5 tenses in English rules. How to determine tenses in English: a detailed explanation of the formation of declensions

in front of you table of english tenses with examples and translation. For convenience, in each sentence, the most important points that you should pay attention to are highlighted. This refers to auxiliary verbs, endings, as well as indicators of a particular tense. The table of English tenses with examples makes it possible to analyze the use of each tense thanks to the column "use".

Table of English tenses with examples and translation

I advise you to immediately move on to compiling your own proposals for each time. This will allow you to better remember and start applying English tenses table with examples and translation.

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There are present, past and future tenses in both Russian and English. Verbs ( verbs ) change with time ( tenses ). But this is where the similarity with Russian times ends, because for each of these three times the English have more varieties. In this article, we will provide a short and simple guide based on diagrams and tables to understand tenses in English for dummies ( dummies ).

Table and examples of tenses:

All three tenses (past, present and future) have three main aspects: simple ( simple ), long ( continuous ) and perfect ( perfect ). Long are used for repeated actions, or those actions that last in time.

Perfect tenses exist to describe actions or states of being that happened in the past, no matter when. The main thing is that at the time of the conversation they had already ended. These tenses are used whenever we need to link past and present.

Simple tenses in English for dummies

simple tenses ( simple tenses ) are applied to actions or states in the past, present or future.

The table shows that the form of the verb in the simple past tense does not change by person, so it is very easy to remember the scheme for constructing sentences. Well, knowledge of irregular verbs will come with the practice of reading and listening.

Simple future tense ()

Talks about events that have not yet happened. It is formed the same for all persons - by adding an auxiliary verb will + base verb.

Long tenses in English for dummies.

long times ( continuous tenses ) are needed to describe the actions that occur at the moment of speech. It can be both in the present period, and in a specific period in the past or future.

Present continuous ()

The diagram clearly shows the difference between the long and simple forms of the present tense.

Formed with an auxiliary verb to be + ing - the form of the semantic verb (Present Participle) .

Past continuous (Past Continuous)

Built with an auxiliary verb to be in past tense + semantic verb in ing-form .

Future continuous (Future Continuous)

This tense is used to talk about activities that may be interrupted in the future, or to say what will happen at a certain time in the future. Compare the diagram with Future Simple .

Future Continuous is formed according to the following formula: Will be + verb-ing

Perfect or perfect tenses in English for dummies

They express completed actions, the result of which is important at the moment of the story. May be accompanied by adverbs already (already), yet (not yet), just (just now), for (during), since (since) ever (ever) never (never). Formed with an auxiliary verb have + semantic verb in the Past Participle form.

present perfect

From the following diagram, it can be understood that the main difference between the present perfect and the simple past is in the moment of the past when the action ended. For Present Perfect, it doesn’t matter when it happened, but for Past Simple, it matters.

How is the present perfect tense formed?

Example: Has not already paid for the dinner. (He has already paid for dinner.)

English tenses are considered the most difficult 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 be used?
• Would it be considered a mistake to use one tense instead of another?
• Why is it necessary to use this tense and not another?

This confusion is due to the fact that we learn the rules of grammar, but do not fully understand them.

However, English tenses are not as complicated as they seem.

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

I immediately warn you, in this article I will not explain to you the grammatical formation of sentences. In it, I will give precisely the understanding of times.

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

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) - indicates an action that is happening in the present tense.

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

3. Future (future) - denotes an action that will take place in the future tense.

However, the English tenses do not end there. Each of these time groups is subdivided into:

1. Simple- simple.

2. Continuous- lengthy.

3. Perfect- completed.

4. Perfect Continuous- long-term completed.

The result is 12 times.

It is the use of these 4 groups that confuses English learners. Indeed, in Russian there is no such division.

How do you know what tense 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 build 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 the interlocutor
  That is, to be able to choose the right time depending on the meaning that you put into your words.

To understand English tenses, let's take a closer look at each group.

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

Let's start with the easiest group - Simple.

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Times of the Simple group in English

Simple translates as "simple".

We use this tense when we talk about facts that:

• taking place in the present
• happened in the past
• will take place 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 in detail all the tenses of this group here:

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

Continuous tenses in English

Continuous is translated as "long, continued."

When we use this tense, we are talking about an action as a process that:

• happening at the moment
• happened in the past at some point,
• 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 we are talking 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 am driving a car, that is, I am in the process of driving.”

Let's consider one more example.

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

We are talking about the fact that tomorrow you will get on 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 the client. You tell him that you will not be able to talk to him at this time, as you will be in the process of flying.

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

You can read more about each time of this group here:

Now let's move on to the Perfect group.

Perfect tenses in English

Perfect translates as "complete / perfect."

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

• we got by now,
• we got to a certain point in the past,
• we will get to 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 at 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 the car, now it works, and you can go to your friends' country house.

Let's compare this group with others.

We are talking about the fact (Simple):

I cooked dinner.
I was cooking dinner.

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

I was cooking dinner.
I was cooking dinner.

You say you were in the process of cooking. For example, they did not pick up the phone, because they were preparing (were in the process) and did not hear the call.

We are talking about the result (Perfect):

I have cooked dinner.
I cooked dinner.

You currently have the result of this action - dinner ready. For example, you invite the whole family to dinner 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:

And now let's move on to the last group of Perfect Continuous.

Tenses of the Perfect Continuous group in English

Perfect Continuous translates as "completed continuous." As you noticed by the name, this group of times includes signs of 2 groups at once.

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

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

1. We got 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 still continues

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

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 dinner.

Let's compare this time with others like it.

We are talking 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 at the moment you are involved in this process.

Talking about the result (Perfect)

I have painted a picture.
I drew a picture.

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

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

1. I have been painting a picture for an hour.
I drew a picture for an hour.

We say that at the moment we have a result - a finished picture. You also emphasize that you spent one hour in the process of drawing 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. In contrast to Continuous times, where it is only important for us what is happening at a certain (current) moment, and not how much we are already doing it.

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

General table for comparing the times of the Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous groups

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

Outcome

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

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 getting the result - Perfect Continuous.

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

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 begin with, let's do a quick overview of all time groups so that you have an idea of ​​​​what we are going to talk about 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:

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, start your training from the time of the Simple group. 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

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. Thus, if an action is performed by a third party in singular, verbs have the ending -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 happen in the future. It has an auxiliary verb will in all three forms of the sentence:

Tenses in English: Continuous group

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:

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:

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

Examples:

Future Continuous

Accordingly, Future Continuous (Future Progressive) or future continuous 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:

Tenses in English: Perfect Group

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:

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:

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:

Tenses in English: Perfect Continuous Group

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

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.

English in the world community occupies first place among the studied foreign languages. But its development not everyone comes easy due to problems with understanding and using English grammatical tenses. Let's try to figure out what is so complicated in these forms, and how many of them there really are.

In contact with

Allocate three temporary forms- present, past and future tense, having their typical subcategories - Simple, Continuous / Progressive, Perfect and Perfect Continuous. All times have similar ways of forming the predicate and features of use. A table of English tenses should always be at hand not only for schoolchildren, but also for those who want to master science on their own.

Attention! This article will not explain the grammatical formation of tenses in English, only advice is given on how to distinguish tense forms. A detailed explanation of the rules of education can be found in the textbook or on the thematic Internet portal.

Group times Simple (simple)

The times of the Simple group, in other words, simple, are similar in use to the time categories in - present, past and future respectively.

Their main feature is moment uncertainty when the action occurs. Otherwise, the times of a simple group are called Indefinite Tenses - indefinite.

It's important here action process, not the time it happened. In simple terms, this is actions in general.

Present Simple stands for actions that are permanent, common to a person - his routine and hobby. Phrases that talk about the laws of nature, schedules of planes, trains, lessons, TV programs, there are announcer comments and various instructions are also used in Present Simple.

Past Simple is action that happened at a particular moment in the past. This also includes human habits which have become irrelevant to him. It is typical for him one-off events, i.e. action completed and more will never happen again.

Future Simple stands for uncontrolled events that will happen in future. The peculiarity of this period is that the event is likely to happen but not guaranteed.

Attention! It is worth noting that the past tenses in the English language of the Simple group can also be used to denote a sequence of actions - I got up, washed myself, had breakfast and went to work.

For example:

• Pr. S.: He always drinks tea in the afternoon. He always drinks coffee after dinner.
• Past S.: They traveled round the world last year. They made a trip around the world last year. I watched cartoons before going to bed when I was 4 years old. - I watched cartoons before going to bed when I was 4 years old (4 years old happens once in a lifetime).
• Future S.: I will buy this T-shirt. I will buy this T-shirt. I hope we will get on time. - I hope that we will be in time on time (not the fact that we will be in time).

Important! When you talk about an action as a fact, you need to use the times of the Simple group.

Group tenses Continuous (Progressive) (long)

The distinguishing feature of this group is moment duration in the present, past or future. Here the emphasis is not on action, as in the days of Simple, but for a while when it happened.

Present Continuous - an event that is happening at the moment of speech. Another use of the present continuous is expression of discontent about someone's character.

Past Continuous - an action that happened at a specified time earlier. If this action is interrupted single event, then the latter will be expressed in Past Simple.

future continuous- long-term action that will happen at a specified time interval in the future. it action will definitely take place., unlike Future Simple, where the future event can and not come.

The long form of tense can also be used when describing simultaneous actions- Mom was washing the dishes, and at the same moment I was reading a book.

For example:

• Pr. Cont.: He is taking bath now. - He's taking a shower now.
• Past Cont.: We were watching football game yesterday at 8 o'clock. We watched a football match at 8 o'clock yesterday. Susan was doing her homework when her parents came. Susan was doing her homework (long action) when her parents came (single event).
• Fut. Cont.: Next Sunday morning, I will be riding my bike. – I will ride a bicycle next Sunday morning.

Important! If you want to specify the duration of the process, then you need to use the times of the Continuous group.

Group Times Perfect (Perfect)

If you need to indicate that an event will happen, has already happened by a certain moment, or is ongoing, then the Perfect group will help you with this. In Russian analogues this group of times does not exist.

In general, for many, the study perfect group times seems to be a difficult task, but the wolf is not as scary as it is portrayed.

Present Perfect - an action that began in the past and continued until the moment of speech.

Past Perfect - an action that happened before another moment in the past. In compound sentences that talk about a condition, Past Perfect will stand in the part where this very condition is.

Future Perfect is an action that complete at the exact moment in future.

For example:

• Pr. Perf.: Anna has had a cat for ten years. – Anna has had a cat for 10 years (i.e. he lived with her for 10 years and continues to live). The Osborns have bought a yacht. – The Osbornes bought the yacht (it doesn’t matter when they bought it, the main thing is the result – the yacht was bought).
• Past Perf.: Helen had prepared supper when she met her children from school. – Helen had already cooked dinner when she met the children from school (i.e. the moment of preparation was over by the time the children arrived). Albert was delighted. He had won in a lottery. Albert was pleased. He won the lottery (the action and the result took place in the past).
• Fut. Perf.: She will have written all letters by 7 o'clock. She will have written a letter by 7 o’clock (the letter will be ready by a specific time).

Important! When you want to indicate that an action has been, is, or will be completed by a certain moment, or indicate its result, then use the Perfect!

Group times Perfect Continuous (perfect continuous)

The tenses of this group denote actions that began earlier and continue, have continued or will continue for some period of time. up to a certain point. It will be expressed in the sentence by indicating specific time or another event.

Another defining condition of perfect tenses is having a result any action - it is obvious.

The Perfect Continuous group of times combined features of continuous and perfect tenses. From the group Continuous she got event duration, and from the Perfect group - specific moment, until which the action continues, continued or will continue.

The use of Perfect Continuous in the present past and future tense is a diagram.

For example:

• Pr. Perf. Cont.: Samuel has been waiting Margaret half an hour. Samuel has been waiting for Margaret for half an hour (i.e. he started waiting for her half an hour ago and continues to wait).
• Past Perf. Cont.: The Lakers had been waiting for a holiday trip for several months before they saved a sum of money. The Lakers waited several months for this weekend trip before saving up for it. (They did not stop waiting for a vacation while collecting the required amount of money). I had been sunbathing for too long, so my skin was red. - I tanned for a very long time, so my skin was so red (the result is obvious).
• Fut. Perf. Cont.: By 2019, our family won't have been buying newspapers anymore. By 2019, our family will no longer buy newspapers. (Now they are still buying, but in 2019 they will no longer do this).

Important! If you emphasize not only the visible result, but also its duration, then use the Perfect Continuous group of times.

This is what concerns the basic rules for the use of tenses and their group features.

How to learn a language faster

If you are a beginner, then mark the rules for yourself on how to learn tenses in English. Start learning with the Simple group, and then move on to improving knowledge with the Continuous group, because. in fact, these two groups of times are "basic". And only then smoothly move to the remaining groups. Moreover, the tenses of a simple group are most often used in speech: Present Perfect and Present Continuous. Alternate your theoretical knowledge with practical exercises then it will be easier for you to understand the essence of the use of tenses in .

Summing up, we can highlight the following algorithm how to determine the time in English:

1. Be sure to translate the proposal into Russian.
2. Find in offer time marker and determine what time it belongs to.
3. If the proposal no temporary condition, then pay attention to predicate, highlight his. Remember what type this is - right or wrong. Then determine at what time it was used semantic verb, and whether there is next to it .
4. Determine the time. It is very easy to find past tenses in English in a sentence.

A table of English tenses with examples, compiled by you personally, will help speed up the process of learning the language.

Attention! Temporal circumstances, they are marker words, allow you to determine what time was used in the sentence.

Auxiliary words are most often adverbs. But the presence of a marker in a sentence not necessary. For example, for Present Simple, the main markers will be adverbs usually, often, always, i.e. those that point to regularity of action. For the times of the Perfect group, hint words will become characteristic: since, yet, already, never and others, pointing to certain duration of action etc.

Explanation of all tenses in English

Present Simple - an accessible explanation

Conclusion

The main subject of the question "how to determine the time in English" becomes practice and diligence. The more time you spend studying theory and exercises, the easier it will be for you to practice speaking and handwriting.