- •Present Simple Tense.
- •Habitual or repeated actions.
- •It doesn’t often snow in winter here.
- •In May 1979 Margaret Thatcher becomes the first woman Prime Minister in the history of Great Britain.
- •I’ll phone you as soon as I come back home.
- •I don’t know where we are going.
- •It’s raining all day.
- •Actions or states having a dynamic character (changing and developing situations).
- •I’m leaving at the end of the week.
- •I’m going to explore the neighbourhood.
- •I’m feeling fine.
- •Past Simple (Indefinite) Tense.
- •I felt very happy in those days.
- •Repeated, habitual past actions or states.
- •Past Continues (Progressive) Tense.
- •I looked out of the window. The sun was shining and the birds were singing.
- •In those days he was always borrowing money and forgetting to pay it back.
- •I was wondering if you’d like to come out with me one evening.
- •I picked up a cake and bit a piece off to see how it tasted.
- •The Present Perfect Tense.
- •Actions completed in the past but connected in their result with the present:
- •I have only recently sent her an invitation.
- •I’ve done a lot of work today.
- •It’s one of the most boring books I’ve ever read.
- •I haven’t heard anything from him since he moved to Leeds.
- •I’ve never tasted papaya.
- •The Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense.
- •I am learning English at High School. I have been learning English for 6 years. (period of duration)
- •The Past Perfect Tense.
- •The Past Perfect Tense is used to denote a past action completed before another past action or before a moment in the past.
- •I knew the Horns had been married for nearly fifty years.
- •I was sure they had known each other since childhood.
- •The Past Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense.
- •It was clear they had long known each other.
- •The Future Simple (Indefinite) Tense.
- •The Future Continuous (Progressive) Tense.
- •To denote a future action which is part of a regular routine (a matter-of-course event), which does not need any special arrangement.
- •I’ll be passing the post-office on my way home from work, so I’ll buy you a newspaper.
- •The Future Perfect Tense.
- •Compare the Present Simple and The Present Cont. Tense.
- •Compare the Present Perfect and The Present Perfect Cont. Tense.
- •I have planted a lot of new rose bushes.
Actions completed in the past but connected in their result with the present:
Due to the actual recentness of the event and evidence (очевидность, явность) of its result.
We have already advertised your post in the papers.
The tomatoes haven’t ripened yet.
I have only recently sent her an invitation.
Due to a special importance for the present of the effect (result) of an action which happened at an indefinite time in the past (updating information).
How many times have you been in love? (throughout your life)
Jim has had three car accidents. (in his life)
The recentness of the event is typically indicated by adverbials such as recently, lately, already, yet, still, just (not just now).
She has just phoned me. / She phoned me just now.
The Present Perfect is often used with today, this morning, this week, this year, etc. when these periods aren’t completed at the moment of speaking.
I’ve done a lot of work today.
He’s written two books this year.
The Present Perfect can be used both for single and repeated events. In the latter (последующий, последний, недавний) case adverbials like twice, three times, several times, etc. are used.
Ben has been to Africa several times.
The Present Perfect is used in the attributive clause of a complex sentence with superlative (превосходная степень) constructions, ordinal numerals or ‘the only’ in the principal (основная) clause.
It’s one of the most boring books I’ve ever read.
Incomplete actions that started in the past and are still happening in the present with emphasis (выразительность, акцент) on the result of the activity:
With since (ever since) to indicate the starting point of the action.
I haven’t heard anything from him since he moved to Leeds.
With for, over, in to indicate (указывать) a certain period of time.
They have known each other for a long time.
They have had three tests in (over) the last week.
With ‘frequency’ adverbials like ever, never, always, often, all my life, so far to indicate an indefinite period of time.
I’ve never tasted papaya.
My dad has always been interested in politics.
The Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) Tense.
The Present Perfect Continues (Progressive) Tense is formed with the help of the auxiliary have/has been and the Present Participle (причастие, деепричастие) of the main verb.
Main Uses
The Present Perfect Continues (Progressive) Tense denotes:
An action that started at some period in the past, continued over a period of time, and is still happening now or has just stopped with visible present results.
Depending on whether the activity is still in progress or is no longer going on at the moment of speech inclusive (включающий, содержащий) and exclusive (исключающий) meanings of the given tense-form are distinguished (различать, характеризовать, служить).
In the first case (inclusive meaning) emphasis is put on the continuation of a long activity at the present moment. The period of its duration is indicated by an adverbial with for, whereas an adverbial with since shows the starting point of the action.
This youth organization has been doing a lot of work for charities since the mid-nineties. (starting point)