LECTIA 3

TRECUTUL SI TIMPURILE PERFECTE

TRECUTUL SIMPLU (SIMPLE PAST TENSE)

Trecutul simplu - FORMA

Afirmativ: INFINITIV + ed (vb regulate) Forma a II-a a vb. (vb neregulate)
Negativ: did not + INFINITIV
Interogativ: did + subiect + INFINITIV

Utilizare:
1. o actiune finalizata in trecut cand este mentionat momentul actiunii:
Tom arrived yesterday.
Columbus discovered America in 1492.
Adverbele sau expresiile de timp pot fi o marca a trecutului simplu: yesterday, last week, two years ago, last summer, a
month ago etc.

2. o actiune finalizata SIGUR in trecut chiar daca timpul NU este mentionat:

Brutus assassinated Julius Caesar.
Did you ever see Winston Churchill in person?

3. o obisnuinta din trecut:

She always woke up early on school days.
Sarah never ate pork as a child.
Este adesea insotit de adverbe de frecventa: sometimes, often, always, usually, rarely, seldom etc.

4. o naratiune in trecut:
I stopped to buy a newspaper and then sat down on a bench to read it. The news was quite
depressing. So I got up and took a walk and tried to think happy thoughts.

TRECUTUL CONTINUU (PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS)

Trecutul continuu - FORMA

Forma de trecut a lui to be + ING

Utilizare:
1. actiuni trecute cu o anumita durata, dar ale caror limite precise in timp nu sunt cunoscute:
It was raining and getting colder.
2. actiuni trecute care au inceput inainte si au continuat probabil dupa un anumit moment dat:
At noon the sun was shining.
At 10 o’clock at night Jerry was studying.
Momentul dat poate fi exprimat si de o expresie de timp la trecutul simplu:
When Tom arrived, the sun was shining.

3. actiuni in curs de derulare in trecut (in descrieri):

The flowers were blooming, the birds were singing and the breeze was blowing softly.

COMPARATI: diferenta de sens dintre cele doua timpuri:

When the bell rang, Sam was having breakfast. (Sam was in the middle of breakfast when the bell
started to ring.) – continuitate
When the door bell rang, Sam ran to open the door. (Sam ran to the door as soon as the door bell
rang.) – spontaneitate

EXERCITII

1. Transformati intrebarile in propozitii afirmative:

1. Did John come at midnight?

………………………………………………………………
2. Did the children understand the instructions?
………………………………………………………………

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 3. Did Dr. Carter bring the antibiotics?
………………………………………………………………
4. Did the cook freeze the strawberries?
………………………………………………………………
5. Did his mother fly with KLM?
………………………………………………………………
6. Did the Browns drive all the way to Arizona?
………………………………………………………………
7. Did she feed the cat?
………………………………………………………………
8. Did Elvis Presley sing in the 60’s?
………………………………………………………………
9. Did the children fight again?
………………………………………………………………
10. Did Joe pay for the chocolate?
………………………………………………………………

2. Folositi trecutul simplu sau continuu:

1. Ted ..................... (wake) up because the children ........................ (make) noise.

2. The boys …………………… (row) in the middle of the lake when they ……………….. (hear) a loud
thunder.
3. Grandfather ………………… (strike) a match and the wood ……………… (catch) fire immediately.
4. The maid …………………… (polish) the crystal glass when it suddenly ………………… (slip) and
……………….. (crash) to the ground.
5. Dr. Jones ........................... (write) a prescription when the phone ..................... (ring).
6. You ………………….. (like) the play last night? Yes indeed, I ………………… (think) it was very well
acted.
7. I always ………………… (carry) the front door key in my purse, but my husband ……………………
(convince) me not to.
8. Even though Mark ……………… still ……………….. (talk), Vanessa …………………………. (fall
asleep).
9. The plumber …………………… (leave), when the old lady finally ………………… (open) the door.
10. I’m sorry, I ………………….. (not pay) attention to what you ……………………… (say).

PERFECTUL PREZENT (PRESENT PERFECT)

Perfectul prezent - FORMA

have + participiul trecut (forma a III-a vb regulate si neregulate)

Utilizare: Perfectul prezent are o legatura clara cu prezentul, chiar daca este un timp trecut din punct de vedere
gramatical.

1. actiuni care au inceput in trecut si s-au terminat cu putin inainte de momentul prezent:
I have done my homework. Can I go out now?

2. actiuni trecute recente cand timpul nu este mentionat:

I have lost my address book.
Have the children had their dinner?
The boss has read you report.

3. impreuna cu urmatoarele adverbe si expresii de timp (se foloseste pentru lega un moment trecut nedefinit de
prezent): just, already, since, for, recently, lately, yet, so far, never … before, before now, ever, today, this
week, this century, this morning, this evening, in the last few days, in the past month, in recent weeks etc.
Has the teacher corrected the tests yet?
They haven’t been able to do it so far.
There hasn’t been any rain in the past month.
What have you done today?
Medicine has made great progress this century.

NOTA: For indica durata de timp: Jim has studied karate for two months.
Since indica punctul de inceput in timp: Sally’s been ill since Monday.

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PERFECTUL PREZENT CONTINUU (PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS)

Perfectul prezent continuu - FORMA

Perfectul prezent al lui to be (have been, has been) + ING

Utilizare:
1. se foloseste pentru actiuni care au inceput in trecut si continua pana in momentul prezent:
I have been waiting for an hour and the museum has still not opened!
Harry can’t come right now: he has been cleaning the garage and needs a shower.

COMPARATI: diferenta de sens intre cele doua timpuri:

Mary has polished the silver. (Mary has just finished.)
Mary has been polishing the silver. (Mary may still be polishing.)

EXERCITII

1. Folositi trecutul simplu sau perfectul prezent.

1. …..................... you ever ........................ (read) Frank Herbert’s Dune?

2. Ladies and gentlemen, our speaker …………………… (give) us some very exciting news.
3. Yesterday you …………………… (make) this very same mistake: Why …………… you …………………..
(repeat) it again today?
4. ………………… you ………………… (not get tired) of waiting yet?
5. When …………… the girls ………………… (see) their godfather last?
6. When the bell ………………… (ring), the students ………………….. (feel) relieved.
7. Lately I …………………… (not mind) giving him a hand with the accounts, but last year I truly
…………………… (hate) it.
8. I don’t know where he is. I …………………… (not see) him for ages.
9. When Diane finally ………………… (meet) her boss, she ………………… (feel) nervous.
10. ………………… you ever ………………… (be) to the Austrian Alps? Oh yes, I …………………… (spend)
a wonderful week there last August.

2. Folositi perfectul prezent sau perfectul prezent continuu.

1. We’re having a test on the History of Sociology next Friday. We …………………………………………

(study) it in the past few weeks.
2. They ………………..…………… (give) their new baby a name. They …………………..……………
(decide) to call him Orlando.
3. The people in this building are not very friendly. We …………………………… (live) here for five years
and we still don’t know anybody.
4. Please ask the movers to be careful. The furniture ………………….……… (be) in perfect condition for
years.
5. This antique ………………………… (belong) to my family for generations.
6. Alicia is beginning to look like a skeleton. She …………………………..……… (diet) non-stop since last
year.
7. It’s freezing in here. The air conditioning ………………………………..… (work) for hours. I wish you
would turn it off.
8. They ………………………………… (appreciate) your last visits.
9. What on earth ………………… you …………………… (do)? You look an absolute mess. Please go and get
cleaned up before dinner.
10. Lately, I …………………………………….. (give up) eating meat.

MAI MULT CA PERFECTUL (PAST PERFECT)

Mai mult ca perfectul - FORMA

had + participiul trecut

Utilizare: Mai mult ca perfectul este trecutul perfectului prezent.

1. se foloseste la fel ca perfectul prezent in CORESPONDENTA TIMPURILOR. Comparati:

Perfectul prezent: Larry’s wife is quite worried: she hasn’t heard from him for several days.

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Mai mult ca perfectul: Larry’s wife was quite worried: she hadn’t heard from him for several days.

2. pentru a sublinia ca o actiune trecuta a avut loc inaintea unei alte actiuni trecute:
After the illustrator had finished, the book was finally ready for publication.
Seeing that their mother had fallen ill, the children grew depressed.

NOTA: Cand nu este necesara sublinierea succesiunii evenimentelor sau cand este clar ca o actiune s-a petrecut inaintea
celeilalte, se folosesc doua trecuturi simple.
Tony felt relieved when he passed the exam.
The executioner waited until the prisoner finished smoking his last cigarette.

MAI MULT CA PERFECTUL CONTINUU (PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS)

Mai mult ca perfectul continuu - FORMA

had been + ING

Utilizare:
1. se foloseste la fel ca perfectul prezent continuu, numai ca sensul este mutat mai demult in trecut (vezi
CORESPONDENTA TIMPURILOR):
Perfectul prezent continuu: It is time to stop. Hillary has been working non-stop since breakfast!
Mai mult ca perfectul continuu: It was time to stop. Hillary had been working non-stop since breakfast!

2. poate exprima o actiune trecuta repetata, care a durat pana la un moment dat in timp:
My father had been getting up at daybreak until his accident.
I had been calling her every evening until we quarreled.

EXERCITII
1. Folositi perfectul prezent sau mai mult ca perfectul.

1. Olivia was surprised to meet Lou: she ................................ (not see) him since high school.
2. The house was in complete disarray; it was evident that the burglars just ………………… (leave).
3. It’s lovely outside. It never ………………… (be) this warm in March before.
4. Mr. and Mrs. West were well known members of the community. They …………………… (live) in
Arlington since their marriage.
5. They certainly looked surprised! They ever …………………… (not eat) frog legs before?
6. Today ………………… (be) a long day: I …………………… (clean) the house from top to bottom. Now I
can finally relax.

2. Folositi perfectul prezent, perfectul prezent continuu, mai mult ca perfectul sau mai mult ca perfectul
continuu.

1. When he finally took the foreign service exam, he .......................................... (learn) Japanese for ten years.
2. It seems difficult to believe that we …………………….………… (not go out) for such a long time.
3. The carpet is covered with torn up paper. Harry ………………….……………… (work) on his book again.
4. The entire house was sparkling. The children ……………………..………… (clean) it thoroughly to
welcome their mother home from the hospital.
5. All the CDs were scattered about. It was obvious that Michael ………………….………… (listen) to music
instead of walking the dogs.
6. None of us knew for sure how much the boss …………………………… (pay) Sam for the extra work.

APLICATII

PEN PALS

1. Writing a letter.

The questions you asked me:

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First of all: the most interesting place to visit. Well, I haven’t been to some of the most famous
ones, but the place that I like best is Canterbury. It’s in Kent, and quite near Dover, so it would
be easy for you to get there.

Secondly, my favorite film actor. You wrote ‘English’ in your letter, but my favorite film actor is
Scottish – Sean Connery. I know he’s quite old now, but I think he’s wonderful. Did you know
that he was the first James Bond? He was in ‘Dr No’, which was made in 1962 – forty years
ago!

Finally, my favorite English food. Well, English food isn’t really very exciting, but there are
some great places to eat. You can find food from all over the world here. My favorite food in
Indian. I’ll take you to an amazing Indian restaurant when you visit me.

2. Write a similar letter about yourself, answering the same three questions.

Did you know?

 the three most difficult things to say are: I love you, Sorry, and Help me!
 it's easier to say what you feel in writing? But did you know that it has more value when you say it face to
face?