一般过去时--英语动词时态详解

The Old Cat

An old woman had a cat.The cat was very old; she could not run quickly,and she could not bite,because she was so old.One day the old cat saw a mouse; she jumped and caught the mouse.But she could not bite it; so the mouse got out of her mouth and ran away,because the cat could not bite it.

Then the old woman became very angry because the cat had not killed the mouse.She began to hit the cat.The cat said,"Do not hit your old servant.I have worked for you for many years,and I would work for you still,but I am too old.Do not be unkind to the old,but remember what good work the old did when they were young."

【译文】

老猫

一位老妇有只猫,这只猫很老,它跑不快了,也咬不了东西,因为它年纪太大了.一天,老猫发现一只老鼠,它跳过去抓这只老鼠,然而,它咬不住这只老鼠.因此,老鼠从它的嘴边溜掉了,因为老猫咬不了它.

于是,老妇很生气,因为老猫没有把老鼠咬死.她开始打这只猫,猫说：“不要打你的老仆人,我已经为你服务了很多年,而且还愿意为你效劳,但是,我实在太老了,对年纪大的不要这么无情,要记住老年人在年青时所做过的有益的事情.”

英语动词时态详解：一般过去时

一、一般过去时的定义

一般过去时表示过去某一时候或某一段时间所发生了的事情或存在的状态。常与过去时间yesterday, this morning, just now, a moment ago, in May, last night / year / week, once upon a time, the other day, in the past 等连用。如：

What did you do yesterday? 昨天你干了什么？

I met Lin Tao this morning. 今天上午我会到了林涛。

I was there a moment ago. 刚才我在那儿。

二、一般过去时的应用

1. 一般过去时表示过去

(1) 表示过去发生的动作或存在的状态：

He bought the computer five years ago. 这电脑是他五年前买的。

It was then a small fishing village．那时它只是一个小渔村。

(2) 表示过去经常性或习惯性的动作：

We often played together when we were children．我们小时候常在一起玩。

注：表过去习惯性的动词，也可用used to或would：

He used to go to work by bus. 他过去常乘公共汽车去上班。

2. 一般过去时表示现在

(1) 在宾语从句中，由于时态呼应的关系，可用一般过去时表示现在：

I didn’t know you were here. 我不知道你在这儿。(were实际上指现在)

I didn’t know you were so busy．我没想到你这么忙。(were实际上指现在)

(2) 表示客气委婉的现在

I wondered if you were free this evening. 不知您今晚是否有空。

I thought you might like some flowers. 我想您也许想要些花。

注：能这样有的动词主要限于want, wonder, think, hope, intend等少数动词。

(3) 用于某些特殊结构中表示现在

It’s time we started. 我们该动身了。

I wish I knew his name. 要是我知道他的名字就好了。

I’d rather you lived closer to us. 我希望你能住得离我们近点。

注：该用法主要用于it’s time, I wish, I’d rather, if only, as if, as though 等少数结构后接从句的情形，其中有些结构后面的句子还可用一般过去时表示将来：

I’d rather you come next Monday. 我宁愿你下周星期一来。

另外表主观想法的虚拟条件句也用一般过去时表示现在：

If I had the money now I’d buy a car. 假若我现在有钱，我就买辆小汽车。

三、一般过去时对谓语动词的要求

一般过去时的谓语动词要用动词的过去式。动词过去式的构成分规则变化和不规则变化两种形式，不规则变化通常需要逐个记忆，规则变化则遵循以下原则：

(1) 一般在动词后加-ed。如：play—played, climb-climbed, offer—offered, weigh—weighed, destroy—destroyed, sign—signed.

(2) 在以字母e结尾的动词后，只加-d。如：like—liked, hate —hated, provide—provided, date —dated。

(3) 在以“辅音字母+y”结尾的动词后，则改y为i，再加—ed。如：study—studied, worry-worried, supply—supplied, ,

(4) 在以单短元音的重读闭音节结尾且，末尾只有一个辅音字母的动词后，双写最后一个辅音字母，再加-ed。如：plan—planned, stop-stopped, shop-shopped, refer—referred, regret —regretted, ban—banned.

四、特别说明

有些动词的过去时，如：expect, hope, intend, plan, wanted 等一般过去时，后接不定式的完成时；或它们的过去完成时接不定式的一般式，都可表示过去未曾实现的意图、打算或希望。如：

I hoped to have been invited to his wedding party. —I had hoped to be invited to his wedding ceremony. 我本希望他来邀请我参加他的婚礼。

I intended to have joined their games. —I had intended to join their games. 我本打算参加他们的比赛。

五、典型考题（附详解）

1. Helen ______ her keys in the office so she had to wait until her husband ______ home.

A. has left; comes

B. left; had come

C. had left; came

D. had left; would come

解析：答案选C。leave 应发生在had to wait 这个过去动作之前，“过去的过去”用过去完成时; 后一空用一般过去时表示过去将来。

2. —Nancy is not coming tonight.

—But she ______!

A. promises

B. promised

C. will promise

D. had promised