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
解析：答案选B。

“但她曾经答应要来的”，过去的许诺，故用一般过去时。

3. —You haven’t said a word about my new coat, Brenda. Do you like it?
—I’m sorry I ______ anything about it sooner. I certainly think it’s pretty on you.
A. wasn’t saying
B. don’t say
C. won’t say
D. didn’t say
解析：答案选D。

用一般过去时，指“我刚才没急于说”。

4. All morning as she waited for the medical report from the doctor, her nervousness ______.
A. has grown
B. is growing
C. grew
D. had grown
解析：答案选C。

紧张伴随等的过程而产生，应同时发生，waited 是一般过去时，grow 也用一般过去时。

5. I thought Jim would say something about his school report, but he ______ it.
A. doesn’t mention
B. hadn’t mentioned
C. didn’t mention
D. hasn’t mentioned
解析：答案选C。

只描述过去所发生的情况，但没有强调对现在的影响，用一般过去时。

6. I ______ while reading the English textbook. Luckily, my roommate woke me up in time!
A. had fallen asleep
B. have fallen asleep
C. fell asleep
D. fall asleep
解析：答案选C。

描写过去发生的情况用一般过去时。

7. Sales of CDs have greatly increased since the early 1990s, when people ______ to enjoy the advantages of this new technology.
A. begin
B. began
C. have begun
D. had begun
解析：答案选B。

when引导的是一个非限制性定语从句，when指20世纪90年代初，当然用一般过去时。

8. —I hear Jane has gone to the Holy Island for her holiday.
—Oh, how nice! Do you know when she ______?
A. was leaving
B. had left
C. has left
D. left
解析：答案选D。

因为Jane已经度假去了，“离开”此地就当然是在此之前的过去某个时间了，所以用一般过去时，选D。

另外，when通常都不与完成时连用，排除B和C，A也与语境不符。

9. I ______ you not to move my dictionary—-now I can’t find it.
A. asked
B. ask
C. was asking
D. had asked
解析：答案选A。

由now可知前句的意思是：我曾经叫你不要搬动我的词典的(你偏不听)。

“叫”是在过去发生的动作，用一般过去时。

10. The teacher, with 6 girls and 8 boys of her class, ______ visiting a museum when the earthquake struck.
A. was
B. were
C. had been
D. would be
解析：答案选A。

由when the earthquake struck可知，要用一般过去时，排除C和D; 又因为主语是单数the teacher，所以只有A正确。

11. The discussion ____ alive when an interesting topic was brought in.
A. was coming
B. had come
C. has come
D. came
解析：答案选D。

由when…was brought in可知，come也是过去发生的事，用一般过去时。

句意是：当引入一个有趣的话题时，那场讨论又变得活跃起来。

12. She ______her hairstyle in her hometown before she came to Chongqing for a better job.
A. would change
B. has changed
C. changed
D. was changing
解析：答案选C。

由came可知，她已来重庆了，而改变发型是在来重庆之前，即过去的过去，按理要用过去完成时，但before已经表明紧接着发生的先后两个动作，所以也可用一般过去时，所以选C。

13. What we used to think ______ impossible now does seem possible.
A. is
B. was
C. has been
D. will be
解析：答案选B。

根据句中的used to可知，空格处应填一般过去时。

句意为：我们过去认为不可能的现在都似乎有可能成为现实。

14. It is said that the early European playing-cards ______ for entertainment and education.
A. were being designed
B. have designed
C. have been designed
D. were designed
解析：答案选D。

解答此题的关键是要抓住early这一形容词。

early European playing-cards 的意思是“早期欧洲人玩的扑克牌”，既然是“早期”，肯定就是过去的事了，所以用一般过去时。

15. I ______ in London for many years, but I’ve never regretted my final decision to move back to China.()
A. lived
B. was living
C. have lived
D. had lived
解析：答案选A。

许多同学一看到后面的have never regretted为现在完成时，同时选项C 也是现在完成时，结果滥用时态呼应，将答案误选C。

其实，此题的最佳答案是A。

句中but 后的句子告诉我们，说话者现在已搬回了上海，所以他住在伦敦应属于过去的事情，故应用一般过去时。

16. Eliza remembers everything exactly as if ______ yesterday.
A. was happening
B. happens
C. has happened
D. happened
解析：答案选D。

根据句中的yesterday可知，要用一般过去时。

17. I ______ along the street looking for a place to park when the accident ______.
A. went; was occurring
B. went; occurred
C. was going; occurred
D. was going; had occurred
解析：答案选C。

第一空用过去进行时，表示过去正在发生的情况; 第二空用一般过去时，表示过去突然发生的一件事。

18. My cousin went to Canada two yours ago. He ______ there for a few months and then went to America.
A. worked
B. would work
C. would be working
D. has been working
解析：答案选A。

注意句中的三个动作：去加拿大→在那儿住了几年→然后去了美国。

由于前后两个动作用的都是一般过去时，显然中间的“在那儿住了几年”应用一般过去时。

19. As the years passed, many occasions—birthdays, awards, graduations — ______ with Dad’s flowers.
A. are marked
B. were marked
C. have marked
D. had marked
解析：答案选B。

由于句中增加了插入成分birthdays, awards, graduations，使得句子的主语与谓语were marked分离，从而增加了考生对句子理解的难度。

根据句意，空格处应填被动语态; 再根据句中的passed的时态特点可知，空格处也应用一般过去时，故选B。

20. —Ouch! You hurt me!
—I am sorry. But I ______ any harm. I ______ to drive a rat out.
A. didn’t mean; tried
B. don’t mean; am trying
C. haven’t meant; tried
D. didn’t mean; was trying
解析：答案选D。

对于刚刚发生的情况，要用一般过去时或过去进行时。

答语的意思是：对不起。

但我不是有意要弄伤你，我是在把一只老鼠赶出去。

21. I know a little bit about Italy as my wife and I ______ there several years ago.
A. are going
B. had been
C. went
D. have been
解析：C。

根据句末的several years ago可知，此处应用一般过去时。

22. They ______ two free tickets to Canada, otherwise they’d never have been able to afford to go.()
A. had got
B. got
C. have got
D. get
解析：答案选B。

句子前半句讲的是过去的事实，用一般过去时; 后半句讲的是对过去情况的假设，故用了would never have been这样的形式。

23. The play had already been on for quite some time when we ______ at the New Theatre.
A. have arrived
B. arrived
C. had arrived
D. arrive
解析：答案选B。

由于句中的had already been用的是过去完成时，而根据句意，arrive显然应发生在其后，故要用一般过去时。

全句意为：当我们到达新剧院时，戏已经演了好一会儿了。

24. When I called you this morning, nobody answered the phone. Where ______?
A. did you go
B. have you gone
C. were you
D. had you been
解析：C。

句子的前半句说上午打电话时没有人接电话，而后半句问对方当时在什么地方。

显然，句子前后两部分的时间应一致，即用一般过去时。

25. The hotel wasn’t particularly good. But I ______ in many worse hotels.
A. was staying
B. stayed
C. would stay
D. had stayed
解析：D。

根据The hotel wasn’t particularly good这一句中的一般过去时可推知stay in many worse hotels要用过去完成时，因为它发生在wasn’t之前。

26. I called Hnnah many times yesterday evening, but I couldn’t get through. Her brother ______ on the phone all the time!
A. was talking
B. has been talking
C. has talked
D. talked
解析：A。

I called…和I couldn’t get through…用的都是一般过去时，而talk on the phone这一动作正是发生在I couldn’t get through…期间，故要用过去进行时。

27. We first met on a train in 2000. We both felt immediately that we ______ each other for years.
A. knew
B. have known
C. had known
D. know
解析：答案选C。

根据主句中的felt可知，其后的宾语从句应用过去时态，故可排除B和D；再根据语境和句中的for years可知用过去完成时比用一般过去时更佳。

28. —Have you known Dr. Jackson for a long time?
—Yes, since she ______ the Chinese Society.
A. has joined
B. joins
C. had joined
D. joined
解析：答案选D。

since she join the Chinese Society为I have known Dr. Jackson since she join the Chinese Society之省略。

连词since所搭配的时态通常是：主句用现在完成时，从句用一般过去时。

29. If you don’t like the drink you ______ just leave it and try a different one.
A. ordered
B. are ordering
C. will order
D. had ordered
解析：答案选A。

句子的意思是：如果你不喜欢你点的饮料，把它放在一边，另外试一种。

根据此句意可知，“点饮料”已经发生了，否则怎么知道自己不喜欢呢？所以空格处用一般过去时。

又如：
I accelerated and left the other cars behind. 我加速行驶，把其他的车子抛在后面。

He asked her to marry him and she accepted him. 他向她求婚，她同意了。

30. —Have you known Dr Jackson for a long time?
—Yes, since she ______ the Chinese Society.()
A. has joined
B. joins
C. had joined
D. joined
解析：答案选D。

since she join the Chinese Society为I have known Dr. Jackson since she join the Chinese Society之省略。

连词since所搭配的时态通常是：主句用现在完成时，从句用一般过去时。

31. If the weather had been better, we could have had a picnic. But it ______ all day.
A. rained
B. rains
C. has rained
D. is raining
解析：答案选A。

本题使用了虚拟语气作为命题背景，且该虚拟语气谈的是过去情况（根据句中的had been和could have had可知），句意为“要是（当时）天气好一点，我们就可以去野餐了”。

该虚拟语气的言外之意是“（由于天气不好）我们没有去野餐”。

为什么没去呢？but后说的就是其原因：整天都在下雨。

以上综合以上语境分析，空格处只能填一般过去时。

32. —Did you go to the show last night?
—Yeah. Every boy and girl in the area ______ invited.
A. were
B. have been
C. has been
D. was
解析：答案选D。

此题既考查时态的用法，同时又考查主语一致。

根据问句中的时态和last night这一短语可知，此处谈的是昨晚的事，故应用一般过去时，而不用现在完成时。

另外，根据英语语法，当两个或多个名词并列作主语，且受到every的修饰时，其后谓语动词要用单数。

故答案选D。

33. He ______ football regularly for many years when he was young.
A. was playing
B. played
C. has played
D. had played
解析：答案选B。

根据句中的when he was young可知，主句时态宜用一般过去时，句意为：他在年轻时经常踢球，并踢过许多年。

34. I don’t believe you’ve already finished reading the book—I ______ it to you this morning!
A. would lend
B. was lending
C. had lent
D. lent
解析：答案选D。

根据句末的this morning可知，空格处应填一般过去时。

35. —You speak very good French!
—Thanks. I ______ French in Sichuan University for four years.
A. studied
B. study
C. was studying
D. had studied
解析：答案选A。

根据句意及句中时间状语for four years可推知，空格处该用一般过去时或现在完成时；由于选项中没有现在完成时，故用一般过去时。

36. — The food here is nice enough.
—My friend ______ me a right place.
A. introduces
B. introduced
C. had introduced
D. was introducing
解析：答案选B。

根据对话内容可知，此刻说话者就在其朋友介绍的那个餐馆用餐，所以其朋友给他们介绍这家餐馆肯定是在此之前，故用一般过去时。

即选B。

顺便说一句，这道题中的My friend introduced me a right place有两处惯用法问题：一是introduce习惯上不接双宾语；二是introduce表示“介绍”时，主要用于介绍两个不认识的互相认识，或是向听众或观众宣布并介绍演讲者或广播、节目等的细节。

此句中的“介绍”其实是指“推荐”，故应用recommend，即应改为：My friend recommended me a right place.
37. Edward, you play so well. But I ______ you played the piano.
A. didn’t know
B. hadn’t known
C. don’t know
D. haven’t known
解析：答案选A。

根据句意可知，说话者是“过去”不知道，现在已经知道了，因此句子用一般过去时。

句意为：爱德华，你弹得太好了。

但我之前不知道你会弹钢琴。

又如：Hello!
I didn’t know you were in London. How long have you been here? 你好! 我之前不知道你在伦敦。

你在这里多久了?
38. Scientists have many theories about how the universe ______ into being.
A. came
B. was coming
C. had come
D. would come
解析：答案选A。

根据常识可知，宇宙的形成是发生在过去，故用一般过去时。

句意为：关于宇宙如何形成科学家们有很多推测。

又如：When did the world come into being? 世界是何时开始存在的?
39. When I talked with my grandma on the phone, she sounded weak, but by the time we ______ up, her voice had been full of life.
A. were hanging
B. had hung
C. hung
D. would hang
解析：答案选C。

从逻辑上说，当我在电话里和奶奶聊天时，她的声音听起来很虚弱；但到我们要挂电话时，她的声音又充满朝气。

从逻辑上说，应该是“奶奶的声音又充满朝气”在先，“我们挂断电话”在后，如果是反过来的话，那说话者就无法听知道“奶奶的声音又充满朝气”之回事了。

所以“挂断电话”应用一般过去时。

另外，由于by the time后接的定语从句通常要用一般现在时代替一般将来时，用一般过去时代替过去将来时，所以选项D 不能选。

40. I was out of town at the time, so I don’t know exactly how it ______.
A. was happening
B. happened
C. happens
D. has happened
解析：答案选B。

根据前面句中的一般过去时was可知，事情发生在过去，所以happen也宜用一般过去时。

句意为：当时我不在镇上，所以我不是很清楚事情是怎么发生的。

41. —What do you think of the movie?
—It’s fantastic. The only pity is that I ______ the beginning.
A. missed
B. had missed
C. miss
D. would miss
解析：答案选A。

根据问句的意思（你觉得这部电影如何）可知，答话者已看了这部电影，所以“错过电影的开头”应用一般过去时。

42. —I’ve got to go now.()
—Must you? I ______ you could stay for dinner with us.
A. think
B. thought
C. have thought
D. am thinking
解析：答案选B。

既然现在对方提出要走了，所以，以为对方要留下来吃晚饭的想法肯定就是过去想法，故用一般过去时。

I thought…在这类句型中通常译为“我原以为……”“我还以为……”。

又如：I thought you’d be like your sister, but you’re quite different. 我本以为你会像你姐姐，但是你们俩完全不一样。

43. —Ann is in hospital.
—Oh, really? I ______ know. I ______ go and visit her.
A. didn’t; am going to
B. don’t; would
C. don’t; will
D. didn’t; will
解析：答案选D。

根据句意，在此之前说话人不知道安住院了，因此第一空用一般过去时；说话人打算去看她，这个动作还没发生，因此第二空用一般将来时。

注意be going to与will 表示将来的区别：表示临时的决定，要用be going to，不用will。

44. Bob would have helped us yesterday, but he ______.
A. was busy
B. is busy
C. had been busy.
D. will be busy
解析：答案选A。

but…引出的句子谈论的是事实，故应用陈述语气，由于是谈论昨天的情况，故用一般过去时。

全句意为：鲍勃昨天是要帮助我们的，但他太忙了。

45. Excuse me. I ______ I was blocking your way.
A. didn’t realize
B. don’t realize
C. haven’t realized
D. wasn’t realizing 解析：答案选A。

该句的谈话背景是：一个人挡住了另一个人的路，于是他说“对不起，我没有意识到我挡了你的路”。

显然，当这个人说“对不起，我没有意识到……”的时候，显然他说话的时候是“意识到了”，也就是说“没有意识到”在他道歉的时候已属过去了，故要用一般过去时。

46. In 1492, Columbus ______ on one of the Bahama Islands, but he mistook it for an island off India.
A. lands
B. landed
C. has landed
D. had landed
解析：答案选B。

根据句中的过去时间状语in 1947可知，句应用一般过去时。

句意为：1492年，哥伦布登上了巴哈马群岛，但他误以为那是印度的岛屿。

又如：
47. — Bob has gone to California.
—Oh, can you tell me when he ______?
A. had left
B. left
C. is leaving
D. would leave
解析：答案选B。

根据上文中的has gone to（已经到……去了）可知，鲍勃的离开发生在过去（因为他已经离开了），故用一般过去时。

又如：
It happened in the first century AD. 这事发生在公元一世纪。

She had an accident on her way home. 她在回家的途中发生事故。