英语中共有十六种时态，但在高考中经常涉及的大约有十种。在做题时，如何判断应该用什么“时态”，教给大家五个方法：

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一、“for +一段时间”句中的时态

 

“for +一段时间”一般和完成时连用，但如果是一些延续性动词如be, play, work, study, live等，它们的过去时就可以与“for +一段时间”连用，表示过去的某种延续状态，相当于过去完成时。如：

 

He played football regularly for many years when he was young. 

 

二、if 和when引导状语从句和名词性从句时的时态

 

if 和when引导条件状语从句和时间状语从句时，从句用一般现在时代替一般将来时；引导名词性从句时，要根据具体的语境确定需要的时态。

如：

—Do you have any problems if you are offered this job?

—Well, I’m thinking about the salary ...

 

As soon as he comes back, I’ll tell him when you will come and see him. 

 

When and where the meeting will be held hasn’t been decided.

 

三、某些时态表达特殊的含义

 

1. 一般现在时和现在进行时表示将来。

 

某些表示位移的动词或短语如：come, go, leave, start, take off, set off等，常用一般现在时或现在进行时分别表示按时间表和计划、安排将要发生的事。如：

The next train leaves at 10 o’clock in the morning. There is half an hour to go.

Ladies and gentlemen, the flight is taking off. Please turn off your computers and mobile phones.

 

2. 现在进行时与副词always, constantly, continuously等连用，表示说话者的赞扬、不满、讨厌、责备、遗憾等情绪。如：

 

John is always working hard.  (表示赞扬)

They are constantly making the same mistake. (表示责备)

 

3. was going to do ..., had wanted / hoped / planned / meant / intended to do ... 表示“原打算做……，但实际上并未做……”。

如：

—Tom, you didn’t come to the party last night?

—I was going to, but I suddenly remembered I had homework to do.

 

I had wanted to help you out, but I was badly off at that time.

 

四、几组易混时态的辨析

 

1. 一般现在时与现在进行时

 

一般现在时表示经常性、习惯性的动作或状态；现在进行时表示此刻或现阶段正在进行的动作或状态。

如：

—Do you know if Terry will go camping this weekend?

—Terry? Never! She hates tents and fresh air! 

 

Teenagers are damaging their health because they play computer games too much. 

 

2. 一般过去时与现在完成时

 

一般过去时只表示过去的某个时间发生的动作或状态，不涉及对现在的影响；现在完成时表示过去发生的动作或状态一直延续到现在，或表示过去发生的动作对现在造成的影响。

如：

—Have you read a book called Waiting for Anya?

—Who wrote it? 

 

I don’t believe you’ve already finished reading the book — I lent it to you this morning! 

 

So far this year we have seen a fall in house prices by between 5 and 10 percent. 

 

3. 一般过去时与过去进行时

 

一般过去时表示过去的某个时间发生的动作或状态；过去进行时表示过去某一时刻或某段时间正在进行的动作。

如：

Judy is going to marry the sailor she met in Rome last year.

 

—Did you watch the basketball match yesterday?

—Yes, I did. You know, my brother was playing in the match.

 

五、某些固定句型中的时态

 

1. It / This / That is / was the first / second ... time (that) ... 从句的时态常用现在完成时或过去完成时。

如：

This is the first time that I have visited the Pyramids of Egypt.

That was the second time that Bob had made the same mistake.

 

2. It is ... since从句：since从句多用一般过去时，句子与动词词意一致；若since从句用现在完成时，句子与动词词意相反，在这种结构中，把is改为was，从句可用过去完成时。含before的句型是：It +一般将来时+ before +一般现在时；It +一般过去时+ before +一般过去时。

 

如：

It is ten years since they moved to Hong Kong.

It is three years since I have seen him.

It was four months since we had been here.

Don’t worry. It won’t be two years before we meet again.

It was ten years before they met again.

 

3. 在be doing / about to do ... when ... 句型中，when前根据句意可用进行时或将来时。

如：

They were walking along the street when the bomb exploded nearby.

Lucy was about to tell me the secret when someone called her.