General present tense, general future tense, general past tense, past future tense, present perfect tense, past perfect tense, present continuous tense What's the difference between grammar and so on? It's better to explain it in a popular way!

General present tense, general future tense, general past tense, past future tense, present perfect tense, past perfect tense, present continuous tense What's the difference between grammar and so on? It's better to explain it in a popular way!

1. The usage of the present tense
1) A regular or habitual action, often used with the adverbial of time indicating frequency , sometimes, at… , on Sunday
I leave home for school at 7 every morning
2) Objective truth, objective existence, scientific fact
The earth moves around the sun
Shanghai lies in the east of China
3) To express a maxim or aphorism
Pride goes before a fall
Note: if this usage appears in the object clause, the predicate of the clause should use the simple present tense even if the main clause is the past tense
Columbus proved that the earth is round
4) The state, ability, character and personality of the present moment
I don't want so much
Ann writes good English but does not speak well
Now I put the sugar in the cup
I am doing my homework now
In the second sentence, now is a sign of the progressive tense, indicating the objective situation of the action in progress
2. The usage of the general past tense
1) The action or state of being occurring in a certain past time. For example, adverbials of time include: yesterday, last week, an hour ago, the other day, in 1982, etc
Where did you go just now?
2) It means a regular or habitual action in the past period of time
When I was a child, I often played football in the street
Whenever the Browns went during their visit, they were given a warm welcome.
At that time, whenever the Browns went, they were warmly welcomed
3) It is time for sb. To do sth It's time to It is time for you to go to bed
It is time that sb. Did sth It's time you went to bed
Would (had) rather sb. Did sth
4) I thought you might have some. I thought you might have some
Christine was an invalid all her life
Christine has been an invalid all her life
Mrs. Darby lived in Kentucky for seven years
Mrs. Darby has lived in Kentucky for seven years
Note: use the past tense to express the present, which means a euphemistic tone
1) Verbs such as want, hope, wonder, think, intend, etc
Did you want anything else?
I wonder if you could help me
2) Modal verbs could, would
Could you lend me your bike?
3. General future tense
1) "Shall" is used in the first person and is often replaced by "will". Will is used in each person in a declarative sentence and in the second person when asking for opinions
Which paragraph shall I read first?
Will you be at home at seven this evening?
2) Be going to + infinitive
a. What are you going to do tomorrow?
b. The play is going to be produced next month
c. Look at the dark clouds, there is going to be a storm
3) Be + infinitive: what will happen in the future according to plan or formal arrangement
We are to discuss the report next Saturday
4) Be about to + infinitive means to do something at once
He is about to leave for Beijing
Note: be about to do can't be used with time adverbials such as tomorrow, next week, etc
The present tense denotes the future
1) The general present tense of the following verbs come, go, arrive, leave, start, begin, return can express the future, mainly used to express things that have been determined or arranged in time
The train leaves at six tomorrow morning
When does the bus star? It stars in ten minutes
2) An inverted sentence beginning with here, there, etc. indicates that an action is in progress
Here comes the bus. = the bus is coming
There goes the bell. = the bell is ringing
3) In time or conditional sentences
When bill comes, ask him to wait for me
I'll write to you as soon as I arrive there
4) In the object clauses of the verbs hope, take care that, make sure that, etc
I hope they have a nice time next week
Make sure that the windows are closed before you leave the room
5. Use the present continuous tense to express the future
The following verbs come, go, arrive, leave, start, begin, return, etc. the present continuous tense can express the future
I'm leaving tomorrow
Are you staying here till next week?
6. The present perfect tense
The present perfect tense is used to express the action or state that has happened or completed before, and the influence of the result still exists; it can also express the action or state that continues to the present
Compare the past tense with the present perfect tense
1) The past tense refers to the action that happened at a certain time in the past or simply describes the past, emphasizing the action; the present perfect tense refers to the action that happened in the past, emphasizing the influence of the past on the present, emphasizing the influence
2) In the past, it is often used with concrete time adverbials, while the present perfect tense is usually used with fuzzy time adverbials or without time adverbials
Yesterday, last week Ago, in 1980, in October, just now, etc,
For, since, so far, ever, never, just, yet, till / until, up to now, in past years, always, etc
Common adverbials of time: this morning, tonight, this April, now, already, recently, lately, etc
3) The present perfect tense can express the action or state that continues to the present. Verbs are generally continuous, such as live, teach, learn, work, study, know
The common non persistent verbs in the past tense are come, go, leave, start, die, finish, come, get married, etc
I saw this film yesterday
I have seen this film
Why did you get up so early
Who hasn't handed in his paper
He has been in the League for three years
He has been a league member for three years
If there are time adverbs in the past tense (such as yesterday, last, week, in 1960), we can't use the present perfect tense, we should use the past tense
Tom has written a letter to his parents last night
Tom wrote a letter to his parents last night
8. Sentence patterns for the present perfect tense
1)It is the first / second time. that… The present perfect tense is used in the clause part of the structure
It is the first time that I have visited the city
This is the first time (that) I've heard him sing
It was the third time that the boy had been late
2) This is + adjective superlative + that That clause should use the present perfect tense
This is the best film that I've (ever) seen
Past perfect tense
1) Concept: the past that represents the past
----|----------|--------|---->Its formation is had + past participle
Before then, then, now
2) Usage
a. The object clause after the verb to LD, said, know, hear, thought, etc
She said (that) she had never been to Paris
b. Adverbial clause
Of the two actions that took place at different times in the past, the first one is the past perfect tense; the second one is the past tense
When the police arrived, the thieves had run away
c. The verb expressing intention, such as hope, wish, expect, think, intend, mean, supose, etc., is used to express "originally" in the past perfect tense , failed to ". for example:
We had hoped that you would come, but you didn't
3) Before, by, until, when, after, once, as soon as
He said that he had learned some English before
By the time he was twice, Edison had been taken to make a living by himself
Tom was disappointed that most of the guests had left when he arrived at the party.
Tom was disappointed because most of the guests had already left when he arrived at the party
Replace the past with the past perfect tense
1) If the two actions occur in sequence without emphasis on the sequence, or if the conjunctions then, and, but are used, the general past tense is often used
When she saw the mouse, she screamed
My aunt gave me a hat and I lost it
2) If the first action takes some time to complete, use the past perfect tense
When I heard the news, I was very excited.
3) To narrate historical facts, we can use the simple past tense instead of the past perfect tense
Our teacher told us that Columbus discovered America in 1492.
11. Future perfect tense
1) Will have done
2) Concept
a. State completion: the state in which something continues until a certain time in the future
They will have been married for 20 years by then
b. Action completion: it means one time or another in the future