The formation of the Past Indefinite
1. The Past Indefinite is formed by adding ‑ed or ‑d to the stem (regular verbs), or by changing the root vowel, or in some other ways (irregular verbs).
(For detailed treatment see The Verb, § 3.)
2. The interrogative and the negative forms are formed by means of the Past Indefinite of the auxiliary verb to do (did) and the infinitive of the notional verb without the particle to.
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
| I worked (wrote) He worked (wrote) She worked (wrote) We worked (wrote) You worked (wrote) They worked (wrote) | Did I work (write)? Did he work (write)? Did she work (write)? Did we work (write)? Did you work (write)? Did they work (write)? | I did not work (write) He did not work (write) She did not work (write) We did not work (write) You did not work (write) They did not work (write) |
3. The contracted negative forms are:
I didn’t work
She didn’t work
4. The negative-interrogative forms are:
{Did you not work?
Didn’t you work?
The use of the Past Indefinite.
The Past Indefinite denotes an action performed within a period of time which is already over. The action is cut off from the present. The time of the action may be indicated by adverbials of past time, such as yesterday, a week ago, last year, etc.
The sun came outa moment ago.
Miss Helstone stayedthe whole evening. (Ch. Bronte)
Ellean breakfastedtwo hours ago, and then went out walking with the dog.
(Pinero)
The Past Indefinite can correspond to the Russian past perfective and past imperfective (совершенный и несовершенный вид).
Не smokeda cigarette and left the room (выкурил).
He smokedin silence for a few minutes (курил).
The translation depends on the context and the lexical character of the verb.
The Past Indefinite is used to denote:
(a) an action performed in the past.
We enteredFarmer Ridley’s meadow in silence. (Marryat)
(b) a succession of past actions.
In this case the Past Indefinite is rendered in Russian by the past perfective.
He threw downhis spade and enteredthe house. (Ch. Bronte)
Он бросил лопату и вошел в дом.
(c) repeated actions in the past.
In this case the Past Indefinite is rendered in Russian by the past imperfective.
He madean entry in his diary every night. (Bennett)
Каждый вечер он делал запись в дневнике.
N o t e. — Repeated actions are often expressed by used to +Infinitive and would +Infinitive. Used to is more colloquial and would is more literary.
Every afternoon, when the children came from school, they used to go and
play in the Giant’s garden. (Wilde)
When fits of melancholy came upon him, he would spendall days locked in
his room. (E. Bronte)
Sometimes used to does not denote repeated actions, but actions characterizing a person or actions or states which lasted a long time.
The Reed used to likethe rain. (Wilde)
There used to bean old oak-tree near the house.
THE FUTURE INDEFINITE
The formation of the Future Indefinite.
1. The Future Indefinite is formed by means of the auxiliary verbs shall and will and the infinitive without to of the notional verb.
Shall is used for the first person singular and plural. Will is used for the second and the third person singular and plural.
2. In the interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject.
In the negative form the negative particle not is placed after the auxiliary verb.
| Affirmative | Interrogative | Negative |
| I shall work He will work She will work We shall work You will work They will work | Shall I work? Will he work? Will she work? Shall we work? Will you work? Will they work? | I shall not work He will not work She will not work We shall not work You will not work They will not work |
3. The contracted affirmative forms are:
I’ll work
You’ll work
The contracted negative forms are:
I shan’t [SRnt] work
He won’t [wqunt] work
4. The negative-interrogative forms are:
{Shall we not work?
Shan’t we work?
{Will he not work?
Won’t he work?