ENGLISH VERB TENSES

NAME OF TENSE FORMATION USE/MEANING CLUES & CAUTIONS

PRESENT I am 1. right now 1. now
CONTINUOUS He, she, it is 2. during this period 2. today, this week,
(PROGRESSIVE) We, you, they are of time this semester
+_____ing 3. future, if the plan is • Watch out for
certain (They are noncontinuous
She’s watching TV. getting married in verbs.
August) • Don’t use DO with
BE,
SIMPLE PRESENT I, you, we, they + base 1. habit (He jogs Frequency adverbs:
form everyday.) everyday, always,
He, she it + s or es 2. statement of fact usually, often,
(Cats eat meat.) sometimes, seldom,
3. a scheduled future rarely, never
event (The bus
leaves at 7:00)

FUTURE 1. I am; he, she, it is ; 1. a. future plan, Tomorrow, next week,

you, we, they are
+ going + infinitive
(She’s going to go.)
2. will + base form
3. See present and
present continuous
tenses
SIMPLE PAST add ed to base form for
regular verbs. For other
verbs, see an irregular
verb form list.
PAST CONTINUOUS I, he, she, it was
(PROGRESSIVE) We, you, they were
+________ing
PAST HABIT 1. used to + base
form
2.
I used to live in New
York City.
3. would + base form
When I used to live in
New York City, I would
always take a taxi to the
theater.
b.action that will next year
happen in the
immediate future • Will is a modal.
(Look out! You’re going Don’t use DO with
to fall modals
c. prediction • Use only a base
2. promise, offer, form of a verb after
prediction a modal
(will going , will goes)
finished past actions Dates (1850, 2001), ago,
when, yesterday, last
night, last week, last
month, last year
1.a past action that was While
continuing to go on (I
was watching TV last • Don’t use DID with
night at 7:00.) was or were.
2.a past action that was
interrupted (We were
eating when the phone
rang.
1.for a habitual state, • with did, drop the
event or action that was ed. (Did you use to
true in the past but is no smoke?)
longer true • Don’t confuse used
to with be used to
doing
2.for expressing actions • Would can’t be
or events that occurred used to show
regularly during a period location or
in the past possession(We
would live in New
York.)
FUTURE IN THE 1. was/were going for events or actions that Examples:
PAST to___ were planned in the past We knew the wedding
2. would + base verb was going to be on
June 15, but we didn’t
know where it would
take place.
PRESENT PERFECT I, you we, they have Relates the past to the 1. for, since
He, she it has present time • You must use for or
1. for an action or since for this
+ past participle (ed for situation that began meaning
regular verbs, for in the past and • use for with length
irregular verbs see a list continues into the of time and since
of irregular verbs) present (I’ve been with a specific time
sick since Tuesday 2. so far, today, this
and I’m still sick. month, this
2. For a repeated past semester
action or for a 3. ever, never,
period of time that is already, yet
not finished (We’ve • Don’t use specific
had three exams this time with this
semester.) meaning (Don’t
3. For a past action write “She has
when the specific arrived yesterday.”)
time is not • Yet is only used
mentioned, any time with questions and
before now (She's negatives
found a new job.) 4. just
4. For an action • Don’t use specific
completed in the time with this
immediate past meaning
(They’ve just
finished eating.) • Don’t use do or did
with present perfect
PRESENT PERFECT I, you, we, they have 1. for an action or for, since with meaning
CONTINUOUS He, she, it has situation that began #1 (same as meaning #1
(PROGRESSIVE) in the past and of present perfect)
+been +_______ing continues into the • Don’t use do or did
present • Watch out for
(It has been raining all noncontinuous vers
day long, and it’s still that cannot be used
raining now.) with this tense:
2. for an action that has be
just stopped within the have (possession)
last few minutes (It’s own
been raining. It’s not know
raining now, but the
streets are still wet.)
PAST PERFECT had + past participle 1. when telling a story By the time, after,
about the past, for before
an action that Example: By the time
happened before the he came home, his
story began family had already
2. for an action that eaten.
happened before • Don’t use do or did
another past action
FUTURE will + be +_____ing to make a future action By this time tomorrow
PROGRESSIVE come to life A week from now…
By the time you get
this message I will be
lying on the beach in
Cancun.
FUTURE PERFECT will + have + past To show a future state, By noon tomorrow I
participle action or event as if it will have finished the
were already past, assignment.
Or to show an action that By the time you get this
will happen before a message I will already
certain time in the future have landed in Cancun
FUTURE PERFECT will + have + been To show a future By the end of next
PROGRESSIVE +____ing continuous action as if it month, I will have
were already in progress, been working at this
Or to show an action that company for five years.
will be happening before • Watch out for
a certain time in the noncontinuous
future verbs: be, know,
have (possession)
own
CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
REAL PRESENT present tense in main
clause and present tense
in the dependent clause
(beginning with If, when
or whenever)
REAL FUTURE future (will, may or can
+ base verb or be going
to + base verb) in the
main clause and present
tense in the dependent
clause (beginning with
if or when)
You can also use
“unless” to mean “if
not.”
PRESENT UNREAL would + base verb in
the main clause and past
tense in the if clause
(You can also use might
or could) in the main
clause for an even less
certain outcome.)
PAST UNREAL Would (or might or
could) + present perfect
in the main clause and
past perfect in the if
clause
MIXED TIME IN 1. Past perfect in the if
UNREAL clause and would +
CONDITIONAL base verb in the
SENTENCES main clause
2. Past tense in the if
clause and would,
could, or might +
present perfect in
the main clause
A situation that is If I eat raw onions, I get
always true whenever sick.
the condition exists. I get sad whenever I
hear that song.
A situation that will be If the DJ plays that
true in the future if the song, I am going to cry.
condition exists in the
future You’ll pass the test if
you study. I expect you
to pass because I expect
you will study.
• Use future only in
the main clause, not
in both clauses.
(If you will study, you
will pass.)
A situation that is not If I were you, I would
true because the apologize. ( I am not
condition is not you.)
expected to be met
I would give money to
charity if I won the
lottery. I don’t have
much chance of winning
the lottery.
If you studied, you
would pass the test.
You are not studying, so
I don’t expect you to
pass.
• WERE is used for
all persons in the
unreal conditional
I call this the “too late” If you had studied, you
conditional. It is untrue would have passed the
because it is no longer test.
possible. The condition You didn’t study, so you
was not met. didn’t pass, but don’t
you wish you could turn
the clock back and have
another chance?
1.An untrue condition in Example #1:
the past affects the If he had passed, he
present time. wouldn’t be in summer
school now. (He didn’t
pass. That’s why he’s in
2.A condition that still summer school.)
does not exist in the #2 If I were rich, I
present time has affected could have bought you
the past. a car for your birthday.
(I’m not rich. That’s
why I wasn’t able to buy
you a car.)