英语一共有16种时态，中学阶段比较常用的有10种，但高考英语对时态的考查主要涉及四种，它们是一般过去时、过去进行时、现在完成时、过去完成时。去年全国18套高考英语试卷共涉及时态考点21道题，但其中有19题考的是上面提到的四种时态，约占整个时态考点的90%。由此可见这四种时态不仅重要，而且很“热”。

一、一般过去时考点的命题特点

1. 利用插入成分考查一般过去时的用法

As the years passed, many occasions—birthdays, awards, graduations — ______ with Dad’s flowers. (湖南卷)

A. are marked          B. were marked          C. have marked         D. had marked

【解析】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。

2. 利用标志性时间状语考查一般过去时的用法

I know a little bit about Italy as my wife and I ______ there several years ago. (全国I)

A. are going             B. had been                 C. went                   D. have been

【解析】C。根据句末的过去时间状语several years ago可知，此处应用一般过去时。

3. 利用语境背景考查一般过去时的用法

(1)When I called you this morning, nobody answered the phone. Where ______? (重庆卷)

A. did you go            B. have you gone         C. were you           D. had you been

【解析】C。句子的前半部分说上午打电话时没有人接电话，而后半部分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。

(2)—Ouch! You hurt me!

—I am sorry. But I ______ any harm. I ______ to drive a rat out. (江西卷)

A. didn’t mean; tried                                   B. don’t mean; am trying

C. haven’t meant; tried                                D. didn’t mean; was trying

【解析】D。第一空填一般过去时，指对前面发生的情况作出解释；第二空填过去进行时，指过去正进行的动作。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。

4. 利用主句过去时谓语考查从句过去时的用法

(1)The flowers were so lovely that they ______ in no time. (全国I)

A. sold                     B. had been sold          C. were sold                D. would sell

【解析】C。根据前面的过去式谓语were可知，后面也要用一般过去时；再根据“花”与“卖”的关系可知，此处要用被动语态，故选C。

(2)The play had already been on for quite some time when we ______ at the New Theatre. (浙江卷)

A. have arrived          B. arrived                   C. had arrived              D. arrive

【解析】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。

二、过去进行时的命题特点

综观所有的过去进行时考题，它们无一例外地有个共同特点，就是考查在特定语境背景下某一动作正在进行的情形。请看实例：

(1)—It was really very kind of you to give me a lift home.

—Oh, don’t mention it. I ______ past your house anyway. (北京卷)

A. was coming           B. will come               C. had come               D. have come

【解析】A。根据前面一句中的was可知，搭车的事发生在过去，所以“我开车要经过你的家门口”也发生在过去，因此可排除B和D。而在剩下的A和C中，不能选C，是因为C为过去完成时，表示“过去的过去”，与句意不符。

(2)—I saw Jane and her boyfriend in the park at eight yesterday evening.

—Impossible. She ______ TV with me in my home then. (福建卷)

A. watched                B. had watched           C. would watch           D. was watching

【解析】D。表示过去正在进行的动作，用过去进行时。第二句的意思是：不可能。她当时与我一起在我家看电视。

(3)—Is there anything wrong, Bob? You look sad.

—Oh, nothing much. In fact, I ______ of my friends back home. (全国II)

A. have just thought                                    B. was just thinking

C. would just think                                      D. will just be thinking

【解析】B。指刚刚在想念老家的朋友，故用过去进行时。

(4)—Did you see a man in black pass by just now?

—No, sir. I ______ a newspaper. (四川卷)

A. read                      B. was reading              C. would read              D. am reading

【解析】B。由于我刚才“正在看报”(was reading a newspaper)，所以没有看到有人经过。根据语境，显然只有B最佳。

三、现在完成时的命题特点

1. 根据特定语境和时态标志考查现在完成时的影响性用法

(1)— ______ you ______ him around the museum yet?

— Yes. We had a great time there. (江苏卷)

A. Have; shown         B. Do; show            C. Had; shown            D. Did; show

【解析】A。根据问句中的yet可知，所谈论的事情发生在最近的过去，且问话者很关心这个过去发生的事情对现在的影响和结果，所以用现在完成时。注意：不要受答语中过去式谓语had的影响而误选C。

(2)Professor James will give us a lecture on the Western culture, but when and where ______ yet. (浙江卷)

A. hasn’t been decided   B. haven’t decided   C. isn’t being decided D. aren’t decided

【解析】A。根据句意，此处应用被动语态，不用主动语态；再根据句末的yet可知，最好用现在完成时。故选A最佳。

2. 根据特定语境考查现在完成时的持续性用法

(1)Danny ______ hard for long to realize his dream and now he is popular. (福建卷)

A. works                     B. is working           C. has worked          D. worked

【解析】C。表示从过去一直持续到现在的一段时间，要用现在完成时。

(2)Cathy is taking notes of the grammatical rules in class at Sunshine School, where she ______ English for a year. (湖南卷)

A. studies                    B. studied                C. is studying           D. has been studying

【解析】D。根据句中的现在进行时可排除B，再根据句中的for a year可知此题选现在完成进行时最佳，即选D。

注：有时高考还会考查现在完成进行时的用法。如：

(3)—I have got a headache.

—No wonder. You ______ in front of that computer too long. (江西卷)

A. work                     B. are working          C. have been working  D. worked

【解析】C。由于在电脑前工作太久，所以导致了现在头痛的结果，故空格处应填现在完成时或现在完成进行时，即答案选C。

四、过去完成时的命题特点

高考英语对过去完成时的考查百分之百是根据“过去的过去”这一语境来设题的。请看：

(1)They became friends again that day. Until then, they ______ to each other for nearly two years. (安徽卷)

A. didn’t speak          B. hadn’t spoken       C. haven’t spoken     D. haven’t been speaking

【解析】B。由于他们再次成为朋友发生在过去(因为became用的是一般过去时)，这就说明他们差不多有两年没说过话属于“过去的过去”，所以要用过去完成时。

(2)I ______ there little more than a week when I set to work with the scientist. (陕西卷)

A. would be               B. have been             C. had been               D. will be

【解析】C。由于set to work with the scientist这一动作发生在过去，而be there与set to work的先后关系是：be there在先，set to work在后。所以be there发生的时间属于“过去的过去”，故用过去完成时

(3)—Did Alan enjoy seeing his old friends yesterday?

—Yes, he did. He ______ his old friends for a long time. (重庆卷)

A. didn’t see               B. wouldn’t see          C. hasn’t seen          D. hadn’t seen

【解析】D。由于见朋友发生在过去(即昨天)，而很久没有见到朋友自然是昨天的见面之前，即属于过去的过去，故用过去完成时。