How many tenses are there in English? How to use it? What should I pay attention to?

Refer to the English grammar of Bobo University.

1. Present tense

1. Simple present tense

(1) The simple present tense indicates the action or state of the rule.

The simple present tense is often used with adverbials of time, such as often, always, universally, sometimes, every day, etc. For example:

This shop opens at nine o'clock every day. This shop opens at nine o'clock every day.

It seldom snows here.

(2) The simple present tense indicates objective existence or universal truth.

Light travels faster than sound. Light travels faster than sound.

Food goes bad easily in hot weather. Food goes bad easily in hot weather.

(3) The simple present tense indicates the characteristics or state of the subject.

This picture looks beautiful. This painting looks beautiful.

Air contains oxygen and nitrogen. Air contains oxygen and nitrogen.

(4) The simple present tense indicates the future action or state in the adverbial clause of time and condition.

I'll tell her about it as soon as I see her.

What time does the train arrive? What time does the train arrive?

(5) It is used for action prompts and background descriptions in picture descriptions or scripts.

Inside the shelter: stockton slowly turns to face his wife. People's angry screams echoed in their ears even when they left.

In the bomb shelter: stockton slowly turns around and faces his wife. The crowd is leaving, but their angry screams are still ringing in their ears.

(6) live commentary of TV programs

It's Carter's turn to serve. He just needs one more point. He serves. Smith missed. What a great serve! So the winner belongs to 19 year old Harry Carter.

Carter's turn to serve. He only needs one more point to win. He served and Smith missed the ball. What a beautiful serve! The champion belongs to Harry Carter, age 19.

2. Present continuous tense

(1) The present continuous tense indicates what you are doing when you are talking or at this stage.

There are usually adverbials of time indicating the current stage, such as today, this week, this month, this year, this $ TERM, now and so on. For example:

He is writing a novel now. He is currently writing a novel.

(2) The present continuous tense indicates regular action.

The present continuous tense can only be used with frequency adverbs, such as simple, true, fast, rapid, stable, forever, always, always, continuously, continuously, repeatedly and so on. For example:

She is always complaining. She is always complaining.

(3) The present continuous tense indicates what has been planned or arranged.

This usage is only applicable to certain verbs, such as: go, come, go, start, arrive, return, spend, sail, meet, fly, etc. For example:

The guests will leave by train tonight.

(4) Supplementary explanation

[1] In many cases, there is no such word as "Zheng" in Chinese sentences, which must be translated into English progressive tense. For example:

It's raining hard.

Is everything all right? How are things going?

[2] Some verbs can't usually be used in the continuous tense. Verbs that cannot be used in the continuous tense are:

Words that express feelings or feelings, such as: listening, watching, being small, tasting, feeling, seemingly, noticing, hating, loving, liking, wanting, hoping, rejecting, liking, forgetting, etc.

Words indicating existence or belonging, such as exist, stay, remain, objective, have, own, form, contain, etc.

Words that express knowledge or understanding, such as understanding, knowing, remembering, forgetting, believing, thinking, doubting, etc.

3. The present perfect tense

(1) The present perfect tense indicates an action or state that continues from the past to the present.

This usage of the present perfect tense is usually used with adverbials of time guided by since or for. For example:

The old man has lived here for more than twenty years.

The old man has lived here for more than 20 years.

(2) The present perfect tense indicates an action that happened in the past and has an influence on the present.

The present perfect tense is sometimes used without adverbial of time, and sometimes it can be used with adverbial of time, such as already, before, once, just, late, never, once, recently, and so on. For example:

Have you ever been to Australia? Have you ever been to Australia?

[2] The present perfect tense is sometimes used with adverbials such as now, today, this morning, this week, this year, etc. For example:

I haven't seen him today. I haven't seen him today.

I only met him once this year. I only met him once this year.

(3) The present perfect tense indicates the action to be completed in the future in the adverbial clauses of time and condition.

I will go to the party as soon as I finish my homework.

I will go to the party after I finish my homework.

(4) the present perfect tense is used with adverbials, such as until now, so far, in the past few years, so far, etc. I haven't heard from her so far.

So far, we have learned five hundred words.

So far, we have learned five hundred new words.

However, it should be noted that when the meaning is clear, the sentence can be completed without adverbial of time. For example:

He did a lot of work. He did a lot of work.

She told me her story. She told me her story.

4. The present perfect continuous tense

(1) The present perfect continuous tense indicates an action that lasted from the past to the present or just ended.

I have been writing letters all morning.

I have been writing letters all morning. (Action will not continue)

O 'Neill is ill. He has been in bed for three weeks.

O 'Neill is ill and has been in bed for three weeks. (Action will continue)

(2) The present perfect continuous tense indicates repeated actions from the past to the present.

This usage of the present perfect continuous tense does not refer to the action that has been going on, but refers to the action that occurs intermittently and repeatedly. For example:

What have you been doing all this time?

What have you been doing? (Action may continue)

That reporter has been contributing to this magazine for years.

This reporter has been writing for this magazine for many years. (a recurring action)

2. past tense

1. Simple past tense

(1) The simple past tense indicates the past action or state.

The simple past tense is usually used with adverbials of past time.

The adverbials of time used with the simple past tense are: yesterday, last night (week, year, month, day), then, that moment, just now, a few days ago (week, month, year) and so on. Example:

Lucy turned off all the lights before going out.

Lucy turned off all the lights before going out.

[2] The simple past tense can also be used with time adverbials such as today, this week (month, year), but these time adverbials should refer to the past. For example:

Did you see him today? Did you see him today? (Today refers to a period of time in the past today)

[3] The simple past tense can also be used with adverbials of time guided by for or since. For example:

I stayed there for two months. I stayed there for two months.

After that, nothing happened.

(2) The adverbial of time in the past tense is sometimes either in the context or implied in the sentence.

Who's that? Who's that guy?

I saw Kerr in town. I saw Kerr in town.

(3) The simple past tense indicates the past and future actions or states in adverbial clauses of time and conditions.

Hans said he would let us know if he got any news.

Hans said that he would tell us if he had any news.

2. Past continuous tense

(1) The past continuous tense indicates an action that was going on at some time in the past.

The past continuous tense is usually used with adverbial of time. For example:

We were having dinner when they came.

We were having dinner when they came.

3. Future tense

1. Simple future tense

Basic usage of (1)

[1] Generally speaking, the future is often used to indicate the action or situation in the future. For example:

Helena will be twenty next year. Helena will be twenty next year.

[2] The future tense is generally used in the main clause and adverbial clause of real conditional sentences to indicate the future situation. For example:

I'll tell you as soon as he comes. I'll tell you as soon as he comes.

[3] Used as a conditional adverbial clause to express hope or wish. For example:

If you are willing to wait for me, I will be back soon.

If you are willing to wait for me, I will be right back.

[4] The simple future tense can be used to indicate a tendency or habitual action. For example:

The shop won't open until nine o'clock. The shop won't open until nine o'clock.

Children are children after all. Children are children.

(2)Be going+ verb prototype

This structure indicates what you are going to do or what you are going to do, or there are signs that the weather is going to change. For example:

What are you going to do during the summer vacation? What are you going to do in the summer vacation? The train will arrive soon. Here comes the train.

(3) Present continuous tense (be+ present participle)

The present continuous tense of some verbs can indicate an action that will happen, indicating that something will happen as planned or arranged. These verbs are: go, come, go, start, arrive, return, spend, sail, meet, fly and so on. For example:

Annie is coming to dinner tonight. Annie is coming to dinner tonight.

(4)Be to+ verb prototype

This structure can represent an agreement, an order or something to be done as planned. For example:

When will they come? When will they come?

We will meet at the school gate. We made an appointment to meet at the school gate.

(5) Will soon+verb prototype

This structure means "do it at once" or "do it at once". For example:

He is about to leave. He will leave soon.

The holiday is about to begin. The holiday is about to begin.

2. Future continuous tense

The future continuous tense indicates the action being done at some time in the future. Always express what has been arranged, giving people a sense of expectation. For example:

What will you be doing this time tomorrow?

What will you do this time tomorrow?

3. Future perfect tense

(1) The future perfect tense means that actions completed before a certain time in the future will often have an impact on a certain time in the future. For example:

I will have finished reading this book by this weekend.

I will finish reading this book before this weekend.

(2) The future perfect tense indicates an action or state that lasts until a certain time in the future. For example:

By the time Pierce comes back from the meeting, we will have been waiting here for three hours.

When Pierce came back from the meeting, we had been waiting here for three hours.

4. Past tense and future tense

(1) The past future tense indicates what will happen after a certain time in the past, and is usually used in object clauses. For example:

Jenny never thought that she would become a doctor.

Jenny never thought that she would become a doctor.

(2) indicates what will happen from a certain time in the past. For example:

I don't think they will have any objection.

I don't think they will have any objection.

(3) Used to express past habitual actions (would be used by anyone). For example:

Joanna will go for a walk after supper.

Joanna always goes for a walk after supper.