Contrastive values of simple and continuous forms of Present and Past Tense

Nr. Present Simple Present Continuous Comments

1. -general truth, permanent - This value of Present simple

situation/condition is the opposite of Present
Continuous expressing a
Two and two is four. temporary action. In spoken
English, attitudinal verbs are
I love your music.
used in the progressive forms
for emphasis: I’m loving your
music.

2. - - temporary action,
limited to an interval
including the present
moment and in progress
at the moment of
speaking

He is working now.

It’s raining.

Prices are going up.

3. - repeated action [+neutral reaction] the - repeated action The apparent contradiction in
subject does not mind repeating the action [+negative reaction] terms between the adverbs of
frequency and the continuous
I always help her. I am always helping aspect expresses the
her. subjective attitude of the
My job requires new ideas every day.
speaker who views a
My job is requiring new
discontinuous action as an
ideas every day.
uninterrupted one.

4. - momentary actions - repeated momentary With present simple we

actions (with non- usually talk about a
The actor just comes in, takes a look durative verbs) succession of rapid actions,
around him and leaves. part of a larger context. It can
He comes into the be a play, commentary etc.
building and is
knocking at their door.

5. future value

5a -official program - This value is possible not

only in independent
The committee arrives tomorrow sentences, but also in object
morning. clauses: I don’t know that/if
the committee arrives
tomorrow.
5b - -prepared, subject- The degree of probability that
planned action the action will take place is
very high.
I’m leaving next
Monday.

5c -subordinate temporal or conditional clauses The restriction could be

explained by the poly-
semantic value of will

I’ll read when you watch TV. I’ll read/will be reading The choice belongs to the
while you are watching speaker who decides what
[- emphasis on duration] TV. [+ emphasis on he/she wants to stress in the
duration] sentence.

We’ll leave you alone if you are tired.

[- emphasis on duration]

6. - historical present (present with past -

value used in narrations for stylistic
reasons)

The battle starts in the morning and by

the end of the day the number of dead
and wounded people is huge.

In toate cazurile de mai sus, formele de prezent din engleza se traduc cu prezent si in romana.

Nr Past Simple Past Continuous Comments

1. -past action completed at a definite - This value of Past

moment in the past Simple is the opposite
of Past Continuous
They visited us in January. expressing a temporary
action.
We met a long time ago.

Timpul corespunzator in traducerea

romaneasca este perfectul compus

2. - - temporary action in progress The action expressed by

at a moment in the past;
sometimes it was interrupted
by another past action:
He was working at three.
It was raining when we
arrived.
a past continuous verb
functions as a ‘frame’
for the action in the
second clause. The
adverbial modifier of
time (at three) or the
adverbial clause of time
(when we arrived)
function as reference
time for the main
 clause action.

The two actions could

be simultaneous and
Prices were going up while also they could be both
people were buying less and durative (see the last
less. example).

Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este
imperfectul.

3. - repeated action in the past [+neutral - repeated action in the past
reaction] [+negative reaction]
I always helped her. I was always helping her.(it
was driving me crazy)
My job was requiring new
My job required new ideas every day.
ideas every day.(I was at my
wit’s end, „eram la capatul
Timpul corespunzator in traducerea
rabdarii”)
romaneasca este imperfectul.
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este
imperfectul.
The apparent
contradiction in terms
between the adverbs of
frequency and the
continuous aspect
expresses the subjective
attitude of the speaker
who views a
discontinuous action as
an uninterrupted one
(see the comparison
Present Simple- Present
Cont. with adverbs of
frequency)

4. - momentary actions - repeated momentary actions With past simple we

You just came in, took a look around you
and left without saying a word.
He just came in, took a look around him
and left without saying a word.
Timpul corespunzator in traducerea
romaneasca este perfectul compus sau
perfectul simplu: „Pur şi simplu ai
intrat, ai aruncat o privire în jur şi ai
ieşit fără să spui o vorbă.”
Pur şi simplu intră, aruncă o privire în
jur şi ieşi fără să spună o vorbă.”
(with non-durative verbs) usually talk about a
succession of rapid
He came into the building actions, part of a larger
and was knocking at their context representing a
door when they arrived. narration.
In traducerea romaneasca se
face opozitia perfect simplu-
imperfect sau perfect
compus -imperfect: „Intră şi
în timp ce bătea la uşă sosiră
ei./ A intrat şi în timp ce
bătea la uşă au sosit ei.”

5. - future-in-the-past The two tenses are

different but some
in some cases, future- in- the – past is homonymous with past tense forms forms of future-in-the-
(simple or continuous) but their function is different. The former expresses past are made up with
past actions posterior to a past moment/to another past action. the auxiliary in the past
tense.
I was leaving the next day. „Plecam/urma să plec a doua zi.”
They were about to leave. „Erau pe punctul d e a pleca.”
I was to begin the course. „Urma să încep cursul.”
6. Past tense with past perfect value in main - The presence of a
 or subordinate clauses: conjunction or of other
elements which make
I left before/after he (had) answered me. clear the succession of
actions is relevant
He said we left after they (had) finished
enough, so that marking
talking.
anteriority at verbal
Timpul corespunzator in traducerea level is not compulsory.
romaneasca este perfectul compus.

Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Continuous Comments

1. - indefinite past action. -

I have seen it.

2. - resultative perfect (past action with - resultative perfect (past action with The result may
present result) [- emphasis on duration] present result) [+ emphasis on be implicit from
duration] the situational
I have washed the car. It’s clean. context. In this
I have been washing the car. It’s case, it is
Timpul corespunzator in traducerea clean. implicit that the
romaneasca este perfectul compus.
car is clean.
Timpul corespunzator in traducerea
romaneasca este perfectul compus.

3. - continuative prefect (action begun in the - continuative prefect (action begun

past, continuing up to the present and in the past, continuing up to the
maybe in the future) [- emphasis on present and maybe in the future)
duration] [+emphasis on duration]

I have lived here for a long time. I have been living here for a long
time/ since you moved out. /since we
I have lived here since you moved out. have known each other.

I have lived here since we have known Timpul corespunzator in traducerea

each other. romaneasca este prezentul.

Timpul corespunzator in traducerea

romaneasca este prezentul.

4. - perfect of experience: -

I have been there twice.

Timpul corespunzator in traducerea

romaneasca este perfectul compus.

5. - recently finished action -

I’ve just arrived.

Timpul corespunzator in traducerea

romaneasca este perfectul compus.

6. - present perfect with future perfect value -

 in temporal clauses
I’ll come as soon as I have finished.
Voi veni imediat ce am terminat.
Timpul corespunzator in traducerea
romaneasca este perfectul compus.
Present Perfect Simple
- indefinite past action.
I have seen it.
- resultative perfect (past action with
present result)
I have washed the car. It’s clean.
- continuative prefect (action begun in the
past, continuing up to the present and
maybe in the future)
I have lived here for a long time.(I still
do.)
- perfect of experience (the action can be
repeated):
I have been there twice.
- recently finished action
I’ve just arrived. (B.E.)
- present perfect with future perfect value
in temporal clauses
I’ll come as soon as I have finished.
Past Perfect Simple
Past Tense Comments
-definite past action Adverbials and conjunctions
used only with present
I saw it then. perfect: lately, so far, today,
recently, this week etc
- past action with no result
I washed the car but it
rained and it is dirty again.
- action begun in the past, Adverbials and
continuing during an interval conjunctions used either
in the past with past tense or present
perfect: for…, often, as soon
I lived here for a long time. as, never, once, this
morning, when, just etc.
(I don’t any more.)
- perfect of experience (the
action cannot be repeated at
present):
I was there twice.
- recently finished action
I just arrived. (A.E.)
-
Past Perfect Continuous Comments
1. - resultative perfect (anterior past
action with past result)
[- emphasis on duration]
I had washed the car when /by the
time you arrived. It was clean.
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este mai
mult ca perfectul.
3. - continuative prefect (action
begun in the past, continuing up to
a posterior past moment
[- emphasis on duration]
I had lived here for a long time
when we met.
„Locuiam acolo de multă vreme
când ne-am cunoscut.”
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este
imperfectul.
4. - perfect of experience:
I had been there twice when we
met.
„Fusesem acolo de două ori când
ne-am întâlnit.”
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este mai-
mult-ca-perfectul.
5. - (two or more) past successive
actions following very closely one
after another
I had just finished when you
arrived.
”Tocmai terminasem când ai
venit.”
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este mai-
mult-ca-perfectul.
Means of expressing a future action
- resultative perfect (past action The result may be implicit
with past result) from the situational
context, but the reference
[+ emphasis on duration] moment/action must be
mentioned by means of an
I had been washing the car for
adverbial modifier of time
some time when you arrived. It
(by noon) or of a temporal
was clean.
clause (when you arrived/
Spălam maşina de ceva vreme by the time you arrived).
când ai venit. Era curată.
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este
imperfectul.
- continuative prefect (action The reference
begun in the past, continuing up moment/action must be
to a posterior past moment mentioned by means of an
adverbial modifier of time
[+emphasis on duration] or of a temporal clause
(when we met).
I had been living here for a
long time when we met.
„Locuiam acolo de multă vreme
când ne-am cunoscut.”
Timpul corespunzator in
traducerea romaneasca este
imperfectul.
-
-
Futurity (future reference) is implicitly or explicitly associated with the concept of modality (the
attitude of the speaker towards an event):

 any future action is automatically associated with a certain degree of probability regarding its
completion;
 at the same time, the major modal value associated to futurity, if the subject is animate, is
the intentional component, involving various degrees: obstination, determination, volition,
willingness.
Auxiliary verbs used to form future tenses are primarily modal verbs and their modal values can at
best be reduced in intensity but never cancelled.

Nevertheless, there are future actions which take place in the natural course of future events without
any intervention on the part of the subject.

Therefore, there has been made a clear distinction between intentional and non-intentional future.

Intentional future

Variants Example Modal Syntactic Substitutes/ Comments

value distribution
Equivalents

Means

Present - He is moving high Independen Pre-arranged

Continuous next week. (He probability+ t sentences, action
has made volition main
clauses, The presence of
previous future time
subordinate
preparations in adverbials is
s
this respect.) obligatory

Be about to* - I’m about to Implicit Independen Be on the Near future

leave. ≠ volition t sentences, verge/point of + action
main V-ing
I’m about to clauses, Be about to is
subordinate Be going to + more formal
lose my
s just than be on the
patience. = I’m
verge of
on the verge Implicit high
of losing my probability
patience.

Future will + I shall/will/’ll Prediction Independen Simple Present Neutral value

simple infinitive leave soon. t sentences, (time and when the short
 ‘ll + They will walk Volition main conditional forms are used
infinitive for hours. clauses clauses)
Frequent-
Shall + Will I leave ative action * time and if Be going to (in
infinitive clauses spoken and
soon?
informal written
Shall I leave language)
soon?
Be bound to = be
likely to

Future Will be + I’ll be reading Prediction+ Independen Present

Continuous V-ing tomorrow. t sentences, Continuous
Volitive main
component clauses (in time and
conditional
* time and if clauses)
clauses

Future Will/’ll He will have Prediction+ Independen Present Perfect The presence of
Perfect have finished by t sentences, (time clauses) an adverbial of
finished Volitive main future time
5/by the time
component clauses preceded by the
you come.
preposition by is
* time and if obligatory to
clauses mark the time
reference. A
time clause
introduced by
by the time is
also possible.

Future Will/’ll He will have Prediction+ Independen Present Perfect Future time
Perfect have been been reading t sentences, Continuous adverbials/
asking Volitive main
Continuous for two
component clauses (time clauses) clause remain
hours/since 5 necessary but
when you * time and if the adverbials
come. clauses expressing
duration
(introduced by
for or since)
cannot miss
either

Be going to ‘m/’s/’re I am going to Intention Future Simple The variants are

gonna + learn French. specific to
inf. substandard
 English.

The predictive
value is
determined by
the present
circumstances.

Unintentional future

Means Variant Synonymous Example Modal Distribution Comments

structures value

Present - Be to Imminent Independent The train is leaving at 6.

Simple fulfillment sentences (delay) (British English)
Be due to or arrange-
ment
Be bound to

Be about The train is Independent

to about to sentences,
leave main clauses,
subordinates
? The train
is on the
verge of
leaving.

I’m about
to lose my
patience. =
I’m on the
verge of
losing my
patience.

Be bound - Will + inf. The train is prediction Independent Be bound to can also mean to
bound to sentences be compelled to (legally,
to Be likely to leave soon. morally etc)

Future ‘ll be + - I’ll be prediction Independent The volitional and predictive

Continuous meeting sentences, value can co-exist in the same
+ V-ing main clauses context, though one will
* John
prevail. If the former prevails,
tomorrow. * time and if the long form of the modal
We live in clauses auxiliary (will) is preferred, but
the same
without being accompanied by
neighbour- an adverbial of time expressing
hood. duration.

Future Will/’ll Present He will have prediction Independent Future time adverbials/
Perfect have Perfect been sentences,
been Continuous main clauses clause remain necessary but
Continuous reading for
asking the adverbials expressing
(time clauses) two * time and if duration (introduced by for or
hours/since clauses since) cannot miss either.
5 when you
come.This is
the
compulsory

programme
.

Future ‘ll Be going to see prediction The same observations as in

simple* +infinitiv except for intentional the case of Future Continuous
e time and future remain true.
condition
clauses:

* He ‘s going
to give up
coming with
us if the train
is delayed.

Be going to Future simple It’s going to prediction

rain. The
sky is
cloudy.