本刊资料

动词的时态是中学英语教学的重点,也是高考考查的热点。教学大纲所规定的要掌握的八种常用时态出现在高考题中,往往因语境和考查角度的变化而具有很大的灵活性,使考生望而生畏。下面结合高考题例谈谈有关时态题的解题思路和方法。

一、分析题干，抓结构特点

高考题对时态的考查虽具有很大灵活性，但题干中的某些成分往往与所考时态有着密切的联系，这些结构特点是判断时态的可靠依据。

1. 固定句式

在某些句式中，其时态往往是约定俗成的，因此我们可以根据这些句式去判断所需要的时态。例如：

——Do you know our town at all?

——No. This is the first time I ____ here.

A. was B. have been C. came D. am coming

此题考的是“That/This/It is the first/second…time+that从句”这一固定句式，that从句里面用现在完成时，若将is改为was，则从句用过去完成时。例如：

——Can I join your club?

——You can when you ____ a bit older.

A. get B. will get C. are getting D. will have got

如果主句表示将来动作（往往用一般将来时、祈使句或情态动词表示），在由when, before, after, until等引导的时间状语从句或由if, unless等引导的条件状语从句中用一般现在时表示将来。

这提醒考生在平日的学习中要注意积累。类似这样的固定句式还有：It is/has been…since…表示某事发生到现在有多长时间，since从句中动词用过去式；be about to do…when…表示“正要……这时突然……”等。

2. 时间状语

通过时间状语判断时态的题目在高考题中占有一定比例。例如：

Shirley ____ a book about China last year but I dont know whether she has finished it.

A. has written B. wrote C. had written D. was writing

根据时间状语last year和后边的“是否完成”判断，应用过去进行时。例如：

I first met Lisa three years ago. She ____ at a radio at that time.

A. has worked B. was working

C. had been working D. had worked

由时间状语three years ago和at that time判断，此题应用过去进行时。

3. 时态一致原则

（1）两个或两个以上的动词作并列谓语，它们的时态必须一致。例如：

She set out soon after dark ____ home an hour later.

A. arriving B. to arrive

C. having arrived D. and arrived

arrived与set out为并列谓语，都用过去时。

On Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Green went to the market, ____ some bananas and visited her cousin.

A. bought B. buying C. to buy D. buy

went, bought和visited为三个并列谓语，均用过去时。