Connaître la valeur des temps verbaux
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Le présent simple sert à parler de caractéristiques du sujet, de faits bruts (souvent dans des énumérations), de généralités :
• de goûts.
→ he loves unicorns.
→ he loves unicorns.
• d'habitudes.
→ he always speaks to mythical beasts.
→ he always speaks to mythical beasts.
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Le présent be + -ing sert à mettre en valeur une situation particulière du présent.
• On s'intéresse à un moment précis.
→ Now (at the moment) he is speaking to him.
→ Now (at the moment) he is speaking to him.
• On fait un commentaire.
→ Sure, he's getting crazy.
→ Sure, he's getting crazy.
• On répète, on insiste.
→ Believe me, my husband is talking to the unicorn.
→ Believe me, my husband is talking to the unicorn.
• On parle de projets, de décisions déjà prises.
→ You are taking him to an asylum tonight, aren't you?
→ You are taking him to an asylum tonight, aren't you?
• Le prétérit sert à parler d'un événement passé, coupé du présent.
Ex. : Once upon a sunny morning (long ago, last year, yesterday…), a man looked up from his scrambled eggs.
Ex. : Once upon a sunny morning (long ago, last year, yesterday…), a man looked up from his scrambled eggs.
• Le prétérit be + -ing sert à mettre en valeur une situation particulière du passé, à fixer le décor.
→ The animal was quietly eating the roses in the garden.
The wolf was running in the forest, when he met Little Red Riding Hood.
→ The animal was quietly eating the roses in the garden.
The wolf was running in the forest, when he met Little Red Riding Hood.
• Le present perfect sert à faire un constat, établir le bilan d'un événement passé.
→ You've changed a lot!
He has already eaten a lily.
→ You've changed a lot!
He has already eaten a lily.
• Le past perfect sert à parler d'un événement antérieur à une action passée.
→ The man went to the garden, but the unicorn had gone away.
→ The man went to the garden, but the unicorn had gone away.
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