动词时态 

比较常用的时态有11种，下面分别加以叙述。 

一、一般现在时的用法

  一般现在时通常用动词原形表示，但在第三人称单数后要加词尾-s或-es，

  be和have有特殊的人称形式(is，am，are ; has，have)。

  一般现在时的主要用法如下：

1、表示经常发生或习惯性的动作或状态

这时常与usually，often．always，sometimes，everyday，once a week等时间状语连用；有时也可不加这类状语。如：

    Father always reads newspapers after supper．

    We always care for each other and help each other．

    We usually go to school at seven o’clock in the morning．

2．表示客观事实、普遍真理或科学道理

    Light travels more quickly than sound．

    The earth moves around the sun．

    Japan is to the east of China．

3．表示按规定、计划或时间表将要发生的事

这通常限于表示“运动”的动词，如go，come，leave。start，begin，arrive，take off等，其后常跟有表示将来的时间状语。在这种情况下，一般现在时的意义与一般将来时的意义相同。

The delegation arriyes in Beijing this afternoon．

The plane takes off at 9: 20 a .m.

The summer holidays begin next week．(暑假从下周开始。)

4．代替将来时

在由连词when，as soon as，before，until，if等引导的表示未来行为的时间和条件状语从句中，常用一般现在时代替一般将来时，这是英语的习惯表达法。但应注意，主句的谓语动词要用某种形式的将来时。如：

When you come next time，bring me some magazines．

We’ll set off as soon as he gets ready．

 

二、一般过去时的用法

  一般过去时由规则或不规则动词的过去式表示，

  动词be第一、三人称单数用was，其余用were；

  动词have一律用had。

  一般过去时的用法如下：

1．表示过去某时发生的动作或情况

这时它常与yesterday，last week／month／year，in 1949，a  few days／weeks／months / ago等表示过去的时问状语连用。如：

I met him in the street yesterday．

The students went to the Great Wall last Sunday．

That happened many years ago．

2．表示过去经常、习惯性或反复发生的动作

这时它常与often，usually，seldom等表示频度的副词连用。如：

When she was in Shanghai，she often came to see me．

We often played ping-pong together when we were in college．

3．用来代替过去将来时

  在时间、条件状语从句中，常用一般过去时代替过去将来时。如：

    He said he would not go if it rained．

    They told us that they would not leave until she came back．

 4．表示“虚拟语气”

    这一用法只适用于某些特定的句型，表示现在或将来的非真实情况、主观意图或愿望等。

    If only I had a better memory．(如果我有好的记忆力就好了。)

    It’s high／about time we went．(我们该走了。)

    If it snowed tomorrow，the match would be put off．

    Don’t come tomorrow．I'd rather you came next weekend．

 

三、一般将来时的用法

  英语中没有专门用来表示将来时间的时态，而是借助于多种多样的语法手段。

  常见的将来时间表达法有以下几种：

1．will／shall+动词原形

它表示将来要发生的动作或状态。这时它常与tomorrow，next week，in the future等表示将来的时间状语连用。如：

I will／shall return you the book as soon as possible．

He will help his sister with her lessons．

2．be going to+不定式

这种结构多用于口语中，表示打算、计划、安排、准备要做的事或肯定要发生的事。如：

How are you going to spend your weekend?

We’re going to have a class meeting next Monday．

这种结构还可以表示说话人根据已有的事实或迹象。认为某事即将发生或肯定会发生。如：

Look at the black clouds．It’s going to rain．(瞧，乌云满天，要下雨了。)

Mary is going to have a baby．

3．be about to+不定式

它表示即将发生的动作。它一般不与表示时间的状语连用。如：

Autumn harvest is about to start．(秋收就要开始了。)

The ship is about to sail．(轮船马上就要启航。)

4．be to+不定式

它表示约定的、计划中的或按职责、义务要求要做的事。如：

You’re to do your homework before you watch TV．(做完功课再看电视。)(命令)

You’re not to tell him anything about our plans．(你不可把我们的计划透露给他。)(禁止)

The President of America is to visit China next month．(美国总统下个月将访问中国。)(宣布官方的决定)

5．用现在进行时表示

有些表示位置转移的动词。如come．go，leave。start．arrive，fly等的现在进行时可表示按计划或安排将要发生的动作，常与表示将来的时间状语连用。如：

He is coming here next week and is staying here until August．

He is flying to Beijing early tomorrow morning．

 

四、现在进行时的用法

  现在进行时用助动词be的人称形式(is，am，are)加动词的-ing形式构成。

  它的主要用法如下：

1．表示说话时正在进行或发生的动作

这时句中可以不用时间状语，也可以和now．at present，at the moment等时间状语连用。如：

We are having our English class now．

I’m looking for a pair of black shoes．

2．表示现阶段正在进行而说话时不一定在进行的动作

They are working in a factory these days．

I’m writing a book about English grammar．

They are visiting Beijing this week．

3．表示将来的动作

有些表示位置转移的动词(如come．go，leave．arrive等)的现在进行时可表示将要发生的动作。这时句中一般有表示将来的时间状语。如：

Are you going anywhere tomorrow'?

We are leaving for Beijing on Saturday．

4．表达褒贬等感情色彩

现在进行时常与always。continually．constantly，forever等频度副词连用，表示赞叹、厌烦等感情色彩。如：

She is always asking such questions．(她总是问这样一些问题。)

They are forever quarrelling about something．(他们总是为某事争论不休。)

John is always helping people．(约翰总是帮助别人。)

 

五、过去进行时的用法

  过去进行时由be的过去式(was．were)加动词的-ing形式构成。

  它的主要用法如下：

1．表示过去某一时刻或某一段时间内正在进行或发生的动作

这时句子中往往带有表示过去某一时间的状语。

What were you doing last night?

At that time，he was working in a university．

在含有时间状语从句的复合句中，延续时间较长的动作用过去进行时，另一个短暂动作用一般过去时。如：

     My pen dropped on the ground when I was walking in the park．

     When I entered the room，she was sitting at her desk．

如果表示两个延续动作在过去某一时刻同时进行，而不考虑动作的先后长短，则主句和从句的谓语动词都用过去进行时。如：

 The students were reading while the teacher was grading their homework．

2．用来提供背景

在口语或记叙文中，可以用过去进行时表示的持续动作作为背景，以此引出由一般过去时表示的新动作。如：

He was just falling asleep when there was a loud knock at the door．

Over 500 people were working in the building when the fire broke out．

3．表达褒贬等感情色彩

和现在进行时一样(只是时间不同)，过去进行时也可以和always，forever等频度副词连用，表示说话人的一定感情色彩。如：

He was forever complaining about something．

He was always trying out new ideas．

4．代替过去将来时

某些表示位置转移的动词(如go．come，arrive等)，可以用其过去进行时代替过去将来时。如：

He said the plane was arriving(=would arrive)soon．

He was leaving the following day．

 

六、现在完成时的用法

  现在完成时由助动词have / has + -ed形式构成。

  它的用法如下：

1．表示在说话之前已经完成的事态

用现在完成时表示的这种事态通常发生在不确定的过去时间并与“现在”有联系，即侧重该事态对现在的影响。如：

I have been to Beijing many times．

I’ve got a letter from my aunt．

Peter has had a bad car accident．

2．表示从过去某一时刻开始，持续到现在的动作或状态

该动作或状态有可能还会继续下去。这时该时态常和for或since引导的表示一段时间的状语连用。这种用法中的动词为持续性动词或状态动词。如：

I have studied English for two years．

I haven’t seen him for about three years

I have lived here since 1988．

3．用在从句中，表示一个动作先于另一个动作

I understand what she has said to me．

We know that he has passed the English exam．

4．用在“It is the first time+that-从句”中

当主句动词为is／will be时，that-从句的动词一律用现在完成时，that可以省略。主句中的主语还可用this，this evening等；这种结构中的first也可用其他序数词；time也可由其他名词替代。如：

Is this the first time that you have visited Hong Kong?

This is the second time that I have broken a cup this year．

 

七、过去完成时的用法

  过去完成时由助动词had加-ed形式构成。

  它的用法如下：

1．表示在过去某一时间或动作之前已经完成了的动作

它表示这个动作发生的时间是“过去的过去”。这一过去时间可用by，at，before等构成的介词短语或when，before，after，until等引导的从句或通过上下文来表示。如：

We had learnt 30 lessons by the end of last month．

He found the book that he had lost．

它有时用在间接引语或宾语从句中，放在像said，told，asked，thought，knew，wondered等过去时动词的后面，表示在它们的动作发生之前已经发生了的事情。如：

He asked me whether I had seen the film the night before．

I didn’t know l had given you so much trouble．

2．表示从过去某一时间开始，延续到过去另一时间的动作

这个动作可能还要延续下去。这时它常和for或since引导的表示一段时问的短语或从句连用。如：

When he came，I had worked for 3 hours．

We had not seen each other since I left Beijing．

3．用在表示与过去事实相反的虚拟条件从句中

If he had seen you yesterday，he would have asked you about it．

I should have called you if I had known your telephone number．

4．用在“It was the first time that sb．had done…”句型中

在此句型中。主句用了一般过去时，that引导的定语从句要用过去完成时。如：

It was the first time that we had spoken together．

This was the first time they had met in thirty years．

5．用在no sooner…than和hardly／scarcely…when句型中

过去完成时也常用在“no sooner…than”和“hardly／scarcely…when”(意为“一……就……”)等句型的主句中，从句中常用一般过去时。no sooner，hardly／scarcely移至句首表示强调时，要用倒装语序。如：

We had no sooner reached home than it began to rain．(我们一到家，天就下雨了。)

Hardly had he entered the office when the phone rang．(他一进办公室，电话铃就响了。)

 

八、过去将来时的用法

  过去将来时表示从过去的某时间看来将要发生的动作或存在的状态。

  它也是由多种手段来表达的。

1．should／would+动词原形

At that time I knew we should succeed．

I thought they would come to help me．

2．was／were going to + 动词原形

这种结构可以表示过去的预见和意图。如：

He was going to start the work the following week．

People already knew that there were going to be several problems．

3．was／were to + 动词原形

这种结构通常指过去的计划安排或注定要发生的事情。如：

This experience was to change his life．

She was to take the 10:30 train, but she got to the station too late.

4．was／were about to + 动词原形

这种结构表示过去即将发生的事。如：

We were about to leave when a car drove up．

He said that he was just about to phone us．

5．用过去进行时表示

He told me he was leaving in an hour．

I asked her whether she was coming to the party．

 

九、现在完成进行时的用法

  现在完成进行时由助动词have / has been + -ing形式构成。

  它的主要用法如下：

1．表示从过去某时开始一直持续到现在的动作

这时特别强调现在该动作仍在进行。它常和for，since引导的时间状语连用。如：

We’ve been living in this city since 1980.

They have been quarrelling ever since they got married．

It has been raining for two hours now．

2．表示在说话时刻之前刚刚结束的动作

I’ve been waiting for you a quarter of an hour．(我已经等了你一刻钟了。)(说话时“等”的动作刚结束)

 

十、将来进行时的用法

  将来进行时由助动词shall／will be + -ing形式构成。

  它主要表示按计划、安排将来某时将要进行或发生的动作。如：

What will you be doing on Saturday?

He will be taking his exam next week．

This time tomorrow we’ll be watching a film．

 

十一、将来完成时的用法

  将来完成时由助动词shall／will have + -ed形式构成。

  它的主要用法如下：

1．表示将来某时已经完成的一个动作

这时常和by短语、by the time(that)结构或由when或before等连词引导的状语分句连用。如：

By four o'clock we shall have got everything ready．

If you come at six，I shall have done my homework．

2．表示持续到将来某一时间的动作或状态

这个动作或状态也可能将继续进行下去。如：

By this summer we’ll have been here for five years．

On the first of next month I shall have studied in this school for three years．