Timpurile verbale: prezentul simplu si continuu

Este foarte important sa intelegem utilizarea si sensul timpurilor in limba engleza. Multe dintre aceste forme verbale nu au corespondent in limba romana. Mai mult, sensul exprimat de formele verbale in limba engleza nu corespunde intotdeauna cu cel utilizat in limba romana.

7.1. Clasificarea timpurilor verbale 7.1.1. in functie de timp:

Prezentul:
1. Prezentul simplu
2. Prezentul continuu
3. Prezent perfect
4. Prezent perfect continuu
Trecutul:
5. Trecut simplu
6. Trecut continuu
7. Trecut perfect
8. Trecut perfect continuu
Viitorul:
9. Viitorul simplu
10. Viitorul continuu
11. Viitorul perfect
12. Viitorul perfect continuu

1. PREZENTUL SIMPLU

1.1. Forma
Prezentul simplu are forma de baza a verbului (write, work).
La persoana a III-a sg., forma de baza + -s (he writes, she works).
Ex.: I play, you play, we play, they play
He plays, she plays, it plays

Forma negativa se formeaza cu auxiliarul do:
Ex.: I do not drink tea.
She/he does not play football.

Forma interogativa:
Ex.: Do you work here?
Does she/he sing beautifully?

1.2. Functii:
Actiuni obisnuite, care se intampla in prezent sau in mod regulat, dar nu neaparat in momentul exact al vorbirii:
Ex.: Mina plays tennis every weekend.
The Post office opens at 9:45.

Adevaruri sau realitati general acceptate:
Ex.: Some vegetarians eat fish but they do not eat meat.
Winds carry weather balloons around the earth at the height of 24 kilometers.

Expresia opiniilor:
Ex.: I think Spain is beautiful.
They believe everything they read.

Expresie a preferintelor:
Ex.: Lisette likes cats and dogs, but she prefers cats.
Jim prefers maths to languages.

Se foloseste pentru a exprima asa numitul prezent istoric, facand astfel referire la actiuni care s-au intamplat de fapt in trecut.
Ex.: We were watching the back door when, all of a sudden, in walks Dierdre.
Dierdre tells me that she took her brother to the dentist.

Prezentul simplu poate avea valenta de viitor mai ales cu verbe ca: arrive, come, leave care sugereaza evenimente planuite sau programate:
Ex.: The train from Boston arrives this afternoon at two o'clock.
High tide is at 3:15 p.m. The Super Bowl starts at 6:15 p.m.

Expresii care semnaleaza frecvent actiunile obisnuite exprimate prin prezentul simplu:
all the time, always, every classe, every day, every holiday, every hour, every month, every semester, every week, every year, most of the time, never, often, rarely, sometimes, usually

1.3. Conjugare

Exemple:
I walk to work every day.
The Chicago Bulls sometimes practice in this gymnasium.
Dr. Espinoza operates according to her own schedule.
Coach Calhoun recruits from countries outside the U.S.A.

2. PREZENTUL CONTINUU

2.1. Forma
Acest timp se formeaza cu ajutorul verbului auxiliar to be la prezent + forma de baza a verbului + -ing (participiu prezent).
Ex.: I am buying all my family's Christmas gifts early this year.
She is working through the holiday break.

Forma negativa - se adauga not dupa forma de prezent simplu a auxiliarului to be.
Ex.: It is not raining.

Forma interogativa se obtine prin inversiunea auxiliarului to be cu subiectul:
Ex.: Are they playing?
Is he eating?

2.2. Functii
Prezentul continuu indica: o actiune care se afla in plina desfasurare in momentul vorbirii.
Ex.: The phone is ringing. I can't answer it. I'm washing my hair.
It's raining so they have to stop the game.

O actiune care se afla in desfasurare in perioada prezenta, dar care poate nu se intampla concomitent cu momentul vorbirii.
Ex.: They are writing a new book.
She's studying English at the Language Center.

Descrie o tendinta sau actiune care a debutat recent:
Ex.: More and more people are starting to play golf in Malaysia.

Pentru a desemna o actiune care este planificata pentru viitor:
Ex.: To meet the demand for English language courses, they are planning to expand.
Mohan is leaving for London next week.

2.3. Verbele dinamice si statice
In general, numai anumite verbe pot fi folosite la aspectul continuu si acestea se numesc verbe dinamice.
Aspectul continuu al unui verb arata ca o actiune este, era sau va fi in desfasurare. Formele verbale progresive (aspectul continuu) se folosesc numai in cazul verbelor dinamice, de miscare, care exprima calitati capabile de schimbare.
Nu se spune 'He is being tall' sau 'He is resembling his mother' sau 'I am wanting spaghetti for dinner',
ci vom spune: 'He is tall', 'He resembles his mother', 'I want spaghetti'.
Tabelul urmator descrie in detaliu diferentele dintre verbele statice si cele dinamice:

VERBE DINAMICE
Verbe care exprima o activitate:
abandon, ask, beg, call, drink, eat, help, learn, listen, look at, play, rain, read, say, slice, throw, whisper, work, write

Ex.: I am begging you. I was learning French. They will be playing upstairs.

Sensul este identic cu cel al formelor simple:
Ex.: I beg you. I learned French. They will play upstairs.

Verbe care exprima procese:
change, deteriorate, growmature, slow down, widen

Ex.: The corn is growing rapidly. Traffic is slowing down.
Sensul este identic cu cel al formelor simple:
Ex.: The corn grows rapidly. Traffic slows down.

Verbe de perceptii senzoriale:
ache, feel, hurt, itch

Ex.: 'I feel bad' si 'I am feeling bad' au acelasi sens in acest caz.

Verbe care exprima actiuni tranzitive:
arrive, die, fall, land, leave, lose

Formele continue indica inceputul actiunii pe cand formele temporale simple, din contra.
Ex.: She was falling out of bed (when I caught her).
She falls out of bed every night.

Verbe exprimand actiuni momentane:
hit, jump, kick, knock, nod, tap
Formele continue indica durata scurta si sugereaza repetitia.
Ex.: She is hitting her brother.
He is jumping around the house.

VERBE STATICE
Verbe de perceptie, senzatie, activitate mentala:
abhor, adore, astonish, believe, desire, detest, dislike, doubt, feel, forgive, guess, hate, hear, imagine, impress, intend, know, like, love, mean, mind, perceive, please, prefer, presuppose, realize, recall, recognize, regard, remember, satisfy, see, smell, suppose, taste, think, understand, want, wish

Ex.: I detest rudabaga, si nu I am detesting rudabaga.
I prefer cinnamon toast, si nu I am preferring cinnamon toast.

Verbe de relatie si posesie:
be, belong to, concern, consist of, contain, cost, depend on, deserve, equal, fit, have, include, involve, lack, matter, need, owe, own, possess, require, resemble, seem, sound

Ex.: I am sick, si nu I am being sick.
I own ten acres of land, si nu I am owning ten acres.
My brother owes me ten dollars si nu My brother is owing me ten dollars.

2.4. Conjugare

Exemple:
The summer is passing too quickly.
Raoul is acting like his father.
Some football players are not being good role models for youngsters.
Is he being good to you?

7. Prezentul perfect
7.1. Forma

Prezentul auxiliarului have (have/ has) + participiul trecut al verbului (regulat sau neregulat).
Ex.: You have worked hard.
She has taken her medicine.

Negativul:
Ex.: I haven't been to Spain.
I've (have) not seen this movie.

Interogativul:
Ex.: Have I met you before?
Have they built the house?

7.2. Functii

Prezentul perfect este una dintre particularitatile limbii engleze, acest timp neavand corespondent in limba romana.

Prezentul perfect exprima o actiune incheiata sau 'perfectata' in trecut si care se extinde pana in momentul prezent:
Ex.: I have walked two miles already (dar continui sa merg).
I have run the Boston Marathon (dar acest lucru s-a intamplat demult).
The critics have praised the film Saving Private Ryan since it came out (si continua sa il laude).

Actiuni sau evenimente din trecut care conduc pana in momentul prezent. In acest caz, folosirea timpului prezent perfect arata ca rezultatul evenimetului sau actiunii care apartine momentului prezent este cel care conteaza si nu momentul in care a avut loc actiunea.
Ex.: He has bought a new car (si acum au o masina noua).
They have been to Mexico but they have not been to South Africa (in consecinta, au cunostinte despre Mexic dar nu stiu prea multe despre Africa de Sud).

Obiceiuri sau evenimente si actiuni frecvente in decursul unei perioade de timp care conduc la momentul prezentului.
Ex.: She has studied English for four years (si inca mai studiaza engleza.)
Brazil has won the World Cup four times.

7.3. Adverbe

Alegerea intre prezentul perfect si trecutul simplu este de multe ori influentata si de adverbele care insotesc verbul. Daca adverbele respective se refera la o perioada trecuta, vom folosi trecutul simplu.
Ex.: I studied all night/yesterday/on Wednesday.

Cu adverbe care marcheaza un inceput in trecut si conduct pana la momentul prezentului, vom folosi prezentul perfect.
Ex.: I have studied up to now/lately/already.

Expresii adverbiale cum ar fi: today, this month, for an hour se pot folosi atat cu prezentul perfect cat si cu trecutul simplu.
Ex.: I worked/have worked hard today.

Exista tendinta de a folosi prezentul perfect pentru a anunta un eveniment din trecutul recent.
Ex.: The company's current CEO has lied repeatedly to her employees.

Dar vom folosi trecutul simplu pentru a relata sau anunta evenimente care au luat sfarsit si apartin trecutului indepartat.
Ex.: Washington encouraged his troops.

7.4. Conjugare

Exemple:
For five generations, members of my family have been doctors.
Vaughan has batted clean-up since he came to the Redsox.
She has swum the English Channel every summer.
How long has it been since the last time we met?

8. Prezent perfect continuu
8.1. Forma

Have/has + been + participiul prezent (-ing)
Ex.: I have been waiting for an hour.

Negativul:
Ex.: You haven't been talking too much.

Interogativul:
Ex.: Have they been feeling unwell?

8.2. Functii

Si aceasta forma verbala apartine timpului prezent si se raporteaza la momentul prezent.

Se foloseste pentru a descrie stari sau sentimente care au debutat in trecut si au continuat de-a lungul unei perioade de timp si sunt inca prezente pana in momentul vorbirii.
Ex.: It has been raining for two days (and it's still raining).

8.3. Conjugare

Exemple:
Maria has been writing her dissertation for the last six years[, but she finished yesterday].
The Redsox have been losing games since the All-Star break [and they continue to do so].
Have we been telling the truth to consumers about tobacco?
Haven't we been lying to teenagers about smoking?

8.4. Folosirea adverbelor cu prezentul perfect

Exista cateva expresii adverbiale care se folosesc in mod frecvent cu formele prezentului perfect. Aceastea sunt: since, so far, ever, never, for, since, etc.
Ex.: There have been 92 accidents since the beginning of the year.
Have you ever been to Romania?
I have never seen a purple cow.
John has been working on his thesis for two years.
They haven't seen him since 1989.

9. Trecutul perfect
9.1. Forma

Had + participiu trecut al verbului

Trecutul perfect indica faptul ca o actiune s-a incheiat, 'perfectat' la un moment din trecut inainte ca un alt eveniment sa se produca.
Ex.: I had walked two miles by lunchtime.
I had run three other marathons before entering the Boston Marathon.

9.2. Conjugare

Exemple:
Prior to the Revolutionary War, Washington had been a surveyor and land speculator.
Aunt Glad had invested heavily in the air-conditioning industry before the Great Crash of 1988.
She had swum the English Channel every summer until 1997.
How long had it been since you saw each other?

10. Trecutul perfect continuu

Forma: Had + been + participiu prezent (-ing)

Acest timp indica o actiune continua care s-a incheiat la un moment dat din trecut.

Exemple:
Hemingway had been losing his self-confidence for years before the publication of Old Man and the Sea.
Had they been cheating on the exams before the school put monitors in the classroom?

11. Viitorul perfect

Forma: Will + have + participiul trecut al verbului

Viitorul perfect indica o actiune care va fi fost incheiata la un moment dat din viitor.
Ex.: I will have spent all my money by this time next year.
I will have run successfully in three marathons if I can finish this one.
By this time next week, I will have worked on this project for twenty days.
Before he sees his publisher, Charles will have finished four chapters in his new novel.
A Democratic president will have been in the White House for nearly half of the twentieth century.
How long will it have been since we were together?

12. Viitorul perfect continuu

Forma: Will + have + been + participiul prezent (-ing) al verbului

Acest timp indica a actiune continua care va fi incheiata la un moment dat din viitor.
Ex.: By the time he finishes this semester, Gesualdo will have been studying nothing but parasites for four years.
Will they have been testing these materials in the lab before we even get there?