时态是高考英语的一个十分重要的考点――每年必考，每省必考。综观近年来各省市的时态考题情况，我们发现最重要最常考的时态有两种，它们是现在完成时和过去完成时；次常考的时态有四种，它们是一般现在时、一般过去时、现在进行时和过去进行时；次次常考的时态有五种，它们是一般将来时、过去将来时、将来完成时、完成进行时等。为帮助同学们复习好时态，本文将结合去年高考试题对几个重要的时态作一简单归纳和分析。
一、现在完成时考点
现在完成时主要有两种用法，即持续性用法(或叫未完成用法)和影响性用法(或叫已完成用法)。持续性用法表示动作发生于过去，但在过去并未完成，而是从过去一直持续到现在，此时多半会连用表示持续性的时间状语；后者指的是动作发生于过去，且在过去已经完成，但这个过去发生的动作对现在有影响，而说话者正好要强调的就是这个影响，此时一般没有明显的时间状语，主要通过上下文来理解。如：
1. Years ago we didn’t know this, but recent science _________ that people who don’t sleep well soon get ill. (广东卷)
A. showed B. has shown C. will show D. is showing
分析：答案选 B。由表示对照的Years ago和recent可知，“以前不知”，但“现在已经证明了”，所以用现在完成时。
2. He was hoping to go abroad but his parents _________ that they won’t support him unless he can borrow money from the bank. (湖北卷)
A. were deciding B. have decided C. decided D. will decide
分析：答案选B。因宾语从句中的时态是一般将来时，主句中的谓语动词不可能是过去时态，排除选项A和C；由语境判断，不是“将要决定”，而是“现在已经决定”，所以排除D，而选B。
另外，同学们还要特别注意以下这些习惯上要与现在完成时连用的短语和句型：so far(到目前为止)，since(自从)，in [for, during] the past [last]…years(在过去…年中)，by now (到现在为止)，up to [until] now (到现在为止)，It's [will be] the first time that…(第一次……)等。如：
3. My brother is an actor. He _________in several film so far. (浙江卷)
A. A. appears B. appeared C. has appeared D. is appearing
分析：答案选 C。so far(到目前为止)通常与现在完成时连用。
4. The country life he was used to _________ greatly since 1992 (山东卷)
A. change B. has changed C. changing D. have changed
分析：答案选 B。since 1992这类时间状语通常与现在完成时连用。主句主语是the country life，句中he was used to是省略了关系代词that的定语从句。
二、过去完成时考点
过去完成时是一种相对时态，即以某一过去时间作参照，过去完成时表示的动作发生在这一过去时间的更过去，所以我们可以简单地用“过去的过去”这五个字来理解过去完成时态。如：
1. He _________more than 5,000 English words when he entered the university at the age of 15. (北京卷)
A. has learned B. would have learned C. learned D. had learned
分析：答案选 D。因为上大学是过去，学了五千个英语单词是在上大学之前，即“过去的过去”，所以用过去完成时。
2. When the old man _________ to walk back to his house, the sun _________ itself behind the mountain. (湖北卷)
A. started; had already hidden B. had started; had already hidden
C. had started; was hiding D. was starting; hid
分析：答案选 A。根据句意，“开始回房子”发生在过去，“太阳落山”是在“开始回房子”之前，故过去的过去。
3. Father _________for
A. has left B. left C. was leaving D. had left
分析：答案选 D。根据“我没见到他”可知，“在我到达”前“父亲已经去伦敦”了，即父亲去伦敦发生在“过去的过去”，故用过去完成时。
4. The policeman’s attention was suddenly caught by a small box which _________ placed under the Minister’s car. (广东卷)
A. has been B. was being C. had been D. would be
分析：答案选 C。因为这个小盒子“被放在部长车下”发生在“引起警察注意”之前，即“过去的过去”，所以用过去完成时。
5. “Hurry up! Alice and Sue are waiting for you at the school gate.” “Oh ! I thought they _________ without me.” (江西卷)
A. went B. are going C. have gone D. had gone
分析：答案选D。因为thought(原以为)用的是过去时，所以他们“走了”就是“过去的过去”，故用过去完成时。
三、一般现在时考点
一般现在时主要表示现在的特征、状态、经常性动作或客观事实等。如：
1. Months ago we sailed ten thousand miles across this open sea, which _________ the Pacific, and we met no storms. (辽宁卷)
A. was called B. is called C. had been called D. has been called
分析：答案选 B。因为这是客观事实，故用一般现在时。
注：有关一般现在时的另一个考点是，在时间状语从句和条件状语从句中，要用一般现在时表示将来意义，而不能直接用将来时态。此时要特别注意的是，命题人有可能会设置形式上与状语从句相似且容易混淆的宾语从句作为命题切入点。如：
2. “What would you do if it _________tomorrow?” “We have to carry it on, since we’ve got everything ready.” (全国卷I)
A. rain B. rains C. will rain D. is raining
分析：答案选 B。即在条件句中用一般现在时表示将来意义。
3. As soon as he comes back, I’ll tell him when _________and see him. (北京卷)
A. you will come B. will you come C. you come D. do you come
分析：答案选 A。when 引导的是宾语从句，不是状语从句。
四、一般过去时考点
一般过去时主要表示过去某时发生的情况或动作(包括过去习惯性的动作)。如：
1. “If the traffic hadn’t been so heavy, I could have been back by 6 o’clock.” “What a pity! Tina _________ here to see you.” (湖南卷)
A. is B. was C. would be D. has been
分析：答案选 B。尽管上面一句用的是与过去事实相反的虚拟语气，但后面一句谈的却是发生在过去的一件真实情况，故用一般过去时。
2. Scientists think that the continents _________always where they _________ today. (北京卷)
A. aren’t; are B. aren’t; were C. weren’t; are D. weren’t; were
分析：答案选 C。句意是：科学家认为各大陆并非一直在它们现在所处的位置。既然过去的位置与现在的位置不同，所以谈论过去情况用一般过去时。
五、现在进行时考点
现在进行时主要表示现在正在进行或发生的情况或动作。如：
1. Listen to the two girls by the window. What language _________? (全国卷III)
A. did they speak B. were they speaking
C. are they speaking D. have they been speaking
分析：答案选 C。根据Listen to…可知，speak 这一动作正在进行。
2. Since I won the big prize, my telephone hasn’t stopped ringing. People _________ to ask how I am going to spend the money. (湖南卷)
A. phone B. will phone C. were phoning D. are phoning
分析：答案选 D。指赢大奖以来近阶段正在发生的事，用现在进行时。
3. “Are you still busy?” “Yes, I _________ my work and it won’t take long.” (浙江卷)
A. just finish B. am just finishing
C. have just finished D. am just going to finish
分析：答案选 B。由it won’t take long可知即将做完了，用现在进行时表示即将发生的事；选项D表示“正打算做完”，与句意不符。
六、过去进行时考点
过去进行时主要表示过去正在进行或发生的情况或动作。如：
Susan decided not to work on the program at home because she didn’t want her parents to know what she _________. (辽宁卷)
A. has done B. had done C. was doing D. is doing
分析：答案选 C。用过去进行时表示过去正在进行的动作。因 decided 和didn’t want 都是过去式，排除选项A和D；因“做”发生在“决定”之后，而不是之前，故不能用过去完成时，排除选项B。
七、一般将来时考点
一般将来时主要用于表示在现在看来将要发生的动作或情况。不过值得注意的是，将来时态的表示方法有很多种，如 will (shall)+v.，be going to+v.，be (about) to+v. 等，而这些不同的表达法在用法上是有区别的。如：be about to+v. 通常不与具体的时间状语连用，而其他结构则可以；表示有迹象要发生某事，通常要用 be going to+v.；进行时态表示将来主要表示按计划或安排要发生的事，等等。又如：will (shall)+v.和 be going to+v. 均可表示意图，但意图有强弱之分，如果是事先考虑过的意图，要用 be going to；如果不是事先考虑过的，而是说话时刻才临时想到的意图，则用 will。如：
1. “Did you tell Julia about the result?” “Oh, no, I forgot. I _________her now.” (全国卷)
A. will be calling B. will call C. call D. am to call
分析：答案选 B。表示临时的决定，要用“will+动词原形”。
另外某些短暂性动词(尤其是表示位置移动的短暂性动词)有时还可以用现在进行时表示将来意义。如：
2. “What are you going to do this afternoon?” “I am going to the cinema with some friends. The film _________ quite early, so we _________ to the bookstore after that.” (重庆卷)
A. finished, are going B. finished, go
C. finishes, are going D. finishes, go
分析：答案选 C。由问句和答语I am going…可知，要用将来时态，排除选项A和B；电影的开始和结束是电影院在时刻表中已有的计划，用一般现在时表示，而表示最近的打算或安排，则可用现在进行时表示。