Le présent, le passé, le futur en anglais : grammaire anglaise / définition
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Le présent, le passé, le futur
Comment exprimer les trois principaux temps :
• Le présent :
- Le présent simple, pour les vérités permanentes, habitudes :
• Le présent :
- Le présent simple, pour les vérités permanentes, habitudes :
Winter begins December 21st. L'hiver commence le 21 décembre.
Icarus works from 8 to 6 every day. Icarus travaille de 8 h à 18 h tous les jours.
Icarus works from 8 to 6 every day. Icarus travaille de 8 h à 18 h tous les jours.
- Le présent progressif (be + verbe en -ing), si l'action est en cours de réalisation :
The children are playing in the garden. Les enfants sont en train de jouer dans le jardin.
What are you doing? Qu'es-tu en train de faire?
What are you doing? Qu'es-tu en train de faire?
• Le passé :
- Le prétérit (verbe + terminaison -ed, pour les verbes réguliers), également appelé "past simple", exprime toutes actions terminées :
- Le prétérit (verbe + terminaison -ed, pour les verbes réguliers), également appelé "past simple", exprime toutes actions terminées :
I finished my homework five minutes ago. J'ai fini mon travail il y a cinq minutes.
We went to France last summer. Nous sommes allés en France l'été dernier.
We went to France last summer. Nous sommes allés en France l'été dernier.
- Le prétérit progressif, l'action était en cours :
When the boss arrived, I was sleeping on my desk. Quand le patron est arrivé, j'étais en train de dormir sur mon bureau.
• Le futur :
- Le futur simple, avec l'auxiliaire will :
- Le futur simple, avec l'auxiliaire will :
Tomorrow I will go and buy stamps. Demain j'irai acheter des timbres.
The train won't arrive on time. Le train n'arrivera pas à l'heure.
The train won't arrive on time. Le train n'arrivera pas à l'heure.
- Le futur progressif exprime une action qui dure dans le futur :
At this time tomorrow, we will be surfing the waves of the Indian ocean. A la même heure demain, nous surferons sur les vagues de l'océan indien.
- Le futur proche, avec l'expression be going to exprime une intention, une conviction :
I am going to call him, I can't wait anymore. Je vais l'appeler, je ne peux plus attendre.
Exercice 1
Philip with a different person every week. Sometimes he them, and sometimes they the police.
Philip flirts 1 with a different person every week. Sometimes he kisses 2 them, and sometimes they call 3 the police.
1 flirts: The third person, present tense form of the verb 'to flirt' is 'flirts'. We use the simple present tense to describe regular or habitual actions. In this exercise, 'every week' indicates that Philip flirts regularly.
1 flirt: In the present tense, the third person form of all regular verbs requires an 's' at the end. Philip 'flirts' with many different people.
1 to flirt: 'To flirt' is the infinitive form of the verb. We must conjugate the verb in this construction!
1 flirting: Because this is not an action in progress, we would not use the present progressive tense here. Also there is no auxiliary, which is required for the present progressive tense.
2 kisses: The third person, present tense form of the verb 'to kiss' is 'kisses'. We use the simple present tense to describe regular or habitual actions. In this sentence, the term 'sometimes' indicates that Philip kisses people regularly.
2 kiss: In the present tense, the third person form of all regular verbs requires an 's' at the end. Philip 'kisses' different people.
2 is kissing: Progressive (or 'continuous') tenses are used to describe actions 'in progress'. Example: I am calling my mother right now, as we speak. This tense shouldn't be used to describe an action which occurs regularly.
3 call: The third person plural, present tense form of the verb 'to call' is 'call'. We use the simple present tense to describe regular or habitual actions (or in this case occasional actions). In this sentence, the term 'sometimes' indicates that people 'call' the police occasionally.
3 calls: Most regular verbs require an 's' in the present tense, however this is not the case in the plural form. 'They calls' is grammatically incorrect.
3 are calling: Progressive (or 'continuous') tenses are used to describe actions 'in progress'. Example: I am calling my mother right now, as we speak. This tense shouldn't be used to describe an action which occurs regularly.
Exercice 2
Bruno a few people every year.
Bruno fires a few people every year.
fires: The third person form of the verb 'to fire' is 'fires' in the simple present tense. 'To fire' someone is to end their employment. The simple present tense is used to describe regular or habitual actions. 'Every year' indicates that Bruno fires a few people 'regularly'.
fire: In the present tense, the third person form of most regular verbs requires an 's' at the end.
to fire: 'To fire' is the infinitive form of the verb. We must conjugate the verb in this construction!
Exercice 3
These days, Icarus Quincy a software program to calculate Delavigne's budget. He use a calculator years ago, but he doesn't anymore, because the equations he performs are too advanced for a simple calculator. By now, Icarus his new program, and prefers it to his old method of calculation.
These days, Icarus Quincy uses 1 a software program to calculate Delavigne's budget. He used to 2 use a calculator years ago, but he doesn't anymore, because the equations he performs are too advanced for a simple calculator. By now, Icarus is used to 3 his new program, and prefers it to his old method of calculation.
1 uses: 'Uses' is the third person form of the verb 'to use' in the present tense. It is the best choice in this case as the phrase 'these days' indicates an action in the present tense. NOTE: we can use either the simple present tense OR the present progressive tense in this construction: These days Icarus IS USING a new software program...'
1 use: 'Use' in the third person form of the present tense requires an 's' at the end of the word.
1 used: Because the phrase 'these days' refers to a present tense time period, we must use a verb in the present tense to agree with the time frame of the action.
1 used to: When followed by an infinitive verb, 'used to' expresses an idea of habit or repetition in the past. It does not make sense to use it here.
2 used to: When followed by an infinitive verb, 'used to' expresses an idea of habit or repetition in the past. We can differentiate 'used to (do something)' from 'to be used to (doing something)' by the verb which follows each expression. When followed by a verb in its infinitive form (without 'to'), 'used to' indicates a regular or habitual action in the past. When followed by a verb in the progressive (ING) form 'used to' indicates the idea of being accustomed to something. Also someone 'used to' do something, but they 'ARE used to doing something'.
2 is used to: 'To be used to something' expresses an idea of being accustomed to something. It does not make sense to use it here.
2 use to: The expression 'used to' is always expressed in the past tense form, so it requires a 'd' at the end of the word.
3 is used to: 'To be used to something' expresses the idea of being accustomed to something. The verb 'used' is always put in the past tense form, however the verb 'to be' is conjugated according to the context and tense of the sentence.
3 was used to: Because of the phrase 'by now' we know that the verb 'to be' must be put in the present tense form. Note: the verb 'used' is always put in the past tense in the expression 'to be used to (doing) something'.
3 is using to: In the expression 'to be used to', the verb 'used' is always written in the past tense form. We should not add '-ing' to the verb in this case. The only part of the expression which depends on the context of the sentence is 'to be', which in this particular expression is put in the simple present tense.
Exercice 4
I don't know if Susie able to make it to the party next Friday. She me yesterday that she had a prior engagement. I what it is.
I don't know if Susie will be 1 able to make it to the party next Friday. She told 2 me yesterday that she had a prior engagement. I wonder 3 what it is.
1 will be: We use the future tense construction 'will be' because Susie's possible attendance of the party will take place in the future (Friday night). The simple future tense is formed with the auxiliary 'will' and the infinitive form of the main verb (will be able). 'To be able to do something' describes the capacity or capability of doing something.
1 were: The past tense form 'were' is incorrect because this action will take place in the future: 'Friday night.'
1 was: Given that this party takes place in the future (next Friday), it doesn't make sense to use the past tense here. A better choice would be the simple future tense: she will be able...
2 told: 'She told me yesterday' is the correct choice here because the action takes place in the past, as indicated by the term 'yesterday'.
2 tells: 'She tells me yesterday' is incorrect because we know the action takes place in the past, and so we must use the past-tense form of the verb 'to tell'.
2 is telling: 'She is telling me yesterday' is incorrect because this action does not take place in the present, but in the past.
2 telled: The verb 'to tell' is irregular and cannot be conjugated as 'telled' in any tense. To tell: tell/told/told.
3 wonder: 'I wonder' is the correct choice here. In this case we use the simple present tense to express that the action of 'wondering' is taking place in the present.
3 wondering: 'Wondering' is incorrect because this form of the verb requires the auxiliary verb 'am' to precede it. (I am wondering)
3 wondered: Using a past tense form of the verb doesn't agree with the other verb ('is') in this construction. We must use the simple present tense here.
Exercice 5
Many years ago, Horatio Oléré in the jungles of the Amazon during the rainy season. His parents, Christobal and Maria Luz, by Horatio's enormous nose. Right away, they that their baby would be very special.
Many years ago, Horatio Oléré was born 1 in the jungles of the Amazon during the rainy season. His parents, Christobal and Maria Luz, were surprised 2 by Horatio's enormous nose. Right away, they knew 3 that their baby would be very special.
1 was born: In English, 'I was born' is always expressed in the passive voice.
1 is born: This construction requires the past simple tense in English. We would say 'I was born'.
2 were surprised: The passive voice is required for constructions such as this one. Horatio's parents 'were surprised'.
2 are surprised: Although this is a passive form of the verb, we must put the auxiliary into the past tense.
2 surprise: We cannot use 'surprise' in this construction because it is followed by 'by'. We must use the passive voice here.
3 knew: 'Knew' is the best choice here. The verb simply needs to be put in its past tense form and to be followed by 'that'. This action took place in the past, and so we use the simple past tense to describe it.
3 are known: There is no need to use the passive voice here. It is grammatically incorrect to use it in this case.
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