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 very 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 the second and third dictionary forms are the same, we will give another similar table for the incorrect to know (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 literary work- 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?

(Am I not studying for my 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 action that is 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 interrogative form, 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 specific 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. 3rd form 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 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.

English times are considered the most complex topic, because in Russian we have only 3 tenses, and in English there are 12.

When studying them, everyone has many questions.

• What time should I use?
• Would it be considered a mistake to use one tense instead of another?
• Why is it necessary to use this time and not another?

This confusion occurs because we learn the rules of grammar but do not fully understand them.

However English Times not as complicated as it seems.

Their use depends on what idea you want to convey to your interlocutor. To do this correctly, you need to understand the logic and usage of English tenses.

I warn you right away that in this article I will not explain to you the grammatical formation of sentences. In it I will give precisely an understanding of the times.

In the article we will look at the cases of using 12 tenses and compare them with each other, as a result of which you will understand how they differ and when to use which tense.

Let's start.

What tenses are there in English?

In English, as well as in Russian, there are 3 blocks of tenses familiar to us.

1. Present (present) - denotes an action that occurs in the present tense.

2. Past - denotes an action that occurs in the past tense (once upon a time).

3. Future - denotes an action that will occur in the future tense.

However, the English times do not end there. Each of these groups of times is divided into:

1. Simple- simple.

2. Continuous- long-term.

3. Perfect- completed.

4. Perfect Continuous- long-term completed.

The result is 12 times.

It is the use of these 4 groups that baffles English language learners. After all, in the Russian language there is no such division.

How do you know what time to use?

To use English tenses correctly, you need 3 things.

• Understand the logic of English tenses
  That is, to know what time is intended for what and when it is used.
• Be able to construct sentences according to the rules
  That is, not only to know, but to be able to speak these sentences.
• Understand exactly what idea you want to convey to your interlocutor
  That is, be able to choose the right time depending on the meaning you put into your words.

To understand English tenses, let's look at each group in detail.

Once again, I will not explain the grammatical formation of sentences. And I’ll explain to you the logic by which we determine which group’s time should be used.

We'll start with the easiest group - Simple.

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Simple group tenses in English

Simple is translated as “simple”.

We use this tense when we talk about facts that:

• happen in the present tense
• happened in the past
• will happen in the future.

For example

I drive a car.
I drive a car.

We say that a person knows how to drive a car and this is a fact.

Let's look at another example.

She bought a dress.
She bought a dress.

We are talking about the fact that sometime in the past (yesterday, last week or last year) she bought herself a dress.

Remember: when you talk about some action as a fact, then use the Simple group.

You can study all the times of this group in detail here:

Now let's compare Simple with another group of tenses - Continuous.

Continuous tenses in English

Continuous is translated as “long, continuous.”

When we use this tense, we talk about action as a process that:

• happening at the moment
• happened in the past at a certain moment,
• will happen in the future at a certain moment.

For example

I am driving a car.
I'm driving.

Unlike the Simple group, here we do not mean a fact, but talk about a process.

Let's see the difference between fact and process.

Fact:“I can drive a car, I have a license.”

Process:“I got behind the wheel some time ago and now I’m driving the car, that is, I’m in the process of driving.”

Let's look at another example.

I will be flying to Moscow tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will fly to Moscow.

We are talking about the fact that tomorrow you will board a plane and for some time you will be in the process of flying.

That is, for example, you need to get in touch with a client. You tell him that you will not be able to talk to him at this time, as you will be in the middle of a flight.

Remember: when you want to emphasize the duration of an action, that is, that the action is a process, use the Continuous tenses.

You can read in detail about each time of this group here:

Now let's move on to the Perfect group.

Perfect tenses in English

Perfect is translated as “completed/perfect.”

We use this tense when we focus on the result of an action, which:

• we have received by now,
• we got to a certain point in the past,
• we will receive by a certain point in the future.

Note that even in the present tense this tense is translated into Russian as the past. However, despite this, you say that the result of this action is important in the present moment.

For example

I have fixed my car.
I fixed the car.

We focus on the result that we currently have - a working machine. For example, you say that you fixed your car, now it works, and you can go to your friends’ dacha.

Let's compare this group with others.

Let's talk about a fact (Simple):

I cooked dinner.
I was cooking dinner.

For example, you tell your friend about the fact that you prepared a delicious dinner yesterday.

I was cooking dinner.
I was cooking dinner.

You say you were in the process of cooking. For example, they didn’t answer the phone because they were cooking (we were in the process) and didn’t hear the call.

Let's talk about the result (Perfect):

I have cooked dinner.
I cooked dinner.

Are you in this moment you have the result of this action - a ready-made dinner. For example, you call the whole family for lunch because dinner is ready.

Remember: when you want to focus on the result of an action, use the Perfect group.

Read more about all the times of the Perfect group in these articles:

Now let's move on to the last group, Perfect Continuous.

Perfect Continuous tenses in English

Perfect Continuous is translated as “complete continuous.” As you noticed from the name, this group of tenses includes characteristics of 2 groups at once.

We use it when we talk about a long-term action (process) and obtaining a result.

That is, we emphasize that the action began some time ago, lasted (was in process) for a certain time and at the moment:

1. We received the result of this action

For example: “He repaired the car for 2 hours” (the action lasted 2 hours, and at the moment he has a result - a working car).

2. The action is still going on

For example: “He has been fixing the car for 2 hours” (he started fixing the car 2 hours ago, was in the process of fixing it, and is still fixing it now).

We can say that the action began some time ago, lasted and:

• ended/continues in the present,
• ended/continued until a certain point in the past,
• will end/will continue until a certain point in the future.

For example

I have been cooking this dinner for 2 hours.
I cooked dinner for 2 hours.

That is, you started cooking 2 hours ago and by now you have the result of your action - a ready-made dinner.

Let's compare this time with others similar to it.

Let's talk about the process (Continuous):

I am painting a picture.
I am drawing a picture.

We say that we are currently in the process of drawing. It doesn’t matter to us how much time it has already taken, it is important to us that you are currently involved in this process.

We talk about the result (Perfect)

I have painted a picture.
I painted a picture.

We say that at the moment we have a result - a completed picture.

We talk about the result and the process (Perfect Continuous)

1. I have been painting a picture for an hour.
I painted the picture for an hour.

We say that at the moment we have a result - a completed picture. You also point out that you were in the drawing process for one hour to get this result.

2. I have been painting a picture for an hour.
I paint a picture for one hour.

We say that we are now in the process of drawing, while we focus on the fact that we have been busy with this process for an hour. Unlike Continuous times, where we only care about what is happening at a certain (given) moment, and not how long we have been doing it.

Remember: if you want to emphasize not only the result obtained, but also its duration (how long it took you to get it), then use the Perfect Continuous.

General table comparing tenses of the groups Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous

Let's look again at what each group of tenses is responsible for. Look at the table.

Time	Example	Accent
Simple	I did my homework. I was doing my homework.	We're talking about facts. For example, you once studied at university and did your homework. It is a fact.
Continuous	I was doing my homework. I was doing my homework.	We talk about the process, emphasizing the duration of the action. For example, you didn’t clean your room because you were busy doing your homework.
Perfect	I have done my homework. I've done my homework.	We talk about the result. For example, you came to class with your homework ready. The teacher doesn't care how long it took you. He is interested in the result - whether the work is done or not.
Perfect Continuous	I have been doing my homework for 2 hours. I did my homework for 2 hours.	We emphasize not only the result, but also the duration of the action until it is obtained. For example, you complain to a friend that homework is too difficult. You spent 2 hours on it and: did it (got the result), still doing at the moment.

Bottom line

Use English tenses depending on the meaning you want to convey to your interlocutor. The most important thing is to understand what the emphasis is on in each tense.

1. We talk about action as a fact - Simple.

2. We talk about action as a process - Continuous.

3. We talk about action, focusing on the result - Perfect.

4. We talk about the action, emphasizing that it took a certain time before obtaining the result - Perfect Continuous.

I hope that now you understand the logic of English times, and you will be able to convey the correct meaning to your interlocutor.

The cornerstone for everyone learning English is his time. Have you dismantled the group? Simple(Indefinite) and everything seems clear and easy. And you start the next one, and your head is already a mess. How to not easily learn 12 tenses in English, but also to understand them in order to actually use them in speech, and not bury them in the “useful knowledge” section somewhere deeper in your head?

“Dreams and everyday life of a worm” - this visual table, which at one time blew up the Internet and helped millions stop making mistakes in time. If you are still “swimming” in this topic, take the picture from examples to yourself. Place it on your desk or print it and hang it in a visible place.

And right now, go through all 12 times. We learn fun, like children, and remember easily times in English!

Group Present (present time)

Simple (Indefinite, simple): I eat apples every day. – I eat apples every day.

Continuous: We are eating the same apple now. – We are eating the same apple now.

Perfect (completed): I have already eaten this apple. - I have already eaten this apple.

Perfect Continuous (complete-long): I have been eating this apple since early morning. – I have been eating this apple since early morning.

Group Past (past tense)

Simple (Indefinite): I ate apples yesterday. – I ate apples yesterday.

Continuous: I was eating an apple when my mother came. – I was eating an apple when my mother came.

Perfect: We had already eaten apples when we began to eat plums. – We had already finished the apples when we started eating the plums.

Perfect Continuous: I had been eating apples for two hours when my friend arrived. – I had been eating apples for 2 hours when my friend came.

Future group (future tense)

Simple (Indefinite): I will eat apples in summer. - I will eat apples in the summer.

Continuous: I will be eating apples at 5 o'clock tomorrow. – I will eat apples at 5 o’clock tomorrow.

Perfect: I will have eaten this apple before the midnight. “I’ll finish this apple before midnight.”

Perfect Continuous: I will have been eating this apple for two hours before the guard comes. – I will be eating this apple for 2 hours before the watchman appears.

Friends, and finally helpful advice: try to understand, not memorize 12 times of the English language. You need to clearly understand how the next time differs from the time you have already studied. If you still barely see the difference, it’s better to stop and bring this piece to perfection, and then move on.

Also, be sure to practice. At home, at work, with friends. We are confident that your environment will understand and support your desire to improve English. And you, thus, will take the learned rules from passive into active spoken language. Good luck and good mood!

One of our native-speaking teachers (he calls himself “a real grammar nerd” - something like a “grammar Nazi”) recently sent us a photo riddle especially for English language learners.

He said that he recently looked into a wonderful vintage home decor store, and two things especially caught his attention. Firstly, a retro chair in the style of the sixties, and secondly, a sticker on this chair. Look closely at the sticker. Do you understand why our teacher immediately decided that English was not the native language for a shop assistant?

For those who are just taking their first steps in English, let us explain: the store clerk was caught by a common mistake - using the wrong tense form of the verb, Present Progressive instead of Present Simple.

In the words of our teacher: “It’s often the “little things” that make a difference in whether you sound like a native English speaker or writer” – it’s the little things and subtleties that make up the difference between a native English speaker and a language learner . Choosing the right time that will sound most natural is one of those subtleties.

Do you know what is the most important quality for an English learner? Observation and attention to those signs and clue words that already exist in the language. If you look closely, it seems that the English language itself helps you avoid making mistakes and gives special signals. You just have to follow the signs and you will definitely get out at the right time.

It is not by chance that we used the word “pointers”. English does have indicators, or tense markers, that indicate the regularity of an action, a specific period of time, or a specific point in time. How is this useful for us? With each marker, usually only one specific time is used.

Of course, time markers are far from the key to deciphering English grammar; don’t hope that everything will be so simple, and always be vigilant. However, time indicators help to understand the logic of temporal relations in speech or text in English.

Present Simple tense markers

Past Simple tense markers

Check out this great video that goes into great detail about all of the past tense indicators.

Future Simple Time Markers

Time markers Present Progressive (Present Continuous)

Present Perfect tense markers

Past Perfect and Future Perfect tense markers

And finally - a couple of wise phrases from our teacher: “So don’t be using the -ing tenses unnecessarily and...please – Don’t be sitting in the cool retro chair.”

Often tenses in English present difficulties for English learners. This is explained by the fact that the system of tenses in the English language is unlike the one used in the Russian language, although some parallels can still be drawn. However, the system of English tenses has an undeniable advantage - it is strictly ordered, logical, and obeys the laws of grammar.

English Times. a brief description of

There are a total of 12 tenses in the English language, which are divided into four groups:

- simple or indefinite(group of simple tenses);

- continuous or progressive(group of long or continuous tenses);

- perfect(group of perfect tenses);

- perfect continuous or perfect progressive(group of perfect continuous tenses).

In English, just like in Russian, an action expressed by a verb can occur in the past, present, or future. Accordingly, each of the above groups of tenses can be expressed in the past tense ( past tense), present tense ( present tense), or future tense ( future tense).

Each group of tenses in English expresses different situations.

Simpler times describe the fact of the origin of an action, regardless of the extent of this action. They are also used to describe actions that occur with some regularity.

Long times, as the name suggests, describe what happens over a period of time, usually specified by the moment about which we're talking about. Also, verbs of this group of tenses are always constructed using the verb be, and the ending is always added to them "-ing".

Perfect tenses describe actions that have already been completed at some point in time. Verbs in this tense group are always used with an auxiliary verb have, and they are always in the past participle form.

Perfect Long Times, as the name implies, define the signs of times of a perfect and long group; they describe actions that lasted over a certain period of time. Verbs of this group use two auxiliary verbs - have And been, and have the ending " -ing".

Having remembered the simple rules given above, choosing between these groups of tenses will be much easier.

Table of English tenses with examples

To further simplify the understanding of the English tense system, below is a table showing the main cases of using certain tenses.

	Past (past tense)	Present (present time)	Future (future tense)
Simple/Indefinite	The fact of the origin of an action in the past.	An action that occurs with some regularity.	An action that is to happen in the future.
	cooked	cook/cooks	shall / will cook
	He cooked yesterday. He cooked yesterday.	He cooks dinner every Friday. He cooks dinner every Friday.	He will cook tomorrow. He will cook tomorrow.
Continuous/Progressive be + verb + ing	An action that occurs at a specified time in the past (usually expressed by another action in the Simple Past form).	Action that is happening now.	An action that will take place some time in the future, at some specified moment.
	was / were cooking	am / is / are cooking	shall / will be cooking
	He was cooking when the phone rank. He was cooking when the phone rang.	He is cooking now. He's cooking now.	He will be cooking when you come. He will be cooking when you come.
Perfect have + verb	An action that completed before another action in the past, or before a moment in the past.	An action that occurred at some unspecified point in the past, and the effect of which is often present in the present.	An action that will be completed before another action in the future, or before a time in the future.
	had cooked	has / have cooked	shall / will have cooked
	He had cooked the dinner when the phone rang. He had already prepared dinner when the phone rang.	He has cooked many meals. He prepared many dishes.	He will have cooked dinner by the time you come. He'll already have dinner ready by the time you arrive.
have + been + verb + ing	An action that occurred during a period of time before another action in the past, or before a point in the past.	An action that began in the past, and which occurs over a period of time, and continues in the present.	An action that will begin in the future, and which will occur for some period of time before another future action, or a point in the future.
	had been cooking	has/have been cooking	shall / will have been cooking
	He had been cooking for a long time before he took lessons. He had been cooking for a while before he took the cooking class.	He has been cooking for over an hour. He's been cooking for over an hour.	He will have been cooking all day by the time she gets home. He will have been cooking all day by the time she gets home.

Signs of tenses in English

To a certain extent, each group of English tenses may have some signs that suggest and help to understand which tense to use in a particular case. And although such signs do not allow us to determine with absolute certainty which time will be the most correct in a given case, they still simplify the task of choice.

Such signs express the period or time in which the action takes place.

For example:
yesterday (yesterday) indicates simple past
every day (every day) indicates simple present
tomorrow (tomorrow) indicates simple future
while (while) indicates past continuous
now (now) indicates present continuous

There are many such marker words in English that express a moment or period in time, and many of them indicate whether an action happened in the past or will only happen in the future, and they can suggest which tense group should be used. If you learn to recognize such sign words, it will greatly help when choosing tenses. However, it should be taken into account that some such feature words can be used in more than one tense group. Below is a table containing the main such words-signs and showing what time they indicate.

	Past (past tense)	Present (present time)	Future (future tense)
Simple/Indefinite	Simple Past	Simple Present	Simple Future
	yesterday - yesterday last year / month / etc – last year / month / etc. one year / month ago – one year / month ago	every morning / day / etc. – every morning / every day / etc. always - always usually - usually frequently / often – often sometimes - sometimes	tomorrow - tomorrow tonight - this evening next week / month / etc. – next week / next month / etc. soon - soon in the future - in the future
Continuous/Progressive	Past Continuous	Present Continuous	Future Continuous
	while – while when - when	now - now right now - right now this week / minute / etc. – this week / this minute / etc.	when - when after - after as soon as - as soon as before - before
Perfect	Past Perfect	Present Perfect	Future Perfect
	before - earlier already - already by the time - by that time until then / last week / etc. – until this moment / until last week / etc. after - after	until now - until now since - since then ever - ever never - never many times / weeks / years / etc. – many times / many weeks / many years / etc. for three hours / minutes / etc. – within three hours / minutes / etc.	by the time you go (somewhere) - by the time you go (somewhere) by the time you do (something) – by the time you do (something) already - already
Perfect Continuous / Perfect Progressive	Past Perfect Continuous	Present Perfect Continuous	Future Perfect Continuous
	before - earlier for one week / hour / etc. – within one week / one hour / etc. since - since then	for the past year / month / etc. – during the last year / month / etc. for the last 2 months / weeks / etc. – during the last 2 months/weeks/etc. up to now - until now since - since then	by the time - by that time for ten days / weeks / etc. – within ten days / weeks / etc. by – to (any moment)