In fact, the article is planned to be even a little broader: I will tell you how to accurately find out the tense form and voice of a verb in a sentence.
Any verb form in English language described in 3-4 words that express time, type And bail . For example:
Present Simple Active
Past Perfect Continuous Passive
To correctly determine the form of the verb, use the diagram above. In addition, it is recommended to read the articles: and.
At school they usually talk about 12 / 16 / 26 (underline as appropriate) “times of the English language”... However, in fact, this typestemporary forms verb. There are three tenses in English. As with us: Past, Present and Future.
* Strictly speaking, there are two grammatical tenses in English, but today’s article is not about that. If you are interested in discussing this, write comments or take a look at.
- Past time indicators: verbs did, was, were, had or any verb in the second form (V2, Ved).
- Time indicators Present: verbs do, does, am, is, are, have, has or any verb in the first form (V1, Vs).
- Future time indicators: will.
** would, could, might belong to a special group: .
Step 2: determine the type
This is a little more complicated. Legend: V1 is the first form of the verb, V2 is the second form of the verb, V3 is the third form of the verb, Ving is the verb ending in -ing.
- Simple: the sentence contains only V1, V2 or will + V1.
- Continuous: corresponds to the structure to be + Ving.
- Perfect: corresponds to the structure to have + V3.
- Perfect Continuous: corresponds to the structure: to have + been + Ving
The above forms are typical for the active voice. Move on to step 3 to identify the passive voice.
Step 3: determine the collateral
The structures for active voice are written above. Passive voice formula: to be + V3. You can try to determine the pledge without formulas. In the case of the passive voice, an action is performed on the object, rather than the object itself performing it.
- Simple Passive: am/is/are/was/were/will be + V3
- Continuous Passive: being + V3.
- Perfect Passive: have/has/had/will have + been + V3.
- Perfect Continuous Passive: not used.
Let's practice and understand with examples
1) I don't eat much ice cream. — Present Simple Active, because contains do + V1.
2) I was sleeping in the tent yesterday at 12 o’clock. — Past Continuous Active, because contains was + Ving.
3) The shop was being visited yesterday at 12 o’clock. — Past Continuous Passive, because contains was + being + V3.
4) What have you been doing? — Present Perfect Continuous Active, because contains have + been + Ving.
5) The missing children have been found. — Present Perfect Passive, because contains have + been + V3.
6) They will be swimming tomorrow at 7 o’clock. — Future Continuous Active, because contains will + be + Ving.
I tried to cover all complex cases. Pay special attention to examples 4 and 5. If something does not fit into the scope of this article, and you still cannot determine the tense of a verb in English, then either you misunderstood something, or you came across: infinitive, participle or gerund.
Verb tense expresses the relationship of the action denoted by the verb to the time of its implementation. Shapes stand out past, present And future tense.
In most cases, the use of tense forms is determined by the relationship to the moment of speech; This use of them is called absolute time.
In relatively rare cases, the starting point for the use of tenses is not the moment of speech, but other starting points, for example, the time of other actions reported in the speech. This is called the relative use of tenses. In additional (explanatory) subordinate clauses of a complex sentence, the tense of verbs is determined by their relation to the time of action of the main part:
My brother said that he had sent (sending, will send) the book I needed.
The grammatical reference point for time here is the verb of the main part “reported”, in relation to which the action of the verb of the subordinate part has been performed, is being performed or will be performed. “Wrote that he works”: the present tense of the verb “works” indicates the coincidence of the time of the action not with the moment of speech, but with the time of the action expressed by the verb “wrote”.
Imperfective verbs have all three forms of tense (I decide - I decided - I will decide).
Verbs of the perfect form, denoting actions limited by a limit, are used only in the past and future (simple) tense (decided - I will decide), and do not have a present tense.
Past tense denotes an action preceding the moment of speech. It is formed by adding a formative suffix to the base of the infinitive -l-: write - write-l, read-t - read-l, prick - prick-l.
When forming past tense forms, some features are observed:
If the stem of the past tense ends in g, k, x, z, s, b, then when forming a masculine verb, the suffix -l- falls out: guarded, baked, sokh, carried, carried, rowed, but is retained in the feminine and neuter gender, and also in the plural: guarded, baked, dried, carried, carried, guarded.
Verbs in - heret in the past tense they lose the second in the full vowel combination e, and in the masculine gender they do not have the suffix -l-: erase - erased, die - died.
Verb go and derivatives from it form the past tense from another stem - shed- with the loss of the root d: walked, walked, walked, came, came, came.
The past tense allows the verb to change in number. In turn, the singular number can easily be declined according to gender. It should also be noted that verbs in the past tense in the plural do not change according to persons.
Verbs in the form present time denote an action that occurs at the moment of speech, for example: I am looking for a meeting with you. Verbs in the present tense change according to persons and numbers.
From verbs perfect form present tense forms are not formed: the concept of completeness, effectiveness, characteristic of perfective verbs, is incompatible with the concept of present tense.
Only verbs have present tense forms imperfect form . These forms are formed using personal endings depending on whether the verb belongs to the I or II conjugation.
I conjugations: -u (-yu), -eat, -et, -eat, -ete, -ut (-ut)
II conjugations: -у (-yu), -ish, -it, -im, -ite, -at (-yat)
Example of verb I conjugation:
1st person → I’m walking, we’re walking
2nd person → you are walking, you are walking
3rd person → he is walking, they are walking
Example of verb II conjugation:
1st person → I drive, we carry
2nd person → you carry, you carry
3rd person → he carries, they carry
The present tense has the following basic meanings:
shows that the action expressed by a verb, coincides with the moment of speech: The Caucasus is below me. Again the ancient coniferous forest rustles above me solemnly and wisely (V. Belov);
denotes a permanent, timeless action; The earth revolves around the sun.; In communicating vessels, the surface of the liquid is set at the same level;
denotes an action that turns into a property. Compare: a boy reads a book and student Petrov reads Pushkin well; Birds fly in the garden and swallows fly faster than sparrows.
is used instead of the past to give life to the story and make the reader (listener) seem to be a witness to the event being depicted: I was walking down the street yesterday and I saw. This is the so-called real narrative (pictorial, historical);
The present tense is used to mean the future when we are talking about an action that must certainly take place; I'm taking my last exam tomorrow and going on vacation. The use of present tense forms in this function is usually characteristic of verbs of motion - run, go, go. Sometimes the forms of the present tense convey the picture imagined by the author: Another day of this accursed inferno - and here you have a hungry winter, typhus, cattle are dying, children are dying (A. N. Tolstoy).
Future denotes an action (process) that is upcoming or subsequent in relation to the moment of speech. It has two forms: synthetic (simple) and analytical (complex). These forms differ from each other both in their structure and in their meaning.
The synthetic form is characteristic of verbs of the perfect form (I will write, I will tell, I will read), the analytical form is characteristic of verbs of the imperfect form (I will write, I will tell, I will read).
The future tense of the analytical form is formed from the personal forms of the future tense of the verb be and an infinitive (necessarily imperfect form). Acting as a service component, the auxiliary verb be forms with an infinitive one grammatical form.
The future complex always denotes an unlimited, limitless action that will take place after the moment of speech and cannot be used in the meaning of another time: We will continue to consistently defend the cause of peace.
The form of the future tense from perfective verbs is simple: it coincides with the present tense form of imperfective verbs: I will read, you will read, you will read, we will read, you will read, they will read; build, build, build, build, build.
The future of the synthetic form (from perfective verbs) has various meanings:
its main meaning is the expression of upcoming (future) actions that have a limit, completeness: We will obtain, understand and open everything: the cold pole and the blue arch (V. Lebedev-Kumach);
denotes an action that turns into the property: Whatever problem you give him, he will definitely solve it (you cannot say he solves or has solved). The future tense in this meaning is often used in proverbs: Tell the truth - the truth will help you out. On a crooked road you will break your legs.
denotes a repeated action (in descriptions next to the present one):
The storm covers the sky with darkness (present tense),
Whirling snow whirlwinds
The way she howls like a beast,
Then he will cry like a child (A. Pushkin);
with negation does not indicate the impossibility of action in the present: will not read quickly (cannot read quickly), will not say simply (cannot say simply), will not see at a far distance (cannot see at a far distance);
used in the past tense: During the day she mostly dozed. He sits in a chair in front of the table... and dozes (present tense). Then he will shudder, wake up, look out the window and for a long time, without any conscious thought, does not take his eyes off (present tense) from the endless distance stretching out (M. Saltykov-Shchedrin).
Join us onFacebook!
Tense is an inflectional grammatical category of a verb, representing a process as already completed, being carried out or which will be carried out and expressing these meanings in the indicative mood (in the morphological forms of past, present and future tense). The system of forms of the indicative mood expresses the opposition of the meanings of coincidence, precedence and succession of the process in relation to the starting point of time. These meanings are presented in present, past and future tenses respectively: I'm reading, read, I will read.
The basis for determining the time of the process is an abstract grammatical reference point. It may coincide with the moment of speech, or it may not coincide. There are absolute and relative temporal meanings of verb forms. Time is called absolute when the moment of speech acts as the starting point for determining the time plan: The sound of thunder woke up the surrounding villages. Relative time is called when the time of implementation of another process acts as such a starting point. For example, in the sentence He already knew yesterday, that they won’t take him on a hike form will take denotes an action as the future not in relation to the moment of speech, but in relation to the time of implementation of the process called form knew. This is the value of the future action of the form will take and is its relative time value.
In the indicative mood, there are forms that have a special morphological indicator of time and those that do not. The first include past tense forms characterized by the suffix -l, as well as forms of the future complex, which have an auxiliary verb as a special indicator of time be in his personal forms; to the second - the forms of the present and future simple, the endings of which express the meaning of person and number. The personal endings of the forms of the present and future simple are at the same time non-special temporal indicators of these forms.
Among verb categories, with which the category of tense is interconnected, a special place is occupied by the category of aspect, which determines the possibility of the formation of all or not all tense forms: imperfective verbs form forms of all three tenses, perfective verbs form only past and future tense forms.
Forms of time can be used not only literally, but also figuratively. In the first case, the categorical meaning of the tense form of the verb coincides with the real time of the process: A military band performs in a city park(form and meaning of the present tense). When used figuratively, there is no such coincidence: I'm going to a show tomorrow(present tense form - future tense meaning).
The present tense has the meaning of the coincidence of the process with the moment of speech in opposition to this moment to the past and future.
Present tense forms are formed from the present tense stem of imperfective verbs by adding endings that represent a combined indicator of person, number and tense. The endings of verbs, depending on whether the verb belongs to the I or II conjugation, are given in Table. 34.
Verb endings of I and II conjugations
|
Face |
Singular |
Plural |
||
|
I conjugation |
II conjugation |
I conjugation |
II conjugation |
|
|
U(s) ( writing) |
U(s) ( gon-yu) |
-eat (write-eat) |
-them (gon-im) |
|
|
-eat (write and eat) |
-hey (gon' go) |
-yeah (write) |
-ite (gon-ite) |
|
|
-et (writes) |
-it (gon-it) |
-ut (ut) (pish-ut) |
-am (-yat) (gon-yat) |
|
When using forms of the present tense with a primary meaning, a distinction is made between the actual present tense (or the present actual) and the improperly present tense (or the present non-actual). The forms of the present itself mean that we are talking about a process that coincides with the moment of speech: Students write an essay; It's raining outside the window. Forms of the improper present have following values: present constant and present abstract. The forms of the present constant denote a process the implementation of which has no time restrictions: The city is surrounded by swamps; Rivers flow into seas and oceans. Forms of the present abstract are used to denote a repeating, typical process, the manifestation of which is not associated with a specific time plan: Physically unhardened people often catch colds; Usually in the summer I go out of town.
There are other, less common varieties of the improper present - the present commenting: Pobedonosikov takes off his cap, drops suitcase(V. Mayakovsky, stage directions), which is most often found in stage directions works of art, in the presentation of the contents of the documents; and the present pictorial: And then... the triumph of beauty begins to seem, youth, flourishing of strength and passionate thirst for life; the soul gives a beautiful response, harsh homeland, and I want to fly over the steppe with a night bird(A. Chekhov) - usually used when describing imaginary events, and the real time of the occurrence of these events depends on the situation or context.
Past tense What matters is the precedence of the process to the moment of speech in opposition to this moment to the present and the future.
Past tense forms are formed from the past tense stem using a suffix -l or zero suffix. Suffix -l regularly used in the formation of past tense forms zh.r. and w.r. singular, as well as plural forms, and to the suffix -l ending added -A in zh.r. and -o in s.r. units, ending -And and plural forms: sister arrived, the sun was shining, the children were playing. In past tense forms m.r. suffix - l appears regularly only if the formative stem of the past tense ends in a vowel ( watched, drew, said, pushed). If this stem ends in a consonant, then the form m.r. has a null suffix: rowing, wet, chilled, frozen, ter. Indicator of gender and number in the forms of m.r. units also represented by a null ending.
Past tense forms denote a process that precedes the grammatical reference point, however, depending on the type of verb, additional characteristics are layered on this meaning of precedence. Forms formed by perfective verbs have a perfect meaning, i.e. denote a process as completed in the past, but retaining the result in the present ( Children in a strong wind chilled ), or do not contain such an indication ( I thanked him and came out ). Past tense forms of perfective verbs can also denote long-term, but limited in duration processes ( We sang , let's play And calmed down ).
Unlike perfective verbs, the past tense forms of imperfective verbs denote a process in its flow, indicate its duration or repetition: The sea is still it was noisy And beat about the shore; one longboat rocked on the waves, and he's sleepy flickered light(A. Chekhov). Only a few imperfective verbs, denoting the processes of perception and cognition, can be used in the past tense with a perfect meaning: This book I read. Among other meanings of past tense forms, it is worth noting the expression of the normality of a process in a more or less distant past. For this, as a rule, multiple verbs with suffixes are used -yva-, -va- or combination with form it happened: Wandered around and we are through these forests; It happened , all night long spent for a book.
The future tense has the meaning of following the process after the moment of speech in contrast to this moment to the past and present.
There are forms of the simple future (synthetic) and the complex future (analytical). The forms of the future simple are formed from the stem of the present tense of perfective verbs using the same person and number endings as in the formation of the present tense forms: I'll tell you, tell me, will tell, we'll tell you, tell me, tell-ut; gift, you'll give it as a gift, gift-it, give them a gift, give, donate. Future complex forms are formed analytically from imperfective verbs and are a combination of the future tense form of the auxiliary verb to be with the infinitive: I'll collect, will you collect, will collect, we'll collect, will you collect, will be collected.
The meaning of future tense forms reveals a close connection with the type of the verb. Expressing the same meaning of the process following the grammatical starting point, the future tense forms of verbs different types specify and clarify this meaning. The future tense forms of perfective verbs denote processes as completed, productive: The heavy shackles will fall. / The dungeons will collapse — and freedom / You will be greeted joyfully at the entrance(A. Pushkin).
The future tense forms of imperfective verbs are usually used to denote long-term or repeated processes, without representing them as completed or productive: Alone he will wander the August tundra, stumble on bumps, bypass rusty and flat tundra lakes.
Forms of time can be used in a figurative meaning, which makes it possible to figuratively and expressively present the implementation of a process in time and clarify its modal characteristics. In the creation of figurative meanings, the situation or context plays an important role, as well as the combination of different tense forms in the context.
The meaning of the present tense can be expressed by future and past tense forms. The future tense forms of perfective verbs have especially wide possibilities for conveying meanings of the present non-actual. They can be used to indicate regularly repeated or typical processes: Happens , will get up And will speak hot about something. These forms are sometimes used to denote processes that coincide with the moment of speech: I'll ask don't contradict. With the meaning of the present tense in colloquial speech, the future tense form of the verb is often used be: Who are you? you will? (A. N. Tolstoy); You don't have any matches will? Future form of the verb be in some constructions it may have the meaning of uncertainty: "Before I'm about five miles away will" , — he added(I. Turgenev); He is about forty years old will.
A special case is the use of the future tense form of perfective verbs, when it, in combination with negation, expresses the impossibility of carrying out a process at the moment of speech: But I really don't myself I'll understand , why did I weaken so quickly(M. Bulgakov); Sorry, but I am not I'll remember your name.
Past tense forms can also express present tense meaning. This use is typical of perfective forms of verbs, since the effectiveness contained in their categorical meaning already presupposes a connection with the present tense. The condition for presenting a previously carried out process as usual and in the present is a combination of forms of past and present tense: Happens , sat down for a book for an hour or two, A having a blast from her it’s already late in the evening. However, it should be borne in mind that depending on the situation, intonation or context, the past tense form can mean a process related to both the present and the future tense. For example, the statement Scared I'm threatening him! can mean "I am not afraid of his threats" or "I will not be afraid of his threats." Past tense forms with a future tense meaning are used to express confidence in the inevitability of the process they indicate:
One more wrong step and we died. The past tense forms of the verbs begin can be used with the meaning of the future tense, cum, go, go, fly, take, take on, etc.: Well, I went home, and you stay here.
With the meaning of the future tense, forms of not only the past, but also the present tense can be used to express complete confidence in the implementation of the process. The time plan for the implementation of the process named by the verb is often indicated by lexical clarifiers: In summer I I'm going to the village; Tomorrow in the morning he is reading report.
The meaning of the past tense can be expressed by the forms of present and future tense. The use of present tense forms to denote a process that has already taken place (the so-called historical present) gives the narration greater imagery and liveliness, bringing certain events closer to the moment of speech: In 1858 F. I. Buslaev creates the first historical grammar of the Russian language.
Combined with a particle How forms of the future simple indicate the suddenness and intensity of the process being carried out in the past: Suddenly someone it will knock from the yard by the window (A. Chekhov).
Future tense forms can also be used to refer to processes that have occurred repeatedly in the past. The condition for such use of future tense forms is their combination with past tense forms, usually with the word it happened: It happened , Not you'll fall asleep , if in the room will burst in fly or will scrape mouse in the corner(I. Goncharov).
In proverbs, sayings, and aphoristic statements, a process indicated by the form of the future tense can be presented as possible in any of the three time plans. With this use, the typicality, commonality or inevitability of the process is emphasized: How goes around comes around , so and will respond; I'm not burning with tears will you help.
How to determine verb tenses?
- What time will you excuse me?
- thank you you helped me
- The tense of a verb is determined by the tense of the question to which the verb answers.
- future
- verb tenses are future past and present
- need to ask a question
- The tense of a verb is determined by the tense of the question to which the verb answers.
The past tense of the verb can be easily recognized by the questions “what did you do?”, “what did you do?” that is, what I/you/he did or did in the past: yesterday, a week ago, an hour ago. a year ago or just 2 minutes ago. is it possible to do this
The past tense of the verb can be easily recognized by the questions “what did you do?”, “what did you do?” that is, what I/you/he did or did in the past: yesterday, a week ago, an hour ago. a year ago or just 2 minutes ago.
an action that occurs in the present time will answer the question “what is it doing?” i.e. what am I doing / you are doing / he is doing at the present moment in time, or in general, he is doing usually.
an action that occurs in the present time will answer the question “what is it doing?” i.e. what am I doing / you are doing / he is doing at the present moment in time, or in general, he is doing usually.The future tense of the verb denotes actions that are only planned, but will be carried out later. They answer the questions “what will he do?” and “what will he do?” i.e. the subject will do/will do tomorrow, in an hour, in a week, in a year..., that is, in the future. In the future tense, the auxiliary verb “to be” is often added: I will write, you will write, he will write. And you can ask a question to the glogol. this is also an option. And so let’s repeat what tenses verbs have.
FORGIVEN. FUTURE, PRESENT, - And fill in the word what time?
- The tense of a verb is determined by the tense of the question to which the verb answers.
The past tense of the verb can be easily recognized by the questions “what did you do?”, “what did you do?” that is, what I/you/he did or did in the past: yesterday, a week ago, an hour ago. a year ago or just 2 minutes ago.
an action that occurs in the present time will answer the question “what is it doing?” i.e. what am I doing / you are doing / he is doing at the present moment in time, or in general, he is doing usually.
The future tense of the verb denotes actions that are only planned, but will be carried out later. They answer the questions “what will he do?” and “what will he do?” i.e. the subject will do/will do tomorrow, in an hour, in a week, in a year..., that is, in the future. In the future tense, the auxiliary verb “to be” is often added: I will write, you will write, he will write....
- futureThe tense of a verb is determined by the tense of the question to which the verb answers.
The past tense of the verb can be easily recognized by the questions “what did you do?”, “what did you do?” that is, what I/you/he did or did in the past: yesterday, a week ago, an hour ago. a year ago or just 2 minutes ago.
an action that occurs in the present time will answer the question “what is it doing?” i.e. what am I doing / you are doing / he is doing at the present moment in time, or in general, he is doing usually.
The future tense of the verb denotes actions that are only planned, but will be carried out later. They answer the questions “what will he do?” and “what will he do?” i.e. the subject will do/will do tomorrow, in an hour, in a week, in a year..., that is, in the future. In the future tense, the auxiliary verb “to be” is often added: I will write, you will write, he will write...
- The tense of a verb is determined by the tense of the question to which the verb answers.
They change by tense, that is, the verb can determine the time at which the action it names occurs. There are three tenses of verbs in Russian:
- Past tense
- Present tense
- Future
Please note that the tense in which a verb can appear depends on the type of verb. Imperfective verbs can take all three tenses:
Past: slept, walked
The present: sleeping, walking
Future: will sleep, will walk
Perfective verbs can only take two tenses:
Past: fell asleep, took a walk
Future: will fall asleep, take a walk
Note: conditional and imperative verbs do not change tenses.
Past tense
Past tense verbs indicate that the action has already occurred, that is, it was performed in the past, before talking about it. They answer questions what did you do? what they were doing? or What did you do? what did you do?, For example:
All day yesterday(what did you do?) read .
Children in summer(what they were doing?) sunbathed .
Phone yesterday(What did you do?) turned off .
Birds in autumn(what did they do?) flew away .
Imperfect verbs in the past tense indicate that an action took place in the past, without indicating whether it was completed. Perfect Verbs in the past tense they indicate that the action was completed or performed once. Compare:
children (what did they do?) sunbathed- children (what did they do?) tanned .
In past tense verbs, after sibilants, the sound is pronounced under stress O, and the letter is written e, For example:
walked, came, burned, set fire
Word it happened together with verbs in different tenses, it allows you to denote actions that occurred in the distant past and were repeated many times, for example:
Earlier it happened and a stove drowned .
in winter he used to come bear to the hut and treat asks .
You'll go, it happened to the lake, and then it starts to rain.
Past tense verb endings
The past tense of a verb is formed from the indefinite form of the verb. The infinitive is dropped -th and the suffix is added -l- this is how the masculine past tense verb is formed:
erased t- erased l .
To form a feminine verb after a suffix -l ending is added -A
erased l- erased la .
To form a neuter verb after a suffix -l ending is added -O
erased l- erased lo .
To form a plural verb after a suffix -l ending is added -And
erased l- erased whether .
Please note that before the suffix -l the same vowels are written as in the indefinite form before the suffix -th, For example:
hum I th - hum I l, mesh A th - mesh A l, gift And t - gift And l
Some verbs have a masculine suffix in the past tense -l does not happen, for example:
saved, locked, carried, shook
Gender and number of past tense verbs
Past tense verbs change according to numbers. Past tense verbs in singular They also change by gender.
The gender of a verb can be determined by its ending:
- Male genus: what did you do?- zero ending (slept)
- Female genus: what did you do?- ending -a (slept)
- Average genus: what did it do?- ending -o (slept)
Many past tense verbs have an accent on the stem, except for feminine verbs, in which the accent shifts to the ending -A, For example:
slept - slept, drove - drove, tore - tore
Please note that verbs in the past tense do not change by person:
I walked, You walked, He walked
We walked, You walked, They walked
Present tense
Present tense verbs indicate that the action is being performed now, that is, at the moment when they are talking about it. They answer questions what is he doing? what are they doing?, For example:
Now he(what is he doing?) is reading .
Children(what are they doing?) sunbathing on the beach.
Verbs in the present tense can denote actions that are constantly occurring or last a long time (prolonged), not related to the time of their discussion, for example:
People sleeping at night.
Telephone works third year.
Please note that only imperfective verbs have the present tense.
Future
Future tense verbs indicate that the action has not yet occurred, that is, it will take place in the future, after talking about it. They answer questions what will it do? what will they do? or what will he do? what will they do?, For example:
Tomorrow he(what will it do?) will read .
Children in summer(what will they do?) will be sunbathing .
Program(what will it do?) will be updated .
Birds in autumn(what will they do?) will fly away .
The future tense can be simple or complex:
1) Future simple tense have perfect verbs, for example:
I I'll draw portrait.
The future simple tense indicates that an action will be completed or will have a result.
2) Future difficult tense have imperfect verbs. The future complex form consists of two words: a verb be, standing in the future simple tense, and the infinitive. For example:
I I'll draw portrait.
The future complex tense indicates that a given action will occur or be repeated.
