How to learn to use English tenses correctly?
The same way as with everything else:
1. Read the theory.
2. Do lots of practice.
One hint is that there are more tenses than you need at first. Some forms are frequently used, and some are rare. At first you could focus on these forms:
1.
Present Simple (sometimes called Present Indefinite) for Russian
Present -
I learn English.
2.
Present Perfect for Russian
Past -
I've seen the movie.
3.
Future Simple for Russian
Future -
I'll pass the exam.
4.
Would to translate the Russian "бы" -
It would be nice.
Many other forms are to be used with the word
when:
I was watching the TV when it happened,
I had done my homework when it happened.
Also remember, there is some freedom in the forms usage. You can chose the ones you're more familiar with, and express the same idea with other means. And, native speakers sometimes misuse these forms too, especially in the street slang.
And create questions correctly?
If you mean simple questions - like
Did I drink something? - then the method is very simple.
1. If the verb is one of the:
be, have, can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would - then you invert the order of the subject and the verb (bring the verb in front):
I can ... -
Can I ...?2. If the verb is
not one of the above, then you add the auxiliary verb
do in front:
I drive ... -
Do I drive ...?All the tenses are applied to that auxiliary instead of the main verb:
I saw ... -
Did I see ...?3. For the questions with question words (
wh-words, like
what, who, where, when, how), bring this word even more in front:
I drive ... -
Where do I drive ...?If the word substituted with a question word had a preposition, leave the preposition on its place:
I drive to ... -
Where do I drive to?And that's all. You just have to practice this pattern a lot.
There is advanced stuff but you can skip it for a while. You can always use simpler language for your needs, and stay safe and confident.
