相对具体时间是指动作发生的时间相对于动作具体了，或一个动作相对于另一个动作同时发生的时间。非具时间是指不清楚或没有必要清楚动作所发生的确切时间，或动作的发生具体有反复性、一般性。
时态的时是指谓语动词动作所发生的时间，这个时间在句子中可以由时间状语来表现，也有可能暗含在一定的语境中。动词发生的时间可分为顺序时间（过去、现在、将来、过去将来）简称时间的“四分法”，相对具体时间和非具体时间，简称时间的“二分法”。相对具体时间是指动作发生的时间相对于动作具体了，或一个动作相对于另一个动作同时发生的时间。非具时间是指不清楚或没有必要清楚动作所发生的确切时间，或动作的发生具体有反复性、一般性。
二、时态的态时态的态是指动作发生时的状态，动作状态有四种：一般态、进行态、完成态、完成进行态，其中进行、完成、完成进行三种态为具体态。
三、时与态的对应关系与谓语动词时态的确定非具体时间对应一般态，具体时间对应具体态，其中具体的点时间一般对应进行态，具体的段时间对应完成态。在确定谓语动词时态时，除了搞清时间与状态的对应关系外，还要注意说话人的意图及动词的性质，还需要考虑谓语动词的语态和主谓一致问题。英语时种时间与状态对应关系如下：
四、例题解析1.The manager was worried about the press conference his assistant ______ in his place but, luckily, everything was going on smoothly.
A. gave B. gives C. was giving D. had given
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为过去，相对于was worried与was going on两个动作为具体，所以选C
2. After getting lost in a storm, a member of the navy team _____ four days later.
A. rescued B. was rescued C. has rescued D. had been rescued
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为过去，但four days later相对于rescue这一动作为不具体时间，再考虑语态为被动，所以选B
3.Did you predict that many students ______ up for the dance competition?
A. would sign B. signed C. have signed D. had signed
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为过去，但说话人明显意图是“现在没有多少人报名参加”，所以用现在完成时，选C
4. ---I hear you_____ in a pub. What’s it like?
----Well, it’s very hard work and I’m always tired, but I don’t mind.
A. are working B. will work C. were working D. will be working
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为现在，是现阶段可持续的动作，而且动作还没有结束，所以选A
5. The fact that so many people still smoke in public place _____ that we may need a national campaign to raise awareness of the risks of smoking.
A. suggest B. suggests C . suggested D. suggesting
答案与解析： 本题表达的意思具有事实性，一般性，所以选B
6. ---Tommy is planning to buy a car.
---I know. By next month, he _____ enough for a used one.
A. saves B. saved C. will save D. will have saved
答案与解析： 时间状语By next month，四时为将来，by为到什么时间为止的意思，表明是段时间，所以用将来完成时，选D
7. In the last few years thousands of films _______all over the word.
A. have produced
B. have been produced
C. are producing
D. are being produced
答案与解析： 时间状语In the last few years意思是在过去几年里，也就是说在过去到现在这几年这一段时间，固用现在完成时，再考虑语态用被动，所以选B
8. On the next birthday. Ann_______married for twenty years.
A. is B. has been C. will be D. will have been
答案与解析： 时间状语On the next birthday表明四时为将来，for twenty years为段时间，所以用将来完成时，选D
9. We arrived at work in the morning and found that somebody ______ into the office during the night.
A. broke B. had broken C. has broken D. was breaking
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为过去，但break into这一动作一定是发生在found这一动作之前，不然不符合逻辑，break into相对于found为过去之过去，所以选B
10. That piece of music sounds quite familiar. Who ________the piano upstairs?
A. has played B. played C. plays D. is playing
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为说话的当时，而且play这一动作可持续，所以选D
11. Look at the pride on Tom's face. He_______ to have been praised by the manager just now.
A. seemed B. seems C. had seemed D. is seeming
答案与解析： seem一般是似乎，好像的意思，是对现在的事物做出一个不太确定的判断，所以选B
12. If you don't like the drink you ______ just leave it and try a different one.
A. ordered B. are ordering C. will order D. had ordered
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为过去，过去什么时间不确切，也不必讲明，所以用一般过去时，选A
13. Experience of this kind_______in both the U.S. and Europe well before the Second World War.
A. have conducted
B. have been conducted
C. had conducted
D. had been conducted
答案与解析： 时间状语before the Second World War为过去之过去，再考虑语态用被动，所以选D
14. Tom_______in the library every night over the last three months.
A. works B. worked C. have been working D. had been working
答案与解析： 时间状语over the last three months是在过去三个月里，为段时间，work为可持续性动词，而且every night表明动作没有间断过，所以用现在完成进行时，选C
15.—That must have been a long trip.
—Yeah, it_______us a whole week to get there.
A. takes B. has taken C. took D. was taking
答案与解析： 本题a whole week是干扰时间，虽然是段时间，但是a whole week在句子中做宾语，而不是时间状语，从语境判断四时为过去不具体时间，所以选C
16.—Bob has gone to California.
—Oh, can you tell me when he_______?
A. has left B. left C. is leaving D. would leave
答案与解析： 从语境判断四时为过去，而且发问者不知道具体的时间所以才问，固选B
17. -----Joan, what ______ in your hand?
-----Look! It’s a birthday gift for my grandma.
A. had you held B. are you holding C. do you hold D. will you hold
答案与解析： 从语境判断是指现在
18. In 1492, Columbus _______ on one of the Bahama Islands, but he mistook it for an island off India.
A. lands B. landed C. has landed D. had landed
答案与解析： In 1492为过去，相对于 land这一动作不具体，所以选B
19. It is most instructive lecture that I _______ since I came to this school.
A. attended B. had attended C. am attending D. have attended
答案与解析： 时间状语since I came to this school，是从我到这个学校到现在这一段时间，所以选D
20. In the near future, more advances in the robot technology _______ by science.
A. are making B. are made C. will make D. will be made
答案与解析： In the near future为将来，再考虑语态用被动， 所以选D
