Timpurile trecutului și viitorului

Trecutul simplu

3.1. Forma

Verbele regulate formeaza trecutul simplu prin adaugarea la forma de baza a verbului +-ed.

Ex.: scream > screamed, work > worked

Verbele neregulate au forme proprii de trecut.

Ex.: sleep > slept, drink > drank

Forma negativa se compune cu ajutorul auxiliarului to do, conjugat la trecut (did) + not in fata verbului principal. Did + not se folosesc des in forma contrasa didn't.

Ex.: I did not jump over.

She didn't finish the work.

Forma interogativa se formeaza prin inversiunea dintre auxiliarul did si subiect:

Ex.: Did you want it?

Did it rain there?

3.2. Functii

Trecutul simplu se foloseste pentru a exprima fapte si realitati din trecut:

Ex.: In the past people believed that the earth was flat.

Descrie un eveniment sau actiune incheiata petrecuta in trecut:

Ex.: John Loud invented the ballpoint pen in 1888.

Pentru a descrie starea, conditia sau obiceiuri din trecut:

Ex.: I went to school by bus when I was a child.

3.3. Conjugare

singular I walked you walked he/she/it walked

plural we walked you walked they walked

singular I slept you slept he/she/it slept

plural we slept you slept they slept

singular I was you were he/she/it was

plural we were you were they were

Exemple: When I was a girl, I walked five miles to school every day.

Carmelita slept through the entire class.

We worked really hard to make this a success, but then Chuck ruined it with his carelessness.

Every time I finished a sandcastle, the waves came in and washed it away.

Tarzan dove into the swamp and swam toward the alligator.

4. Trecutul continuu

4.1. Forma

Trecutul continuu se formeaza cu ajutorul formei de trecut simplu a auxiliarului to be, was/were + forma participiului prezent (-ing) a verbului principal.

Ex.: I was singing.

You were talking.

Negativul:

Ex.: You were not / weren't singing.

She was not / wasn't reading.

Interogativul:

Ex.: Was I speaking clearly?

Were they playing the flute?

4.2. Functii

Trecutul continuu ca si prezentul continuu sunt forme verbale apartinand registrului oral, limbii vorbite cu precadere si sunt rar folosite in registrul scris.

Trecutul continuu este folosit pentru a exprima actiuni in desfasurare intr-un moment din trecut. Deoarece indica o limita a duratei actiunii este foarte folosit pentru a indica actiuni care au avut loc (trecut simplu) in timp ce o alta actiune era in desfasurare, sau pentru a indica o actiune in desfasurare care este intrerupta de o alta.

Ex.: Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

I was watching Oprah when John came in screaming