把握时态：动词时态、主要词形与不规则动词

This chapter is long, but be at ease, Louise. Much of this chapter consists of examples that illustrate the ideas discussed here. Most of it is not difficult. 这一章很长，不过放轻松，露易丝。本章大部分内容由阐释此处所讨论观念的例句构成。其中绝大部分并不难。

There’s a good deal to know about verbs, including the matters of verb** tenses** and the related notions of the principal parts of verbs and the regular and irregular verbs. 关于动词有许多知识需要了解，包括动词时态（tenses）的相关问题，以及与之相关的动词主要词形（principal parts）、规则动词（regular verbs）与不规则动词（irregular verbs）等概念。

The good news is that you know much of this already. You’ve used the tenses and principal parts ever since you learned to talk. What may be new to you here are the terms that we apply to them and the way we organize them. So relax, Max. 好消息是你已经掌握了其中大部分内容。自从学会说话，你就一直在使用时态和主要词形。对你来说可能新鲜的是我们用来指称它们的术语，以及我们组织它们的方式。所以放宽心，麦克斯。

THE TENSES

时态

*Tense? *We don’t mean over-caffeinated verbs. We mean that, in the right context, verbs communicate that an action took place in the present, past, or future. 时态（Tense）？ 我们指的不是喝了太多咖啡因的动词。我们的意思是，在恰当的语境中，动词能传达某个动作发生在现在、过去或将来。

English has four sets of tenses, and each set contains a present, a past, and a future tense, each with its own distinctions in refer- ence to time. Here we’ll examine briefly all four sets: 英语有四组时态，每组都包含现在时、过去时和将来时，各自在时间指称上有所区别。这里我们简要考察全部四组：

The simple tenses: present, past, and future. The perfect tenses: present, past, and future. 简单时态（simple tenses）：现在时、过去时、将来时。完成时态（perfect tenses）：现在时、过去时、将来时。

The simple progressive tenses: present, past, and future. The perfect progressive tenses: present, past, and future. 简单进行时态（simple progressive tenses）：现在时、过去时、将来时。完成进行时态（perfect progressive tenses）：现在时、过去时、将来时。

THE SIMPLE TENSES

简单时态

These are the tenses we use most often: 这些是我们最常用的时态：

Today I phone my mother. Yesterday I phoned my mother. Tomorrow I will phone my mother. Today I phone my mother. Yesterday I phoned my mother. Tomorrow I will phone my mother. （今天我给母亲打电话。/ 昨天我给母亲打了电话。/ 明天我将给母亲打电话。）

SIMPLE PRESENT: SIMPLE PAST: SIMPLE FUTURE: SIMPLE PRESENT:（简单现在时：） SIMPLE PAST:（简单过去时：） SIMPLE FUTURE:（简单将来时：）

Notice that we seldom use the simple present in a sentence like “Today I phone my mother.” Instead, we use the simple past: 注意，我们很少在像 “Today I phone my mother” 这样的句子中使用简单现在时。相反，我们会用简单过去时：

Today I phoned my mother. Today I phoned my mother.（今天我给母亲打了电话。）

Or we use the simple future, 或者我们用简单将来时，

Today I will phone my mother. Today I will phone my mother.（今天我将给母亲打电话。）

Or we use a tense that we’ll examine in a moment, the present** ** progressive tense: 或者我们使用一种稍后将考察的时态——现在进行时态：

I’m phoning my mother right now. I’m phoning my mother right now.（我现在正给母亲打电话。）

But we’ll continue to use this somewhat unusual form in our examples of the simple present. 但我们在简单现在时的例句中，仍会继续使用这种有些不寻常的形式。

Here are more examples of the simple tenses: 下面是简单时态的更多例子：

Today I talk. Yesterday I talked. Tomorrow I will talk. SIMPLE PRESENT: SIMPLE PAST: SIMPLE FUTURE: Today I talk. Yesterday I talked. Tomorrow I will talk. （今天我说。/ 昨天我说了。/ 明天我将说。） SIMPLE PRESENT:（简单现在时：） SIMPLE PAST:（简单过去时：） SIMPLE FUTURE:（简单将来时：）

Today I walk. Yesterday I walked. Tomorrow I will walk. SIMPLE PRESENT: SIMPLE PAST: SIMPLE FUTURE: Today I walk. Yesterday I walked. Tomorrow I will walk. （今天我走。/ 昨天我走了。/ 明天我将走。） SIMPLE PRESENT:（简单现在时：） SIMPLE PAST:（简单过去时：） SIMPLE FUTURE:（简单将来时：）

Today I build. Yesterday I built. Tomorrow I will build. SIMPLE PRESENT: SIMPLE PAST: SIMPLE FUTURE: Today I build. Yesterday I built. Tomorrow I will build. （今天我建造。/ 昨天我建造了。/ 明天我将建造。） SIMPLE PRESENT:（简单现在时：） SIMPLE PAST:（简单过去时：） SIMPLE FUTURE:（简单将来时：）

As these examples show, we create the simple present tense by using the simplest possible form of a verb. The simple present ends with -s in cases like these: he phones, he talks, he builds. 正如这些例子所示，我们用动词最简单的形式来构成简单现在时。在 he phones、he talks、he builds 这样的情形中，简单现在时以 -s 结尾。

For the great majority of English verbs, we create the simple past tense by adding -d (as in phoned) or -ed (as in talked, walked, * or hunted*) to the present form. In a few cases, we make the past by adding -t (as in built). 对于绝大多数英语动词，我们通过在现在式后加 -d（如 phoned）或 -ed（如 talked、walked 或 hunted）来构成简单过去时。少数情况下，我们通过加 -t（如 built）来构成过去式。

With all verbs, we create the simple future tense by adding the auxiliary verb will to the simple present form. 对于所有动词，我们都通过把助动词 will 加在简单现在式上来构成简单将来时。

THE PERFECT TENSES

完成时态

The perfect tenses are not called perfect because they’re flawless. (Only your grammar teacher is flawless.) They are called perfect because the perfect tenses describe actions that have already been completed (i.e., perfected)* at some point in the past, present, or future. 完成时态（perfect tenses）被称为"完成"，并不是因为它们完美无缺（只有你的语法老师才完美无缺）。它们被称为完成*，是因为完成时态描述的是在过去、现在或将来某个时刻已经完成的动作（即"完善"了的）。

All the perfect tenses are based on a form of the main verb called the past participle, which in most verbs is identical to the form in the simple past tense. (We’ll see more of the past participle a bit later.) 所有完成时态都基于主要动词的一种形式，称为过去分词（past participle），在大多数动词中它与简单过去时的形式相同。（稍后我们会更多地看到过去分词。）

Verbs in the present perfect tense always add the auxiliary verb *have *(or has) to the past participle form. They refer to actions that were recently completed: 现在完成时态的动词总是把助动词 have（或 has）加在过去分词形式上。它们指最近完成的动作：

I have called my mother today. She has called her mother today. I have called my mother today. She has called her mother today. （我今天给母亲打过电话了。/ 她今天给她的母亲打过电话了。）

Verbs in the past perfect tense** always **add the auxiliary had to the past participle form. They refer to actions completed at some point in the past: 过去完成时态的动词总是把助动词 had 加在过去分词形式上。它们指在过去某个时刻已完成的动作：

I had called my mother by noon yesterday. I had called my mother by noon yesterday.（昨天的正午之前，我已经给母亲打过电话了。）

The future perfect tense, like the simple future tense, always begins with the auxiliary *will, *followed by have: 将来完成时态与简单将来时一样，总是以助动词 will 开头，其后接 have：

By noon tomorrow I will have called my mother*.* By noon tomorrow I will have called my mother.（到明天正午之前，我将已经给母亲打过电话了。）

Here are some examples: 下面是一些例子：

Today I have talked. As of yesterday, I had talked. By this time tomorrow I will have talked. PRESENT PERFECT: PAST PERFECT: FUTURE PERFECT: Today I have talked. As of yesterday, I had talked. By this time tomorrow I will have talked. （今天我说过了。/ 截至昨天，我已经说过了。/ 到明天这个时候，我将已经说过了。） PRESENT PERFECT:（现在完成时：） PAST PERFECT:（过去完成时：） FUTURE PERFECT:（将来完成时：）

Today I have walked. As of yesterday, I had walked. By this time tomorrow I will have walked. PRESENT PERFECT: PAST PERFECT: FUTURE PERFECT: Today I have walked. As of yesterday, I had walked. By this time tomorrow I will have walked. （今天我走过路了。/ 截至昨天，我已经走过路了。/ 到明天这个时候，我将已经走过路了。） PRESENT PERFECT:（现在完成时：） PAST PERFECT:（过去完成时：） FUTURE PERFECT:（将来完成时：）

Today I have complained. As of yesterday, I had complained. By this time tomorrow I will have complained. PRESENT PERFECT: PAST PERFECT: FUTURE PERFECT: Today I have complained. As of yesterday, I had complained. By this time tomorrow I will have complained. （今天我抱怨过了。/ 截至昨天，我已经抱怨过了。/ 到明天这个时候，我将已经抱怨过了。） PRESENT PERFECT:（现在完成时：） PAST PERFECT:（过去完成时：） FUTURE PERFECT:（将来完成时：）

If you compare the main verbs in these perfect tense sentences with the main verbs in the simple past sentences that we saw earlier, you’ll see that they are exactly the same words. This is a point that we’ll return to when we discuss regular and irregular verbs. 如果你把这些完成时态句子中的主要动词，与前面看到的简单过去时句子中的主要动词作比较，会发现它们完全是同样的词。这一点我们在讨论规则动词与不规则动词时还会回到。

THE SIMPLE PROGRESSIVE AND PERFECT

简单进行时态与

PROGRESSIVE TENSES

完成进行时态

The simple progressive tenses refer to actions that have been in progress at a particular point in time. The main verbs in 简单进行时态（simple progressive tenses）指的是在某个特定时间点正在进行的动作。进行时态中的主要动词

the progressive tenses always end in -ing, and they always take an auxiliary verb that is a form of the verb *be. * —进行时态中的动词总是以 -ing 结尾，并且总是带有一个作为助动词的、动词 be 的形式。

The future progressive tense always begins with the auxiliaries will be. Here are some examples: 将来进行时态总是以助动词 will be 开头。下面是一些例子：

Today I am phoning. Yesterday I was phoning. Tomorrow I will be phoning. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE: PAST PROGRESSIVE: FUTURE PROGRESSIVE: Today I am phoning. Yesterday I was phoning. Tomorrow I will be phoning. （今天我正在打电话。/ 昨天我当时在打电话。/ 明天我将在打电话。） PRESENT PROGRESSIVE:（现在进行时：） PAST PROGRESSIVE:（过去进行时：） FUTURE PROGRESSIVE:（将来进行时：）

Today I am hunting. Yesterday I was hunting. Tomorrow I will be hunting. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE: PAST PROGRESSIVE: FUTURE PROGRESSIVE: Today I am hunting. Yesterday I was hunting. Tomorrow I will be hunting. （今天我在打猎。/ 昨天我当时在打猎。/ 明天我将在打猎。） PRESENT PROGRESSIVE:（现在进行时：） PAST PROGRESSIVE:（过去进行时：） FUTURE PROGRESSIVE:（将来进行时：）

Today I am griping. Yesterday I was griping. Tomorrow I will be griping. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE: PAST PROGRESSIVE: FUTURE PROGRESSIVE: Today I am griping. Yesterday I was griping. Tomorrow I will be griping. （今天我在抱怨。/ 昨天我当时在抱怨。/ 明天我将在抱怨。） PRESENT PROGRESSIVE:（现在进行时：） PAST PROGRESSIVE:（过去进行时：） FUTURE PROGRESSIVE:（将来进行时：）

In the perfect progressive tenses, we describe actions that have been in progress but were completed* *(or will be completed) in the present, past, or future. 在完成进行时态（perfect progressive tenses）中，我们描述的是那些一直在进行、但在现在、过去或将来已经（或将要）完成的动作。

The main verb is still an -ing form, and it always has two aux- iliaries: a form of have followed by been. In fact, all the auxiliaries in all tenses of the perfect progressive are perfect tenses of the verb be. In the present perfect progress, the auxiliaries are have been * or (with third-person singular subjects) has been. In the past, *they are had been. And, of course, in the future perfect progressive, the auxiliaries are will have been. 主要动词仍是 -ing 形式，并且它总是带有两个助动词：一个 have 的形式，后接 been。事实上，完成进行时态所有时态中的助动词，都是动词 be 的完成时态形式。在现在完成进行时中，助动词是 have been 或（在第三人称单数主语下）has been。在过去完成时中，它们是 had been。当然，在将来完成进行时中，助动词是 will have been。

Today I have been phoning. Yesterday I had been phoning. By this time tomorrow I will have been phoning. PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: Today I have been phoning. Yesterday I had been phoning. By this time tomorrow I will have been phoning. （今天我一直在打电话。/ 昨天我之前一直在打电话。/ 到明天这个时候我将一直在打电话。） PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（现在完成进行时：） PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（过去完成进行时：） FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（将来完成进行时：）

Today I have been hunting. Yesterday I had been hunting. By this time tomorrow I will have been hunting. PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: Today I have been hunting. Yesterday I had been hunting. By this time tomorrow I will have been hunting. （今天我一直在打猎。/ 昨天我之前一直在打猎。/ 到明天这个时候我将一直在打猎。） PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（现在完成进行时：） PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（过去完成进行时：） FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（将来完成进行时：）

Today I have been grousing. Yesterday I had been grousing. By this time tomorrow I will have been grousing. PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE: Today I have been grousing. Yesterday I had been grousing. By this time tomorrow I will have been grousing. （今天我一直在发牢骚。/ 昨天我之前一直在发牢骚。/ 到明天这个时候我将一直在发牢骚。） PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（现在完成进行时：） PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（过去完成进行时：） FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE:（将来完成进行时：）

THE THREE (OR FOUR) PRINCIPAL PARTS

三个（或四个）主要词形

Most English verbs have consistent verb forms that we use to create the tenses we’ve just examined. These are called regular ** verbs, which means that the form to create the past tense and the perfect tenses are the same. That is, in both the simple past tense and the perfect tenses, we add *–d *or –ed, or (in a few cases) add a final -t. No other change in spelling happens, as you’ll see in the table below. 大多数英语动词都有一致的形式，我们用它们来构成刚才考察过的时态。这些被称为规则动词**（regular verbs），这意味着构成过去时和完成时态的形式是相同的。也就是说，无论是在简单过去时还是完成时态中，我们都是加 –d 或 –ed，或者（少数情况）加词尾 -t。如你在下表中将看到的，拼写不会发生其他变化。

So we say that every verb (except some auxiliary verbs) has three** principal parts**: the present, the past, and the past ** participle (which is the form used with have for perfect tenses). These are usually presented in a table like this: 所以我们说，每个动词（少数助动词除外）都有三个主要词形**（principal parts）：现在式、过去式，以及过去分词（past participle，即用于完成时态、与 have 连用的形式）。它们通常以下表形式呈现：

present

past

past participle

现在式

过去式

过去分词

I talk I hunt I phone I build I talked I hunted I phoned I built I have talked I have hunted I have phoned I have built I talk I hunt I phone I build I talked I hunted I phoned I built I have talked I have hunted I have phoned I have built （我说话 / 我打猎 / 我打电话 / 我建造）

All of these are regular verbs. The past and past participle are the same word. 所有这些都是规则动词。过去式与过去分词是同一个词。

Notice the relatively new verb to phone. Newly-created English verbs are always regular: fax, faxed; text, texted; friend, friended. (But there is at least one exception:* We hung out at the mall.)* 注意相对较新的动词 to phone。新创造的英语动词总是规则的：fax、faxed；text、texted；friend、friended。（但至少有一个例外：We hung out at the mall. / 我们在商场里闲逛。）

When we speak of a fourth principal part, it’s always the present participle, the -ing form used for progressive tenses: talking, hunting, phoning, building. And the -ing form is easy. 当我们说到第四个主要词形时，它总是现在分词（present participle），即用于进行时态的 -ing 形式：talking、hunting、phoning、building。而 -ing 形式很简单。

IRREGULAR VERBS

不规则动词

Irregular verbs are less consistent in their past and past participle forms. Although English has fewer irregular verbs than regular, there are hundreds of them. Many are among the most commonly used verbs in English. 不规则动词（irregular verbs）的过去式与过去分词形式一致性较差。虽然英语中不规则动词比规则动词少，但也有数百个。其中许多是英语中最常用的动词。

Here are a small number: 下面列出一小部分：

present

past

past participle

现在式

过去式

过去分词

I begin I began I have begun I break I broke I have broken I bring I brought I have brought I drink I drank I have drunk I drive I drove I have driven I fly I flew I have flown I freeze I froze I have frozen I know I knew I have known I ride I rode I have ridden I ring I rang I have rung I see I saw I have seen I sink I sank I have sunk I speak I spoke I have spoken I swim I swam I have swum I swing I swung I have swung I take I took I have taken I write I wrote I have written I begin I began I have begun I break I broke I have broken I bring I brought I have brought I drink I drank I have drunk I drive I drove I have driven I fly I flew I have flown I freeze I froze I have frozen I know I knew I have known I ride I rode I have ridden I ring I rang I have rung I see I saw I have seen I sink I sank I have sunk I speak I spoke I have spoken I swim I swam I have swum I swing I swung I have swung I take I took I have taken I write I wrote I have written （我开始 / 我打破 / 我带来 / 我喝 / 我驾驶 / 我飞 / 我冻结 / 我知道 / 我骑 / 我按铃 / 我看见 / 我下沉 / 我说 / 我游泳 / 我摇摆 / 我拿 / 我写）

All of us make errors now and then with some of the irregular verbs, and it’s a good idea to identify those that give you the most trouble and study them. The table above gives you some of the most common irregulars, and you can find complete lists in many 我们所有人都会时不时在某些不规则动词上出错，最好找出那些最让你头疼的动词并加以学习。上表列出了一些最常见的不规则动词，你也可以在许多

grammar books and on the Internet. A dictionary can always help you with specific verbs. 语法书和互联网上找到完整列表。遇到具体动词时，词典总能帮到你。

One way to study irregulars is to group the verbs that are similar in their past and past participle forms, like this: 学习不规则动词的一个方法，是把那些过去式和过去分词形式相似的动词分组，如下：

present

past

past participle

现在式

过去式

过去分词

I begin I began I have begun I drink I drank I have drunk I ring I rang I have rung I sink I sank I have sunk I swim I swam I have swum I break I broke I have broken I freeze I froze I have frozen I speak I spoke I have spoken I drive I drove I have driven I ride I rode I have ridden I write I wrote I have written I fly I flew I have flown I know I knew I have known I begin I began I have begun I drink I drank I have drunk I ring I rang I have rung I sink I sank I have sunk I swim I swam I have swum I break I broke I have broken I freeze I froze I have frozen I speak I spoke I have spoken I drive I drove I have driven I ride I rode I have ridden I write I wrote I have written I fly I flew I have flown I know I knew I have known （我开始 / 我喝 / 我按铃 / 我下沉 / 我游泳 / 我打破 / 我冻结 / 我说 / 我驾驶 / 我骑 / 我写 / 我飞 / 我知道）

The following are verbs that you may also want to study. The verb dive is in fact regular: 下面是一些你可能也想学习的动词。动词 dive 实际上是规则的：

I dive I dived I have dived I dive I dived I have dived （我跳水 / 我跳水了 / 我已经跳水了）

But dove, as a past and past participle, has become so common that it is now widely accepted. 但 dove 作为过去式和过去分词，已经变得如此常见，以至于现在被广泛接受。

We might call the verb burst “super-regular.” It doesn’t change at all: 我们或许可以把动词 burst 称为"超规则"动词。它完全不发生变化：

Today I burst Yesterday I burst I have burst Today I burst Yesterday I burst I have burst （今天我爆裂 / 昨天我爆裂 / 我已经爆裂）

Other super-regular verbs include hit, set, and split. Shine is a peculiar case. Used as a transitive verb (which we’ll study soon), it’s regular: They have shined their trophies * every month. 其他"超规则"动词还包括 hit、set 和 split。Shine 是个特殊情形。用作及物动词（transitive verb，我们很快会学到）时，它是规则的：They have shined their trophies every month.*（他们每个月都擦拭奖杯。）

They shine They shined They have shined It shines It shone It had shone They shine They shined They have shined It shines It shone It had shone （他们擦亮 / 他们擦亮了 / 他们已经擦亮了）（它照耀 / 它照耀过 / 它曾照耀过）

As an intransitive verb (another term that’s coming up), it’s irregular: The sun has shone all day. 用作不及物动词（intransitive verb，另一个即将出现的术语）时，它是不规则的：The sun has shone all day.（太阳整日照耀。）

The verb hang is also peculiar, taking different forms depending on its meaning. Imagine you’re in a dusty little town in the Old West, and you ask a gnarled old-timer, “Whatever happened to that grammar teacher?” And the old-timer answers, 动词 hang 也很特殊，会根据其含义采用不同形式。想象你身处旧西部一个满是灰尘的小镇，问一位饱经风霜的老居民：“那个语法老师到底怎么了？“老居民回答道：

We’ve hanged that danged grammar teacher. He was all the time correctin’ us! We’ve hanged that danged grammar teacher. He was all the time correctin’ us! （我们已经绞死了那个该死的语法老师。他老是一直纠正我们！）

But if you’re proudly displaying your framed diploma on the wall, you could say, 但如果你正得意地在墙上展示镶框的文凭，你可以说：

I’ve finally hung my diploma. I’ve finally hung my diploma.（我终于把文凭挂起来了。）

There are six verbs (grouped in pairs below) that confuse us all at some point: 有六个动词（下面成对分组）会在某些时候把我们都弄糊涂：

I sit down. I lie down. I rise up. I set the books down. I lay the books down. I raise the books up. I sit down. I lie down. I rise up. （我坐下。/ 我躺下。/ 我起身。） I set the books down. I lay the books down. I raise the books up. （我把书放下。/ 我把书放下。/ 我把书举起。）

In the left column, the verbs indicate the way you are position- ing yourself. They are all irregular verbs. In the right column, the verbs indicate the way you are positioning the object (or anything else separate from yourself). They are all regular. 在左栏，动词表示你让自己就位的方式。它们全都是不规则动词。在右栏，动词表示你让物体（或任何与你分开的东西）就位的方式。它们全都是规则的。

It’s easy to keep these two sets of verbs straight: The verbs on the left all have the letter i as their first vowel. Remember that “the *i-*verbs indicate how I change my position.” 要区分这两组动词很容易：左栏的动词都以字母 i 作为第一个元音。记住”i-动词表示我如何改变自身的位置”。

Let’s take a look at the principal parts of these three pairs of verbs. Notice that the second verb in each pair is regular. You probably know these already: 我们来看看这三对动词的主要词形。注意每对中的第二个动词是规则的。你可能已经知道这些了：

present

past

past participle

现在式

过去式

过去分词

I sit I set I sat I set I have sat I have set I sit I set I sat I set I have sat I have set （左：sit 坐；右：set 放下）

You may also know these: 你可能也知道这些：

present

past

past participle

现在式

过去式

过去分词

I rise I raise I rose I raised I have risen I have raised I rise I raise I rose I raised I have risen I have raised （左：rise 起身；右：raise 举起）

Perhaps the most difficult of all irregular verbs are lie and lay: 或许所有不规则动词中最难的是 lie 和 lay：

present

past

past participle

现在式

过去式

过去分词

I lie (recline) I lay (set down) I lie (fib) I lay I laid I lied I have lain I have laid I have lied I lie (recline) I lay (set down) I lie (fib) I lay I laid I lied I have lain I have laid I have lied （lie 躺卧 / lay 放下 / lie 撒谎）（lay 躺下 / laid 放下 / lied 撒谎）（lain 已躺下 / laid 已放下 / lied 已撒谎）

As you see here, there are two verbs to lie. One means to recline, and one means to fib. Lie (to fib) is easy—it’s a regular verb. Lay (to set down) is also a regular verb. 如你所见，有两个动词都叫 to lie。一个意思是躺卧，一个意思是撒谎。Lie（撒谎）很简单——它是规则动词。Lay（放下）也是规则动词。

Lie (to recline) is irregular, and it confuses many people Lie（躺卧）是不规则的，它让许多人感到困惑，

because its past form, I lay, is identical to the present form of to lay (set down). 因为它的过去式 I lay 与 to lay（放下）的现在式完全相同。

To add to the confusion, in speech I lay down (the correct form) sounds exactly like *I laid down (the wrong form), so *we’re often making mistakes because we’re repeating the forms we hear—or think we hear. (The whole thing makes us want to lie down, no lie.) 更添混乱的是，在口语中 I lay down（正确形式）听起来与 I laid down（错误形式）完全一样，所以我们常常因为重复所听到的——或自认为听到的——形式而犯错。（整件事让我们想躺下来，不骗你。）

It is probably accurate to say that many English speakers, per- haps most of us, misuse lie sometimes, but you can master it in a few moments and remember it with a little review now and then. 大概可以说，许多说英语的人——或许是我们大多数人——有时都会误用 lie，但你可以在片刻间掌握它，并不时稍加复习来记住。

Even with irregular verbs, the past participle is always used with the auxiliary have (or its other forms has or had) to create perfect tenses (have lain). Forms of the verb be are always used with the -ing form (the present participle) to create progressive tenses. 即便是不规则动词，过去分词也总是与助动词 have（或其其他形式 has、had）连用，以构成完成时态（have lain）。动词 be 的形式总是与 -ing 形式（现在分词）连用，以构成进行时态。

EXERCISES

练习

**3a. **Write from memory the simple and perfect tenses of the verb call. 3a. 凭记忆写出动词 call 的简单时态和完成时态。

3b. Write from memory the simple progressive and perfect progressive tenses of the verb call. 3b. 凭记忆写出动词 call 的简单进行时态和完成进行时态。

**3c. **Write from memory the simple and perfect tenses of the verb know. 3c. 凭记忆写出动词 know 的简单时态和完成时态。

3d. Write from memory the simple progressive and perfect progressive tenses of the verb know. 3d. 凭记忆写出动词 know 的简单进行时态和完成进行时态。

3e. Complete these sentences using the correct verb and the correct principal part: 3e. 用正确的动词和正确的主要词形完成这些句子：

I will ___ here. (sit / set)
我将在这里 ___。（sit / set / 坐 / 放下）
I will ___ my suitcase in the corner. (sit / set)
我将把行李箱 ___ 在角落里。（sit / set / 坐 / 放下）
I will ___ my bag to the top shelf. (rise / raise)
我将把包 ___ 到架子顶层。（rise / raise / 起身 / 举起）
I will ___ from my seat. (rise / raise)
我将从座位上 ___。（rise / raise / 起身 / 举起）
I have ___ from my seat. (risen / raised)
我已经从座位上 ___ 了。（risen / raised / 起身 / 举起）
I have ___ my bag. (risen / raised)
我已经 ___ 我的包了。（risen / raised / 起身 / 举起）
I will ___ down. (lie / lay)
我将 ___ 下。（lie / lay / 躺下 / 放下）
I will ___ my bag over here. (lie / lay)
我将把包 ___ 在这里。（lie / lay / 躺下 / 放下）
I have ___ here for an hour. (lain / laid)
我已经在这里 ___ 一个小时了。（lain / laid / 躺下 / 放下）
An hour ago, I ___ my bag there. (lain / laid)
一个小时前，我把包 ___ 在那里了。（lain / laid / 躺下 / 放下）

3f. Complete the sentences using one or more auxiliary verbs: 3f. 用一个或多个助动词完成这些句子：

The perfect tenses use forms of the auxiliary verb ___.
完成时态使用助动词 ___ 的形式。
The progressive tenses use forms of the auxiliary verb ___.
进行时态使用助动词 ___ 的形式。
The perfect progressive tenses use forms of two auxiliary verbs: ___ and ___.
完成进行时态使用两个助动词的形式：___ 和 ___。
All future tenses use the auxiliary ___.
所有将来时态都使用助动词 ___。

3g. Identify the tense of the verb in each of the following sentences using one of these twelve terms: 3g. 用下列十二个术语之一，标出下列各句中动词的时态：

• Simple past, present, or future • Present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect • Present progressive, past progressive, or future progressive • Present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive, or future perfect progressive • Simple past, present, or future • 简单过去时、现在时或将来时 • Present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect • 现在完成时、过去完成时或将来完成时 • Present progressive, past progressive, or future progressive • 现在进行时、过去进行时或将来进行时 • Present perfect progressive, past perfect progressive, or future perfect progressive • 现在完成进行时、过去完成进行时或将来完成进行时

She was here yesterday.
She was here yesterday.（她昨天在这里。）
We have been waiting for you for an hour.
We have been waiting for you for an hour.（我们已经等你一个小时了。）
She broke her glasses.
She broke her glasses.（她打碎了眼镜。）
She has broken her glasses twice.
She has broken her glasses twice.（她已经两次打碎眼镜了。）
Yesterday’s news burst all our illusions.
Yesterday’s news burst all our illusions.（昨天的新闻打破了我们所有的幻想。）
I will speak to the principal.
I will speak to the principal.（我将与校长交谈。）
I will be speaking to the principal.
I will be speaking to the principal.（我将正在与校长交谈。）
We had spoken to the principal already.
We had spoken to the principal already.（我们之前已经与校长交谈过了。）
You will have been speaking to the principal by now.
You will have been speaking to the principal by now.（到此刻为止你将已经与校长交谈了一段时间。）
I have sung this song before.
I have sung this song before.（我以前唱过这首歌。）

3h. Complete the sentences using the names of principal parts of the verbs, or with the auxiliaries will, have, and be. 3h. 用动词主要词形的名称，或用助动词 will、have 和 be 完成这些句子。

The perfect tenses are constructed using the third principal part, called the ___.
完成时态是用第三个主要词形构成的，称为 ___。
The progressive tenses are constructed using the fourth principal part, called the ___.
进行时态是用第四个主要词形构成的，称为 ___。
All future tense verbs begin with the auxiliary ___.
所有将来时态动词都以助动词 ___ 开头。
All perfect tenses are constructed using some form of the auxiliary ___.
所有完成时态都是用助动词 ___ 的某种形式构成的。
All progressive tenses are constructed using some form of the auxiliary ___.
所有进行时态都是用助动词 ___ 的某种形式构成的。
The tenses constructed using both the auxiliaries have and be are called the ___ tenses.
用助动词 have 和 be 共同构成的时态称为 ___ 时态。