•
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.
•
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.
Exercice n°1
Dans le texte, surligne les verbes :
Sélectionnez :
en violet s'ils situent l'action dans le passé (et servent de décor) ;
en orange s'ils parlent d'actions ponctuelles passées, coupées du présent ;
en rose s'ils établissent un constat.
« Once upon a time, a wolf was running in the forest, when he met Little Red Riding Hood. She was carrying a basket full of custard pies and was going to her grandmother's. The wolf ran as fast as possible, arrived before the little girl and ate the grandmother up.
The girl said to the person she saw in the bed : « You've changed a lot! Why have u put on that big furry coat? » The wolf jumped on her… »
The girl said to the person she saw in the bed : « You've changed a lot! Why have u put on that big furry coat? » The wolf jumped on her… »
