English times are different from times in Russian. That is why many do not understand them and constantly confuse them. This leads to the fact that we cannot speak English, or we do it slowly with mistakes.
But understanding English times is much easier than it sounds. Today I will tell you how to teach them correctly in order to be easy to remember and use in your speech. This is how we teach our students.
In the article you will learn:
- How to learn English tenses correctly and quickly?
- What are the 3 types of offers?
- Correct sequence of learning tenses.
Why is it difficult for us to understand English times?
What are the times in English?
In English, there are 4 groups of tenses: simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous. In turn, each of these groups includes the present, past and future tense. The total is 12 times.
I will not focus on when we use what time, and clarify grammar. At the end of the article, I will provide links to articles on some of them. Now I will show you how to teach the tenses correctly.
What does "learn the time" mean?
Many people learn English tenses by memorizing the rules and only do the written exercises. Usually, English is taught in this way according to the classical method (as in school or in regular courses), on a computer / phone or on your own.
As a result, a person cannot use the tenses that he has learned in oral speech and quickly forgets them.
To learn the time you need:
1. Understand when it is used and how sentences are formed.
2. Learn to use it in conversation and writing.
This is the only way you can easily and quickly memorize English tenses and use them in life.
How to do it? Read below.
How to learn English tenses correctly?
All tenses in English consist of 3 types of sentences: affirmative, negative and interrogative.
Check out an example:
Affirmative: I'm walking
Negative: I don't walk
Interrogative: Are you walking?
Learning any English time comes down to three simple steps:
1. Learn to build affirmative sentences
2. Learn to build negative sentences
3. Learn to ask questions
Let's see in practice how this is done.
How to learn English tenses?
In English, we cannot rearrange words in a sentence the way we used to do it in Russian. Each word has its own specific place. Therefore, each type of sentence (affirmative, negative and interrogative) in English is formed according to a certain pattern.
To learn the time, you just need to know the schemes for constructing each type of sentence and be able to use them.
Consider this using the example of Present Continuous time.
Affirmative sentence
We take the scheme of an affirmative sentence in Present Continuous:
I am ___- ing (some kind of action)
I _____ (some action)
Instead of a dash, you can put any verb (action).
For example:
I am swimming
I'm swimming.
I am working
I am working.
I am driving a car.
I'm driving.
By replacing verbs, you learn to create your affirmative sentences in this tense. It is best to write sentences first orally and then in writing.
If you have just looked at the rules, but have not worked them out in practice, then do not proceed to the next type of sentences. There is only one criterion by which you can do this: you can easily say a sentence without hesitation and mistakes in English.
Negative sentence:
When teaching tenses, it is very important to follow the sequence of learning the types of sentences:
affirmative → negative → interrogative
The point is that the scheme of the affirmative sentence is basic. On its basis, schemes of negative and interrogative sentences are built. Now I will explain everything.
I _____ (some action)
Negative Supply Scheme:
I am not ____- ing (some action)
I am not _____ (some kind of action)
That is, to make the negation, we add the particle not (not) into the outline of an affirmative sentence. Just the same?
Now we need to learn how to make negative sentences in practice.
I am not reading.
I do not read.
I am not sleeping.
I am not sleeping.
I am not running.
I'm not running.
Interrogative sentence:
As I wrote above, to build a question, you need to make changes to the scheme of the affirmative sentence.
Scheme of an affirmative sentence:
I am ____- ing (some kind of action)
I _____ (some action)
Interrogative sentence outline:
Am I ____- ing? (some action)
I AM _____? (some action)
That is, to make a question in Present Continuous time, you need to put am to the first place. Having disassembled the scheme, we draw up our own proposals:
Am I writing?
I write?
Am I cooking?
I'm cooking?
Am I reading?
I am reading?
How to learn to use English tenses automatically?
Only after analyzing all three educational schemes and learning how to build sentences with them, we can say that you know the time. In this case, you can easily say any sentence using the given time.
If you practice correctly, making up a lot of sentences, then the English tenses will fly off your tongue, and you will be used automatically.
Here are two tips to make your training even more effective. Be sure to follow them when teaching the tenses.
1. Follow the correct sequence for studying the times
Learn tenses only in groups
As I said at the beginning, English tenses are divided into 4 groups: simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous.
The times should be taught strictly in groups in this order:
1. Times of the group Simple
2. Group Continuous Times
3. Times of the group Perfect
4. Times of the Perfect Continuous group
In this case, it will be much easier for you to understand each new time, knowing the previous one.
Maintain consistency within the group
Each group of times consists of: present, past and future tenses. Study the tenses strictly in the same sequence.
For example, take the Simple group. The order of studying the times is as follows:
1. Present Simple
2. Past Simple
3. Future Simple
In the other 3 groups, the order of study is exactly the same.
In each of the times, you need to parse 3 types of sentences
When studying time, always start with affirmative sentences, then move on to negative ones, and then to interrogative ones. Don't change the order.
2. Make as many sentences as possible after each piece of theory
The more you exercise, the easier it will be for you to use this time in conversation. Having disassembled the formation of an affirmative sentence, be sure to immediately practice the preparation of these sentences in practice. Only then move on to negative sentences.
If you analyze all three types of sentences at once and only then train them, it will be difficult for you and you will be constantly confused. Do everything consistently.
Brief summary of the article
Each time in English can be represented in the form of sentence construction schemes, which are: affirmative, negative, interrogative.
Ask questions and share your successes in the comments below the article.
Understand, repeat or learn tenses in English? You're kidding! It's almost a Chinese letter! In fact, no, and we know a few secrets of how to easily and quickly learn and memorize English tenses (table attached).
It is precisely the times that become the very main brake that prevents you from easily and simply mastering this most beautiful and most popular language in the world. Sit back, because now we're going to tell you how to quickly and easily learn and memorize verb tenses in English.
Method 1: how to quickly learn English verb tenses
Students are confused from the very beginning, believing that there are 100,500 times in English. In fact, there are also 3 tenses in English: Present, Past and Future. Later, as soon as you master these basics, you will need to impose the rest of the knowledge on the existing foundation.
Now is the time to find out that all verbs denoting actions in English can be conditionally divided into ongoing and non-continuous (i.e. continuous and non-continuous).
How to distinguish between them: if an action occurs, has occurred or will occur within a certain period of time, then it is continuous (continuous or long-term). For example, Kolya was asleep, Lena was doing his homework, Artem was reading a book.
If the sentence contains the following constructions, use Continuous - long time:
- at the moment,
- from 5 to 7,
- the whole day,
- when he came and so on.
It applies when it comes to about an unfinished process, an action what has been done, is being done or will be done in a specific period of time.
Group times Indefinite or Simple are used to denote an action that occurs regularly, every day, and its exact moment is unknown. It is characterized by words-indicators: usually, twice, a week, on Sundays, often, sometimes, never, in summer, hardly, ever etc. These words state the fact that the action is taking place.
When talking about a finished action, use Perfect if the sentence contains phrases:
- already,
- just,
- recently,
- lately, etc.
These words are indicative of the presence of a result at a certain moment: something happened now or yesterday by 5 o'clock, or will be ready by tomorrow morning.
Now we determine is it important for understanding the meaning by what point in time this action will be completed... Thanks to this, we will understand whether we use the perfect time or not (Perfect or non-Perfect). Now is the time to bring together all the signs of action that we have identified. This gives us a complete definition of the available time. For example, Past continuous Perfect.
The times of the Perfect Continuous group are practically not used in real life. However, for passing the test and understanding the literary language, it still does not hurt to study them. For example: In April I’ll have been working on the book for 10 months. In Russian it will sound something like this: in April it will be 10 months since I started working on the book.
Method 2: how to quickly learn the tenses of the English language (table)
There is another way, if nothing worked out with the previous one. It couldn't be easier than learning the English tenses table.
This table lists all the signs of action. By comparing one sign with another, it will not be difficult for you to determine what time has appeared in front of you.
When studying tenses, you will need to learn the forms of auxiliary verbs and verbal words that serve in the formation of a particular tense. Also, be sure to learn the table with irregular verbs! 
And if there is still not enough time to prepare for the test or test in English, do not hesitate - contact the student assistance service. Service specialists know everything about times, if not more, and they certainly know how to help you. And to broaden your horizons or just keep abreast of student life, subscribe to our telegram channel.
And here is a video on how to quickly and easily learn time in English:
Times of English- one of the most difficult topics for a Russian-speaking person. First of all, this is due to the fact that the student often simply does not understand their meaning and meaning. Traditionally, experts allocate 12 tenses, while in their native language there are 3. In order to finally master this material, you need to structure your knowledge on this topic. The article will be useful for people who are already familiar with the theory, but cannot start to practice in any way.
Where to begin?
All English tenses are divided into three large groups:
- Present (Present).
- Future (Future).
- Past.
As you can see, at this stage, English is no different from Russian.
Further, in each of the groups presented, different categories of times are distinguished: Simple(simple), Continuous(continued), Perfect(Perfect) and Perfect continuous(perfect continued). Why do you need so many times? This greatly facilitates understanding of the interlocutor in the process of communication. Each of these times has its own meaning. Having understood this issue, you will never again make mistakes in the process of using English sentences.
Times of the category Simple
Present Simple
This is the simple present. It is used to indicate a sequence of different actions or a general fact:
She gets up, washes her face and has breakfast.
She wakes up, washes and has breakfast.
My name is Jane, I’m from London.
My name is Jane. I'm from London.
Present Simple is also used to express scientifically proven facts and regularly recurring events:
I always help my mother.
I always help my mom.
Ice melts at 0 degrees.
Ice melts at 0 degrees.
Past simple
Expresses a common fact or action in the past tense:
Yesterday I played football.
I played football yesterday.
As well as Present Simple, it can denote a regular action, but already in the past:
This house was built 20 years ago.
The house was built 20 years ago.
Using the simple past tense - Past Simple, we are interested in conveying the fact itself.
Future simple
And in this case, the total time value does not change.
Future Simple can be used either for regular actions in the future:
I will visit you very often.
I will visit you very often.
Or to convey a simple fact in the future:
She will move to her mother next year.
Next year she will move in with her mother.
Brief conclusion:
The English tenses of the group Simple are the most commonly used. They are used to exchange information. Attention is not focused on either duration or completeness of actions.
Continuous times
Here it is necessary to remember the main meaning of the whole group - the process.
Present Continuous is any process that takes place in the present tense. The action could begin in the recent past and can end within a certain period of time:
She is sleeping now.
She is now asleep.
It's raining at the moment.
It is raining at the moment.
Another use case is an expression of dissatisfaction, irritation:
You are always playing computer games!
You always play computer games!
The same goes for the Past Continuous time. It expresses a certain process at a particular moment in the past:
She was sleeping at 10 p.m. yesterday.
She slept at 10 pm yesterday.
Future Continuous also expresses a process at a certain point in the future:
Tomorrow at 9 a.m. I will be helping my best friend.
Tomorrow at 9 am I will be helping my best friend.
Brief conclusion:
The English tenses of the Continuous group are used to demonstrate a piece of continuous time. This tense is almost always used with words such as now(now) and also at the moment(at the moment).
Times of the Perfect category
With this time, people have a lot of confusion. The key to this group is the result. In the process of using this time, we are interested in the end result of some action or event.
Present perfect
This is the result that has been obtained so far:
I have already done my homework and I can go for a walk.
I've already done my homework and can go for a walk.
It turns out that the action itself (preparation of lessons) is no longer performed, it is completely completed. But at the moment we can see the result of the action: the opportunity to go for a walk.
Verbs in Present Perfect are usually translated into Russian in the past tense. However, the action in this time is perceived in the present, as it is tied to the current moment by the result.
Past perfect
It is used to indicate a result for a specific moment in the past:
He had done the task by 11 p.m.
By 11 pm, he completed the task.
Also, Past Perfect can be used to indicate the sequence of actions in the past and, accordingly, the coordination of times:
James said that he had noticed his old friend.
James said that he noticed an old friend.
Thus, first James noticed an old friend, and then he told about it. On the contrary, it could not happen in any way.
Future perfect
This time is necessary to transfer the future result:
I will have cleaned my room by 5 p.m.
I'll clean the room by 5pm.
At 5 o'clock, the action will no longer be performed, but the result will remain from it - a clean room.
Thus, the Future Perfect time is used to express an action that will begin and end up to a certain point in the future with a certain result.
Brief conclusion:
Perfect - perfect time, which necessarily assumes a certain result, which can also be negative.
Times of the Perfect Continuous category
Present perfect continuous
She has been sleeping for 2 hours already.
She has been sleeping for 2 hours.
That is, the action began in the past and continues at the moment.
Past Perfect Continuous
It is a process that began a long time ago and continued until a specific point in time in the past.
She had been sleeping for 3 hours when I came back.
When I returned, she had already slept for 3 hours.
The return is the very moment of the past, up to which the process (dream) took place.
Future perfect continuous
It is a process that continues for a specific amount of time to a specific point in the future.
She will have been sleeping for 4 hours when you come back.
By the time you get back, she will have slept for 4 hours.
Brief conclusion:
A rather bulky design of this time can "facilitate" the use of the Perfect time. True, this advice is pertinent in the event that you are not preparing for some important exam: tests like to check knowledge of all times.
1. Having firmly decided to master the tenses of the English language, first of all, independently make up a table for yourself with the theory and some examples of the use of tenses. Similar tables can be found easily on the Internet. In the process of writing, you will inevitably remember some information.
2. Do not try to focus on theoretical material. Try to translate the examples right away and understand their meaning. It will be great if you have the opportunity to consult with a specialist who will clarify incomprehensible points.
3. Do not try to learn everything at once. Distribute the material by topic. For example, you will devote a week to familiarizing yourself with the times of the Simple group, a week to Continuous, and so on. You definitely shouldn't rush: you will find a lot of pitfalls, subtleties of use and even exceptions.
4. Practice constantly. As experienced people and qualified educators say, the best way to learn the tenses of the English language is through continuous practice. The more exercise you do, the faster you will be able to achieve positive results. It is especially good if you decide to start translating from Russian into English: tighten up the times and at the same time expand your own vocabulary.
5. Is there an opportunity to communicate with a foreigner who knows English well? Be sure to take this chance. Don't underestimate the benefits of virtual communication.
6. Use any modern opportunities to improve your own knowledge. For example, on GooglePlay you can find many useful applications for learning the times of the English language.
What aids to use to study times?
1. First of all, you need a decent book with theoretical material. The Round-Up tutorial from Virginia Evans is worth checking out. This is a modern, colorful edition. The books are presented in different difficulty levels: from 1 to 7. Contains a lot of material on grammar.
2. Table of English tenses and table of irregular verbs. Indispensable materials for successful language learning. At first, be sure to keep these manuals in front of your eyes during class. Over time, you will look at this "cheat sheet" less and less. It is also worth finding various exercises on the Internet on a topic of interest. There are enough of them in the public domain.
3. Golitsinsky's grammar. This Russian-language edition is positioned as a textbook for schoolchildren, but it does not have the most simple tasks. Using this collection of assignments, you will have to work a lot, because there are quite a few translated exercises in the book. If you decide to study on your own, be sure to buy or download the correct keys to the textbook. Errors made should be highlighted with a marker and carefully worked out. In the process of studying, try to formulate the reason for using this or that time yourself.
4. Textbooks to prepare for various international tests: TOEFL, IELTS and so on. These exams have rather high requirements for the level of knowledge of all aspects of grammar, so after a few weeks you will notice a positive effect. In addition, you have to complete written assignments: write an essay or an essay. It will be great if you can find a qualified person who can check the work.
Thus, mastering the tenses of the English language is quite realistic. To do this, you just need to understand their correct meaning, after which you can immediately start practicing. The main thing is not to despair when you encounter any difficulties that you will surely encounter along the way. Make an effort - and everything will definitely work out!
Tenses in English represent, perhaps, the greatest difficulty for understanding, remembering and applying. Today we give several recommendations that will make your life easier and allow you to master the times in the most efficient way.
Immediately, we note that we are not considering the education of the times: as practice shows, this is not a problem for English language learners. It is quite easy to learn the schemes, but understanding the use of tenses is by no means easy. So let's get started ...
- Understanding the names
There are, in principle, only three tenses in English - Present (present), Past (past) and Future (future). However, the situation is complicated by the fact that each named time can have four types. Those. The present tense has four kinds, the past and the future also have four kinds. What kinds of times are there?
The first kind of tenses is called Simple. Thus, there are, Past Simple (past simple) and Future Simple (future simple).
The second type of time is called Continuous. Accordingly, the times can be (present continued), Past Continuous (past continued) and Future Continuous (future continued).
The third kind is called Perfect. Thus, there are (present perfect), Past Perfect (past perfect) and Future Perfect (future perfect).
The last type of times combines the names of the previous two and is called Perfect Continuous. Accordingly, the times can be (present perfectly-continued time), Past Perfect Continuous (past perfectly-continued) and Future Perfect Continuous (future perfectly-continued).
As you can see, you need to remember, on the one hand, the names of the times (Present, Past, Future), on the other, their types (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous).
By the way, in many textbooks the first two types of tenses may be called differently. Instead of Simple, you can find the term Indefinite, and instead of Continuous - Progressive. You should be aware that these terms are used interchangeably.
The name of a specific time consists of the name of the time itself and its type, for example: Present Simple, Past Continuous, etc.
- We understand and remember the values
The next key point to remember is that each type of time has its own meaning. Next, we will analyze each type separately.
Remember the meaning of the form Simple - a) simple action, fact; b) regular, repetitive action. Simple conveys its meaning to specific times. So, Present Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the present tense; b) regular, repetitive action in the present tense. For example: “The earth revolves around the sun” is a fact, therefore, when translating this sentence into English, we will use Present Simple. Another example: "This boy is often sick" is a regular, repetitive action, so when translating into English we will also use Present Simple.
Past Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the past; b) regular, repeated action in the past. For example: “Moscow was founded by Yuri Dolgoruky” is a fact of the past, therefore, when translating this sentence into English, we will use Past Simple. Another example: “As a child, I was often sick” is a regular, repetitive action, so when translating into English, we will also use Past Simple.
Future Simple means: a) a simple action, a fact in the future; b) regular, repeated action in the future. For example: "Next year I will move to Germany" is a designation of the fact of the future, so we use Future Simple. “He will visit you often” is a regular, repetitive action, hence Future Simple again.
So, we've dealt with Simple, now let's move on to Continuous. Everything is much simpler here. Remember the most basic meaning - process. It is the value of the Continuous process that conveys to specific times.
Present Continuous refers to a process in the present. For example: “He is sleeping now” is a process in the present tense, therefore, when translating into English, we will resort to Present Continuous.
Past Continuous refers to a process at a certain point in the past. For example: "Yesterday at six o'clock he slept."
Future Continuous refers to a process at a certain point in the future. For example: "Tomorrow at six o'clock he will sleep."
Now let's look at Perfect. Remember the key meaning of this type - the result. This value is transmitted to specific times.
Present Perfect stands for the result to date. For example: “I wrote a letter. I am free." The very action of writing a letter is no longer performed, it is over, but by now the result is left of it - a letter ready to be sent.
Past Perfect denotes the result to a certain point in the past. For example: "I wrote a letter in the evening." In the evening, the action of writing a letter was no longer performed, it was over, but the result remained from it - a letter ready to be sent.
Future Perfect means the result for a certain moment in the future. For example: "I'll write a letter in the evening." In the evening, the action of writing a letter will no longer be performed, it will be completed, but the result will remain from it - a letter ready to be sent.
Finally, let's turn to Perfect Continuous. Remember the basic meaning - a process lasting a specified amount of time. This value will be transmitted to specific times.
So, Present Perfect Continuous denotes a process that lasts a specific time and continues at the moment. For example: "He has been sleeping for three hours already."
Past Perfect Continuous refers to a process that has lasted a specified amount of time until a certain point in the past. For example: "He slept for three hours when you returned." There is a moment of the past in this sentence - your return. Up to this moment, the process was taking place - he was asleep. The process lasted for the specified amount of time - three hours.
Future Perfect Continuous means a process that will last a certain amount of time to some point in the future. For example: "He will sleep for three hours before you return."
To finally understand the times of the English language, we recommend watching a lecture on this topic (in Russian). This lecture discusses in detail the formation and use of the active voice tenses.
There are 4 tenses in English:
Simple.
Long lasting.
Completed.
Long-lasting completed.
Each of the times is divided into:
The present
Past
Future
It's simple, according to the same system, times are divided in Russian. Now I will briefly describe each of the times and its distinctive properties and how to easily and quickly distinguish it from others.
1) Simple.
This is the easiest time. The easiest.
Value - Statement of fact. Indicates a regular, normal, regular action. Facts, truths. The exact moment in time is NOT defined at this time.
In general, if you just say - shows a normal action, someone did something, someone knows something, etc. well, or just a fact. Likewise, an action that, for example, a person does every morning, or every day, or what a person did yesterday.
If the sentence contains words - everyday, usually, never, at first, then, after, in the morning, in the evening, tomorrow, next week, next month, often, soon- then most likely this is just a simple time. You can distinguish it by the presence of auxiliary verbs in negative and interrogative sentences in the sentence: do, does, did, didn "t, don" t, will, shall, will not, shall not. Remember - regularity, fact, routine.
Present - a person does it now, or he does it every day (speaks every day, or reads a book, writes a letter, etc.)
past - an action that was or took place in the past. Well, or a fact from the past (wrote a letter yesterday, worked every day, worked from 90 to 95, went shopping in the evening)
future - an action or a series of actions that will happen in the future, predictions, predictions (I will work tomorrow, I will write a letter, I will learn foreign languages every day, I will make an abstract soon)
2) Long lasting.
Process is the main meaning of time. Indicates that an action is being done, has been done or will be done for a certain time. I did, but I didn't. If the sentence contains words - now, at the moment, at, when, while, at 20 o "clock, tomorrow - then most likely this is a long time. You can distinguish it by the ing-ending of the verbs. Auxiliary verbs - was, were , was not, were not, am, will be, shall be.
The present is an action that a person does right now, he really does it and spends his time and this is what is shown in the sentence (Working now, writing a letter at the moment, going home now)
past - an action that took place at a certain moment in the past, or that was done at the moment when another action took place. (I wrote the letter at 7pm; he wrote the letter when I entered the room, he slept for 4 hours)
the future is an action that will take place at a certain point in the future (I will write a letter at 7 pm, I will be digging the ground tomorrow from 7 am to 9 am)
3) Completed.
The result is the main meaning of time. Shows that the action has taken place, there is a result! If the sentence contains words - twice, lately, recently, several times, yet, already, never, just, ever - then this is most likely just the completed tense. You can distinguish by the auxiliary verbs - had, has, have, shall have, will have.
Remember - there is a result, the action is completed or completed here, and this is anyway.
The present is an action that took place in the past, but has the most direct connection with the present. Example: he has already written a letter. Let me explain: he did it in the past, but the result refers specifically to the present. Example: I just lost my key. Let me explain: what he lost was in the past, but he talks about it now.
past - an action that ended up to a certain point in time in the past (I wrote a letter by 7 o'clock).
future - an action that will be completed at a certain point in the future (I will write a letter by 7 o'clock).
4) completed - long-term.
Here I would suggest self-study. This time is not used in colloquial speech, and it is better to come to the study of this time after studying the above written tenses. Don't worry, work out the previous times!
So, to summarize:
Simple time is a statement of fact.
A long time is a process.
Completed is the result.
