• Group Times Present (Present)
• Summary table of a group of tenses, rules of use
• Examples of sentences with Present tenses

Let's repeat the times Group Present, which we met in previous lessons. This group includes times present simple, Present Continuous and Present Perfect.

So used for expressions of ordinary, repetitive, routine actions:

I watch TV every day.

I watch TV every day.

Is used for expressions of actions taking place now, at a particular point in time:

I am reading an interesting book.

I am reading an interesting book.

Is used for expressions of actions that began in the past and continue to the present, or which recently completed and / or have a visible result, as well as for actions that occurred at an unspecified point in time:

I have watched this film several times.

I have watched this movie several times.

Summary table of group times Present

	Present Continuous
They write	I am writing You are writing She/he is writing We are writing They are writing	You have written She/he has written We have written They have written
I don't write You don't write She/he doesn't write We don't write They don't write	I am not writing You are not writing She/he is not writing We are not writing They are not writing	I haven't written You haven't written She / he hasn't written We have not written They have not written
Do I write? Do you write? Does she/he write? Do we write? Do they write?	Am I writing? Are you writing? Is she/he writing? Are we writing? Are they writing?	Have I written? Have you written? Has she/he written ? Have we written? Have they written?

Let's repeat the tenses of the Present group, which we met in the previous lessons. This group includes the Present Simple, Present Continuous and Present Perfect tenses.

So, Present Simple is used to express ordinary, repetitive, routine actions. For example,

I watch TV every day. - I watch TV every day.

Present Continuous is used to express actions that are happening now, at a particular moment in time. For example,

I am reading an interesting book. - I am reading an interesting book.

The Present Perfect is used to express actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or that have recently ended and / or have a visible result, as well as for actions that occurred at an indefinite point in time. For example,

I have watched this film several times.

Pay attention to the table on the screen, and repeat how these times are formed.

There is one topic in the study of the language, which, perhaps, can be discussed endlessly. Of course, we mean tenses in English. Learners who are just starting out with the language can sometimes find it hard to get used to the way English-speakers make time for themselves. In fact, each temporary form in English has its own analogue in Russian, it’s just that we don’t single out these forms as separate groups. Therefore, it is not at all difficult to understand the times, and today you will see for yourself.

To start, let's do short review of all temporary groups, so that you have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat will be discussed today. As in Russian, English sentences can be built in the past, present and future. But besides these tenses, English also has 4 tenses, namely: Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous. In general, it turns out that one idea can be expressed in twelve temporary forms. Each form has a different way of forming the verbs that appear in the sentence. They can be used to determine the time. Detailed table for clarity:

Formation of tenses in English
Time / Kind	Simple (Simple)	Continuous or Progressive (long)	Perfect (perfect)	Perfect Continuous / Progressive (Perfect Continuous)
Past (past)	V2	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	had + V3	had + been + v-ing
Present (present)	V1	to be (1st form) + V-ing	have / has + V3	have / has + been + v-ing
Future (future)	will + V1	will be + v-ing	will + have + V3	will + have + been + v-ing

Having briefly analyzed the English tenses, let's move on to their more detailed study and consider the rules for the formation of tenses with examples.

Why are tenses needed in English?

But first I would like to dwell on the question of why the tenses of the English language are needed and whether it is worth learning them all. The system of tenses in English helps to correctly convey your idea to others. That is, you can make it clear what action is in question. Was it in the past or present? Has it ended or is it still going on? Or does it happen regularly? - all these questions will disappear on their own , if it is known what tense was used in the sentence.

“So I’m just starting to learn the language, and I immediately have to learn all 12 tenses of the English language?” - you ask. Ideally yes, you need to learn all tenses. But, most likely, you will not be able to do it all at once. Therefore, begin your training from the time Simple groups. Knowing simple time, you will be able to explain what happened to you or will happen to you, what you need and why. But you should not be limited to this time, and therefore, having dealt with it, gradually continue to study other groups. The latest can be considered the Perfect Continuous group. Often they resort to it when the level of the language of the students is already "passing" for the average, because the tenses of this group are used quite rarely and are used more to demonstrate their knowledge.

Tenses in English: Simple group

Simple (Simple)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	V1	V2	will + V1
	—	do / does + not + V1	did + not + V1	will + not + V1
	?	Do/Does…V1?	Did…V1?	Will…V1?

present simple

Present Simple or simple present tense , perhaps the most used. The use of this English tense is necessary to express regularly repeated actions, habits, schedules and facts.

As you can see from the table above, the present tense is formed using the verb in initial form, that is, in the form in which the word is listed in the dictionary. However, this form may vary slightly depending on the person and number. So, if the action is performed by a third person in the singular, the verbs end in -s (-es):

The auxiliary verb do is used to form negative and interrogative sentences. If it is used with third persons in the singular, then this verb turns into does, because it takes the ending -s (-es) from the semantic verb.

Examples:

As you can see, this time does not have any complex grammatical rules.

past simple

Past Simple or simple past tense in English is used to express the same simple repetitive actions, but only in the past. For its formation, a verb in the second form is used. It is of two types. If the verb is correct, then it is enough to add the ending -ed to it. If it is incorrect, then you just need to memorize the second form, because each irregular verb has its own. Compare:

In this case, the person performing the action does not affect the verb in any way, that is, for all persons the form of the verb is the same. Consider the use of this tense with the help of examples:

In this case, the auxiliary verb did is used to form negative and interrogative sentences. It takes over the function of the past tense determiner, so the semantic verb returns to its original form:

Future Simple

The Future Simple or the simple future tense in English is used to express simple actions that will take place in the future. It has an auxiliary verb will in all three forms of the sentence:

	She will help you.	She will help you.
	I will explain you how to do this.	I will explain to you how to do it.
	They will share their main ideas.	They will share their main ideas.
	You will not (won't) remember anything.	You won't remember anything.
	She won't be available because she'll turn off her phone.	She won't be available because she'll turn off her phone.
	They won't sign the documents.	They won't sign the papers.
	Will you be with me?	You will be with me?
	Will they like the description of the product?	Will they like the product description?
	Will he lie or not?	Will he lie or not?

Tenses in English: Continuous group

continuous / Progressive (Long)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	to be (1st form) + V-ing	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	will be + v-ing
	—	to be (1st form) + not + V-ing	to be (2nd form) + not + V-ing	will + not + be + v-ing
	?	to be (1st form) … V-ing?	to be (2nd form) … V-ing?	Will … be V-ing?

Present Continuous

The Present Continuous (Present Progressive) or the present continuous tense in English (also known as the continuous tense in English) is a tense that shows that an action is ongoing, that is, is in progress at a given time. It is usually built with the help of the auxiliary verb to be, which is expressed in three forms, depending on the person and number:

Examples:

	I am typing him a message right now.	Right now I'm typing a message for him.
	We are watching TV all day long.	We watch TV all day.
	They are translating the text at the moment.	They are currently translating the text.
	He is not (isn't) reading now.	He is not reading now.
	Jim isn't writing a new post.	Jim is not writing a new post.
	I am not (‘m not) learning Turkish.	I don't study Turkish.
	Is she working here till summer?	Does she work here until the summer?
	Are you doing this on purpose, huh?	You're doing this on purpose, right?
	Are they studying the course at the moment?	Are they studying this course at the moment?

Past continuous

(Past Progressive) or the past continuous tense is used to show that some action lasted at a certain point in the past. For its formation, auxiliary and semantic verbs are also required. The same verb to be acts as an auxiliary, but only in the past tense:

Pronouns	to be in past tense
I	was
We	were

The semantic verb is formed in the same way as for the present continuous tense.

Examples:

	I was sleeping when he called me.	I was asleep when he called me.
	She was cooking while I was reading a newspaper.	She was cooking while I was reading the newspaper.
	They were watching a cartoon when the electricity was suddenly cut off.	They were watching a cartoon when the lights suddenly went out.
	He was not (wasn't) surfing the Internet at 8 in the evening.	He wasn't surfing the internet at 8 pm.
	They were not (weren't) talking to each other when I came in.	When I entered, they did not speak to each other.
	I wasn't analyzing the results.	I didn't analyze the results.
	Was she laughing during your presentation?	Did she laugh during your presentation?
	Were they training in the evening?	Did they train in the evening?
	Was she teaching her student at 3 p.m.?	Was she studying with her student at 3pm?

Future Continuous

Respectively, Future Continuous(Future Progressive) or future long time shows an action that will take place at a particular moment in the future. All 3 forms of the sentence in this tense need an auxiliary verb will be and a semantic verb with the ending -ing:

	When I come back, they will be listening to music.	When I return, they will be listening to music.
	I will be passing the exam this time tomorrow.	I will be taking my exam at this time tomorrow.
	They will be rehearing here at 9 p.m.	They will rehearse here at 9pm.
	Diana will not (won't) be recording a song tonight.	Diana will not be recording a song tonight.
	Unfortunately, I will not be spending time with my friends during my vacations.	Unfortunately, I will not be spending time with my friends during the holidays.
	They will not be building a website this time on Monday.	They will not be developing the website at this time on Monday.
	Will they be chilling the whole day?	Will they chill all day?
	Will she be washing the dishes when we go downstairs?	Will she wash the dishes when we go downstairs?
	Will they be conducting a research?	Will they do research?

Tenses in English: Perfect Group

Perfect (Perfect)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	have / has + V3	had + V3	will + have + V3
	—	have / has + not + V3	had + not + V3	will + not + have + V3
	?	Have/Has…V3?	Had…V3?	Will … have V3?

Present Perfect

The present perfect or present perfect tense is a tense in English used to express actions that have completed by now. It differs from the simple past tense in that it emphasizes the result in the present that caused the action in the past.

This tense requires the auxiliary verb have, which changes to has in the third person. But with verbs used in the role of semantic, not everything is so simple. Past participles are responsible for them. The participle can be formed in two ways:

• If the verb is correct, then it is enough to add the ending -ed:

Suggestion examples:

	The son has broken the window with a ball.	The son broke the window with the ball.
	My children have already made the list of presents.	My children have already made a list of gifts.
	I have heard this story many times.	I have heard this story many times.
	I have not (haven't) hurt people ever.	I have never hurt people.
	She has not (hasn't) decided yet.	She hasn't made a decision yet.
	They haven't learned these formulas by heart; that's why I'm sure they have written cheat sheets	They didn't memorize these formulas, so I'm pretty sure they wrote the spurs.
	Has she been to Europe?	Has she been to Europe?
	have you ever watched an eclipse?	Have you ever watched an eclipse?
	Have they met him yet?	Have they already met him?

past perfect

Or the past perfect tense is used to show that some action took place before a specific moment in the past. It is formed using the auxiliary verb had and all the same past participles:

	I had prepared a surprise for my children by 7 o'clock in the evening.	I have prepared a surprise for kids by 7 pm.
	We had considered all suggestions by Friday.	We considered all proposals by Friday.
	I wanted to visit her but she had moved already.	I wanted to visit her, but she had already moved.
	She had not (hadn't) spent too much time before she understood the concept.	She didn't spend too much time before she understood the concept.
	They hadn't finished the construction by the deadline.	They didn't finish building by the deadline.
	We hadn't published the magazine by Monday.	We hadn't published the magazine by Monday.
	Had she edited everything by the end of the day?	She edited everything before the end of the day?
	Had he learned the details carefully before he started doing the project?	Did he carefully study all the details before starting the project?
	Had she come back by Thursday?	Was she back by Thursday?

Future Perfect

Future Perfect or future perfect tense, as you might have guessed, shows that the action will be completed by a certain moment in the future. To form this tense, in addition to the auxiliary verb have, the verb will will be required. The semantic participle is the past tense:

	I will have changed everything by this time.	By this time I will change everything.
	She will have been in the Maldives at 3 a.m.	She will be in the Maldives at 3 am.
	The builders will have built the stadium by next winter.	The builders will build the stadium by next winter.
	They will not (won't) have spent much time on family till they understand its value.	They will not spend much time on the family until they understand its value.
	She won't have reached her goals until she starts working.	She won't achieve her goals until she starts working.
	I think George and Quincy won't have made up before your birthday party.	I think George and Quincy won't make up before your birthday.
	Will they have made it by March?	Will they make it by March?
	Will she have got his real intentions before they get married?	Will she understand his true intentions before they get married?

Tenses in English: Perfect Continuous Group

Perfect (Perfect)		Present (Present)	Past (past)	Future (future)
	+	have / has + been + v-ing	had + been + v-ing	will + have + been + v-ing
	—	have / has + not + been + v-ing	had + not + been + v-ing	will + not + have + been + v-ing
	?	Have / Has … been + V-ing?	Had…been + V-ing?	Will … have + been + V-ing?

Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous or Present Perfect Continuous is a tense used to show an action that started and lasted up to a certain point or continues to continue to this day.

It has the auxiliary verbs have been, which change to has been in the third person. The semantic verb is the same verb that was used in Continuous tenses. Among all English tenses of this group present time Perfect Continuous is the most common:

	It has been raining all day long.	It rained all day.
	My friend has been persuading me to go with him for an hour.	My friend urges me to go with him for an hour.
	I'm tired because we have been creating a studio all night.	I'm tired because we've been creating the studio all night.
	She has not (hasn't) been learning French since she moved from Canada.	She hasn't studied French since she moved from Canada.
	Bryan hasn't been enjoying his weekends since his mother-in-law came to visit them.	Brian didn't enjoy the weekend because his mother-in-law came to visit.
	We haven't been sleeping all night.	We didn't sleep all night.
	How long have you been living here?	How long have you been living here?
	Have you been fighting again?	Did you fight again?
	Who has been touching my documents?!	Who touched my documents?!

Past Perfect Continuous

Past Perfect Continuous or Past Perfect Continuous is used in the same way as Present Perfect Continuous, only in this case the action ends at a certain point in the past. Sentences are formed in this tense with the help of the auxiliary verbs had been and the semantic verb with the ending -ing. Since this form is not used very often and there are not many options for its use, consider just a few examples:

Future Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous or future perfect long time implies a certain moment in the future. Time is used in very rare cases. It uses the auxiliary verbs will have been and the same semantic verb:

That's all. We hope that the explanation of the topic helped you, and the use of tenses in English is no longer a problem for you. Try to use all tense forms as often as possible when speaking, compose examples with them, perform various exercises on English tenses and make a translation.

In order not to constantly return to this article, redraw or make your own table of English tenses. It will be like a cheat sheet for you. Refer to it periodically, even if you have completed the study of this topic, since repetition of the past will never be harmful. If at first you still have a little confusion with the times, with proper practice you will quickly understand how to use them. The main thing is that we deal with all tenses in stages and do not move from one group to another until we fully master the material.

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

Actually, there are three of them, as in other Indo-European languages modern type: present (Present), past (Past) and future (Future). But usage is affected 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 basically wrong, although in the tables given for visual understanding, there are really 12 fields with different options.

a brief description of

Times (Tenses) express the temporal relationship between the current moment and the one being discussed. It does not matter whether a person pronounces words orally, perceives them by ear, writes or reads. It is always possible to single out conditionally the present moment, and the one described or pronounced in the 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 old book, could have happened a very long time ago.

The reader, as it were, is transported into the past, and plunges into another world. The linguistic richness of many literary works is based on such conventions. Educated person gets used to them, and perceives automatically, without thinking about word forms. And he also easily composes phrases with correct application temporary structures. But Russian phraseology differs from English. 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. German and Romance languages in this respect, they are more complicated than the Slavic ones. In Russian, there are practically no differences between the basic and continuous forms. "I live" — an action that by definition continues. Changing the meaning often occurs by adding prefixes that turn the word, in fact, into a completely different lexical unit. "I lived" — action continued in the past — has already ended.

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

It's really easy to get used to, given the rigor of the language constructs. Word order is fixed and predetermined. Having some experience, it is no longer possible to make a mistake, you just need to gain sufficient vocabulary. It even becomes boring to speak in such a rigid framework. Slavic languages ​​give more freedom in the formation of phrases. Almost all words are successfully interchanged, many are generally skipped, although inserting them is also not a mistake.

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

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

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 the duration and completeness. Such accuracy is due to the presence of 4 verbal word forms:

• Simple - simple;
• Continuous - long;
• Perfect - perfect (without determining the duration);
• Perfect Continuous - continuous perfect.

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

Let's give an example of the correct verb to live (live), how a similar scheme 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 Continuous	I've 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 the second and third dictionary forms of regular verbs are the same, we will also give a similar table for the wrong one 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 Continuous	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 vernacular. The perfect-continuum form refers rather to complicated book turns, and even in scientific or fiction rarely used. But to know it is necessary for the completeness of linguistic representations.

In Russian vocabulary, only a small proportion of such constructions is applicable. I did, I do, I will do - the simple form coincides with the long one. The perfect exists only in the past and the future - I did it, I will do it. There is no combination of perfect and continual at all. The gerund living or going translates approximately as verbal adjective"living" or "going", but used in a different context. In Russian, usually only in the third person, and similar speech turns in any case are considered undesirable. Modern phraseology tries to avoid them. For English speakers, these are frequently used parts of speech of direct action. They should definitely be mastered by beginners who study, how tenses are formed in english.

Signs of tenses in English

Neighboring words may indirectly indicate that it is necessary to apply certain time. The need to apply the future is shown: 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 conveying periodic repetition of events. For example, the bus leaves (arrives) on certain days of the week. So detailed explanation of tenses in English help you express yourself beautifully and unmistakably.

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 - 10 hours later, later - later, soon - soon, in the future- in future.

How are formed

The dictionaries give three forms of irregular verbs . For correct ones, the second and third are formed in the standard way by adding the ending -ed to the first (main). For example: stay, stayed, stayed. Incorrect example: 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 the right to exist. To translate a live conversation helps intonation and the nature of the relationship with the interlocutor. AT 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 derived 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. imply specific events that will last for some period.

perfect present. The perfect present is a specific speech construction that is absent in Russian. It means the 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 one. We have tried - we tried. We have written - we wrote. It should be taken into account that in Russian translation words are used that differ in prefixes from the main non-prefixed variants of “try” or “write”.

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

If any action is inherently long, the scope of using the Present Perfect expands. So, for daily exercises in the morning, “yesterday” is already 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 close to each other two completed events of different duration are mentioned, it is worth mentioning one of them (earlier) 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 anyway.

perfect future. Expresses the intention to do something. Education 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 will come true for sure, or about conjectural, but very likely. 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 the gerund. They have been listening - they listened. Expressions in such a complicated format are absolutely uncharacteristic of Russian speech, which tends to simplify and reduce. But often, in fact, they correspond more to completed events than the usual perfect. Listening is by definition a long-term action. In this case, they mean recently completed compared to its normal duration or frequency. For meals, “recently” means people were sitting 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 falls 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. This expresses only continuous actions.

Examples

When considered all tenses in english, it is worth giving more options using various pronouns.

The correct verb to warm (warm):

	Past	present	Future
Simple	He warmed	He warmes	He'll warm
continuous	He was warming	He is warming	He'll be warming up
Perfect	He had warmed up	He has warmed up	He'll have warmed up
Perf. Cont.	He had been warming	He has been warming	He'll have been warming

In the perfect, it translates "to heat up", "to warm up", "to warm up". Subtle nuances transmitted in Russian by numerous prefixes are often expressed by the prepositions in, on, at, to, out, off, above, under. But this is already beyond the scope of the discussion, and testifies to the skill of an experienced translator.

Irregular verb to break (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

Here you can clearly see difference between br oke and br oken .

Using Present Indefinite (Simple) Tense

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

I go to school. (I go 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 the person's desire:

Sugar dissolves in water. (Sugar dissolves in water)

Present Indefinite is used to express an action happening at the moment of speaking:

• 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 do not see anything)

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

• if the speaker is only stating a fact and not conveying the action as a continuing 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 unions when(when); after(after); before(before, before); till, untill(bye); as soon as(once); if(if); unless(if not) and so on:

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

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

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

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

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

Present Indefinite used in a connected narrative to express an action or a series of successive actions in the past. Such use Present Indefinite enlivens the story, events seem to occur 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 happened or happened in the past. Past Indefinite regular verbs are formed by adding to the infinitive without the particle to ending -ed:

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

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

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

to study-study

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

to stop - stopped

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

prefer - preferred

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

to travel - traveled

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

to speak - spoke

to write - wrote

The interrogative form Past Indefinite of regular and irregular verbs is formed using an auxiliary verb to do and the infinitive of the main verb without the 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 of Past Indefinite is formed with the help of a negative particle not after the auxiliary verb:

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

AT oral speech 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 say it? (Why didn't you tell me this?)

but if an abbreviation is used, then didn't come 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 reinforce the thought being expressed:

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

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

In the interrogative form of the verb to be placed before the subject:

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

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

I was not in Great Britain. (I have not been to the UK)

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

The abbreviation is usually 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 form 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 didn't have a problem)

I had no choice. (I had no choice)

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

I was there yesterday. (I was there yesterday)

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

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

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

I woke up, washed myself and went out of home. (I woke up, washed 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)

Using Future Indefinite (Simple) Tense.

Future Indefinite used to express a single, permanent 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 will always return)

He'll work at the factory next year.

(AT next year he will work in a factory)

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

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 will ask him when he arrives)

Using Present Continuous Tense

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

Present Continuous is formed from an auxiliary verb to be in and present participle (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 am working (I'm working)

(I'm 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 is placed before the subject.

Are the boys playing football?

(Boys playing soccer?)

Is he working in the garden?

(Is he gardening 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 exams?)

Action taking place in moment of speech:

Why are you crying?

(Why are you crying?)

You are not listening to me.

(You don't listen to me)

Present Continuous is used to express long time, although not necessarily at the moment 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 to express a long action taking place simultaneously with another action in the present tense:

I'm only happy when I'm working.

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

Present Continuous is used to express planned future action, especially with verbs denoting movement. In this case, the adverb 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?

(Will he come tonight?)

Verb to go in Present Continuous with the infinitive of another verb means the intention to perform an action in the very near future and gives it a hint obligation, the inevitability to perform the 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 in and present participles 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 worked)

What were you telling him?

(What did you say to him)

In the negative form, after the auxiliary verb, the particle is used 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 used mainly:

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 took place at a certain moment in the past. The duration of the 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 verb-predicate 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 an action, that 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 verb-predicate of the main clause is used in the past tense, Past Continuous is often used with verbs with the meaning of movement (to go, to come, etc.) to indicate an action that was future relative to the past:

She said she was coming to see you after super.

(She said she would come to you after dinner)

Verb to go in 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 be an engineer)

What were they going to do.

(What were they going to do)

Using Future Continuous Tense

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

I will be working.

He will be working.

She will be working.

It will be working.

We will be working.

You will be working.

They will be working.

Auxiliary verb in interrogative form will placed before the subject:

Will they be working?

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

They will not be working.

The Future Continuous is used to express long-term action that will take place at some point or 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 sense 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 a thousand questions)

He'll be going to school soon.

(He will go to school soon)

Use of Present Perfect Tense.

Perfect (perfect) tenses express an action that happened before a certain moment or period in the present (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.

Periectal tenses are formed from the corresponding forms of the indefinite tenses of the auxiliary verb to have and the past participle (Past Participle) of the main verb.

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

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

Using Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect is formed from the auxiliary verb to have in and the past participle (Past Participle) of the main verb. Verbs in the Past Perfect do not change in person and number:

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

In spoken language, instead of had the abbreviated form is predominantly used ‘d, which in the letter 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 in negative and interrogative-negative forms, the abbreviated form hadn't is also used:

He hadn't worked

Hadn't he worked?

an earlier action in the past, expressed by the verb in Past Indefinite:

I told you I had met her.

(I told you that 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 dark, he couldn't see the person who said it)

The sun had set and it became dark.

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

The form was becoming dark expresses an action that took place at a specific time period in the past (the sun has set by that time period)

Notes.

1. During the list of 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 still after she was out of sight)

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

(I was a school teacher before joining 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 such 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 done my homework)

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

I had not read the book by Saturday.

(Before Saturday, I had not read the book yet)

The Past Perfect is used to express an action started up to a certain point in the past and continued up to that moment. In this sense, 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 came, I had already been there for half an hour)

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

(After she worked for a while, he came over and watched her)

In subordinate clauses of time and condition, Past Perfect is used to express a 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 she would go home as soon as she passed all her exams)

In this case past perfect translated into Russian in the form of the future tense.

Using Future Perfect Tense.

Future Perfect Tense formed with the help of the auxiliary verb to have in and past participles (Past Participle) of the main verb:

I will have done.

He (She, It) will have done.

We (You, They) will have done.

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

Will he have done?

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

He will not have done.

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

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

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

You'll have forgotten me by then.

(By then you'll forget me)

You'll have to 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 Future Perfect, we use:

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

(Her room will be ready before she finishes her 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, the 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 time is used in stories about past events when retelling in indirect speech or another person's thoughts about 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)

In brackets are abbreviated forms that are used in oral speech.

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

Would they work?

In the negative form, after the auxiliary verb, the particle is used 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 the past action:

We 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 hit the road next Saturday from Kingston.

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

And George will meet us there)

None of the forms of the future tense, including Future Indefinite in the Past, are used in the subordinate clauses of time and condition in English. 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 with anyone until I arrived)

Using Future Continuous in the Past Tense

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

He would be working.

She would be working, etc.

Future Continuous in the Past is used instead of 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 at a certain period of time. Verbs whose meaning does not express action as a process, as a rule, are not used in the Continuous form. These include:

a) verbs that express relationships between objects: to be to 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, will: to want to want; to wish, to desire wish, want; to love, to like love, like; to hate hate; to refuse refuse; to object mind; 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, recall; 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 Future Perfect mainly in subordinate clauses, if the verb of the main clause expresses the past action:

I thought you would have gone by now.

(I thought I would never find you)

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

Using Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The 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 with an auxiliary verb to be in and present participles of the main verb. The verb in the Past Perfect Continuous does not change by person:

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

Interrogative, negative and interrogative-negative past forms 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 this moment, or ended immediately before it. The duration of the action or its beginning is indicated in the same way as in sentences with a verb in Present Perfect Continuous. But in most cases, the duration of the 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 don't have a 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 sick for three days)

After consideration tenses in English with examples remains to be summed up.

Outcome

The previous sections have discussed in detail tenses in English - how are they formed and what they mean. When you get acquainted 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. Especially if you speak or write on your own. Simple rules will help you navigate:

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

Having recognized the continuum and perfect forms, it is already quite easy to deal with the attitude to the present moment. Will ('ll) is 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 a certain training, it is impossible to make a mistake, standard schemes are firmly eaten into memory. A person automatically recognizes speech with the words "been" and long modal sequences as "abstruse", which is better not to copy in everyday life.

» Tenses in English: a detailed explanation

Now even a child knows that "without English - nowhere." But no one can clearly explain how to learn to speak and understand effectively, where to start, and how to understand that the result has appeared.

In this article, we will consider one of the most "painful" topics in language learning, namely, English tenses. Everyone knows that there are many of them, they are all different: some need some endings, others need a table of irregular verbs. Are the times as terrible as they are said to be?

verb tense(namely, he changes time) is a concept that characterizes the change of the verb, depending on whether the action happened, is happening, or will happen.

We will immediately dispel the popular myth that three times of the Simple group will be enough for communication.
Communication can and will develop, but it is very poor quality, in most cases you simply will not be able to convey the idea.

Tenses in English are more connected with the mentality of English-speaking countries, because it was their affection and attention to detail that created the long (Progressive) and complete (Perfect) groups of tenses.

Present tense in English

There are four present tenses in English:

• present simple;
• Progressive;
• perfect;
• Perfect Progressive.

The same is true for past and future tenses.

Present Simple - present simple tense

Is used for:

• Transferring an activity that happens regularly (I work 5 days a week; he walks the dog in the morning);
• Habits (I don't smoke; my neighbor runs in the morning);
• Traditions (we visit grandma every Christmas; her husband gives her jewelry for every birthday);
• Facts (snow melts in spring, water boils at 100 C).

In every age there are so-called marker words, which will help you navigate the choice of time, in case of difficulties.

So, write out this list for yourself, and you will not have problems with Present Simple time:

• Always - always;
• Usually - usually;
• Often - often;
• Sometimes - sometimes;
• Seldom - rare;
• Never - never;
• Every day (week, month etc.) - every day (week, month, etc.);
• Once/twice a… - once in…, twice in….

In order to make a statement in Present Simple, you need to remember that the first 2 places in the sentence are a priori occupied by the actor and the verb. The subject comes first, then the predicate. S (subject - subject) + V (verb - verb / predicate) + Obj. (object - object / addition) I (you, we, they) work everyday. BUT! He/She/It workS every day.

When the protagonist is the third person singular - we have to add the ending -s, -es(if the word ends in –o/-s/-ss/-sh/-ch/-x).

To ask a question, use auxiliary. Such verbs do not have a translation, they simply indicate the time in which the question is asked. Indeed, in English, unlike Russian, there are neither generic nor temporary endings.

Auxiliary verbs to form a question:

• I/you/we/they-DO
• He/she/it-DOES

As you probably noticed, the ending -s/-es always stands near the third person singular. BUT! The ending should be repeated only once per sentence. Therefore, if there is DOES in the sentence, NO endings need to be added to the verb.

The question is structured like this:

• Do(does) + S + V + Obj.
• Do you work here?
• Does he work here?

If we need to ask a special question, we just need to put the question word in the very first place:

• Why do you work here?

Negation is also done with the help of do/does already familiar to us, but with a negative particle NOT:

• S + do not (does not) + V + Obj.

Abbreviation for negative auxiliary verbs:

• Do not = don't - I don't work here.
• Does not = doesn`t - He doesn`t work here.

But if the action does not take place at all, every day, often or rarely, but right now, at the moment of speech, we need time present progressive.

Present Progressive - Present Continuous

In order to understand and remember it, at first you need to build a sentence in an unusual way for yourself: I am writing this text, my brother is playing football now, etc. This is how the literal translation of sentences sounds at this time.

Formula: S + be (am/is/are) + Ving + Obj.

Auxiliary verb of a long tense - to be.

It currently has 3 forms:

• I AM - I am working now;
• He/she/it IS - He/she/it is working now.
• You/we/they ARE - We/you/they are working now.

Question:

• Be+S+Ving+Obj:
  • Am I working?
  • Is she working?
  • Are we working?

Denial:

• S+be+not+Ving+Obj:
  • I am not working now.
  • He is not working now.
  • We are not working now.

Reduction:

• I'm not;
• He/she/it isn't;
• We/you/they aren't.

Past tense in English

past simple- the time we use for events that started and ended in the past.

Marker words:

• Yesterday - yesterday;
• The day before yesterday - the day before yesterday;
• Late (week, Friday, year etc.) - last week, last Friday, last year, etc.;
• 10 years AGO - 10 years ago;
• When I was a child - when I was a child;
• In 1996 - in 1996.

Statement:

• S + V (II / -ed) + Obj - I worked yesterday.

Note! In English, there are irregular verbs, that is, those that form the past tense not according to the rules. For example, the verb go. We cannot add the ending -ed to it, because it is incorrect. We just look at the table, find its second form - went, and insert it into the sentence. I went to school yesterday. I went to school yesterday.

Question:

• Did + S + V + Obj: Did you work last week?

Did is used for all persons and the verb we DO NOT CHANGE.

Negation:

• S + didn`t + V + Obj - I didn`t work last week.

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past progressive

To express a long action in the past, the Past Progressive is used. Most often, it is used in conjunction with Past Simple when talking about a process that was interrupted by a brief event in the past.

For example:

• I was reading a book when I heard a strange noise. I was reading a book (process) when I heard a strange sound (it interrupted the process).

As in any time, markers will help you navigate:

• At 7 pm - at 7 pm (or any other specific time;
• From…. Till….. - from…..to….;
• While - while.

Statement:

• S + be + Ving + Obj

As you can see, the formula is absolutely identical to the Present progressive time, but there is still a difference. And this is the form of the verb to be.

In the past tense, the verb has only 2 forms:

• was (for the singular);
• were (for plural).

Question:

• Be + S + Ving + Obj. — Was I sleeping at 10 am?

Negation:

• S + be NOT + Ving + Obj - I wasn`t sleeping at 10 am.

Future tense in English

The future tense can be expressed in several ways. The most used is the time Future Simple and turnover be going to.

Future Simple is used for unplanned events in the future. Often we use it for spontaneous decisions. The catch is that most school teachers used this tense as the only one available for talking about the future, but in practice, other turns overtake it in terms of frequency of use.

You can create this time with the help of an auxiliary verb will.

Time markers:

• Tomorrow - tomorrow
• Next week (month, Summer) - next week, next month, next summer;
• In 10 years - after 10 years;
• Later - later.

Statement:

• S + will + V + Obj:
  • I will call you later.
  • He will call you later.
  • We will call you later.

As you can see, the verb after will does not need to be changed.

Reduction:

• I will – I`ll
• He will-he'll
• We will - we'll

Question:

In any interrogative sentence in English, we need to put the auxiliary verb in the first place:

• Will + S + V + Obj:
  • Will you call me later?
• If the question is special, put the question word before the auxiliary verb:
  • WHEN will you call me?

Negation:

• S + will NOT + V + Obj - I will not call you later.

Reduction:

• Will not = won't

Design be going to used for a pre-planned action in the future, it is often translated as "going to do something".

Statement:

Question:

• Be + S + going to + V?:
  • Am I going to swim?
  • Is he going to swim?
  • Are you going to swim?

Negation:

• S + be NOT + going to + V + Obj:
  • I am not going to swim.
  • He is not going to swim.
  • We are not going to swim.

Signs of tenses in English

We have already found out that each tense has marker words that help distinguish one grammatical tense from another. Therefore, you should remember the markers, which is best done by making several dozen different sentences with each.

Remember that the ending - ing can only be paired with the verb be.

One of the most common mistakes up to high levels sentences like:

• I'm working here.
• We're living here.

They are grammatically incorrect because the -ing verb is used in sentences like this:

• I am working.
• We ARE living.

If we are not talking about this moment, but about what is happening, in general, it is quite simple actor and the verb:

• I work here.
• He workS here.

The timing of times is a topic that makes you want to quit studying, but in fact, the logic of it is very simple.

Remember, if at the beginning the sentence was used in the past tense, then we can use ONLY the past tense, even if the Russian version is in the present tense.

For example:

• Her father found out that she smoked.

In the first place is the past tense, and in the second - the present. This is not possible in English.

We must say:

• Her father found out that she smoked.

How to remember tenses in English?

There are several ways to remember times, but, unfortunately, there is no universal one:

1. Remember the name of the time along with the formula, like a rhyme:
   • Present Simple (I do/he does)
   • Present Progressive (I am going)
   • Past Simple (I did), etc.
2. Find interesting text and highlight all tenses you see. Then explain the use of each of them:
3. Watch movies and series in the original and pay attention to the use of tenses;
4. Practice and practice again!

Exercises for times in English with answers

Put the verb in the correct form, focusing on markers and auxiliary verbs:

1. He often (cut)himself.
2. What time did Peter (arrive)?
3. mike never (forget)
4. Are you (sit) here?
5. We (drink) a lot of Coke at the party yesterday.
6. It was (rain) all night yesterday.
7. The train_______ leave in a few minutes.
8. I (put) on a clean shirt yesterday

Answers:

Choose the correct auxiliary verb:

1. ____ you like the movie we watched yesterday?
2. _____ do you like ice-cream?
3. _____ he smoke?
4. _____ he speaking now?
5. _____we writing?
6. _____ you live in Lindon?
7. What ____ do you usually have for breakfast?
8. When ____ you wake up this morning?
9. What____ you watch on TV yesterday?
10. _____ it raining now?

Answers:

1. Did you like the movie we watched yesterday?
2. Do you like ice cream?
3. Does he smoke?
4. Is he speaking now?
5. Are we writing?
6. Do you live in Lindon?
7. What do you usually have for breakfast?
8. When did you wake up this morning?
9. What did you watch on TV yesterday?
10. Is it raining now?

Present Simple Tense(Russian Present Simple) is used more often than any other tense in English. Therefore, in order to speak English well, you need to learn how to use this tense correctly.

How can the past and future be, when the past no longer is, and the future is not yet? As for the present, if it were always present and never moved on to become the past, it would not be time, but eternity.

How can there be a past and a future when the past is no more and the future is not yet? What about the real one? If it always existed, it would never become the past, which means that it would not be time, but eternity.

~ Augustine of Hippo

The name itself present simple or the simple present tense already speaks for itself. And at first, many may mistakenly take it for a complete analogue of the present tense in Russian.

Yes indeed, Present Simple Tense (or Present Indefinite Tense) has a lot in common with it: we use this tense to describe simple, regular actions, habits, preferences. However, there are other special uses of the Present Simple tense in English, which you will learn about by reading this article.

So, let's figure out in order what this Present Indefinite Time is, how to form negation and questions in Present Simple and how to use it correctly.

Which is correct: Present Simple or Present Indefinite?

"Everything ingenious is simple." This is how I would like to describe the times of the Simple group, because “simple” is translated into Russian as “simple”, and the times themselves denote simple everyday actions.

To begin with, let's figure out why the well-known to us Present Simple Tense(Russian present simple tense) is often also called Present Indefinite(Russian Present Indefinite tense), and is there a difference between them.

present simple very often describes an action where the time is not specified. In the examples I work in LA(Russian I work in Los Angeles) or I live in NY(Russian I live in New York) the verb expresses the action in general; time, as such, is not specified.

That is why, Present Simple is also called Present Indefinite, because “indefinite” is translated as “indefinite”. And such a name in some cases better conveys the meaning of this time.

Although present simple called present (Russian present), it does not always describe an action that is happening now, at the present time. For an action taking place at the moment of speaking, use (Russian. Real long-term action).

So as we see present simple and Present Indefinite are just different names for the same time. By the way, two terms are also used in Russian when translating: the present simple and the present indefinite.

In linguistics and in teaching English, you may see both names, although the frequency of use of the names may vary depending on the region and the preferences of publishers that print English learners' textbooks.

Present Simple: reference table

Reference table: Rules for the formation of an affirmative form, negation and questions in Present Simple and its use in English

As you can see from the table, the verbs in the Present Simple affirmative form coincide with the infinitive form without the to particle in all persons. except 3rd person singular adding ending -s/-es.

Auxiliary verbs do/does can be found in questions and denials, and even then not always. For example verb be(Russian to be) and modal verbs can(Russian to be able), must(Russian to be due), need(Rus. need) form a negative and an interrogative form in present simple without the help of an auxiliary verb.

In order to leave absolutely no questions, let's look at how the affirmative, negative and interrogative forms are formed in more detail and analyze everything with examples.

Education rules Present Simple: affirmative sentences

The Present Simple is called simple because auxiliary verbs are not used to form its affirmative form. Below are rules and reference tables Present Simple for the formation of affirmative, negative and interrogative forms in English.

Formation of the affirmative form Present Simple

The reference table for the formation of the affirmative form in Present Simple and the spelling rules for endings - (e) s for the 3rd person singular

Affirmative present form Simple- one of the few, for the formation of which no auxiliary verb is required, but endings are used, and then only in the 3rd person singular.

Remember!

To form an affirmative sentence in the Present Simple, use first form of the verb(infinitive) without particle to after the subject (subject performing the action). If the subject is in the 3rd person singular. numbers, the ending is added to the verb -(e)s

For example:

I work in a hotel(rus. I work in a hotel): I- subject, work- verb

We dance every Sunday(Russian We dance every Sunday): We- subject, dance- verb

My son plays in a band(Russian. My son plays in a band): my son- subject, plays- verb

If the action is done I(rus.ya), you(Russian you, you), we(Russian we), they(Russian they), plural noun ( boys- boys, dogs- dogs, friends- friends), then the verb does not change in any way.

However, if the action is performed he(rus.on), she(Russian she), it(Russian it, this, singular for inanimate objects), singular noun ( a girl- girl, a cat- cat Kitty, a friend- friend), then the ending -s is added to the verbs, sometimes -es.

Examples of affirmative sentences in Present Simple with translation:

Spelling rules for endings -s, -es in Present Simple.

Let's look at when verbs in the Present Simple take the ending -s, and when -es, and when they do not follow the rules, that is, they are exceptions.

1. To most verbs in the Present Indefinite tense in the 3rd person singular, the ending is added -s:

play plays(Russian plays)

sit-sits(Russian sits)

clean-cleans(Russian cleans)

2. Verbs that end in -s, -sh, -ch, tch, -x, -z, add an ending -es. This is due to the history of the language and the convenience of pronunciation: when two similar sounds are nearby, it is difficult for us to pronounce them without a vowel-link:

kiss-kisses(Russian kisses)

wish-wishes(Russian wishes)

march marches(Russian marches)

watch-watches(Russian looks)

box-boxes(Russian boxing)

buzz-buzzes(Russian buzzes)

3. Verbs ending in -o, also add an ending -es. Fortunately, there are few such verbs:

do-does(Russian does)

go-goes(Russian is coming)

4. If the verb ends in consonant and -y, the ending is used -es. In this case -y changes to -i :

cry-cries(Russian cries, screams)

study-studies(Russian studies)

try-tries(Russian tries)

5. If the verb ends in vowel and -y, just add the ending -s. There is no change to -y:

play plays(Russian plays)

pray-prays(Russian prays)

say-says(Russian speaking)

6. Verb have in Present Simple does not add endings -s or -es. For the 3rd person singular, the form is used has. Compare:

I have a cat(rus. I have a cat, literally - I have a dog)

He has a dog(Russian He has a dog, literally - He has a dog)

7. Verb be in Present Simple tense has my forms: am, is, are, which you can read about later in this article.

Negative and interrogative sentences in Present Simple

Present Simple: Examples of Negative Sentences

Reference table for the formation of the full and abbreviated negative form in Present Simple.

To say that we are NOT doing something, an auxiliary verb is used in negative sentences do does(for he, she, it

Remember!

To form negative sentences in Present Simple to an auxiliary verb do/does which stands between the subject and the main verb-predicate in the form of an infinitive, a negative particle is added not.

For example:

I don't watch(Russian I don't watch)

They don't study(Russian They don't study)

He doesn't paint(Russian: He doesn't draw)

The boy doesn't box(Russian boy does not box)

In the last two examples He doesn't paint(Russian. He does not draw) and The boy doesn't box(Russian boy does not box), as you noticed, the main verbs paint and box used indefinitely -(e)s, which is used to form the affirmative form in Present Simple, compare: He paints(Russian He draws), He boxes(Rus. He is boxing)

Important!

When using an auxiliary verb does to form a negation in Present Simple (3rd person singular) main verb loses the ending -(e)s: doesn't go, doesn't watch, doesn't play

This is due to the fact that the auxiliary verb does already finished -es, and you don't need to use it in the main verb. Below are 10 more examples of negative Present Simple sentences.

Examples of negative sentences in Present Simple with translation:

Offer in English	Translation	Offer in English	Translation
I don't know. = I don't know..	I dont know.	He doesn't know. = He doesn't know.	He does not know.
We don't love cats. = We don't love cats	We don't like cats.	She does not love cats. = She doesn't love cats	She doesn't like cats.
Friends do not lie. = Friends don't lie	Friends don't lie	My friend does not lie. = My friend doesn't lie.	My friend is not lying.
My parents don't speak German. = My parents don't speak German.	My parents don't speak German.	He does not speak German. = He doesn't speak Germa	He does not speak German. = He doesn't speak Germa
I don't like rude people. = I don't like rude people.	I don't like rude people.	My sister does not like rude people. = My sister doesn't like rude people.	My sister doesn't like rude people.

Forms don't and doesn't, as you probably already guessed, are an abbreviated form of do not and does not.

Abbreviated forms don't and doesn't used in colloquial speech, but it is better to give preference to the full form do not and does not.

Present Simple: interrogative sentences

Reference table for the formation of simple and special questions in Present Simple and short answers

An auxiliary verb is also used to form questions in the Present Simple. do(for 1st and 2nd person, 3rd person plural) or does(for he, she, it and for all nouns in the singular).

There are two types of questions: general and specific. General questions require a clear “Yes” or “No” answer, while specific questions are asked to clarify details and details.

Compare:

Do you like ice cream? -Yes, I do(rus. Do you like ice cream? - Yes)

Which ice cream do you like? - Chocolate(rus. What kind of ice cream do you like? - Chocolate)

Remember!

To ask a general question in Present Simple, you need to put an auxiliary verb do/does before the subject. Remember that when using an auxiliary verb does, the ending -(e)s disappears from the main verb.

For example:

Do you live in Rostov?(Russian. Do you live in Rostov?)

Do they go to school?(Russian. Do they go to school?)

Does your brother have a car?(rus. Does your brother have a car?, dos. Does your brother have a car?)

Does the cat eat mice?(rus. Does this cat eat mice?)

Remember!

To ask a special question (Wh-question) in Present Simple, you need to put a question word What, Where, When etc. first, followed by an auxiliary verb do/does, then the subject and the main verb in the form of an infinitive, that is, without an ending -(e)s .

For example:

Where do you live?(rus. Where do you live?)

When do they go to school?(Russian. When do they go to school?)

What car does your brother have?(eng. What car does your brother have?)

Why does the cat eat mice?(eng. Why does this cat eat mice?)

Short answers to general issues in Present Simple are formed according to the scheme: Yes/No+ subject in the form of a personal pronoun ( I, he, we, you, etc.) and an auxiliary verb do/does for a positive answer or don"t/doesn"t for negative.

The auxiliary verb don "t / doesn" t in a short answer must necessarily be consistent with the subject: if they ask about your actions, then the answer will be about your actions, and not the actions of the interlocutor.

For example:

Do you love me?(rus. Do you love me?) - Yes, I do(Russian Yes, I love) or No, I don't(Russian No, I do not like)

Does your girlfriend like flowers?(rus. Does your girlfriend like flowers?) - Yes, she does(Russian Yes, loves) or No, she doesn't(Russian No, does not like)

Below are 10 more examples of Present Simple interrogative sentences.

Examples of interrogative sentences in Present Simple with translation:

The verb to be in Present Simple

Conjugation of the verb to be in the present tense: affirmative form, negation, questions and short answers

Everyone knows that there are exceptions to almost every rule. This was not without Present Simple Tense.

Below are the verb conjugation tables to be in affirmative, negative and interrogative forms in Present Simple:

Table: conjugation of the verb to be (am, is, are) in the present tense, statement

Table: conjugation of the verb to be (am, is, are) in the present tense, negation

Table: conjugation of the verb to be (am, is, are) in the present tense, questions

How do you see, verb to be conjugates by faces in Present Simple and has its own forms am, is, are. This is the only verb in English that has its own form depending on the person and number of the subject.

Rules for using Present Indefinite in English

Present Simple is a tense that is often used to describe regular actions that take place in the present.

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, Present Indefinite- this is the time that we use not only to describe actions taking place in the present tense.

This is a tense that can describe various actions, both occurring regularly and once, occurring in the present or even those that will occur in the future.

So let's figure it out when the Present Simple is used and what it conveys in English.

Present Simple for present tense

Present Indefinite is often used to refer to repeated actions in the present tense.

1. Present Simple is used to indicate condition, regular, repetitive actions, habits, daily routine.

In this meaning, Present Simple with a verb is often used adverbs of frequency(adverbs of frequency), designed to answer how often an action occurs:

100% always(Russian always)

85% usually(Russian usually)

60% often(Russian often)

50% sometimes(Russian sometimes)

10% hardly ever(Russian rarely)

0% never(Russian never)

You can read more about the hint words for Present Simple in the article, but now let's look at examples:

2. We also use the Present Simple when we say about scientific facts, laws of nature, generally accepted statements and all known facts .

Example sentences with Present Simple:

3. Present Simple is also used when description of sequential actions, especially often found in the description of instructions, recipes, manuals.

Example sentences with Present Simple:

Present Simple for future tense

Using the Present Simple to indicate future actions that happen on schedule

1. We use Present Indefinite with future tense for schedules of trains, planes, screenings in the theater and cinema, concerts etc.

In this case, Present Simple shows that the action occurs regularly, repeats with some frequency.

Example sentences with Present Simple:

2. Another use case for the Present Simple for the future tense is conditional clauses (First Conditional).

(Russian. Conditional sentences of the first type) denotes real action, which will certainly be fulfilled in the near future, subject to some condition.

In such proposals present simple used in sentences if, even when the sentences refer to the future. They are translated into Russian by verbs in the future tense.

Example sentences with Present Simple:

3. In a similar case usage Present Simple to express the future tense, is its use in subordinate clauses of time .

We use Present Simple after conjunctions when, as soon as, until, unless, before, after in subordinate clauses that indicate action in the future.

Example sentences with Present Simple:

In future articles, we will take a closer look at difference between Present Simple and other tenses in English that are relevant to the present.

Instead of a conclusion:

In this article, we tried to explain as simply as possible how the Present Simple is formed and when to use the Simple Indefinite tense in English.

As you have seen, there is nothing easier than building affirmative, interrogative or negative sentence in Present Simple to describe the constant, regular activities that happen to you on a daily basis.

And now we invite you to test your knowledge by completing the following test on Present Simple.

Exercises for Present Simple

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate form of the verb in Present Indefinite:

go(es), travel(s), fly(s), do(es), use(s), drink(s), live(s), want(s), visit(s), look(s), like(s)

We often ____ to foreign countries.
She ____ her homework every evening.
I don't often ____ coffee.
my friend ____ in a very big house.
They always ____ us in summer.
Why do you ____ so sad?
Tom and Ann ____ to the cinema every Friday.
We never ____ to our grandparents, we usually ____ a train.
Lilly ____ swimming and sunbathing a lot.
Richard's parents ____ him to go to a private school.

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