英语时态是英语语法中的第一道难关，攻下此难关是作文、阅读、口语之关键。汉语用不同词表达相应时态，而英语用同一词的不同变化形式表达时态。
英语各种时态构成表：以play为例：
英语各种时态构成
一、一般现在时：
1．构成：使用动词原形，第三人称单数须有变化。
（1）直接加“s”，works，takes
（2）以辅音加“y”结尾，变“y”为“i”，再加“es”
carry → carries
（3）以“o, s, x, ch, sh”结尾的动词加“es”
goes dresses watches brushes
2．功能：
（1）表现在的事实、状态或动作：
eg: ►. Birds fly.
►. She loves music.
►. Mary's parents get up very early.
（2）表习惯性动作或职业，常与often，sometimes，usually，always，every week，seldom，occasionally，frequently等时间副词连用。
eg: ►. I always take a walk after supper.
►. She writes to me very often.
►. Tom and his girlfriend go out to take a picnic occasionally.
（3）表客观真理，格言警句或事实：
►. The earth moves round the sun.
►. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
►. Two and two makes four.
►. No man but errs. 人非圣贤，熟能无过。
（4）表将来：
A．在由when，after, before，as，as soon as，although，because，if，even if，in case，till，until，unless，
so long as，where，whatever，wherever 等引导的状语从句中用一般现在时表将来发生的动作。
（黄金重点，所有考试都不放过它！）
例如： ►. I'll tell her when shecomes tomorrow.
►. Even ifit rains this afternoon, I'll meet you.
►. Whatever happens, you should keep cool-headed. （不错的句型，背下！！）
►. I'll be right here waiting for you wherever you go.（很感人的句型！）
B．按时间表示将要发生的动作或事件，用一般现在时表达将来时概念。
►. The play begins at 6:30 this evening.
►. When does the plane take off?
►. He leaves for that city next week.
►. According to the timetable, the express train to Shanghai starts at nine in the morning.
（按照时刻表，开往上海的特快列车早上 7 点出发。）
二．现在进行时：is / am / are + 现在分词
1．表示现在正在进行的动作。如
►. The kettle is boiling. Shall I make tea?
►. Don't you think you eat too much? You're putting on weight（体重增加）。
►. The workers are building a new bridge across the river.
2．表现阶段正进行的动作。
►. He is taking physics this semester（本学期）。
►. Weare preparing for our final examination this week.
3．go, come, leave, arrive, land, meet, die, start, return, join, etc. 用于进行时态时表示即将开始的动作。
►. Look! The bus is coming.看！车来了！
►. The old man is seriously ill, and he is dying.
►. Alice is leaving for Beijing with her mother.
4．与 always, forever, continually, constantly 等副词连用，表示说话人带有感情色彩：赞赏或厌恶。
►. He is always thinking of others.（他总是想着别人。）
►. The boy is continually making noises.（这男孩不断地发出吵闹声。）
►. The teacher is constantly (always) criticizing her for being late.（老师一直在批评她迟到。）
5．下面表示状态、感觉、情绪、精神活动的动词不可用于进行时。
（此条戒律请背 10遍！！！）
believe（相信），doubt（怀疑），see（看见），hear（听见） ，know（知道），understand （理解），belong（属于），think（认为），consider（认为），feel（觉得），look（看起来）， seem（看上去），show（显示），mind（介意），have（有），sound（听起来），taste（尝起来）， require（要求），possess（拥有），care（关心），like（喜欢），hate（讨厌），love（喜爱）， detest（憎恨），desire（意欲）
【简单记忆】：
● 永远不要说I'm believing...或He is seeing a house. 再简单一点说，这些动词后面不要随意加-ing.
● 可怕的是：我们在写作及口语中常犯此类大错！
● 注意：have a party / think about可以用进行时，因为这里have意为“举行”；think意为“考虑”。
三．一般过去时。定义动词的过去式：
1．表示过去某个特定时间或某一段时间发生的动作或情况。
►. We visited the school last spring.
►. I went to school by bike when I was in middle school.
►. China was founded in 1949.
2．在表示时间或条件等的状语从句中代替过去将来时。（参）
►. She told me that she would not go with us if it rained the next day.
►. They would not leave until she came back.
►. My friend promised to marry me once she made her final decision.
3．一般过去时，现在时和过去时的几组差异：（别以为这很简单，下面的差异你不一定明白。）
● Her brother was a chemist.（已去世）
● Her brother is a chemist.（尚健在）
● That's all I had to say.（话已说完）
● That's all I have to say.（言之未尽）
● It was so nice to see you.（离别时用）
● It is so nice to see you.（见面时用）
● Jane did a lot of work this morning.（已是当天下午或晚上）
● Jane has done a lot of work this morning.（仍是上午）［本句现在完成时，此乃后话！］
四．过去进行时：were / was + 现在分词。
1．表示过去某一时刻或阶段正在发生的动作。
►. I was playing chess at 8 yesterday evening.
►. When I arrived, they were watching TV.
►. They were doing housework this time last week.
2．用于条件状语从句中表示过去将来进行的动作。
►. She told me to wake him up if she was sleeping.
►. I asked my friend to warn me about it as long as I was driving too fast.
3．过去某时将发生的事。
►. They told me that they were leaving for New York.
►. He was going out when I arrived.
五．现在完成时：have / has + 过去分词
1．表示过去所发生的动作对现在的影响或产生的结果。常与yet，just，before，recently，lately（最近），ever，never等表时间的副词搭配使用。
● He hasn't seen her lately.
● I haven't finished the book yet.
2．表示一个从过去某个时间开始，延续到现在并可能持续下去的动作，常与表示一段时间的时间状语连用。如：so far（迄今为止），up till now（直到现在），since, for a long time（很长时间），up to present（直到现在），in the past / in the last few years（在过去的几年里），these days（目前）……
►. He has worked here for 15 years.
►. I have studied English since I came here.
►. The foreigner has been away from China for a long time.
►. So far, I haven't received a single letter from my brother.
3．某些非延续性动词（即：动作开始便终止的动词），在现在完成时中不能与表示一段时间状语搭配。
黄金要点：
I．常见的非延续动词：die, arrive（到达），join（加入），leave（离开），go, refuse（拒 绝），fail（失败），finish，buy，marry，divorce（离婚），awake（醒） ，buy，borrow，lend ...（背三遍！）
II．这类动词并非不能用现在完成时，而是不能接常由for引导的时间状语。
III．但若是用在否定句中，非延续动词的现在完成时可以与表示一段时间的状语连用。
● She has gone away for a month.（误
● She has been away for a month （正）
● The man has died for two years.（误）
● The man has been dead for two years.（正）
● How long have youbought the book?（误）
● How long have you got the book.（正）
4．注意 since的用法：
►. They haven't had any troublesince they came here.
►. It has been ten years since we met last time.
►. He has been heresince 1980.
►. He has been heresince ten years ago.
5．几组对比：
He has gone to Shanghai. 他到上海去了。
He has been to Shanghai. 他去过上海。
She has gone. 她已走了。
She is gone. 她缺席了。（or她死了。）
The door has been closed. 门关上了。（动作）
The door is closed. 门是关着的。（状态）
六．现在完成进行时：have / has + been + 现在分词
1．表示从过去某时开始发生，一直延续到现在且可能延续下去的动作。（最好将此定义读 5遍）
►. I've been waiting for an hour but she hasn't come.
►. He has been running after her for 8 years.（run after: 追求）
2．有某种感情色彩。
►. I've been wanting to see you for so many years.
►. Who's been telling you such nonsense.
释惑要点：现在完成时与现在完成进行时的对比：
现在完成时强调“结果”，而完成进行时强调“动作的延续”。
►. I have thought of it.（我已想到了这一点。）
►. I have been thinking of it.（我一直在想这一点。）
►. Jim has painted the door.（杰姆已将门油漆过了。）
►. Jim has been painting the door.（杰姆一直在油漆门。）
七．过去完成时：had + 过去分词
1．表示过去某个动作或某个具体时间之前已经发生、完成的动作。“过去的过去”。
● They had got everything ready before I came.
● The play had begunbefore I got to the theater with my boyfriend.
2．过去完成时常用于 hardly / scarcely ... when, no sooner ... than等固定句型结构中。（此乃超级重点句型，意为：“一……就”）
● She had hardly / scarcely gone to bed when the bell rang.
● No sooner had he arrived at the railway station than he met her parents.
（注意 no sooner 在句首时句型倒装。）
3．intend（打算），mean（意味），hope（希望），want（想要），plan（计划）等动词的过去完成时用来表示本打算做而没有做的事。
● I had intended to call on you yesterday, but someone came to see me just when I was about to leave.
（……原想昨天去看你……）
● They had planed to hold a football match last week, but they had to cancel it because the bad weather.
（……原计划上周举行一场足球赛……）
八．一般将来时：shall / will + 动词原形
1．表示将要发生的动作或存在的状态。
● He will graduate from the college next year.
● We shall finish our work as quickly as possible.
2．将来时的其它结构：（务必背下！）
I. be going to do something. 打算做某事。（美国口语中常读作be gonna）
● I'm going to buy a new coat this fall.
[be going to与will的对比：下列情况须用will ]
● I'll be sixteen years old next year.
● It will be the 20 th of August tomorrow.
● When he comes, I will give him your message.
I. be + to do sth.表示计划安排做某事或用来征求意见。
● Am I to take over his work?
● We are to meet at the gate.
III. be about to do sth. 即将做某事。
● The talk is about to begin.
九．过去将来时：should / would + 动词原形
1．表示从过去某个时刻看将要发生的动作或状态。
● He said that they would meet me at the station.
2．此用法常用于间接引语中。
十．过去完成进行时：had been + 现在分词
表示过去某个时间之前一直在进行的动作。
● She said that she had been typing a paper before I came in.
比较：
►. The girl had cleaned up the room, so it was tidy.
►. The girl had been clearing up the room, so we had to wait outside.
十一．将来进行时：shall / will be + 现在分词
1．表示将来某个时刻正在进行的动作：
►. What will you be doing this time tomorrow?
〖比较：〗
►. Tom won't cut the grass because he is afraid of being tired.（说明意图）
►. Tom won't be cutting the grass.（无意图、仅陈述事实）
2．用将来进行时询问别人的计划、打算比用一般将来时更显礼貌 。
►. Will you be having supper with us this evening?
3．将来进行时表示对即将发生的动作的推测。
►. She will be arriving at Shanghai tomorrow morning.
►. The car will be going at the speed of 100 miles an hour.
十二．过去将来进行时：should / would be + 现在分词
表示从过去某时看将来某时正在进行的动作。
►. He asked me what I should be doing when he came the next day.
十三．将来完成时：shall / will have + 过去分词
表示将来某时之前已经完成的动作。
►. They will have been here for 5 years next Friday.
►. By the end of next term, the students will have finished the book.
十四．过去将来完成时：would / should have + 过去分词
表示从过去某个时间看将来某时之前已经完成的动作。
He said that they would have arrived by seven o'clock.
十五．将来完成进行时：shall / will have been + 现在分词
表示某一动作将继续到将来某时，且该动作此时尚未发生。
►. We shall have been staying here for four weeks when Tom arrives.
►. It will have been raining for a week if it does not stop tomorrow.