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Verb Tenses

Very often we can hear the students' complaints about difficulty in using verb tenses in English. And they are right. English language has got a lot of verb forms. But we shouldn't memorise all of them. We just have to understand the system of verb forms. Let's look at this table:

In the first line you can see the formulas for making the verb forms (to be Ving, to have V3, to have beenVing) and you have to memorise them. Changing the forms of the auxiliary verbs (to be,to have) you'll get all the tense forms.

It's really easy!

NOTE In this table V is a symbol for a verb.

V2 and V3 are the forms of the irregular verbs.

In our example they are drink (V)- drank (V2)- drunk (V3)

He drinks./ he drank. /he will drink

He is drinking ./ he was drinking./ He will be drinking.

He has drank. / He had drank. / He will be drank.

He has been drinking./ He had been drinking./ He will have been drinking.

Meanings of the groups

The Simple verbs just name the action in present, past or future,
The Continuous verbs express unfinished action in present ,past or future
The Perfect verbs ,conversely, express the finished action in present,past and future and show its result.
Perfect-Continuous emphasises the duration of an action which started in the past and continues till the moment in present, past or future.

Hope, this table of adverbs and time expressions will help you

to overcome the difficulties connecting with the recognizing tense forms of English verbs.

Certainly, each of the tense forms of English verbs has some peculiarities of using. But step by step we'll learn all of them.

Snow song by Sara Teasdal

Snow song by Sara Teasdale

Hello,dear readers!

Have you ever thought about a snowflake as a symbol of love? No? Then you should read this romantic winter poem.

Fairy snow, fairy snow,
Blowing, blowing everywhere,
Would that I
Too, could fly
Lightly, lightly through the air.

Like a wee, crystal star
I should drift, I should blow
Near, more near,
To my dear
Where he comes through the snow.

I should fly to my love
Like a flake in the storm,
I should die,
I should die,
On his lips that are warm.

Winter-Time - Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson

Hello everyon

It's winter! This is a fantastic season of falling snowflakes, biting frost,hot drinks,warm blankets and fairytales for children and adults. It brings us the most exciting Christmastime !!! This season really makes adults feel like kids. Maybe this is the reason we like winter so much!

This lovely wintry poem is one of those outstanding creations,which let us see,hear and feel like the author did it many years ago. It's a masterpiece,and we are ready to read and enjoy it!

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,

A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake.