Explanation of time in English. English tenses for dummies: simple explanation of every aspect. Also important is the “point in time” at which the action will take place

English grammar seems complicated and confusing to beginners. However, first impressions are deceiving. For example, the tense system is an example of a clearly thought-out and logically constructed scheme that allows you to understand the time of events at the first glance at the verb. Desperate to grasp this logic and comprehend the essence of each aspect? Do not worry! The purpose of today's article is to explain in detail all the tenses in English for dummies, beginners and all those who dedicatedly learned the theory, but still do not know how to apply the memorized rules in practice.

Let's start with a general explanation of the English tense system.

In Russian speech we use three types of tense: present, past and future. In the English language, there are more than 12 types, as many believe. But this is not entirely the right approach.

In fact, the British have exactly the same 3 types of time, but each of them is divided into 4 more subtypes:

• – just an action;
• - an action taking place at a specific moment in time.
• – completed action;
• Perfect Continuous - an action that has been going on for some time, brings certain results, but has not yet been completed.

If you know how to understand these semantic shades, then the use of tenses will not cause any problems. We will try to develop this skill and provide accessible explanations for each aspect.

All the rules for tenses in English for dummies

Here we will find examples of all possible tense groups, an explanation of their use and detailed information about sentence construction.

Present

If for us the present is everything that relates to a given moment, then for the British the present plays with four different colors.

1) Present Simple

Facts, everyday actions, abilities, skills. This aspect carries the most generalized understanding of time.

• I write poems - I write poems(always, every day, never, often, rarely).
• He writes poems– in the 3rd person the predicate is always supplemented with –s.

For questions and negatives, remember to use the auxiliary do.

3) Present Perfect

The result of a completed action. Such sentences are always translated into Russian using perfective verbs (what did you do?). In this case, the duration of action is not indicated specifically, but approximately.

• I have written poems- I wrote poetry(just now, already, not yet, once upon a time, by such and such a day, hour, month).

All types of statements are constructed using the auxiliary verb have (for the 3rd person has).

4) Present Perfect Continuous

An action that has already brought some results, but is not yet completed. The extent of events over time is emphasized.

• I have been writing poemssince2005 – I write poetry since 2005(from childhood, from such and such a time, from ... to, all day, during, recently).

2) Past Continuous

Events took place at a specific moment in the past.

• She was writing this letter at 5 o’clock yesterday –ShewroteThisletteryesterdayat 5hours(at that moment).

4) Past Perfect Continuous

An action that continued for a long time and was completed at a certain point in the past.

• She had been writing theletterforafewdaysbeforeshesentit– She wrote this letter for several days before sending it.(before when).

2) Future Continuous

The action is planned to take place at a specific point in the future.

• I will be flying to Spain at this time tomorrow –TomorrowVThistimeIwillflyVSpain.

4) Future Perfect Continuous

The action will last until a certain point in the future. This aspect is used in speech extremely rarely.

• By April 15, I will have been living in Spain for 3 months –K 15AprilIwillliveVSpainalready 3month.

We hope we have coped with the task and clarified the tenses in English even for dummies. To consolidate the theory you have learned, we recommend solving practical exercises on verb tenses in English.

Good luck in improving your knowledge and see you again!

Views: 854

“...only having mastered to the possible perfection... our native language, we will be able to master a foreign language to the possible perfection, but not before...” (F. M. Dostoevsky)

I subscribe to every word you say, Fedor Mikhailovich. If we have basic knowledge of our native language in our heads AS A SYSTEM, logical and understandable, then we will easily learn the laws of a foreign language. For such a complex category as “tense” and the part of speech “verb” this is doubly relevant. For reference: at the philology department, 1 semester is devoted to the verb and 1 to all other parts of speech - it alone is more difficult than all of them combined! So, let's deal with English verb tenses once and for all.

Why do they confuse us? English verb tenses

When I read articles/manuals about English verbs, sometimes it even becomes funny from phrases like this: “English has 12 tenses, but Russian only has 3. That’s why it’s difficult for us.”

Is it true: We have 3 hours and it’s difficult for us.

Lie: in English there are 12 tenses (there are 3, like ours).

Additionally: Believe me, our verbs also have a lot of their own “problems”. If we understand them, we will understand English faster. Now we will do just that: we will analyze the Russian system of tenses, and then “overlay” it on the English tenses of verbs.

By the way, I didn’t make a mistake. There are 3 tenses in English:

• Past (past),
• Present (present),
• Future (future).

But each of them has 4 forms:

• Simple,
• Continuous,
• Perfect
• Perfect Continuous.

Thanks to such a detailed system, tenses in English describe the situation in detail and even without context, verbs provide more information than Russian ones.

Get to know your native verbs a little better

Regarding Russian verbs, we will focus on only two features: tense and aspect. Understanding these categories will “give us strength” to comprehend the system of English times.

1. The tense of the verb expresses the relationship between the time of action and the moment of speech.

Everything is simple here: if the action took place before the moment of speech, it is in the past, if it takes place after, it is in the future, if during the time, it is in the present.

2. The type characterizes the action as completed or incomplete.

If the action is completed and cannot continue (its limit has been reached), then the verb is perfect and answers the question “what to do?”

Example: Freeze, sleep, run, go away, etc.

If the action is extended, “there is no end in sight,” then the verb is imperfect and answers the question “what to do?”

Example: freeze, sleep, run, leave, etc.

Aspect is a constant attribute of a verb; a verb does not “change in appearance,” but is always either perfect or imperfect.

IMPERFECT verbs have all three tenses.

Example: I was looking - I am looking for - I will look (compound form of the future tense)

PERFECT verbs have only past and future forms.

Example: found - I will find.

Pay attention to this: if the action is completed (everything, its limit has been reached), then in Russian it cannot be in the present tense.

3. The real tense and the grammatical form of the verb do not always coincide:

Example: He yesterdaycomesto me andspeaks: “Finally the sun is out!”

The action takes place yesterday (that is, in the past in relation to the moment of speech), but we express it in the forms of the present tense.

Another example: “The train leaves at three o’clock”

We talk about the future, but use the present tense form.

Pay attention to this, because in the English language there are also similar “inconsistencies” (and you don’t need to be afraid of this).

4. We can talk about absolute and relative times.

For example, verbs "gone" And "asleep"– both past tense (absolute). But if we insert them into a sentence “After I left, he fell asleep.”, then the action "gone" will be in the past relative to the action "asleep". It turns out that relative time is the one that we see only from the context. Remember this moment.

Relative tense can be expressed not only by subordinate clauses, as in the example above, but also with the help of participles and gerunds.

An example with a perfect participle:Having cooked cake, sheremoved put it in the refrigerator. (first I cooked it, and then I put it away, here one action follows another)

An example with an imperfect participle:Cooking cake, shereadbook (actions are simultaneous, parallel).

Example with participle:Removedmom's apartmentlay downrest (first cleaned up and then lay down).

Main differences: how to quickly learn English verb tenses

Now we are ready to move on to English verb tenses. As I said above, their tenses provide more comprehensive information about the action even without context (it is laid down grammatically). I will name 5 more important differences between verb forms in English that I discovered while writing this article.

1. A different attitude to the concept of “moment of speech.”

Example: a Russian person says "I live in Russia". The moment I talk about it, I live. That's it, the time is present (we have only one).

In English "I live in London" It can be “always, constantly” or “at the moment, limited, and then something can change.” The choice of tense (Present Simple or Present Continuous) depends on these conditions.

2. This leads to another significant difference - the importance of the “segment of time” in which the action is performed.

This is perfectly illustrated by the example described above, and all the tenses of the Continuous “family”. Let me give you another one:

Compare: "Iwasin MoscowVlast year" and "Iwasin Moscowforall summer"

For a Russian verb there is no difference: past tense, imperfect form.

However, in English we will translate the first option into Past Simple, and the second into Past Continuous, since the period of time is indicated.

I was in Moscow last year. – I was living in Moscow all summer.

It turns out that indicating a period of time involves using the Continuous form.

3. Also important is the “point in time” at which the action will take place.

Example: a Russian person can say "II'll ordersoup"(verb of the future tense, perfect form).

In English, such a sentence will be constructed in the Future Simple: I will order a bowl of soup(spontaneous decision made at the moment of speech).

To make a verb perfect (perfective, if we draw an analogy with Russian), you need to indicate a specific point in time by which the action will be completed:

I will have called him backby six o'clock. - I'll call him backcloser to six o'clock(the action will be completed by a certain moment, use Future Perfect)

It turns out that indicating a point in time involves using the Perfect form.

By the way, by interval and moment of time we mean NOT only the direct meaning “from 17:00 to 18:00” or “by two o’clock in the morning”, but also time RELATIVE to another action/event/state (I did it while you did it).

He will have bought a new car before his wife comes back from a trip to London. – He will buy a car before his wife returns from a trip to London (he will complete the action BEFORE a certain moment, we use the Future Perfect).

4. In English, as in Russian, there is the concept of “completeness of action” (perfect). BUT!

There is a difference that causes English speakers to have a perfect present tense: is the result of an action performed in the past or in the present? If in the present, then we use the Present Perfect.

I have broken the cup - resulting in fragments;

Our son has learned how to read - as a result, he can read.

By the way, speaking of the Present Perfect, we will return again to the “moment and period of time.” If the action has completed BY NOW (just, already) or in a period of time that has NOT ENDED YET (today, this week/month/year), then the time is considered present.

5. In English there are perfect continuous verbs (in Russian they are either perfect or imperfect).

She had been working all night long - the translation of “She worked all night” will be logical, but the most accurate meaning of the sentence “She aboutworkedall night andfinished workin the morning,” that is, the action took place over a period of time and ended at its end.

It turns out that indicating both a segment and a point in time requires the use of the Perfect Continuous form.

English verb tenses with examples

We've sorted out the theory - let's move on to practice. Let's talk about each specific time. Let me make a reservation right away that I will NOT describe all cases of using tenses - this information can be found in different sources. I will simply describe the BASIC cases of using tenses in English (with examples) and explain their logic.

What's happening in the present

Present Simple used when we talk about a regular, constant, typical action that is NOT tied to the moment of speech.

Example: She speaks 2 foreign languages ​​- She speaks two foreign languages ​​(that is, she knows how to speak them, this is her constant characteristic).

Present Continuous used when we want to show that an action is being performed right now (now). BINDED to the moment of speech.

Example: The doctor is performing an operation now - The doctor is now performing an operation (he is doing it right now, at the time of the speaker’s speech).

Present Perfect used when the action has completed (there is a result), but the time has not ended.

Example: He has called me today. - He called me today. (the action has already ended, but “today” has not yet ended).

Present Perfect Continuous used when an action began in the past and is still ongoing in the present (we emphasize its duration).

Example: She has been watching TV all day. – She watches TV all day (from the very morning until now, can you imagine? It’s been all day!).

What happened in the past

Past Simple used to express an action that occurred at a certain time in the past, while the period of time has already ENDED.

Example: I saw him yesterday. – I saw him yesterday (that day is already over).

Past Continuous indicates a process that LASTED at a certain moment or period in the past.

Example: I was reading a book at midnight - I read a book at midnight (this process was in the past and lasted for some period of time).

Past Perfect remember Russian relative time. Do you remember mom who went to bed after cleaning? She cleaned the house in the Past Perfect. This “PRE-PAST” tense.

Example: I had studied English before I moved to Moscow - I learned English BEFORE I moved to Moscow (first I learned the language, and then I moved).

Past Perfect Continuous indicates an action that began in the past, continued for some “span of time” and ended at its end (or did not end).

Example: She had been cooking dinner for an hour before I came - She was preparing dinner for an hour before I came (The action lasted for a certain period of time, and then ended at a certain moment).

What will happen in the future

Future Simple used to denote any fact, decision or intention in the future, made at the time of speech.

We will take a taxi. – We will take a taxi (showing the intention in the future, accepted now).

Future Continuous indicates a process that will begin before a certain point in the future and will still be ongoing at that point.

I will be studying at university in a year. – I will study at the university in a year (the sentence does not indicate when the event will begin or end, we are talking about this specific moment in time, which lasts now, but in a year).

Future Perfect used to express a future action that will take place before a certain point in the future.

He will have gone by then. – He will have already left by that time (the action will be completed by the moment indicated in the context).

Future Perfect Continuous shows an action that will begin EARLIER than another future action, will have a certain RESULT at that moment, but will CONTINUE after it.

We will have been living together for 12 years next year - Next year we will live together for 12 years (the moment is indicated - next year, the duration is shown - for 12 whole years! But the action does not even think of ending).

But this form is used extremely rarely and is replaced either by the Future Continuous or the Future Perfect.

Looking for logic in everything: tenses in English “for dummies”

By the way, if you understand the logic of the main meaning of a particular time, then additional cases of use will fit perfectly into it.

1. For example: using the Present Continuous when we want to show dissatisfaction, irritation.

He is always coming late! - He's always late.

We're talking about habit! Why is the Present Simple not used? Because we indicate the duration and incessancy of this action. “Well, how long can this continue?” the Present Continuous is indignant in this case.

2. Another example: the use of Present Simple in schedules of buses, trains, movie shows, etc.

The train leaves at 8 a.m. – The train leaves at 8 am.

Why is the present tense used for actions that will take place in the future? Because these are periodically repeated actions. A more detailed comparison of Simple and Continuous.

So, in almost every case you can find a completely clear explanation. If it still doesn’t work out, well, you’ll have to remember. Still, a different language means a different way of thinking :)

Our YouTube video will help you figure it out even better.

Having studied the most important verbs of the English language, such as to be, to have, as well as modal verbs, you need to move on to studying verbs of simple tenses. Simple tenses make it possible to communicate not only in the present tense, but also to make sentences that refer to the future or past tense. This detailed video lesson explains what simple verb tenses are and how to use them.

Video lesson “English from scratch. Lesson 12. Simple tenses of verbs"

Simple Group Times

When we talk about simple times, we mean three main times, united by a common name - the times of the Simple (Indefinite) group. You can’t do without knowing these times, because they are the most common. In addition, they allow you to express almost any thought, which is a real godsend for a beginner. There are three tenses in this group:

• simple past tense - past simple;
• simple present tense – present simple;
• simple future tense – future simple.

In all of the above names, the word simple can be replaced with the word indefinite, which means “indefinite”.

Three verb forms

Each verb can be represented in three forms, where the first will be used for the present simple tense and the future after the particle will, the second - for the simple past, and the third - for tenses that do not belong to the group of simple ones. Here are some examples of regular verb forms you need to learn:

• do – did – done;
• make – made – made;
• forget – forgot – forgotten.

Irregular forms of the verb require adding the ending -ed to the second and third forms:

• enter – entered – entered;
• dance – danced – danced.

Formulas of simple times

In the simple present tense, 1 form of the verb is used, and for the third person singular (she, it, he) you must add the ending –s. For example: she likes to eat peaches.

For the simple past tense, you must use the 2nd form of the verb or the first form verb with the ending –ed. For example: he entered the room.

For the simple future tense, you must use the modal particle will, after which the verb is placed in the first form. For example: he will come to see us tomorrow.

Simple tenses are a great way to start communicating and practicing English in a coherent and meaningful way. Try to consolidate the material you listened to by writing several example sentences in different simple tenses in your workbook.

Let's remember our children's reaction at school when the teacher told us some news regarding the tenses of the English language, of which there are as many as 16? They are all important, which means they all need to be dealt with separately. It seemed completely unrealistic and it was unlikely that it would be possible to understand why so many of them were invented. I took a school English course, but the secret science, relative to English times, remained unknown due to its difficulty in understanding. So how was your head a complete mess? Few of the teachers could explain this clearly, so it became boring? But don’t worry, because there is an effective solution, it’s in the video lesson - “ «.

To understand such unattainable heights as was considered in childhood - the English language with all the consequences, such as grammatical tenses, precisely to them, you need a detailed and comprehensive approach from a specialist. Let's imagine that your attempts over a long period of time were not crowned with success, but the desire remained, but some self-doubt appeared. And you quit learning English from scratch.

English times with examples

This situation is known to everyone who has been trying to study complex English tenses in grammar for a long time over the course of a year, without ever understanding the correct use of them. Just don't give up halfway. You can always find a way out! Just approach the study from a different angle, that's all. There is no need to be afraid of English times, just sit down and study thoroughly once, and A.N. Dragunkin, an expert in his field, will help you with this.

Since school days, students have been intimidated by the great and terrible twelve tenses of English, which must be learned, otherwise you will not know the language. Strictly speaking, there are only three tenses in English, just like in Russian: present ( Present), past ( Past) and future ( Future). But every time has its own aspect! And there are four such aspects: Simple, Continuous, Perfect And Perfect Continuous. By multiplication, twelve times are obtained. Only these are not separate rules that need to be memorized independently of each other. All times are interconnected and logical. The main thing is to understand what each aspect says + know when it happened ( Past), happens ( Present), will happen ( Future) the action you are talking about = you will end up with the correct tense in English.

Timeline of all tenses of English

Aspect Simple, as a rule, speaks of the most common action that occurs regularly or constantly. In most cases, if you are not sure which aspect to choose, take Simple and you can't go wrong! :-) Continuous- this is an action extended over time, it must continue at least for some time. Perfect– an action with a result. For many it is Perfect causes difficulties, because we don’t have anything like that in Russian. Absolutely not? What if you see two such verbs “did” and “did”? Which one will show “the completion of the action, the result”? Did! So it turns out that most often the aspect Perfect in Russian it is a verb of perfect action. We have our own Perfect, and that is great! Perfect Continuous– this is when there is a long-term action and the result of this action. Imagine that the aspects Continuous And Perfect connected, the result was Perfect Continuous.

In theory, everything is not so complicated. It always seemed to me that everything becomes logical when all times are represented on a time line.

This is the time line - how we imagine the movement of time: yesterday, today, tomorrow. On the timeline we depict the aspect of times Simple. Let's take an example go to school- "go to school".

I go to school every day. – I go to school every day. (usually, sometimes) – Present Simple

I went to school yesterday. – I went to school yesterday. (in 1999, 3 years ago) – Past Simple

I will go to school tomorrow. - I will go to school tomorrow (in 2025, in 3 years) – Future Simple

We complicate the picture and add an aspect Continuous– extended, long-lasting action.

I am going to school now. - I'm going to school now. (now I’m walking briskly on the way to school) – Present Continuous

I was going to school when the phone rank. – I was walking to school when the phone rang. (I was walking along the road - a long action, the phone rang - a short one that interrupted a longer one) - Past Continuous

I will be going to school tomorrow from 10 a.m. till 11. – I will go to school tomorrow from 10 to 11 am. (I’m now lying on the couch and thinking about how tomorrow I’ll walk along a familiar street to school, meet a cat, pet him and move on) – Future Continuous

Now we add the third aspect of time Perfect.

I have just gone to school. - I just left for school. (I just left home and went to school) – Present Perfect

I had gone to school and after that I went for a walk. – I went to school, and then went for a walk with friends. (I was at school and then went out with friends. N.B.! In the Past Perfect, one action must be completed before another action in the past) – Past Perfect

I will have gone to school by the end of the week. – I’ll go to school by the end of the week. (I don't like going to school, but I promise I'll go before the end of the week. N.B.! Required: at some point in the future) – Future Perfect

And finally, the turn came to the aspect Perfect Continuous.

I have been going to school since 2007. – I have been going to school since 2007. (since 1996, for 2 years. With this time I want to emphasize how long I went and continue to go to school) – Present Perfect Continuous

I had been going to school for 10 years before I finished it. – I went to school for 10 years before I graduated. (the action was long-term (until 1999, from 1998-2008) and ended in the past) – Past Perfect Continuous

By the end of 2015 I will have been going to school for 10 years. By the end of 2015, it will be 10 years since I went to school. (There is a continuous action (I have been going to school for 10 years) and a point in the future by which time I will be doing something (by the end of 2015)) – Future Perfect Continuous

As you can see, there is a logic to English tenses. The main thing is to sit and try to understand this logic. This explanation does not cover any specific use of tenses, but it will help you build a general picture of what can happen with an action (verb) in English.

The Big Bang Theory and English Times

Interesting observation. Just recently I was watching another episode of my favorite TV series “ The Big Bang Theory" ("The Big Bang Theory"). In episode 5 of season 8, I came across an amazing dialogue between the main characters. Let me remind you briefly: the heroes of the series are a group of physicists who often find themselves in ridiculous situations due to their absolute inability to adapt to real life. These inquisitive minds live in a world of theories, formulas and calculations. And in one of the episodes they thought about creating a time machine. Jokes aside, I was struck by the grammatical aspect of such an invention. Let's join Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon in thinking about how time disruption can affect English grammar. Be sure to look at the spoiler after the video, there are small explanations there that will better help you understand the flow of American speech of the characters.

Don't be surprised if you don't understand anything the first time. I myself sat with my mouth open for a while, nervously gasping for air! After 4-5 viewings with pauses and comforting cookies with cocoa, I finally decided to figure out what was going on. And the whole point is that for the British, times are not just an outdated convention. This is a necessity! They may simply not understand differently when the action took place. After the series in English, I was looking forward to the translation into Russian. At that moment, I did not envy the translators at all, knowing full well that only magic would help translate all this into Russian. Let's see the translation?

Well done! We got out of it with the help of the Russian prefix “pred”, which shows which action came first and which action came next. It turns out that the phrase “I went for a walk, but first I washed the dishes” in Russian can be said with the help of all sorts of helper words: “first”, “before”, “first”. These words will indicate which action came first. In English it would be time Past Perfect, it will show that I washed the dishes first, and then went for a walk: “ I had done the dishes and went for a walk" And the Englishman will understand what was the first and what was the second. Also, all other aspects will have their own characteristic meanings:

1. I'm walking now (the word “now” shows that the action is happening at the moment). – I am going (am going shows that the action is happening at the moment).
2. I usually go (“usually” shows us the repetition of the action). – I usually go(yes, they added usually, but exactly go will indicate repeatability), etc.

After watching this episode, I was once again convinced that English tenses are logical, correct, linear or something. And I also realized: how great it is that no one (as far as I know) has yet invented a time machine, otherwise we would all have more headaches with these times and actions :-).

• If you need additional help working on some aspects of grammar, then you can always enroll in the “Grammar Intensive” course, where, together with the teacher, you will analyze in detail the most confusing rules.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.