正确使用时态能反映一个人的英语基本功。一方面中国学生花很多时间来研究动词时态，而另一方面中国学生在写作上和口语表达上经常犯动词时态的错误。我认为出错的最主要原因是缺乏口头和笔头上的“大量练习”，其次是对容易混淆的动词时态之间缺乏透彻的比较。下文中将比较“多对”容易混淆的时态，从中总结出各种时态所运用的条件，了解各种时态的区别，其目的是让你在比较之中掌握每一时态的运用，至少使你不犯太简单的语法错误，如：He go shopping last week.这也是掌握动词时态的一个方法，并且要熟读甚至背诵例句。

　　◆◇一般现在时和现在进行时

　　a.一般现在时：重复发生的习惯性动作和真理。

　　搭配的时间副词：always　often　frequently　usually　sometimes　　　every day　every week　every month　occasionally　　once a month　　　once a month　once a year　seldom　rarely　never

　　Examples：

　　She goes shopping every week.

　　He reads Business News every morning.

　　He seldom goes dancing.

　　The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

　　Susan loves chocolate.

　　b.表示一种状态或性质

　　Examples:

　　This tastes very good.

　　I don’t believe my eyes.

　　I need a car.

　　I hate this music.

　　c.在讲述一个过去发生的故事时，有时可用一般现在时表示过去发生的一系列事情。-This use is called the“historical present”.如在看图说话一类题时经常用到这一点。

　　Examples:

　　一个美国人描述他到中国旅游的经历

　　My friend and I arrive at the capital air port in Beijing on the morning of May 25 th , 1993. Robert comes to meet with us in a taxi, and we drive to what is to be our apartment for nearly three. week. The drive is culture shock number one. We see people everywhere. Also, Beijing seems to be more modern than its has been written in all the books on China I have read. My friend and I are extremely astonished by the number of bicycles on the road, truly the kingdom of bicycles.

　　现在进行时：

　　a.正在进行的动作

　　常用的时间的动作：(right)now　　at the(this)moment　　at present

　　Examples：

　　Robert is teaching at this moment。

　　Mendel is working on the first draft of his essay。

　　I’m looking for my umbrella right now.

　　He’s enjoying a holiday right now.

　　b.表达在现在一段时间内重复发生的动作，但是动作在说话时不一定正在进行。

　　常用的时间副词：these days　Nowadays　today　this semester/quarter this week/month/year　　　　　　

　　Examples:

　　He’s relaxing this week.

　　He’s working as a librarian this semester.

　　c.对一类经常发生的事情所表达的强烈情感

　　常用的时间副词：Always　Forever　constantly

　　Examples:

　　He’s always complaining.(他怎么总是抱怨。)

　　You’re always dancing.(你怎么总是跳舞，是不是太多了吧。)

　　◆◇一般现在时和现在完成时

　　一般现在时：

　　表达的动作不表明动作从何时开始或已进行了多长时间。

　　Examples:

　　Helen and Tom are happily married.

　　Bruce listens to the news every morning.

　　现在完成时:

　　a.现在完成时所表达的动作正在进行,但句子总是表明动作是什么时候开始的。

　　Examples:

　　Helen and Tom have been happily married since their wedding day 60 years ago.

　　Bruce has listened to the news all his life without missing a day.

　　b.与现在完成时常用的两个词: For and Since

　　For:表示动作持续的时间。如:for two minutes/weeks/years；for several days/a long time/the past month而在一般现在时不能与之连用。Since:表示动作从何时开始的.如:since 6:00/Apr. 23/last week /the accident

　　◆◇现在进行时和现在完成进行时

　　现在进行时：表示一个正在进行的动作,但不表明动作从什么时候开始的。

　　Examples:

　　He is waiting over there.

　　Matthew is study Chinese in Beijing.

　　现在完成进行时:

　　a.现在完成进行时表示一个过去开始的并且现在仍在进行的动作。

　　Examples:

　　He has been waiting over there since 2:00.

　　For the last three months, Matthew has been studying Chinese.

　　b.现在完成进行时表示一个进行了很长时间并且刚刚完成了的动作。

　　Examples:

　　Oh, there you are! I have been looking for you everywhere.

　　c.与现在完成进行时搭配的时间副词:

　　since, for, all/week/month/year, in the past week/few months/few years, recently, lately

　　◆◇现在完成时和现在完成进行时

　　现在完成时：可表明发生动作的具体数字和次数。

　　Examples:

　　He has tried to pass the exam twice.

　　现在完成进行时：不表明发生动作的具体数字和次数。

　　Examples:

　　He has been trying to pass the exam all month.

　　◆◇一般过去时和现在完成时

　　一般过去时:

　　a.表示一个过去已经完成的动作。

　　与之搭配的时间副词:Yesterday, last week, last year, at 5:30

　　Examples:

　　Last week I went swimming with Tom.

　　b.表示在过去一段时间内反复发生的动作,但现在已经结束。

　　与之搭配的时间副词:last year, last weekend, last month.有时用this weekend, this year

　　Examples:

　　I went to Canada twice this year.

　　I attended a wedding party this weekend.

　　c.表示已完成的过去的一段活动

　　Examples:

　　Our family owned that house for generations. (We don’t own it now.)

　　现在完成时:

　　a.表示过去的一个动作但其发生的时间不确切或不知道。

　　常用的时间副词有:ever, never, yet, still, already

　　Examples:

　　Linda still hasn’t finished her assignment.

　　Stanley has already gotten bored with the life here in Toronto.

　　Have you ever gone to Paris?

　　b.表示过去的一个动作或反复发生的动作,其发生的时间仍在持续。

　　常用的时间副词有:this week/weekend/month/year; in the past ten years; in my life; today

　　Examples:

　　I have gone to the post office twice today.

　　Eric has taken several courses this year.

　　c.表示现在仍在进行的动作,已知动作发生的时间和持续的时间。

　　Examples:

　　Our family has owned that house for generations. (We own it now.)

　　◆◇一般过去时和过去进行时

　　a.二者的区别在于一般过去进行时表示在过去某个特定时间正在进行的动作。

　　Examples:

　　My brother was sleeping at 2:00 yesterday afternoon.

　　My neighbor’s dog was barking at 3:00 this morning.

　　b.二者的区别在于一般过去进行时表示在过去同一时间两个同时进行的动作。

　　与之常用的时间副词:while, as

　　Examples;

　　Robert was moving the lawn while Susan was fixing the car.

　　As Michael was visiting Paris, Robert was teaching English classes in Beijing.

　　◆◇一般过去时和过去将来时

　　二者的区别在于过去将来时表示在过去打算做,但是没有做的动作.而一般过去时表示为什么没有做的原因。

　　Examples:

　　I was going to become a rock star but I didn’t know the right people in the music business.

　　◆◇一般过去时和过去完成时

　　二者的区别在于过去完成时表示在过去的过去所发生的动作。

　　Examples:

　　Mary was hungry because she hadn’t eaten breakfast.

　　Charlie lost his way to the hotel although he had been there a few days earlier.

　　I realized that I hadn’t eaten a single French Fry since I started my diet.

　　◆◇过去进行时和过去完成进行时

　　二者经常混用,其最主要区别在于过去完成进行时表示在过去某一时间“以前”正在所发生或持续的动作.而过去进行时表示在过去某一时间的“前后”正在发生或持续的动作。

　　Examples:

　　He had been doing a good job for us until he got a job offer from another company. (He stopped doing a good job for us.)

　　He was doing a good job for us when another company offered him a job. (Perhaps he stopped–or perhaps he continued.

　　He took their offer because we hadn’t been paying him so well.

　　He took their offer because we weren’t paying him very well. (His wage then was not high enough)

　　◆◇过去完成进行时和过去完成时

　　二者的区别在于过去完成进行时不能同某一确定的数量或次数连在一起,而过去完成时能够连在一起。

　　Examples:

　　过去完成进行时- -He said he had been losing a lot of weight.

　　过去完成时- -He said he had lost 20 ponds.

　　◆◇一般现在时和一般将来时

　　一般现在时在时间和条件从句当中表示刑事处分将来时的动作。

　　Examples:

　　As soon as I save enough money I’ll buy a big house.

　　When he gets back home he will phone a friend in New York.

　　If it rains tomorrow we will cancel the camping trip.