

• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。
• Spontaneous applause broke out as soon as she finished speaking.她一讲完，大家不约而同都鼓起掌来。

8 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

9 continuous   

adj.继续的，连续的，持续的，延伸的

参考例句：

• She finally got in after 10 years'continuous effort.坚持不懈地努力了十年后，她终于当选了。
• We must be continuous to study.我们必须不断学习。

10 confusion   

n.困惑，迷乱，混淆，混乱，骚乱

参考例句：

• His answers to my questions have only added to my confusion.他对我的问题的回答只是使我更加困惑不解。
• His unexpected arrival threw us into total confusion.他的突然来访使我们完全不知所措。

11 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

12 exceptions   

例外( exception的名词复数 )； 不包括在内的人（或物）； 规则的例外； 例外的事物

参考例句：

• Most children like sweets, but there are some exceptions. 大多数孩子喜欢吃糖果，但也有一些例外。
• Such exceptions do not invalidate the rule. 这些例外并不证明此规则无效。

13 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

14 duration   

n.持久；期间；持续时间

参考例句：

• For the duration of the strike we will remain closed.罢工期间，我们将停业。
• He was prepared to do this for the duration of the campaign.他准备好在选举期间做这件事。

15 recommendations   

n.推荐( recommendation的名词复数 )；推荐信；正式建议；提议

参考例句：

• The board completely disregarded my recommendations. 董事会完全无视我的建议。
• Recommendations from two previous clients helped to establish her credibility. 两位以前的客户的推荐有助于确立她的诚信度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 repetition   

n.重复；反复

参考例句：

• The perfomance improved with each repetition.演出每演一场都有改进。
• This degree of repetition is not found in any known language.这种重复程度在任何已知语言中都不曾出现。

17 noticeable   

adj.显而易见的；值得注意的

参考例句：

• The effect of the medicine is not yet noticeable. 药的效果还不显。
• There's been a noticeable improvement in his handwriting.他的书法有了明显的进步。