Meanings of the verb to make. Passive voice (the passive voice) Differences between the verb to make and the verb to do

The formation of tenses in English is subject to strict rules of grammar. It is important to observe the order of words and the coordination of tenses. For each life situation, a certain temporary structure is chosen.

In English, the form of a verb is not affected by gender, so, for example, in the phrases “He said” and “She said” only the pronouns will differ, and the verb (the verb) will not change and will sound like said. But this is little consolation for those who have decided to become pros in English. After all, you will have to master 12 tenses. And we will talk below about what these temporary forms are, how they are formed, and, in fact, why you need to learn to operate with this very time.

How are times formed?
in English?

English tenses are formed using auxiliary verbs. Also, depending on the tense form, the ending of the semantic verb changes.

Why is it important to differentiate between tenses when teaching a language?

If you don’t want to get lost in time and completely confuse your interlocutor, then first you will have to master at least the Present group. Of course, in Everyday life Native speakers themselves do not operate with all 12 tenses. Much depends on whether we are talking about British English or American English. It is believed that Americans are not so scrupulous in matters of grammar, so some mistakes are easily forgiven to foreigners. But still, in order not to find yourself in the situation of lost in translation, that is, not to get confused in the translation, it is important to understand how tenses are formed in the English language.

Russian and English times: similarities and differences

We are accustomed to three tenses: present, past and future. This is why English grammar seems so difficult. In fact, in Russian there are three tenses for us. For those who study our language as a foreign language, the situation with temporary forms does not look so rosy. They say that foreigners can spend more than one month studying the verb “to go” alone. In English there are also present, past and future tenses, which are called Present, Past and Future, respectively. Everything is simple here: if we, for example, talk about a fact that happened in the past, then we use Past. But the problem is that in English the past tense alone can have 4 forms.

Formation of tenses in English: table

In each of the three tenses (Present, Past and Future) there are four more subgroups:

· Simple
Continuous
Perfect
Perfect Continuous

This is where 12 times arise. The main questions about English tenses usually arise when a student moves from the Simple group to the more complex Continuous or Perfect. It is not easy for a Russian to understand why continuous and perfect forms are still needed, and why the same phrase, like “I worked,” can be said both as “I worked” and “I have worked.”

Using tenses in English: table with examples

Questions about English tenses will disappear by themselves if you master the main rules for constructing tense forms and learn to automatically determine which group a particular situation can be classified into. In short, the Simple tenses are used to denote single actions. The Continuous group combines actions extended over time. Perfect characterizes processes completed at some point in the past, present or future. The tenses of the Perfect Continuous group are considered the most difficult and least used of all tenses in the English language. The perfect continuous tense also characterizes actions completed by a certain moment, but these actions are extended over time.

How are the times of the Simple group formed?

Even those who need to learn only the simplest spoken English will have to master the Simple tenses. Without knowing the forms of the simple verb to be, you simply cannot tell basic information about yourself. The Simple temporary group is used for general characteristics action without focusing on its duration or completion.

Formation of tenses in English. Table for the Simple group:

Present Simple, or Simple present tense in English

Present tenses in English are used to characterize actions occurring in the present tense. We turn to the Present Simple in situations where we want to convey some general information about a person (talk about his belonging to a certain class, profession, etc.). For example, “I am a student” (I am a student). Also, the present simple tense is necessary to report an action that is repeated systematically. For example, “He cooks” (he cooks). In this example, it is meant that he, in principle, knows how to cook food, and does it constantly, and not at any specific period of time. Present simple is also used for:

· Descriptions natural phenomena and facts (The Earth goes around the Sun - the Earth revolves around the Sun);

· Sports commentary (Messi scores a goal - Messi scores a goal);

· Transport schedules, broadcasts, film shows, etc. (The train from Moscow arrives at 6:05 p.m. - The train from Moscow arrives at 18:05);

· Internal state, feelings (Do you want to go away? - Do you want to leave?).

You can also recognize the Present Simple in speech by marker words that determine the frequency of the action:

· always (always);
· usually (usually);
· never (never);
· sometimes (sometimes);
· rarely (infrequently);
· rarely (rarely);
· regularly (regularly);
· every day (every day);
· often (often).

Past Simple

Past tenses characterize actions performed in the past. Past Simple we use it when we need to report an action that was repeated in the past. In order to construct an interrogative or negative form, we need the auxiliary verb did. In this case, the main verb will not change. You can also understand that this is Past Simple by using marker words such as:

· Yesterday (yesterday);
· In 2008 (in 2008);
· 15 years ago (15 years ago);
· last week (last week);
· the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday).

The simple present tense tells us about a fact or some single simple action completed in the past. For example, “In 2000 Angelina Jolie won an Oscar - In 2008, Angelina Jolie won an Oscar.” The Past Simple also characterizes several actions that occurred in the past in chronological order (“I came home, called Jane and had dinner with my friend - I came home, called Jane and had dinner with my friend”). In order to report an action that was repeated many times in the past, you will also need the Past Simple (I took Spanish courses when I was young - I took courses Spanish when I was young).

Future Simple

English grammar “marks” tenses of the Future group with the auxiliary verb will. Do you want to say that some action will happen in the future? Just add will to the semantic verb. The Future Simple tense is used in the following situations:

· Single simple action in the future (I will sign it - I will sign it);

· The decision that we make at the time of conversation (I will buy a ticket and you stay here - I will buy a ticket, and you stay here);

· Actions that are repeated in the future (I will visit Jane a few times in Paris - I will visit Jane in Paris several times);

· Designation of several actions performed in the future sequentially (I will meet with him and I will explain how to do this - I will meet with him and explain how to do this).

The Future Simple is often accompanied in a sentence by such time adverbs as:

· tomorrow (tomorrow);
· next summer (next summer);
· in ten years (in ten years);
· in 2020 (in 2020).

Times of the group Continuous
in English

For a Russian speaker, the tenses of the Continuous group are quite difficult to understand. After all, it makes no difference to us whether an action is taking place at the present moment or whether we perform it periodically. A Russian-speaking person will say “I’m watching TV”, regardless of whether he is enjoying watching a TV show at the moment, or whether this process is part of his daily habit. In English grammar, Continuous tenses are needed to describe an action that is extended in the process. This is any long-term action occurring at a certain moment.

Grammatical tenses in English. Table for the Continuous group:

Present Continuous

If the action occurs at the time of speech, then we use the Present Continuous, or the present continuous tense. This temporary construction is constructed using the auxiliary verb to be, which, depending on the person and number, takes one of three forms. For the pronoun I (I) we use the form am. In the third person singular (pronouns he, she, it) to be takes the form is, and in plural- are.

Let's look at how the Present Continuous is used with specific examples:

I am looking at you - I look at you (now, that is, at the moment of speech).

His English is getting better - His English is getting better (action is in progress).

She is working from 9 till 7 - She works from 9 to 7 (an action that covers a period of time in the present).

I am meeting him at 7 at the cinema - I meet him at 7 o’clock in the cinema (an action that is planned, and at the same time we know the time and place).

They are going to the opera - They are going to the opera (action in the near future, Present Continuous in this case is used exclusively with verbs of movement).

He is always annoying me - He always annoys me (expression of a negative assessment about a habit, regular behavior).

Marker words such as now (now) and at the moment (at the moment) can help you recognize the present continuous tense in speech. If we are talking about some kind of habit and inclination (often in a negative context), then in this case the Present Continuous is accompanied by the following adverbs:

· all the time (all the time);
· always (always);
· constantly (constantly).

Past Continuous

Past tenses usually refer to the second form of the verb. The Past Continuous is no exception in this regard. This tense is formed by adding the 2nd form of the auxiliary verb to be, namely was for the singular and were for the plural. The ending -ing is necessarily added to the semantic verb.

The Past Continuous should be used in the following situations:

· Continuous action that in the past occurred at a certain period (He was playing football at 11 o'clock - He played football at 11 o'clock);

· An action that took place in the past, while another action occurred (He was reading when somebody knocked at his window - He was reading when someone knocked on the window).

Also, the Past Continuous can often be found in descriptive literary texts, where the author sets the task of creating the desired atmosphere:

It was getting dark, and the wind was howling - It was getting dark and the wind was howling.

In phrases with the Past Continuous we often observe circumstances indicating a period of time:

· all day long (all day);
· all the time (all the time);
· the whole day (all day);
· from 7 till 11 (from 7 to 11).

Future Continuous

Not all tenses in English have Russian equivalents. For example, Future Continuous from the point of view of a Russian speaker is unlikely to be any different from the simple future. However, residents of English-speaking countries refer to this time in the following situations:

· Continuous action that will take place at a certain point in the future (This time next Monday she will be flying to Paris - Next Monday at this time she will fly to Paris);

· A long action against the background of which another shorter action will occur in the future. At the same time, we do not know whether the first action will be interrupted or will be continued. (We will be sleeping when he arrives to New York - We will sleep when he arrives in New York);

· To denote two or more actions that will occur simultaneously in the future (While they are playing chess I will be cooking dinner - While they are playing chess, I will cook dinner).

The Future Continuous is formed using the auxiliary form will be and a semantic verb ending in -ing.

The future continuous tense can also be recognized by marker words. These may be circumstances of the time:

· at 5 o"clock (at five o'clock);
· at that moment (at this moment);
· in an hour (in an hour);
· this time tomorrow (at the same time tomorrow), etc.

If we are talking about subordinate clauses with the Future Continuous, then here we often see conjunctions such as: if (if), as (while), while (while), when (when), until (not yet), before (before).

Perfect Group Times

The Perfect group can be briefly described by the word “result”. The completion of an action here is associated with some specific moment in the present, past or future.

How tenses are formed in English. Table for the Perfect group:

The 3rd form of a verb in English is formed by adding the ending -ed to the stem. The exception is irregular verbs, which do not change according to the rules. In this case, you will have to remember the form.

Present Perfect (Present perfect tense)

Examples of the Present Perfect in school textbooks do not always provide a complete picture of how to actually use this tense. In fact, it is very widespread. Present Perfect is usually used in the following situations:

To denote an action that has already been absolutely completed in the past, but, nevertheless, it is still connected with the present through the result (I have read this book so you can take it - I have already read this book, so you can take it);
To characterize an action that began in the past, but at the same time it continues at the present moment (I have lived in London for 6 years - We live in London for 6 years).

Sentences with the present perfect tense often contain adverbs and circumstances that emphasize the effectiveness of the action:

· never (never);
· just (just now);
· already (already);
· yet (yet);
· ever (ever);

For example: Have you ever been to Cyprus? -Have you ever been to Cyprus?

Past Perfect

If the action ended before a certain moment or action in the past, then, according to the rules of English grammar, you will have to choose the Past Perfect tense. For example, “The rain had stopped before he woke up - The rain stopped before he woke up.” Or: “By that time they had finished their work - By that time they finished their work.”

The Past Perfect can often be identified by the conjunction by and time circumstances, such as: by that time (by that time), by Monday (by Monday), by then (by that time), etc.

Future Perfect (Future perfect tense)

The Future Perfect is used in situations where we need to report an action that will be completed before a certain point in the future: “I will have written the article by night - I will write the article by night.” We also use the future perfect tense when we talk about some supposed action that took place in the past. In other words, the Future Perfect is needed to express an assumption about what probably happened. For example, “You will have noticed our attitude to this problem - You (surely) noticed our attitude to this problem.”

Marker phrases for the Future Perfect also serve as time circumstances that indicate the moment for completing an action:

· by Sunday (by Sunday);
· by that time (by that time);
· by 2033 (by 2033).

Formation of band times
Perfect Continuous

Perfect Continuous tenses are not so common in colloquial speech. Students usually begin these constructions at later stages. As the name suggests, Perfect Continuous describes a continuous action that begins, continues, and ends at a specific point.

Grammatical tenses in English. Table for the Perfect Continuous group:

Present Perfect Continuous (Present perfect continuous)

Present Perfect Continuous shows an action that began in the past and continues at the time of speech. For example: “She has been working for 5 hours already - She has already been working for 5 hours.” This tense is also used to characterize a long-term action that has just completed, the result of which affects the present: “I"m tired. We have been working all night - I’m tired. We worked all night.”

In phrases with the present perfect continuous tense in English, there are often time adverbs and other phrases that denote the time period during which the action is performed. For example:

· for a week (during the week);
· since morning (in the morning);
· lately (lately);
· all my life (all my life), etc.

Past Perfect Continuous (Past perfect continuous)

The Past Perfect Continuous tense is similar to the previous one, but describes an extended action that began in the past until a certain moment (which also happened in the past and is always used in the Past Simple). This process may continue or may end just before this very moment.

“Tom had been reading for 2 hours when Jane came - Tom had been reading for two hours when Jane came.” In this case, the action began before Jane arrived. At the same time, Tom continues to read even after being interrupted.

The past perfect continuous tense is characterized by the use of temporary marker phrases, such as:

· for five months (within 5 months);
· for a long time (for a long time);
· since 7 o"clock (from 7 o'clock), etc.

Future Perfect Continuous (Future perfect continuous)

Among all the tenses in English grammar, the Future Perfect Continuous is the least common in speech. This tense describes a continuous action that will begin in the future and will continue until a certain moment (it is used in the Future Simple):

He will be resting for a week when she will join him - He will be resting for a whole week when she joins him.

Learning to distinguish between English tenses is not as difficult as it seems at first glance: marker words will help you find your way. Remember that the simple past tense, for example, can be determined by a specific date. The ending -ing in the verb indicates that the action is not single, but long-term, that is, ongoing. It is important to remember that if you begin a sentence using past tense verbs, then the second part of the phrase must also use the past tense. Of course, in this matter one cannot do without practice. Watch as many English-language films and TV series as possible, read books, and gradually you will learn to feel the tenses of the English language and stop thinking about where to put which verb.

There is one topic in language learning that we can probably talk about endlessly. Of course, we mean tenses in English. It is sometimes difficult for students new to the language to get used to the way English-speaking people divide their time for themselves. In fact, each tense form in English has its own analogue in Russian, we just don’t distinguish these forms into separate groups. Therefore, understanding tenses is not at all difficult, and today you will see for yourself.

First let's do short review all time groups so that you have an idea of what we will 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 tense forms, 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 verbs that appear in a sentence. With their help you can determine the time. Detailed table for clarity:

Formation of tenses in English
Time/View	Simple	Continuous or Progressive (long)	Perfect	Perfect Continuous / Progressive (perfect continuous)
Past (past)	V2	to be (2nd form) + V-ing	had + V3	had + been + V-ing
Present (present)	V1	to be (1st form) + V-ing	have / has + V3	have / has + been + V-ing
Future (future)	will + V1	will be + V-ing	will + have + V3	will + have + been + V-ing

Having briefly examined English tenses, let's move on to their more detailed study and consider the rules for forming tenses with examples.

Why are tenses needed in English?

But first I would like to dwell on the question of why tenses of the English language are needed and whether it is worth learning them all. The tense system in English helps to correctly convey your thoughts to others. That is, you can make it clear what action we are talking about. Was it in the past or present? Has it already ended or is it still going on? Or maybe it happens 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’ll 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 this at once. Therefore, start your training from the times of the Simple group. Knowing the simple tense, you will be able to explain what happened or will happen to you, what you need and why. But you shouldn’t limit yourself to this time, and therefore, having dealt with it, gradually continue to study other groups. The latest one to consider is the Perfect Continuous group. It is often resorted to when the language level of the students already “exceeds” 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

Simple		Present	Past	Future
	+	V1	V2	will + V1
	—	do / does + not + V1	did + not + V1	will + not + V1
	?	Do/Does...V1?	Did...V1?	Will...V1?

Present Simple

Present Simple or simple present tense , is perhaps the most used. The use of this English tense is necessary to express regularly repeated actions, habits, schedules and facts.

As you may have noticed from the table above, the present tense is formed using a verb in its initial form, that is, in the form in which the word is indicated in the dictionary. However, this form may vary slightly depending on the person and number. So, if an action is performed by a third person in the singular, the verbs have an ending -s (-es):

Pronouns /

Pronouns

tobe in the present tense

V1 + -s (-es)

Examples:

To form negative and interrogative sentences, the auxiliary verb do is used. If it is used with third persons in the singular, then this verb turns into does, because it takes away the ending -s (-es) from the semantic verb.

Examples:

As you can see, this tense does not have any complex grammatical rules.