一、未理清复杂的句子结构而出错
1. Walmart, which is one of the largest American supermarket chains, ______ some of its stores open 24 hours on Mondays through Saturdays. (2012安徽卷)
A. keeps B. keep C. have kept D. had kept
分析：由于主句主语受非限制性定语从句的修饰，使得句子结构显得比较“乱”，有的考生以为空格处动词的主语是chains，故误选B。其实，此句的主语是Walmart（沃尔玛），句中的 which is one of the largest American supermarket chains 为修饰Walmart的定语从句（在分析句子结构时可以不予考虑），同时由于句子描述的是一种客观事实，故选A。句意为：美国最大连锁超市之一沃尔玛的一些商店从周一到周六24小时开放。
2. The president hopes that the people will be better off when he quits than when he ______. (2012江苏卷)
A. has started B. starts C. started D. will start
分析：这个句子结构比较复杂，许多同学根本理不清本句要表达的意思，很可能会从表面上看，than连接两个when从句作比较，故误认为它们会用一样的时态，从而误选B。其实，此题答案为C。句中的that从句用作主语谓语动词hopes的宾语，从句中确实是两个由than连接的when从句，但它们所表示的时间并不一样――when he quits指将来（时间状语从句用一般现在时表将来），而when he started则指过去（即指总统上任之时），句意为：这位总统希望人民在他离任时比他刚上任时日子过得更好。
二、受句中相关时态干扰而出错
1. Mum, I was wondering if you could lend me a few dollars until I ______ on Friday. (2012辽宁卷)
A. get paid B. got paid C. have paid D. had been paid
分析：有的考生一看到主句谓语动词用了was wondering，以及条件状语从句用了could，便断定until引导的时间状语从也只能用过去时态，从而排除A和C。但事实上， was wondering和could均属客气用法（使语气更委婉），它们在句中均表示现在的情况，故此题的答案只能从A和C中选择，同时根据句意，空格处应填“获得报酬”，故选表示被动意义的A。句意为：妈妈，我想你能不能借我些钱，等我周五领工资再还你。又如：I was wondering whether I could produce a meal out of what’s left in the fridge. 我不知道能不能用冰箱里剩下的东西做一顿饭。
2. Peter had intended to take a job in business, but ______ that plan after the unpleasant experience in Canada in 2010. (2012浙江卷)
A. had abandoned B. abandoned C. abandon D. will abandon
分析：有的考生一看到句子前半部分的过去完成时，同时考虑到句中的but是连接两个并列的谓语，于是就误认为它们应用相同的时态，从而误选A。但是，句中的had intended表示的是过去未曾实现的想法或打算，而but后的谓语表示的是一个过去实际发生的动作，故空格处应填一般过去时。句意为：彼得打算在商界找个工作，但2010年在加拿大有过不愉快的经历后，他放弃了这个计划。
3. ―Kevin, you look worried. Anything wrong?
―Well, I ______ a test and I’m waiting for the result. (2012重庆卷)
A. will take B. took C. had taken D. take
分析：句中的前面一句的谓语动词用的是一般现在时（look），而空格后一句用的是现在进行时态(am waiting)，两者均属现在时态，所以有的考生认为空格处肯定是填take。但是答案却是B，因为此处的语境是：事先已经参加了考试（即参加考试的事发生了），所以现在在等考试的结果。
三、未理解进行时态表将来意义而出错
1. The manager was concerned to hear that two of his trusted workers ______. (2012山东卷)
A. will leave B. are leaving C. have left D. were leaving.
分析：根据句意，空格处可用过去将来时或过去完成时，分别表示员工将要离开或已经离开让经理很担心，但句中既没有过去将来时也没有过去完成时，所以许多考生不知道如何选择。其实，英语中有时候可用进行时态表示将来意义――用现在进行时表示“一般将来”，用过去进行时表示“过去将来”，故此题答案为D。句意为：经理听说他很信任的两名员工要离开感到很担心
2. Food supplies in the flood-stricken area ______. We must act immediately before there’s none left. (2012重庆卷)
A. have run out B. are running out C. have been run out D. are being run out
分析：根据We must act immediately before there’s none left（我们必须在食物耗尽前立刻行动）可知，受到洪水侵袭的地区的食品“快要”耗尽了，所以空格处应填将来时态，但是四个选项中并没有将来时态。其实，此题也是要用进行时态表示将来意义，故答案只能在B和D之间作选择，同时考虑到run out是不及物动词，不能用于被动语态，故只能选B。
四、误解句中的时态标志而出错
1. ― Look! Somebody ______ the sofa.
― Well, it wasn’t me. I didn’t do it. (2012江西卷)
A. is cleaning B. was cleaning C. has cleaned D. had cleaned
分析：有的考生一看到句中的look，就以为它是现在进行时的典型标志，从而误选了A。其实，如果句子只有前半部分，答案完全可以选A，即“Look! Somebody is cleaning the sofa.”这个句子是完全正确的。但如果结合对话的后面一句，则只能选C，对话的意思是：“看，有人已经擦干净了沙发。”“哟，不是我，我没有做。”
2. The manager _______ the workers how to improve the program since 9 am. (2012全国卷II)
A. has told B. is telling C. has been telling D. will have told
分析：有的考生一看到句中的since 9 am 就以为它是现在完成时的典型标志，从而误选了A。没错，since 9 am 这类时间状语通常与现在完成时连用，但是本句比较特殊，谓语动词tell是一个非延续动词，若用现在完成时has told，它只表示“已经告诉了”，而不能表示“从上午9点开始一直在告诉”，故不能选A。要表示“从上午9点开始一直在告诉”，得用现在完成进行时，即答案为C。
五、误解动词的先后关系而出错
1. The manager is said to have arrived back from Paris, where he ______ some European business partners. (2012江苏卷)
A. would meet B. is meeting C. meets D. had met
分析：有的考生认为主句谓语动词为一般现在时(is said)，所以从句不可能用过去完成时（即不可能选D），因为过去完成时表示“过去的过去”，必须要以过去时间作“支撑”。但事实上，此题的答案正是过去完成时（had met），因为待比较的两个先后动作不是say与meet，而是 arrive back 与 meet。根据句意来看，显然meet要发生在arrive back 之前，故meet要用过去完成时（had met），句意为：据说经理从巴黎回来了，在那里见到了一些欧洲业务的合作伙伴。
【边学边练】
01. He arrived there only to find that the last train ______ already.
A. left B. was leaving C. had left D. would leave
02. His illness was much more serious than we ______.
A. think B. thought C. had thought D. have thought
03. It was now six and he was tired because he ______ since dawn.
A. was working B. had been working C. worked D. has worked
04. I decided to see the doctor, because I ______ ill during the last two months.
A. was feeling B. had been feeling C. felt D. has felt
05. It didn’t seem fair for him―employers were unwilling to offer him a job just because he ______ in prison.
A. was B. has been C. had been D. would be
06. He should have finished at university long ago, but he ______ taking extra courses.
A. keeps B. kept C. had kept D. has kept
07. They ______ to finish the kitchen by Friday, but as it is they’ll probably have to come back next week.
A. have hoped B. hoped C. were hoping D. would hope
08. We ______ the boss, but she may decide not to come.
A. have invited B. are inviting C. had invited D. were inviting
09. They would have married sooner, but they ______ to wait for her divorce.
A. had B. have C. are having D. were having
10. Jill ______ her husband, but can you blame her after the way he treated her?
A. had left B. has left C. was leaving D. was left
11. I ______ these gloves for my daughter, but they’re too large. Can I change them for a smaller size?
A. buy B. bought C. had bought D. was buying
12. Correct me if I’m wrong, but ______ you’d never met him before?
A. don’t you say B. didn’t you say C. haven’t you said D. hadn’t said
13. He was only in his mid-thirties, but already worry ______ him.
A. aged B. had aged C. has aged D. would age
14. I don’t know what finally decided her, but she ______.
A. agreed B. was agreed C. is agreeing D. had agreed
15. I do not remember who ______ first, but we all expressed the same opinion.
A. has spoken B. had spoken C. speaks D. spoke
【参考答案】01―05 CCBBC 06―10 BBAAB 11―15 BBBAD
注：本文发表于《第二课堂》2013年第4期。