How to determine the past tense of a verb? Answer to asked question you will get from the presented article. In addition, we will tell you how the past tense of a verb is formed in English.

General information about verbs

Before we talk about what the past tense of a verb is, we should find out what it even is.

A verb is a part of speech that denotes the state or action of an object, and also answers the questions “what to do?” or “what should I do?” It should be especially noted that they vary in mood, are transitive and intransitive, and can refer to the perfective or imperfective form.

Verb tenses in Russian

This part of speech can be used in the following tenses:

• the present;
• future;
• past.

Past tense of verb

The part of speech that stands in shows that this or that action has taken place up to the present moment. However, when describing past situations or events in life, the present tense is often used instead of the past tense.

How to form a verb in the past tense? Let's find out together

The past tense of a verb in Russian is formed from initial form(that is, the infinitive) by adding the suffix -l- (ran, wanted, talked, helped, etc.). However, this rule has exceptions. Thus, verbs in the infinitive form imperfect form and ending in -thread, -ti or -ch, are converted to the past tense (singular male) without using the above-mentioned suffix (cut - cut, etc.).

Do verbs in the past tense change?

The past tense of the verb allows the verb to change in number. In its turn, singular can easily be inclined according to childbirth. It should also be noted that verbs in the past tense plural, do not change by person.

Forms of verbs in the past tense by meaning

Verbs in the past tense can have a perfect and aorist meaning (only the perfect form). Let's look at them in more detail:

Verbs in the past tense can have the following grammatical meanings(only imperfect form):

• Unlimited unit specific action, which was committed before the moment of speech. For example: Once under New Year the girls were guessing.
• An action that is repeated all the time until the moment of speech. For example: Annushka clasped her hands every time, and her eyes lit up with delight.
• An action that is constantly happening. For example: Impenetrable forests stretched almost all the way to the river.
• Generalized fact. For example: Someone asked you.

Past tense: English verbs

As mentioned above, the past tense is a form of a verb that indicates an action that has already been performed. In English, this change in words is called "Past Tenses". It should also be noted that such time differs in duration and quality. In other words, in English there is a simple past tense called " Past Simple", the continuous past tense called " Past Continuous", and past perfect - " Past Perfect" Let's look at each of the forms in more detail.

Past Simple

This tense expresses absolutely any action that took place in the past. Past Simple is formed quite simply: if the word refers to irregular verb, then for this you need to take its second form from the table. If the verb is correct, then it is added to it. If it is necessary to pose a question, then the auxiliary word did should be used.

By the way, the past tense of the verb to be has 2 conjugations, namely were and was. As a rule, were is used with nouns only in the plural, and was - in the singular. In this case, with the pronoun you (translated as you or you) it is necessary to use only were.

Past Continuous

This form differs from the previous one in that in in this case the action of the past is shown in process. As a cheat sheet, it is recommended to remember that the presented verb will have an imperfect form. It should also be noted that for Education Past Continuous requires only knowledge of the following forms of the verb to be: were and was.

Past Perfect or perfect continuous past tense

It will take time to create such a perfect knowledge all forms and correct). It should also be noted that for the Past Perfect it is necessary to have. By the way, past tense the following form: had.

It should also be noted that the Past Perfect also includes such a tense as Past Perfect Continuous, which has the following Russian meaning: perfect continuous past tense. To form it, you must use to be, which should be put in the Past Perfect form, that is, had been.

Let's sum it up

Knowing the basics of the formation of past tense verbs in Russian and English languages, you will not only be able to deliver your speech correctly during personal communication with foreigners or your compatriots, but also to write them a competent letter.

A verb is an expression of action. The category of time is an expression of how an action relates to the moment of speech. It is customary to distinguish three forms of time. To determine the relationship of a verb to the present, future or past tense, it is usually enough to ask a question. But there are verb forms that need to be analyzed more deeply. Let us highlight some features - they will help to distinguish temporary forms.

• happening at a specific moment, i.e. moment of speech ( I am reading a book);
  
• happening regularly ( I read books);
  
• happening all the time ( I work as a builder).
  

Often a verb in the present tense is used figuratively, expressing the near future. We we're leaving Tomorrow. Interesting use of present tense verbs in literary texts talking about historical events, which gives the story a special liveliness. Swede, Russian – stabs, chops, cuts.

The forms of verbs in the present tense are synthetic (consist of one word), the differences are determined by changing the verb itself in persons and numbers. I run, you run, he (she, it) runs. We are sitting, you are sitting, they are sitting.

• Facts may be mentioned without specifying the duration of the action. For this purpose, imperfective verbs are used (“what did you do?”). I attended lectures.
  
• If we mean an action that ended at the time of speech, or describe actions that succeeded each other, this is a perfective verb (“what did you do?”). I attended the lectures, had lunch and went to the meeting.
  
• If the particle was is attached to the verb, this is an indication of an action that did not take place or was prevented in the past. I wanted to leave, but they asked me to stay.
  

• suffix -l- (did is a masculine form with a zero ending);
  
• For female ending is added -A (did); for neuter gender – ending -O (did); for plural – ending -And , common to all genera ( did).
  

• verbs whose stems (infinitive and present tense) end in h And With (crawl - crawled, carry - carried);
  
• verbs with stem endings in g and k (in the present tense), with an infinitive in -whose (shore - take care - shore, bake - oven - bake);
  
• verbs whose infinitive contains a combination -ere- , but in the present tense it is not ( rub - rub - rub);
  
• verb to grow, which is in the past tense special form grew up;
  
• verbs like scrape, row, the basis of which in the past tense coincides with the basis of the present ( scrape - scrape, row - row);
  
• stative verbs with suffix -Well- , in the past tense without this suffix ( disappear - disappeared, perish - died).
  

There are forms with the meaning of suddenness of action, which at first glance do not belong to the past tense. The fact is that such verbs are identical in form to verbs of the perfect singular form in imperative mood. He take it Yes come at the most inopportune time. Compare: take it and come. Through such forms the desirability of an action that has not been performed can be expressed. Come If you had earlier, you would have found him at home. Compare: if you had come earlier.

IN artistic speech There may be forms that are used to denote a repeated action that occurred a long time ago and for some time. This is a category of long past tense. I'm often at the table with them sat. This is not the case in life seen.

Future
This category serves to designate an action that will take place after the moment of speech ( I will read a book, I will write poetry). In the imperfect form (“what will I do?”), the future tense has an analytical, compound form– the verb “to be” plus the infinitive. Synthetic, simple form(“What will I do?”) I'll read it is formed only by inflection.

A verb in the simple future tense can express time without relation to the moment of speech, acquiring following values:

• continuously repeated action then it will stop, then it will rush again);
  
• a common action in the past ( no, no, yes, he will look out the window);
  
• sudden, rapid action in the past ( he'll scream).
  

The present

The present tense has several functions in Russian. The first is to determine permanent properties object or person. For example, “Water boils at 100 degrees.” Secondly, the present tense serves to express potential possibilities. For example, “A cheetah reaches speeds of more than one hundred kilometers per hour.” Thirdly, it records the action at the moment of its commission. To the question: “What are you doing now?”, you can answer: “Reading a book,” “Washing the dishes,” etc. Fourth functional feature present tense - nomination of an action that is repeated from time to time, constantly, periodically, sometimes, etc. As an example, “I go to school”, “Auntie is watching a TV series”, “They meet with friends on Saturdays”. There is another transpositional property of a verb in the present tense - the transmission of thoughts directed to the future by forms of the present. This time is called the present in the future. For example, the verb “I’m going” in the context: “I’m going to Paris.”

The future tense in Russian expresses an action that will take place after the moment of speech. According to the method of formation, it is divided into simple and complex. Simple tense is formed with the help of affixes (suffixes and endings) according to their inflectional class. For example, “I’ll read”, “I’ll translate”, “I’ll go”. Difficult time uses additionally the verb “to be” to form the form. When conjugating a verb in the future tense, only the form of the additional verb changes - “I will dream”, “you will dream”, “he/she will dream”, “we will dream”, “you will dream” and “they will dream”.

The future tense may have various meanings and tasks. It is used very often in proverbs and sayings. For example, “As it comes around, so it will respond.” The future simple can function in the present: “I just can’t understand what’s wrong with it,” “I can’t find the keys.” With the same success, the future is also present in terms of the past tense: “It used to be that he would sit down, take the button accordion in his hands and begin to sing a sad song.”

Past

The past tense is not subject to such temporal transpositions. It expresses the action that preceded the moment of speech. Formation depends on whether the verb is perfect or imperfect. The imperfect past expresses an action as a fact: “walked,” “dozed,” “fought.”

The completed action, firstly, states the completion of the process: “went away”, “dozed off”. Secondly, it determines the order actions taken: “First I woke up, washed my face, and went to work.” The third function of the past perfect consolidates the result of a past action in the present: “I watched this film and now I can talk about it.” Repeatability and repetition are characteristic of both the perfect and imperfect past.

Verb tense category

Time is an inflectional grammatical category verb, representing the process as already carried out, being carried out or which will be carried out and expressing these meanings in indicative mood(in morphological forms of past, present and future tense). The system of forms of the indicative mood expresses the opposition of the meanings of coincidence, precedence and succession of the process in relation to the starting point of time. These meanings are presented in present, past and future tenses respectively: I'm reading, read, I will read.

The basis for determining the time of the process is an abstract grammatical reference point. It may coincide with the moment of speech, or it may not coincide. Distinguish between absolute and relative time value verb forms. Time is called absolute when the moment of speech acts as the starting point for determining the time plan: The sound of thunder woke up the surrounding villages. Relative time is called when the time of implementation of another process acts as such a starting point. For example, in the sentence He already knew yesterday, that they won’t take him on a hike form will take denotes an action as the future not in relation to the moment of speech, but in relation to the time of implementation of the process called form knew. This is the value of the form's future action will take and is its relative time value.

In the indicative mood, there are forms that have a special morphological indicator of time and those that do not. The first include past tense forms characterized by the suffix -l, as well as forms of the future complex, having time as a special indicator auxiliary be in his personal forms; to the second - the forms of the present and future simple, the endings of which express the meaning of person and number. The personal endings of the forms of the present and future simple are at the same time non-special temporal indicators of these forms.

Among verb categories, with which the category of time is interconnected, special place occupies the category of aspect, which determines the possibility of forming all or not all tense forms: imperfective verbs form forms of all three tenses, perfective verbs form only past and future tense forms.

Forms of time can be used not only literally, but also figuratively. In the first case, the categorical meaning of the tense form of the verb coincides with the real time of the process: A military band performs in a city park(form and meaning of the present tense). When used figuratively, there is no such coincidence: I'm going to a show tomorrow(present tense form - future tense meaning).

The present tense has the meaning of the coincidence of the process with the moment of speech in opposition to this moment to the past and future.

Present tense forms are formed from the present tense stem of imperfective verbs by adding endings that represent a combined indicator of person, number and tense. The endings of verbs, depending on whether the verb belongs to the I or II conjugation, are given in Table. 34.

Verb endings of I and II conjugations

When using forms of the present tense with a primary meaning, a distinction is made between the actual present tense (or the present actual) and the improperly present tense (or the present non-actual). The forms of the present proper mean that we're talking about about the process coinciding with the moment of speech: Students write an essay; It's raining outside the window. The forms of the improper present have the following meanings: the constant present and the abstract present. The forms of the present constant denote a process the implementation of which has no time restrictions: The city is surrounded by swamps; Rivers flow into seas and oceans. Forms of the present abstract are used to denote a repeating, typical process, the manifestation of which is not associated with a specific time plan: Physically unhardened people often catch colds; Usually in the summer I go out of town.

There are other, less common varieties of the improper present - the present commenting: Pobedonosikov takes off his cap, drops suitcase(V. Mayakovsky, stage directions), which is most often found in stage directions works of art, in the presentation of the contents of the documents; and the present pictorial: And then... the triumph of beauty begins to seem, youth, flourishing of strength and passionate thirst for life; the soul gives a beautiful response, harsh homeland, and I want to fly over the steppe with a night bird(A. Chekhov) - usually used when describing imaginary events, and real time the occurrence of these events depends on the situation or context.

Past tense What matters is the precedence of the process to the moment of speech in opposition to this moment to the present and the future.

Past tense forms are formed from the past tense stem using a suffix -l or zero suffix. Suffix -l regularly used in the formation of past tense forms zh.r. and w.r. singular, as well as plural forms, and to the suffix -l ending added -A in zh.r. and -o in s.r. units, ending -And and plural forms: sister arrived, the sun was shining, the children were playing. In past tense forms m.r. suffix - l performs regularly only if formative base past tense ends in a vowel ( watched, drew, said, pushed). If this stem ends in a consonant, then the form m.r. has a null suffix: rowing, wet, chilled, frozen, ter. Indicator of gender and number in the forms of m.r. units also represented by a null ending.

Past tense forms denote a process that precedes the grammatical reference point, however, depending on the type of verb, additional characteristics are layered on this precedence meaning. Shapes, formed by verbs perfect form, have a perfect meaning, i.e. denote the process as completed in the past, but maintaining the result in the present ( On strong wind children chilled ), or do not contain such an indication ( I thanked him and came out ). Past tense forms of perfective verbs can also denote long-term, but limited in duration processes ( We sang , let's play And calmed down ).

Unlike perfective verbs, the past tense forms of imperfective verbs denote a process in its flow, indicate its duration or repetition: The sea is still it was noisy And beat about the shore; one longboat rocked on the waves, and he's sleepy flickered light(A. Chekhov). Only a few imperfective verbs, denoting the processes of perception and cognition, can be used in the past tense with a perfect meaning: This book I read. Among other meanings of past tense forms, it is worth noting the expression of the normality of a process in a more or less distant past. For this purpose, as a rule, multiple verbs with suffixes are used -yva-, -va- or combination with form it happened: Wandered around and we are through these forests; It happened , all night long spent for a book.

The future tense has the meaning of following the process after the moment of speech in contrast to this moment to the past and present.

There are forms of the simple future (synthetic) and the complex future (analytical). The forms of the future simple are formed from the stem of the present tense of perfective verbs using the same person and number endings as in the formation of the present tense forms: I'll tell you, tell me, will tell, we'll tell you, tell me, tell-ut; gift, give it as a gift, gift-it, give them a gift, give, donate. Future complex forms are formed analytically from imperfective verbs and are a combination of the future tense form of the auxiliary verb to be with the infinitive: I'll collect, will you collect, will collect, we'll collect, will you collect, will be collected.

The meaning of future tense forms reveals close connection with the form of a verb. Expressing the same meaning of the process following the grammatical starting point, the future tense forms of verbs different types specify and clarify this meaning. The future tense forms of perfective verbs denote processes as completed, productive: The heavy shackles will fall. / The dungeons will collapse — and freedom / You will be greeted joyfully at the entrance(A. Pushkin).

The future tense forms of imperfective verbs are usually used to denote long-term or repeated processes, without representing them as completed or productive: Alone he will wander the August tundra, stumble on bumps, bypass rusty and flat tundra lakes.

Forms of time can be used in a figurative meaning, which makes it possible to figuratively and expressively imagine the implementation of a process in time and clarify it modal characteristic. In building figurative meanings The situation or context plays a big role, as well as the combination of different temporary forms in the context.

The meaning of the present tense can be expressed by future and past tense forms. The future tense forms of perfective verbs have especially wide possibilities for conveying meanings of the present non-actual. They can be used to indicate regularly repeated or typical processes: Happens , will get up And will speak hot about something. These forms are sometimes used to denote processes that coincide with the moment of speech: I'll ask don't contradict. With the meaning of the present tense in colloquial speech the future tense form of the verb is also often used be: Who are you? you will? (A. N. Tolstoy); You don't have any matches will? Future form of the verb be in some constructions it may have the meaning of uncertainty: "Before I'm about five miles away will" , — he added(I. Turgenev); He is about forty years old will.

A special case is the use of the future tense form of perfective verbs, when it, in combination with negation, expresses the impossibility of carrying out a process at the moment of speech: But I really don't myself I'll understand , why did I weaken so quickly(M. Bulgakov); Sorry, but I am not I'll remember your name.

Past tense forms can also express present tense meaning. This use is characteristic of perfective forms of verbs, since the content contained in them categorical meaning effectiveness already presupposes a connection with the present time. The condition for presenting a previously carried out process as usual and in the present is a combination of forms of past and present tense: Happens , sat down for a book for an hour or two, A having a blast from her it’s already late in the evening. However, it should be borne in mind that depending on the situation, intonation or context, the past tense form can mean a process related to both the present and the future tense. For example, the statement Scared I'm threatening him! can mean "I am not afraid of his threats" or "I will not be afraid of his threats." Past tense forms with a future tense meaning are used to express confidence in the inevitability of the process they indicate:

One more wrong step and we died. The past tense forms of the verbs begin can be used with the meaning of the future tense, to finish, go, go, fly, take, take on, etc.: Well, I went home, and you stay here.

With the meaning of the future tense, forms of not only the past, but also the present tense can be used to express complete confidence in the implementation of the process. The time plan for the implementation of the process named by the verb is often indicated by lexical clarifiers: In summer I I'm going to the village; Tomorrow in the morning he is reading report.

The meaning of the past tense can be expressed by the forms of present and future tense. The use of present tense forms to denote a process that has already taken place (the so-called historical present) gives the narration greater imagery and liveliness, bringing certain events closer to the moment of speech: In 1858 F. I. Buslaev creates first historical grammar Russian language.

Combined with a particle How forms of the future simple indicate the suddenness and intensity of the process being carried out in the past: Suddenly someone it will knock from the yard by the window (A. Chekhov).

Future tense forms can also be used to refer to processes that have occurred repeatedly in the past. The condition for such use of future tense forms is their combination with past tense forms, usually with the word it happened: It happened , Not you'll fall asleep , if in the room will burst in fly or will scrape mouse in the corner(I. Goncharov).

In proverbs, sayings, and aphoristic statements, a process indicated by the form of the future tense can be presented as possible in any of the three time plans. With this use, the typicality, commonality or inevitability of the process is emphasized: How goes around comes around , so and will respond; I'm not burning with tears will you help.

Verb tense expresses the relationship of the action denoted by the verb to the time of its implementation. Shapes stand out past, present And future tense.

In most cases, the use of tense forms is determined by the relationship to the moment of speech; This use of them is called absolute time.

In relatively rare cases, the starting point for the use of tenses is not the moment of speech, but other starting points, for example, the time of other actions reported in the speech. This is called the relative use of tenses. In additional (explanatory) subordinate parts of a complex sentence, the tense of verbs is determined by their relation to the time of action of the main part:

My brother said that he had sent (is sending, will send) the book I need.

The grammatical reference point for time here is the verb of the main part “reported”, in relation to which the action of the verb of the subordinate part has been performed, is being performed or will be performed. “Wrote that he works”: the present tense of the verb “works” indicates the coincidence of the time of the action not with the moment of speech, but with the time of the action expressed by the verb “wrote”.

Imperfective verbs have all three forms of tense (I decide - I decided - I will decide).

Verbs of the perfect form, denoting actions limited by a limit, are used only in the past and future (simple) tense (decided - I will decide), and do not have a present tense.

Past tense denotes an action preceding the moment of speech. It is formed by adding the infinitive to the stem formative suffix -l-: write - wrote, read - read, count - count.
When forming past tense forms, some features are observed:

If the stem of the past tense ends in g, k, x, z, s, b, then when forming a masculine verb, the suffix -l- falls out: guarded, baked, sokh, carried, carried, rowed, but is retained in the feminine and neuter gender, and also in the plural: guarded, baked, dried, carried, carried, guarded.

Verbs in - heret in the past tense they lose the second in the full vowel combination e, and in the masculine gender they do not have the suffix -l-: erase - erased, die - died.

Verb go and derivatives from it form the past tense from another stem - shed- with the loss of the root d: walked, walked, walked, came, came, came.

The past tense allows the verb to change in number. In turn, the singular number can easily be declined according to gender. It should also be noted that verbs in the past tense in the plural do not change according to persons.

Verbs in the form present time denote an action that occurs at the moment of speech, for example: I am looking for a meeting with you. Verbs in the present tense change according to persons and numbers.

From verbs perfect form present tense forms are not formed: the concept of completeness, effectiveness, characteristic of perfective verbs, is incompatible with the concept of present tense.

Only verbs have present tense forms imperfect form . These forms are formed using personal endings depending on whether the verb belongs to the I or II conjugation.

I conjugations: -u (-yu), -eat, -et, -eat, -ete, -ut (-ut)
II conjugations: -у (-yu), -ish, -it, -im, -ite, -at (-yat)

Example of verb I conjugation:

1st person → I’m walking, we’re walking
2nd person → you are walking, you are walking
3rd person → he is walking, they are walking

Example of verb II conjugation:

1st person → I drive, we carry
2nd person → you carry, you carry
3rd person → he carries, they carry

The present tense has the following basic meanings:

shows that the action expressed by the verb coincides with the moment of speech: The Caucasus is below me. Again the ancient coniferous forest rustles above me solemnly and wisely (V. Belov);

denotes a permanent, timeless action; The earth revolves around the sun.; In communicating vessels, the surface of the liquid is set at the same level;

denotes an action that turns into a property. Compare: a boy reads a book and student Petrov reads Pushkin well; Birds fly in the garden and swallows fly faster than sparrows.

is used instead of the past to give life to the story and make the reader (listener) seem to be a witness to the event being depicted: I was walking down the street yesterday and I saw. This is the so-called real narrative (pictorial, historical);

The present tense is used in the sense of the future when we are talking about an action that must certainly take place; I'm handing it over tomorrow last exam and I'm leaving to rest. The use of present tense forms in this function is usually characteristic of verbs of motion - run, go, go. Sometimes the forms of the present tense convey the picture imagined by the author: Another day of this accursed inferno - and here you have a hungry winter, typhus, cattle are dying, children are dying (A. N. Tolstoy).

Future denotes an action (process) that is upcoming or subsequent in relation to the moment of speech. It has two forms: synthetic (simple) and analytical (complex). These forms differ from each other both in their structure and in their meaning.

The synthetic form is characteristic of verbs of the perfect form (I will write, I will tell, I will read), the analytical form is characteristic of verbs of the imperfect form (I will write, I will tell, I will read).

Future analytical form formed from the personal forms of the future tense of the verb be and an infinitive (necessarily imperfect form). Acting as a service component, the auxiliary verb be forms with an infinitive one grammatical form.

The future complex always denotes an unlimited, limitless action that will take place after the moment of speech and cannot be used in the meaning of another time: We will continue to consistently defend the cause of peace.

The form of the future tense from perfective verbs is simple: it coincides with the present tense form of imperfective verbs: I will read, you will read, you will read, we will read, you will read, they will read; build, build, build, build, build.

Future synthetic form(from perfective verbs) has various meanings:

its main meaning is the expression of upcoming (future) actions that have a limit, completeness: We will obtain, understand and open everything: the cold pole and the blue arch (V. Lebedev-Kumach);

denotes an action that turns into the property: Whatever problem you give him, he will definitely solve it (you cannot say solves or has solved). The future tense in this meaning is often used in proverbs: Tell the truth - the truth will help you out. On a crooked road you will break your legs.

denotes a repeated action (in descriptions next to the present one):
The storm covers the sky with darkness (present tense),
Whirling snow whirlwinds,
The way she howls like a beast,
Then he will cry like a child (A. Pushkin);

with negation does not indicate the impossibility of action in the present: will not read quickly (cannot read quickly), will not say simply (cannot say simply), will not see at a far distance (cannot see at a far distance);

used in the past tense: During the day she for the most part was dozing. He sits in a chair in front of the table... and dozes (present tense). Then he will shudder, wake up, look out the window and for a long time, without any conscious thought, does not take his eyes off (present tense) from the endless distance stretching out (M. Saltykov-Shchedrin).

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