For many beginners to learn English, and in particular English grammar, one has to face many difficulties and perplexities. “How is it that there are only three tenses - present, past and future!” They exclaim when they learn that there are only four to four present tenses, four past and four future in this language.
And this is only the active voice (Active Voice). That is, for the study there is a sufficiently voluminous layer of information. For a better understanding and mastering of the material, it is necessary to draw up a summary, in which all forms will be reflected.
All times of active voice
| Simple Simple | Progressive Long | Perfect Perfect | Perfect progressive Perfect long lasting |
Present tense Present | - every day, regularly, constantly.
- a verb in the I form or with the ending -s.
- auxiliary verbs DO / DOES
| - action at a given time, now;
- to be (in the present tense) + verb + ing
| - completed, but the result is in the present;
- have (in the present tense) + a verb in III form
| - started in the past, lasted some time and has not yet completed;
- have present tense + been + verb ending -ing
|
Past tense Past time | - single action in the past (yesterday, last week, last year);
- a verb in Ii form or with the ending -ed ;
- auxiliary verb did
| - long acting in the past;
- to be (in the past tense) + verb + ing
| - past time;
- have (in the past tense) + a verb in III form
| - began in the past, lasted for some time and ended at some point in the past;
- have past tense + been + verb ending -ing
|
Future tense Future | - tomorrow, next week, next year;
- will + verb in I form
| - long-term action in the future;
- to be (in the future tense) + verb + ing
| - completed at a certain point in the future;
- have (in the future tense) + verb in III form
| - a long time that began in the past and ends at a certain point in the future;
- have in the future tense + been + verb with the ending -ing
|
At the initial stage of the study, compiling an Active Voice table that you can quickly navigate around plays a big role. This is important for a quick understanding of building the right sentences.
Active Voice - Examples
In order to better absorb the material, it is necessary to consider patterns of using active voice. Also, to consolidate the material, you need to try to make such proposals yourself.
Consider examples of using Active Voice:
- My brother has been speaking French since he was 3 (Present Perfect Continuous). - My brother speaks French from three years old.
- My parents were waiting for me when I came yesterday (Past Continuous + Past Simple). “My parents were waiting for me when I arrived yesterday.”
- I will go to museum in Paris next week (Future Simple). “I will go to the museum in Paris next week.”
- What are you doing now? (Present Continuous) - What are you doing now?
- I had done all my work before they came (Past Perfect). “I did all the work before they came.”
Time exercises
On Active Voice in English, it’s important to exercise by performing certain exercises:
- Determine the time at which sentences are used. Translate them into Russian:
- I am talking about my future.
- Does your mother work as a nurse?
- My father has rescued this boy from fire.
- She has been studying in this school for 2 years.
- I had finished the article before you came.
2. Translate into English:
- When my grandmother came home yesterday, she was in for a surprise.
- Workers will finish this work by Tuesday.
- I lost my phone and cannot call anyone.
Active Voice Present - table
For a complete and easy study of the active voice in English, by analogy, you can create such a table for each group of tenses (past, future).
Below is a summary of the four forms of active voice - Active Voice Present.
Simple Simple | Progressive Long | Perfect Perfect | Perfect progressive Perfect long lasting |
Present tense Present | It is used when it comes to actions that are performed regularly, constantly. Well-known facts. Indicator words: usually (usually), sometimes (sometimes), often (often), always (always), every day / month / year (every day / month / year). Education: 1) affirmative sentence: a verb in 1 form or a verb with the ending -s (only the 3rd person singular); 2) negative sentence: using the auxiliary verbs do or does (only for the 3rd person, singular) and the particle not. The semantic verb in the first form; 3) interrogative sentence: with the help of auxiliary verbs do or does (only for the 3rd person, singular), which are put at the beginning of the sentence. The semantic verb is also in the first form. Example: + My sister speaks two foreign languages. - My sister does not speak two foreign languages. ? Does my sister speak two foreign languages? | Used when an action occurs at the time of the speaker’s speech. Direction words: now (now), at that moment (currently). Education: 1) affirmative sentence: the verb to be in the correct form + the verb with the ending -ing; 2) negative sentence: the particle not is added to the verb to be + the verb with the ending -ing; 3) interrogative sentence: the verb to be is put in the first place. Example: + I am speaking about my future now. - I am not speaking about my future now. ? Am I speaking about my future now? | Used when it comes to an action that has completed so far, but has a result in the present. Indices: today (today), ever (ever), never (never), already (already), just (yet), yet (yet, only in negative and affirmative sentences. Education: 1) affirmative sentence: the verb have (in the correct form) + the verb in the third form; 2) negative sentence: the particle not is added to the verb have; 3) interrogative sentence: the verb Have is put first in the sentence. Example: + I have lost my key. - I have not lost my key. ? Have I lost my key? | The action began in the past, lasted for some time and still has not ended. Words pointers: for (within), since (s). Education: 1) affirmative offer: the verb have in the correct form + been + the verb with the ending -ing; 2) negative sentence: the particle not is added to the verb have; 3) interrogative sentence: the verb have is put first. Example: + I have been studyng English for three years. - I have not been studying English for three years. ? Have I been studyng English for three years? |
The article presents examples of compiling tables of tenses of verbs to simplify learning English and examples of constructing sentences.